Oral Hygiene
Sparkling Clean Hygiene Incentive Program
We have designed a new program that will reward our patients who visit their family dentist for regular checkups during orthodontic treatment.
In addition to earning two to three wooden tokens each orthodontic visit, based on your level of oral hygiene and cooperation, you will have the ability to earn five wooden tokens for each six-month cleaning and exam completed by your family dentist during your active orthodontic treatment.
In our new program each patient starting treatment will receive one "Sparkling Clean" certificate for each six months of anticipated treatment. (i.e. a typical full braces treatment is two years, which means you will be given four certificates.)
The program is easy. Just follow through with your cleaning and exam appointments with your family dentist every six months and have your hygienist or dentist sign the certificate. Once validated and returned to us by the patient, the certificate will be worth five wooden tokens.
Regular dental examinations are important for all, but extremely important to those wearing orthodontic appliances. Teamwork between the parents, patients, dentist and the orthodontist is essential for best results.
Eating Tips for Patients with Braces
Because we care about you and your new braces, here are some suggestions for keeping them in great shape.
Follow these tips to a happier and healthier mouth with your braces:
- For the first 24 hours, please eat soft foods only. This allows for our materials to set completely.
- Fruit, juices, milk and water are great for braces, but please limit your carbonated beverages. (Acid in carbonation may eat away at our cements.)
- Popcorn is also okay to eat with braces, but please eat it piece by piece, instead of by the hand full, and avoid eating the hard, crunchy unpopped pieces.
- Most types of candy are okay with braces, such as plain chocolate, Three Musketeers, Reese's Pieces, Peanut Butter Cups, etc....Please avoid candy with nuts or caramel, such as Snickers and Sugar Daddy's.
- Gum is sticky or chewy, so please avoid it. It tires the wires so treatment takes longer.
- Ice, as well as frozen food or treats right out of the freezer are also hard, so please avoid them.
- Hard, chewy breads should be broken and eaten in small pieces.
- Fritos, Doritos and hard chips should be broken up into bite-sized pieces.
- Fresh corn should be cut off the cob.
The rule of thumb for patients with bands is to please avoid hard, sticky, chewy foods.
