Sugary Treats on Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day can be filled with sugary candies and treats that stick to your braces or break them off. Sticky or crunchy foods can break your appliances, damage your teeth, and slow down your treatment. Maybe skip the sugar and look for options instead. But if you do indulge, remember to brush thoroughly after eating.
Can I play sports during orthodontics?
Kids and teens can absolutely play sports while wearing braces or Invisalign. While injuries can happen at any time when playing sports, protecting your mouth and teeth during physical activity can reduce the risk of dental injuries. Hockey, lacrosse, wrestling are some common sports with the regular use of mouth guards. Other sports like basketball, baseball or soccer may or may not involve mouth guards. Talk with your sports leader about recommendations.
Orthodontics 20 years ago often involved extractions, surgeries, lengthy treatment times, extraoral devices (like headgear) and clear aligners (Invisalign) were just starting to be developed. Now, preventative evaluation, materials advancements and new techniques provide new treatment may also be possible!
Orthodontics use clear aligner systems like Invisalign to straighten teeth. The digital set up often involves "attachments" placed on the teeth surfaces. These "bumps" act like clips and provide pressure surfaces for the aligners to be effective. They are quite small in most cases and require minimal maintenance. There is a library of different attachments with 3D controls that allows your orthodontist to design an orthodontic plan for your teeth and smile.
