Braces Friendly... and Not So Friendly

Foods You Can Eat After a Bit of Effort
Apples if you cut them into thin wedges
Carrots if you cook them instead of eating raw
Chicken wings and ribs if you cut the meat off the
Pickles if you cut them into small piecesbone
Corn on the cob if you remove the kernels from the cob
Hard cookies if you soften them in milk first
Ice cubes if you suck them only (no biting!)

Foods You Shouldn’t EatBagels or hard rolls because the outer edges are chewy and toughBagel chips or other, thicker chips
Beef jerky
Chewing gum
Cold candy (for example, M&Ms in ice cream)
Hard candy you bite into (candy canes, peanut brittle, jaw breakers, Skittles and similar candies)
Hard pretzelsNuts
Pizza crust
Popcorn or caramel corn (because of the kernels and their shells)
Suckers (too many people bite suckers rather than lick)
Taffy, Tootsie Rolls, Fruit Roll-Ups & Gummi bears (anything that you normally have to pick out of your teeth will break your braces)

Even the Stars want a beautful smile!

Any day is a great day to flash a beautiful smile. You don't have to be a movie star to have your teeth straightened before a special occasion. Everyone wants to look good for their prom, senior pictures, graduation, applying for a job or like Kathryn Heigl… getting married.

Kathryn Heigl never worried about her teeth not being straight until she decided to get married. What was the easiest and least emotionally traumatic solution for someone who is in the spotlight and can't be seen wearing braces… Invisalign!
If you have been thinking about straightening your teeth, contact our office for an appointment to find out how easy it is to accomplish this with Invisalign. We see every patient in our office as a celebrity and look forward to discussing orthodontic treatment options with you.
See what Kathryn Heigl has to say about Invisalign on YouTube… Leave a comment below and tell us what impact you think a smile has on our day to day lives.

Nail Biting!

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it?
Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!
Here’s why:
• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation.