Oral Hygiene during Halloween

Halloween is always a challenging time for oral hygiene, but that’s especially true for people with traditional braces. People not only have easy access to sugary candy, but also sugary and acidic drinks. We’ve been in the orthodontic business for a long time at Dr. Cynthia Wong’s Orland Park office, so we wanted to advise parents and patients on some of the pitfalls of Halloween treats and how to mitigate them.

There are two issues to beware of: exposure to sugar and impact on the structure of braces. Sticky candies can dislodge orthodontic elastics and wires; hard candies can break them. As alternatives, consider soft, chewy candies such as chocolates. These candies are still high in sugar and will need to be quickly brushed off the teeth, but the risk from sugar has more to do with the length of time it remains on teeth than the sugar content of the food. To ensure the teeth are not exposed to sugar for long periods, limit the consumption of candy and soda or cider to set mealtimes, when the mouth is producing more saliva and the sugar can easily be brushed away afterward. Drinking more water throughout the day will also keep the mouth clean of sugar and acid. Lastly, we want to remind patients that it is much easier to maintain oral hygiene with Invisalign, but brushing and flossing must still be done regularly and that people shouldn’t put their aligners back in while there is still sticky material trapped between their teeth.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.

 

Diet with Braces

When our patients get braces, we advise them to avoid eating foods that can cause damage to your braces. Foods that are hard, sticky, and chewy can cause damage to the wires, bracket, and rubber bands. Hard foods such as nuts and chips should be avoided to prevent damage while sticky foods such as caramel and gum can get stuck to your braces and cause damage.

At Dr. Cynthia Wong, DDS, we encourage our patients to follow a diet that contains softer foods that are less likely to damage your braces. Foods that are safe to eat include dairy, meat, fruit (soft), vegetables (soft), bread, and seafood. Any vegetables or fruits that are harder should be cut up into smaller pieces.

After patients get their put braces put on and later tightened, your teeth will feel sore for a couple of days. During this time we recommend our patients stick to the softest foods possible that require as little force to chew as possible to prevent soreness.

Don’t forget to practice good oral hygiene with braces to keep them as clean and healthy as possible!

To learn more about all of the services we provide, please visit https://www.drcynthiawong.com/our-practice for more information and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Holiday Foods with Braces

This holiday season, many braces patients will be attending feasts and parties full of seasonal treats. This raises some obvious questions about what they can eat, which is why Dr. Cynthia Wong’s orthodontic office wants to help guide patients looking for delicious (and possibly nutritious) meals.

It’s pretty obvious that people with braces need to avoid peanut brittle and the baby carrots on veggie platters. But there are still plenty of foods that aren’t especially tough or sticky. Ham, brisket, and turkey are all popular main courses that can be cooked tender enough to not present a challenge to braces. Mashed tubers and potato pancakes are sides that won’t displace any wires, and while raw carrots are out of the question, steamed or boiled vegetables aren’t a problem. Cheese is another safe appetizer, and one of the pleasures people with braces can particularly appreciate is a bowl of hearty winter squash soup.

One thing to remember with a lot of holiday foods, including pumpkin pie and Christmas pudding, is that foods which are soft are often high in sugar. While the risk to orthodontic wires is negligible, they do need to be removed from the teeth as soon as possible. Ice cream and custard are commonly suggested as dessert alternatives, but again, it’s important for people with braces to thoroughly clean their teeth after eating anything sugary due to their increased vulnerability to tooth decay. Keep in mind that lots of holiday drinks are also high in sugar or acidic and that a water chaser is your teeth’s friend.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.