As we begin the month of October, pumpkin spiced foods and beverages are appearing everywhere, leaves are beginning to change colors on trees here in Georgia and quite a few of us are still settling into our back-to-school schedules. For many of our patients, this month means Halloween, which in turn equates to candy! For the dental health world, October is National Orthodontic Health Month. A whole month devoted to celebrating healthy smiles, learning more about the benefits of orthodontic treatment, and the importance of good oral health. Our SmilesForever Orthodontics doctors and staff are concerned with overall dental, oral and orthodontic health and are eager to share this awareness with our patients.
Orthodontic Health Awareness can be highlighted by a few key facts.
- The recommended age for a child’s first orthodontic check-up is age 7.
- Orthodontic health relates to dental health and overall health.
- Crowded teeth make it harder to brush and floss.
- Certain habits such as thumb-sucking may cause changes in your child’s oral structures which may in turn affect speech and feeding.
- Orthodontists straighten teeth, they correct abnormal bites.
- Abnormal bites are categorized as overbites, underbites, deep bites, open bites and crossbites.
- Other problems that can be corrected by a board certified orthodontist are crooked and crowded teeth, impacted or missing teeth, extra teeth, gaps or spacing between teeth.
- Teeth can be straightened and bites can be corrected at any age.Yes, ANY AGE! In fact, one in three orthodontic patients is an adult.
- Orthodontist spend an extra three years of specialty training to obtain their Specialty Certificate, after completing four years of Dental School.
- Dr. Brad Gilbert and Dr. Adam Wells put in those hard earned extra miles and obtained their Board Certification status from the American Board of Orthodontists. Did you know only one out of every three orthodontists achieve their Board Certification?
The American Association of Orthodontists urges patients to choose braces-friendly treats at Halloween time. During orthodontic treatment with braces, it’s always important to remember that certain foods should be avoided in order to reduce breakage. Any hard, crunchy, sticky or chewy candies or gum are on the “Foods To Avoid” list. These types of foods and candies not only break braces and bend wires, but can potentially break healthy teeth too! Though we can always fix broken brackets and orthodontic wires, this may add up to additional patient appointments and time in treatment. Alternative sweet treats are recommended, and Dr. Gilbert and Dr. Wells encourage our patients to always brush and floss after enjoying any treats! Check out our Ghoulishly Delicious Treats Pinterest board for those braces-friendly fun Halloween treats!
SmilesForever Orthodontics is ready to help you to achieve and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. If you do have any unfortunate breakage, please call us right away to schedule an appointment to assess repairing brackets or wires. We want to get you back to smiling as quickly as possible!
We hope y’all enjoy the amazing sights, scents and tastes of Fall this season. Stay safe and smile healthy!
