The importance of elastic wear, from Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics

At some point during treatment you may need to wear elastics (rubber bands), which exert force that creates pressure to move teeth. In order for the force to remain constant, elastics must be worn 24/7 and be changed every day (to keep elasticity). When elastics are not worn as instructed, treatment is prolonged.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1. You are responsible for wearing elastics, and to wear them as instructed. Remove only when brushing teeth and flossing. It is recommended that you eat with your elastics in, if too difficult; remember to put back in after meals.

2. Make sure you carry extra bags of elastics with you, so that if one breaks you have a spare.

3. If you forget to wear your elastics, DO NOT double up, this may cause you to over correct-just wear as instructed.

4. Be sure to change on a regular basis, they loose their elasticity and do not apply the proper force to your teeth.

5. If elastics break frequently, or a hook breaks making it impossible for you to wear elastics-call the office immediately. Don’t wait until your next appointment. Waiting will prolong your treatment time.

6. Call the office if you are out of elastics or are running low and we will mail them out to you or you can stop by during business hours to pick a few packages up.

Oral hygiene tips, from Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics

Brushing and flossing after every meal and snack is the only way to prevent plaque build up, tooth decay, and gum disease. Especially during treatment your teeth will need extra care. Our goal is for you to have a beautiful healthy smile, with straight white teeth and in order for this to occur good hygiene is very important. Food and particles can be trapped by brackets, wires, bands and appliances, and this can make it difficult to keep your teeth clean. Using a waterpik is an additional way to clean teeth and gums. Here are a few tips to help with keeping your teeth clean and healthy:

1. Brush after every meal and snack
2. Floss daily to remove trapped food and particles
3. Rinse with a mouth wash to kill any bacteria
4. Brush with a fluoride toothpaste and a soft bristled tooth brush
5. Clean teeth with a proxabrush
6. Maintain regular check-ups with your general dentist

Ask Drs. Bernard & Eimer: What Can I Eat When My Teeth Are Sore?

Here are some soft food suggestions for patients to consider:

• Yogurt
• Soft cheeses, such as brie, cottage cheese, and sliced swiss, cheddar, and havarti
• Instant breakfast drinks
• Custard
• Pudding
• Pasta-fully cooked and soft
• Noodles
• soup
• Rice or risotto
• Bulgur wheat
• Polenta
• Grits
• Soft cooked carrots
• Baked fish
• Tofu
• Mashed potatoes
• Hummus
• Mashed bananas
• Milkshakes or smoothies
• Jell-o
• Pudding
• Scrambled eggs
• Oatmeal or cream of wheat

**Remember- Nothing HOT with new “Heat activated” wires and Advil works well for tender teeth.

Summer dos and donts, from Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics

AVOID THESE:

SPORTS DRINKS: Gator Aid and Power Aid and even citric drinks like orange and lemon-aid are very acidic. They can erode the enamel of your front teeth and leave white mark or patches; especially in those with braces.

STICKY FOODS: Most sticky foods have a high sugar content and when they get stuck in the grooves of the teeth, they provide food for decay producing bacteria over a long period of time. Watch out for sticky dried fruits like raisins as well!

HARD CANDY: Sucking on hard candy will again keep sugar bathing the teeth for a lengthy period. And it you decide to bite on it, your wire will bend and your bracket will be knocked off.

PROLONGED GUM CHEWING: Chewing gum for long periods will cause the muscles of the jaws to tire and even go into spasm. The jaw joints could become painful or begin clicking as well and headaches can occur from stressed facial muscles.

HEAD HOLDING: Propping up your head with your hand or sleeping on your hands could force the jaw sideways out of the sockets causing clicking or pain in the jaw joints. Pressure against the cheeks could also cause the teeth to move inward resulting in crooked teeth or a narrower arch.

(Instead,)
TRY THESE:

WATER: Not very tasty but always the best liquid for hydration and health! If you must have soda or sports drinks, always use a straw so the liquid cannot get to your teeth.

VEGETABLES: If you must have foods with sugar, try vegetables. Carrots have sugar but do not stick to the teeth or cause decay. Just remember to cook them or cut them up into small pieces if you have braces.

SOFT CANDY: Actually, some believe that dark chocolate is a cavity preventative. Soft candy may contain a lot of sugar, but it is easily chewed and swallowed so the contact with the teeth is minimized over hard or sticky candy.

LIMITED GUM CHEWING: Chewing sugarless gum for 5 minutes after meals is actually good for the teeth. It promotes saliva which washes away plaque and neutralizes acid. And gum with xylitol will even keep plaque from adhering to the teeth and prevent decay.

GOOD POSTURE: Keeping the back straight and head upright will promote good muscle tone and balance in the head and neck. It will allow the jaw joints to rest comfortably in the sockets and eliminate muscle and joint pain.

Patriotic fun facts!

On Monday, Dr. Bernard, Dr. Eimer and team will be busy celebrating America's 235th birthday. And because we know our patients love fun facts, we thought we'd provide you with some fun facts about Independence Day! Have a great Fourth of July weekend everyone, and we'll see you next week!!

- Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

- An estimated 2.5 million people lived in America in July 1776. Today, an estimated 309 million people reside in the United States.

- The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation, which meant that people didn't want to be taxed by a government that did not represent them.

- In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.

- America's mascot, the bald eagle, can achieve speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when making a predatory dive. During a normal flight, bald eagles can travel up to 30 miles per hour.

- The American flag patch is backwards on U.S. Army uniforms. The reason? The blue field on the flag (the part with the stars) faces forward to symbolize carrying the American flag into battle.

- Someone who specializes in the history of flags is called a vexillologist.

- The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

- According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs during their Independence Day festivities.

- Speaking of food, there's a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard this Independence Day weekend grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State is America's leader in the production of cattle and calves.