Braces-friendly Recipes

Did you know that more than four million children throughout the U.S. and Canada have braces? At Gonzales Orthodontics, Dr. Dante Gonzales and our staff know that kids can be picky and meticulous eaters. If cooking for children without braces is difficult, preparing meals for children with braces is especially daunting. As a tip, your children can still eat those foods they would normally bite into by simply cutting the food into small pieces and chewing with their back teeth. This means your children can still enjoy their favorite foods!

“Comfort food takes on a whole new meaning when cooking for children with braces,” says Pamela Waterman, author of The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You and Your Orthodontist Will Love. “Whether you have new brackets, elastics, headgear, or more, there are great foods you can eat; it just takes some thought.”

These five braces-friendly dinner recipes will be sure to keep your kids smiling! 

1.   Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Pasta is soft, so it’s easy for children with braces to eat. The warm, gooey cheese melts in the mouth and doesn’t get stuck in the braces like hard or sticky foods. Chances are good that even the pickiest eater has a soft spot for this homespun classic.

2.   The key to braces-friendly cooking is to replace hard, crunchy foods with softer substitutes. In other words, burritos are a better option than tacos, and lasagna is a better choice than pizza. At the same time, if you have the culinary skills to whip up a pizza with a soft crust, you’re going to win the Best Mom (or Dad) of the Year award.

3.   Your child may not like fruits and vegetables. In fact, he or she may even try to convince you that with new braces, fruits and vegetables are off limits. Nice try, kids. While your child is wearing braces, prepare meals with cooked vegetables instead of raw vegetables. A vegetable stir-fry is a healthy and soft dinner choice for kids with braces.

4.   Whether it’s beef or chicken, meat is a good source of protein. However, meat, even when it’s carefully taken off the bone (kids with braces should never eat meat from a bone), can easily get caught in braces. Sloppy Joes are a good alternative. The beef is softened by the addition of the sauce and less likely to get strung in the wires and brackets of the braces. Serve the Sloppy Joes with a side of mashed potatoes.

5.   Ask any child and he or she will tell you that the best part of dinner is dessert. While hard candy, licorice, taffy, caramel, popcorn, and all other chewy candies should be avoided, ice cream and cake are braces-friendly treats that keep kids smiling.

On a side note, stay healthy! Don’t fall into the ice cream trap. Sure, it’s good for a treat, but it won’t give you the nourishment you need to look and feel your best. Eating soft food doesn’t mean eating unhealthy. Here are some suggestions for meals on a typical day when you first get your braces on:

• Breakfast – pack in the protein with a fruit smoothie and scrambled eggs
• Morning snack – two cubes of soft cheese, like Laughing Cow and a banana
• Lunch – tomato soup and a “salad” of carrot and cucumber ribbons (made with a veggie peeler)
• Supper – meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy
• Night-time snack – baked apples with maple syrup

And of course, remember to stay hydrated and drink lots of water throughout the day, avoiding pop and sugary drinks as your teeth are even more susceptible to cavities when you have braces.

Need more braces-friendly food ideas?  Have questions on what not to eat? Feel free to ask any member of our team or call our office at 925-828-2244.

Happy Eating!

What is the Difference Between an Orthodontist and a Dentist that Does Orthodontics?

It is getting more difficult to tell the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist who does orthodontics. It is common to have a patient tell me that their former “orthodontist” was the same doctor who made their crowns or cleaned their teeth. Because their dentist also offered to straighten their teeth, they just assumed he or she was an orthodontist too. So what is an orthodontist? What makes him or her different than a dentist who does orthodontics? Does it really matter?

An orthodontist is a licensed dentist who, after graduating from dental school, returned to a university or medical center accredited by the American Dental Association for two to three years of comprehensive training in the correction of every type of malocclusion (bad smiles and bites). Getting into an orthodontic specialty program is very competitive. Students who are accepted into post-graduate residencies have usually graduated at the top 1-2 percent of their dental school class. Orthodontic residents devote at least 12-14 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, for 2 to 3 years learning to diagnose and treat everything from a little space that can be fixed with a simple retainer to the most difficult under-bite that requires 3 to 4 years of treatment in addition to jaw surgery. That amounts to 5,000 to 6,000 additional hours of intense, supervised training after dental school.

In my residency at the University of Pacific, I was required to start and finish 50 patients with problems of every kind so that I could get hands-on experience in a controlled clinical setting. Because my residency was in a large dental school, I was exposed to difficult problems of every kind. Orthodontic residents are mentored by professors and adjunct faculty members who are themselves specialists and have years of experience. In addition to 6 hours of hands-on clinical instruction every day, I also received post-graduate level courses in genetics, statistics, growth and development, orthodontic theory, biomechanics, research techniques, surgical orthodontics, and cleft palate just to name a few. Finally, I was required to perform an original research project that would help advance the field of orthodontics.

Since I also graduated from an ADA accredited dental school before my two-year orthodontic residency, I know exactly how much orthodontic training general dentists receive. At most dental schools, graduating dentists receive little to no orthodontic training.  Dental school was the most challenging four years of my life. The clinical instruction I received in school made me proficient in the important procedures most commonly performed by a general dentist like cleaning teeth, filling teeth, making crowns, bridges, and dentures, and performing simple root canals and extractions.

In the 3^rd or 4^th  year of school, dental students do rotations through the various dental specialty departments so that they are exposed to more difficult issues they may encounter after graduation. These rotations may or may not allow students to actually perform the procedures they mainly observe. My rotations included periodontics (gum and bone surgeries), endodontics (root canal therapy), pedodontics (children’s dentistry), prosthodontics (replacing missing teeth), oral surgery (removing teeth and jaw surgery), and orthodontics. In addition to shadowing these specialists for a few weeks, we generally had a semester-long class that gave us an overview of each specialty. As a dental student I made one retainer for a patient and that was the extent of my hands-on orthodontic training. I can tell you that I was in no way qualified to diagnose, treatment plan, or provide braces for anyone with the minimal orthodontic training I received even though I graduated at the top of my class out of 160 students.

When a dental student passes his or her boards, he or she becomes legally licensed to provide all dental procedures regardless of his or her training or experience. As a new dentist, I felt comfortable diagnosing and treating common dental problems. I could clean teeth, fill cavities, make crowns, bridges, and dentures, do simple root canals, and perform simple extractions. After graduation, there are continuing education courses available that allow dentists to further their education and expand the range of services they offer in their practices. Some of these are offered at universities, but most are for-profit courses offered by vendors on the weekends in hotels or conference centers. Unlike competitive university specialty programs, the only requirement for these courses is payment of the enrollment fees. Whereas university based specialty programs give residents two to three years of invaluable hands-on clinical experience and rigorous course work. You read and study all of the studies that have been done to make sure you understand the fundamentals of orthodontics. The weekend courses that dentists take may not even allow the doctor to perform a single procedure on a real patient before offering it in his own practice. There is very little course work to study to really understand what you are doing. It’s almost like learning from a cookbook. Additionally, weekend courses have no way of overseeing the progression of treatment or helping out the inexperienced doctor should something go wrong since the seminar instructor is long gone.

While a few for-profit orthodontic continuing education courses may take place on multiple weekends during a one or two year span, in my mind it would be difficult for them to duplicate the experience that an orthodontic resident receives in 4,000 to 6,000 hours of full-time residency. To gain that much experience from a weekend course, the dentist would have to spend every single weekend in an orthodontic course for 7-8 years. That’s every single weekend!  Most weekend orthodontic training courses offer a two-day schedule that spends more time on marketing and promotion than it does on diagnosis and treatment planning. Is it plausible that a general dentist can produce the same results as a specialist after a single two-day course?  Furthermore, does is make sense that they can do it in a shorter time and for less money? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Even though your primary care physician can legally perform surgery on your heart, your brain,  give you a nose job, and treat you for psychiatric problems, wouldn’t you seek the skills of a specialist if you needed these services? Your smile and bite are just as important. Before you let anyone straighten your teeth, ask them specifically if they are a specialist (an orthodontist) and how many years of additional training they had to become licensed as a specialist. You only have one smile and one set of teeth. Shouldn’t you put it into the hands of a qualified orthodontist?

Do You Gag When You Take Impressions?

Do you gag when you take impressions?  Dread going to the dentist or orthodontist because you fear you might have get an impression with all of that goopy impression material?

Fear not!!  We have the newest technology that is replacing the old impressions. The new iTero scanner from Align Technology is a game changer.  Not only can we scan our patients teeth with a little 3D camera  for Invisalign, we can also scan patients for retainers and other appliances that are needed for orthodontics.

Here is a picture of Tiffany. She had a horrible time with impressions. It was almost impossible to get an impression on her. So when it came time to make her a retainer we just scanned her teeth. No tears, no hassle, and no vomiting in the chair.  No impressions, easy scan, perfect retainer, and a happy patient.

 

Why Do Braces Break, and What Should I Do?

Two questions come up in our office, why do the braces break off of the teeth and what should I  do if a part of your appliance or braces breaks or is uncomfortable.  The first thing you should know is that everyone in braces will break an occasional bracket. It happens even to the most careful patients.  If the bracket comes off within the first 24 hours of placement it usually means there was a bad bond of the cement to the tooth. Although we use the highest quality orthodontic cements available (3M Unitek) any saliva that gets onto the tooth while bonding will disrupt/weaken the bond of the cement to the tooth.  However, if the bracket comes off after 24 hours of bonding then it usually is due to biting or chewing.  This is due to either the bracket being in the "way of the bite" or patients biting into something too hard which can put a lot of force onto the bracket an knock it off of the tooth.

The second question we get is" what should I do about a broken bracket or appliance"? Rarely ever is this an "emergency" that needs to be treated immediately, unless there is something that is hurting or preventing you from being able to eat or talk.  If the wire or appliance is not bothering you then you should make an appointment to come back in to get the bracket re-cemented. If you are in the first 6-8 months of your treatment you should come back in within 1-2 weeks. If your teeth shift back a little at this stage we can recover from this very quickly with no increase in overall treatment time.  But if you are in the later part of your treatment (12-20 months) you should come back in within a week so the teeth don't shift too much.

There are a few easy ways to manage discomfort or broken appliances on the go. Many orthodontic discomforts can be relieved by the use of over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen or ibuprofen or with the use of relief wax. For minor tooth discomfort, use whatever pain reliever works best for you when you have a headache. If a wire or bracket is causing your cheeks or gums discomfort, relief wax can be found at our office or at major chains and just needs to be applied to the area to make the uncomfortable appliance smooth to the touch. If a wire is too long, you can often use new nail clippers to clip the wire until you can make it into our office. 

How to Stay on Course and Avoid Delays on Your Treatment Time

Here at Gonzales Orthodontics, we understand that delaying treatments aren't ideal and patients often ask us what they can do in between their adjustment visits to help speed up the process so they can get out get of braces sooner. Today, Dr. Gonzales and our team thought we would provide some tips on how you can stay on track in regards to your treatment time.

The most important thing we want you to do is keep your adjustment appointments. Each visit is carefully planned to move your teeth a specific way in a certain time frame. It’s important to note that missing an appointment can add weeks or months to your treatment time.

Next, we want you to contact our office right away if you experience any problems with your braces or appliances. A missing wire, rubber band, or broken bracket can delay treatment time if not replaced for a long time, so we ask that you please give us a call right away to report any issues rather than waiting until your next visit.

Make sure you wear your rubber bands as prescribed by Dr. Gonzales and our assistants. Most, if not all, of our patients will need to wear elastics or rubber bands at some point during their treatment. Not wearing the bands or elastics, or not wearing them enough, can slow down your treatment time. Rubber bands are critical in aligning your bite and are important for the bite-fixing phase of your treatment. Any accessory or attachment is critical to your treatment plan so please follow your instructions adamantly.

Finally, we want you to maintain good oral hygiene, just as you did before your treatment began. In addition to flossing regularly, we encourage you to brush your teeth several times a day (at least 3). Not brushing will allow sugar to wear away the cement on the braces, making them less effective in moving your teeth, as well as elevate your risk of developing cavities or tooth decay, which will inevitably delay treatment time.

If you have any questions about any of these tips, or if you have any general questions about your treatment, please give us a call.

Happy Father's Day!

The sun is shining and summer is almost upon us. Before you know it, Father’s Day will be here! Have you considered what you are going to get your father this year? Perhaps something that will really show him how much you care? That something could be a new smile!

A beautiful smile will give him a confident boost and an extra spring in his step. Don’t underestimate the significance of a healthy smile; as it is one of the most direct and effective forms of communication. Your father’s new smile will not only make him feel younger, but it will also be beneficial to his health. Straighter teeth will improve his health, his bite while also making it easier to floss by promoting better hygiene! So if your father is hiding his smile because of cosmetic wear and tear, now might be the time to improve his overall well-being with a gift of a lifetime!

At Gonzales Orthodontics, we provide the quality, care and experience that will be sure to have your dad smiling this Father’s Day, and beyond.

We are proud to offer three options for straightening teeth. We have traditional metal braces, clear braces, as well as Invisalign. Invisalign is great because they are clear aligners that fit directly over the teeth. These aligners are similar to retainers than traditional braces because not only are they hard to notice, but they are also easy to clean. If your dad doesn't want to stay in treatment forever, we have two options that have proven to speed up treatment times and can work in conjunction with braces and Invisalign.

Propel is a medical device that harness the patient’s biology to stimulate the bone surrounding the teeth. This helps the teeth to move faster, thereby reducing overall treatment time.

Acceledent uses SoftPulse Technology to release a safe and effective light force pulse that transmits through the root of your teeth to the surrounding bone socket. This helps accelerate the cellular response and speeds the rate with your teeth can move.

For more information on accelerating treatment times with Propel or Acceledent, please visit: wwww.FasterOrtho.com

So bring your dad into Gonzales Orthodontics for a complimentary consultation and we can help him decide what type of treatment would best suit his needs. 

Orthodontic Treatment and Wisdom Teeth

The purpose of orthodontic treatment at Gonzales Orthodontics is to correct malocclusion, also known as crooked or crowded teeth, as well as correcting the bite. In the past, Orthodontic practices  have recommended that wisdom teeth be removed, especially in cases of severe crowding. The wisdom teeth, also known as third molars are the last teeth to form, and erupt between the ages of 13 and 20. In some cases wisdom teeth are impacted, which means the teeth never break through the gum tissue. Impacted wisdom teeth often happen when the mouth or jaw is too small to accommodate all the teeth. The cons with impacted wisdom teeth can be infection, and some orthodontists and dentists may want them extracted to prevent any possible future infections. 

Old Myths Die Hard

In the past many people thought that when the wisdom teeth erupted they would set off a "domino effect" of crowding. Therefore, anybody that had orthodontic treatment would need their wisdom teeth removed. In the early 90's a few landmark studies disproved this theory.  The study showed that whether or not you have wisdom teeth (some people are born without them), your  teeth can still shift and get crooked and crowded, unless you are wearing a retainer.  Thus, we do not recommend getting the wisdom teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons anymore. However, there are several other reasons for getting them extracted.

Justification for removing wisdom teeth

Dr. Gonzales will tell you in some cases, the mouth or jaw is too small to fit the wisdom teeth.  In which case causes the third molars to grow in the wrong way, either tilting in the jaw, or sideways. Impacted wisdom teeth inevitably happen from lack of room for the teeth to come in. The gum flap above the wisdom tooth can become infected and cause swelling, and tend to be painful. The biggest problem that can occur is periocoronitis, a potentially dangerous infection that develops on the area around the impacted wisdom tooth, or even if it has erupted.

Orthodontists usually base their decision to have wisdom teeth extracted on each patients individual case. To learn more about the impact wisdom teeth have on orthodontic treatment, or to schedule a visit, please visit our website at: www.drdantegonzales.com.