Summer is the perfect time to enjoy delicious seasonal foods, but if you have braces, you need to be mindful of what you eat. Certain snacks can damage your appliance or make your treatment less effective. If you’re ready for summer, but don’t want the hassle of vetting everything at your uncle’s BBQ, continue reading. Here’s a guide to seasonal snacking with braces, including what to enjoy and what to avoid!

If you have braces, you already know how important it is to care for them to avoid a potential orthodontic emergency. However, even if you wear a mouthguard during physical activities and do your best to steer clear of overly hard or sticky foods, it’s possible for your brackets to break.

It’s natural to feel worried under these circumstances, but that won’t help you fix your orthodontics. Continue reading to learn about 3 proactive steps you can take to get back on track with your treatment!

A lot of the time, people associate braces with a particular period in their lives: adolescence. While this is hardly a complete picture of what orthodontics can do, it’s also understandable to think this. People usually get all of their permanent teeth by their teens, which usually means it’s the first time that patients can straighten the teeth that they’ll have for the rest of their life.

However, it’s actually not necessary to wait that long to get braces; there are some instances where aligning baby teeth could be a good idea. Here’s what you should know about this process, and how you can know whether your child is a good candidate for these braces.

You want your journey to a straighter smile to be as smooth and stress-free as possible, right? If so, you might find it helpful to learn all of the things you can do to prevent an orthodontic emergency, like a protruding wire or loose bracket. Here are five easy ways to do so!

Orthodontic treatment can be a life-changing investment, offering not just a beautiful smile but also improved oral health and self-confidence. However, the cost of orthodontic treatment can vary significantly depending on various factors. Understanding these factors can help individuals make informed decisions about their orthodontic care. Let’s delve into the key elements that influence the cost of orthodontic treatment.

If you have a mildly crooked smile, Invisalign is an excellent alternative to traditional braces. These clear, plastic aligners are customized to fit snuggly over your teeth and gently reposition them over a designated period. Part of the reason they’ve grown so popular over the years is because there aren’t as many dietary concerns as there are with metal brackets on your teeth. That said, many patients wonder if they can have coffee with Invisalign. If you don’t want to live without your daily dose of caffeine, continue reading to learn more.

If you’ve been waking in the morning with a headache and notice that your jaw has been feeling particularly stiff, you could be suffering from a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. This painful condition can progress to the point that you get a locked jaw and can’t open your mouth to eat or speak, so it’s important to get professional help to address it. Treatments vary and can involve physical therapy or oral devices provided by your orthodontist. Many patients in this predicament wonder whether Invisalign can alleviate their symptoms. If you’re curious, keep reading to find out!

Even if you’ve had your Invisalign aligners for a long time, the holiday season may test your ability to stay on track with your treatment. This goes double if you’re going out of the town or seeing family for the holidays; an unfamiliar environment can take you out of your routine, and disrupt your ability to properly take care of your orthodontics.

For that reason, it’s a good idea to think a little bit beforehand about what you can do to make sure you stay on track with your Invisalign treatment. Here are some tips that may help you.

Even with the decision to go for traditional braces, you might assume your oral care routine will remain unchanged. However, the reality is that metal braces demand additional care beyond standard dental hygiene practices. To ensure the health and comfort of your mouth during the alignment process, it’s crucial to have specialized dental tools. If you’re contemplating traditional metal braces for teeth straightening, read on to discover five essential dental tools that will not only elevate your oral hygiene regimen but also enhance the overall comfort and success of your braces experience.

Our practice wouldn’t last very long without our patients, which is why each member of our team deeply appreciates and values everyone who comes through the door here at Willow Bend Orthodontics of Plano. Of course, saying this is one thing, but we’re all about doing here! That’s why we decided to invite all of our patients and their families to a pool party this past July. It was the ideal time for us to show the people we take care of just how much they mean to us, getting quality face time while also giving away plenty of prizes. Couldn’t make it? Keep reading to see what happened and know what you can look forward to next year!