It’s Halloween time! Fall activities, haunted houses, costumes, corn mazes, parties, and of course, trick or treating. But there’s one other vital reason to celebrate this month for our patients. It’s National Orthodontic Health month! We want you to have a fantastic Halloween that is also safe for your braces, so here are our tips.

To have a safe Halloween for your braces we recommend you avoid candies that can harm them. To keep your braces safe, you should avoid the types of candy that are hard, gummy, sticky, or chewy. But there is good news!

The great thing is that there are plenty of candies you can enjoy. Any sort of soft candy is good, as long as it’s not sticky. Soft candy bars, bite-sized chocolates, peppermint patties, and peanut butter cups are all perfectly fine to eat.

Since your braces add a good deal of extra care to your daily oral hygiene, you should be especially vigilant in your brushing and flossing. Sweets can cause cavities, and the longer the exposure, the greater the likelihood of decay, so be especially thorough this month.

To learn more about how to care for your braces during the Halloween season, call [practice_name] in [city], [state]. Dr. [doctor_name] would love to help you. Happy Halloween!

Would you be surprised to learn that a cracked tooth may cause a number of issues? While having a cracked or chipped tooth may not seem like a serious issue, it could actually result in a number of complications. Fortunately, there are also several solutions you can consider, and a few things you can do to help you deal with your discomfort until you can visit our dentist.

A cracked tooth could be caused by a cavity. If this is the case, you’ll probably have to cover the weakened tooth with a crown. You see, if you don’t care for a cracked tooth, your crack could slowly extend to the root of your tooth. Once this happens, you’ll be more vulnerable to infection, sensitivity, and even tooth decay.

However, while visiting a dentist as soon as possible is important, you may need to wait a few days. Luckily, there are a few things you can do at home to alleviate any discomfort while you wait. For instance, you could place gauze on the cracked tooth or apply a cold pack to your cheek to alleviate pain and swelling. You may also consider using dental cement, which you should be able to find at your local drugstore.

When you do visit our dentist, we’ll assess the condition of your mouth and offer you any personalized advice you need. Sometimes, for a minor crack, you’ll just need to have your tooth smoothed out. At other times, our team will fill the crack with a specialized filling material. More serious breaks may need root canal therapy and will usually be covered by a crown.

If you have cracked or chipped teeth, please don’t hesitate to contact [practice_name] at [phone]. Our dentist, Dr. [doctor_name], and our team will examine your tooth and see what damage you may have. We are here to help restore your healthy, confident smile!

Through the course of your routine adjustment sessions with your [practice_name] orthodontist, your braces have given you a perfect smile. Now they can now be removed and you can show your new smile to the world!

However, there will still be a modest amount of residual tension in the periodontal ligaments anchoring your teeth in the sockets. If this tension is not addressed and mitigated in some way, your teeth will slip out of their new position in a process known as relapse. To this end, you will need to use a retainer for a while to help hold your teeth in position long enough for the residual tension to subside.

If you only needed braces to provide a small amount of realignment for your teeth, your orthodontist might recommend a clear plastic retainer. This style of the retainer is very similar to aligner trays like Invisalign®. The clear plastic material makes it hard for the casual observer to even notice you’re wearing it.

Most people need to use a retainer for about the same amount of time they needed to have braces. By keeping your new clear plastic retainer clean and wearing it at the necessary times, you can keep the total duration of time you need to use it to the bare minimum.

While you are wearing your clear plastic retainer you can drink normally. When eating, you will need to take the retainer out. When you’re not wearing it, you should keep it in the case provided, rather than improvise with something like a plastic bag or napkin.

When you take your clear plastic retainer out, you should rinse it under running water to remove lingering food particles and plaque. Each night you can refresh it by soaking it in a mixture of half cold water and half antiseptic mouthwash. If you notice a little plaque buildup, you should lightly brush the retainer with a soft toothbrush and nonabrasive toothpaste. Try to avoid using abrasive toothpaste as this could dull the plastic material and make it more noticeable when you’re wearing it.

If you have any questions about how to properly take care of your clear plastic retainer, you can always call [practice_name]’s clinic in [city], [state] at [phone] to ask a question.

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Happy Halloween for National Orthodontic Health Month!