School is out for Summer and we're ready for sunshine and time to relax!
As school ends and you're on Summer break, we still want you to be conscious of the foods you're eating. If you're in Invisalign treatment you may remove your Invisalign trays and consume whatever foods you wish. (Making sure you brush well before putting your trays back in).
Here are a list of brace safe foods and treats!
Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Bars without nuts or caramel
Ice Cream
Cup Cakes
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Fruit
Potato Salad
Pasta Salad
Foods to Avoid:
Corn on the cob
Smore's
Hard chips or pretzels
Popcorn
Caramel
Gum
We want you to enjoy your summer and indulge in treats, just make sure you're mindful of the things you're eating!
Happy 4th of July!!! -The KO Team
We hope you enjoy a safe & fun summer! And can't wait to hear all about the trips and fun adventures you were able to go on this summer!
It's almost that time for school to be out for summer! We know you'll be busy with fun summer activities, and we wanted to join in on the fun! The week of June 26th will be a fun filled spirit week here at Kennell Orthodontics. Patients in all three of our locations will be able to take part in this fun filled week! What an easy and fun way to earn patient rewards points too!
Not only is School out for summer & we have spirit week. June is also National Smile Month!
According to the American Dental Association, a person's smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it's important for our team at Kennell Orthodontics to support National Smile Month this June!
Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:
Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
Floss every day to clean between your teeth.
Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Kennell.
Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).
The team at Kennell Orthodontics strives for your satisfaction with every visit and wants you to love your smile!
To schedule an appointment with our office give us a call!
Happy New Year! With a new year often comes new goals and routines, but what about oral hygiene? Here are some tips and tricks to help you achieve your healthiest smile in the New Year!
Brushing
Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed.
Flossing
Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. A water flosser can also be a helpful tool when removing food particles from your braces or orthodontic appliances!
Regular Dentist Visits
Even the best oral hygiene routine still needs to include seeing your dentist regularly for routine check-ups and cleanings! Your dentist can identify cavities and spot potential issues and offer treatment solutions.
Limit Sugary Foods
Try to limit sugar intake, including sugary sports drinks and soda! Sugar contributes to more bacteria and tooth decay. Instead, try to stay hydrated with water! Water can help produce saliva, which naturally washes out the mouth and helps prevent tooth decay.
Summer is in full swing and that means lots of fun time spent with family and friends. It’s important to make sure that you take the time to keep your teeth clean when you have braces. Food has more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:
One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.
It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.
The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.
Step 1: eat, Step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.
Always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.
Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.
Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.
Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.
Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.
10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!
