7 Tips to Avoid Holiday Eating Disasters

For adults with braces, holiday social functions with munchies and appetizers can be tricky to navigate.

Most resign themselves to saying "I'll pass" to the spinach dip for fear of it getting lodged in their teeth for the whole evening!

This holiday season, the authors of "The Braces Cookbook 2: Comfort food with a Gourmet Touch" are offering seven tips to help ensure a carefree smile for those with braces at any holiday gathering:

-Go for the cauliflower in the veggie tray. It's softer than brocolli and won't show up as much on braces if tidbits go astray.
-Try potato chips and pita bread as less crunchy alternatives to tortilla chips and hard crackers.
-In general, think "white" when you choose food. It's okay for once to skip the healthier greens.
-Take extra-small bites and nibble food from the side of your mouth. Strong molars can usually handle tougher work, and your front teeth will still gleam.
-If you're contributing baked goods, include a slice of fresh bread along with them in a tightly lidded container - the moisture will transfer to cookies and bars, softening them up; this even works a bit on store baked goods.
-Carry a tiny spiral self-covered brush in a pocket or purse. This item is a lifesaver for freeing stuck bits from between brackets during a quick trip to the restroom.

Clean Teeth, Healthy Smile

With braces, oral hygiene is more important than ever. That's because braces have tiny spaces where food particles and plaque get trapped and insufficient cleaning can cause enamel staining and tooth decay around brackets or bands.

At Surrideo, we help our patients maintain excellent oral hygiene habits during orthodontic treatment through the Ortho Care at Home Plan by Crest OralB. The program provides patients with a comprehensive, personalized plan, both in-office and at home, empowering them with the knowledge and tools to adopt an oral hygiene routine to help achieve a greater level of success in this difficult area.

It is based on a simple 5 level oral hygiene rating system that lets patients know how they’re doing at each visit: 1-poor, 2-needs improvement, 3-average, 4-good, 5-excellent. Each new starting patient will take home:

· Ortho care home booklet and healthy mouth assessment card with pictures to visually monitor the results of daily oral hygiene
· Oral B Triumph electric toothbrush (studies have shown this toothbrush to be the most effective brush in the industry)
· Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
· Crest Pro Health mouth rinse

At every appointment we also assess our patients oral hygiene and indicate where improvement is needed. Following the guidelines below, our patients can enjoy a new, beautiful, healthy-looking smile sooner.

-Floss before you brush - at least once a day. To make this easier, use a floss threader or SuperFloss, a special type of floss for cleaning around appliances such as braces.
-Brush, at minimum, twice a day for two minutes at a time.
-Rinse twice a day for 30 seconds each time.
-Make wise food choices and avoid actions that could damage your braces.

Invisible Incognito Braces

One of the major concerns we hear from adults about straightening their teeth is that they don't like the look of braces. Even though there are some highly aesthetic and clear options available, they would rather live with crooked teeth than wear braces.

At Surrideo Orthodontics, we have the solution to this problem with invisible Incognito Braces. With Incognito, the braces are placed on the back side of teeth and completely hidden from sight so that we can straighten your teeth without anyone knowing you are wearing braces.

Incognito Orthodontic Braces are 100% customized to follow the contours of your teeth for comfort as well as precise and efficient treatment. Customized wires that don't require adjustments often mean fewer appointments and quick results.

Ask us about Incognito Orthodontic Braces and start improving your smile with confidence!