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As we all know Halloween is just around the corner.  So what does this mean for for you and your braces? Dr. Jeff Shao of Showtime Orthodontic Arts has some helpful suggestion to get you through this spooky day without broken brackets.

Helpful Tips:

1. Make sure that you find a safe place to go trick or treating. If you live in The Woodlands or in the surrounding area On Sunday October 25th The Woodlands Township puts on the most amazing event called “Trick or Treat Trail” It’s location will be at Town Green Park 2099 Lake Robbins Drive The Woodlands, Texas . The event will start at 3 pm and will go until 6 pm.  We will be there so stop in and say hi. Dr. Shao will also be giving away some really cool stuff too.

2. Go through and separate your Candy when you are done trick or treating. Of course throw      away anything that is partially opened unwrapped or looks suspicious. Here is a list of bracket breaking candies Caramel candy, Gummy candies, Jelly Beans, anything with nuts, licorice, Taffy, Tootsie Rolls, Starburst and Jolly Ranchers. Being in the dental profession, we don’t recommended you eating candy. However, If you can’t resist, then make sure you brush and floss as soon as you finish your treat.

3. If you break a bracket, give us a call and we can help you out. Don’t forget, we are open every weekend.

Have a fun and safe Halloween. We hope to see you at the Trick or Treat Trail.

1. A lot of our patients will be in rubber bands at some time in their treatment. The best way is to get through is to wear your bands as recommended by your Orthodontist. What these rubber bands are doing is moving your jaw into the correct position. If you don’t wear your bands as recommended your jaw will not move. This will increase your treatment time. Just like your dentist knows if you have been flossing,Your orthodontist knows if you have been wearing your rubber bands.

2. A broken bracket or wire pretty much happens to everyone at one point or another. It is important that you call your Orthodontist to schedule an appointment to get this taken care of as soon as possible. A broken wire or bracket will slow down your treatment.

3. If you are experiencing discomfort from your braces, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the best medicine. All the other common medications (ie. Advil, aspirin, etc.) SLOW DOWN TOOTH MOVEMENT.

4. Stay away from foods that can damage your braces. If you need a list of these foods please call our office at 832-663-9191 or we could also email you the list. We recommend you staying away from these foods because they could damage or loosen your braces.

5. Please do not chew on ice cubes. Not is only is it really bad for your braces, but it is also a really bad idea for the general health of your teeth.

6. Take care of your teeth. We recommend you seeing your family dentist at least every 6 months (sometimes every 3 or 4 months) for cleanings and cavity checks during the entire orthodontic treatment.

7. Keep your scheduled appointments with your Orthodontist. If you miss appointments then you are increasing the time that you will be in braces.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call our Woodlands Office. We are open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays every week.

So I just wanted to write a quick blog about what is happening at Showtime Orthodontic Arts in The Woodlands. We launched our first parody video this past weekend and want to thank everyone who liked it on our Facebook, Google + and Youtube. It was a lot of fun to create and we look forward to doing another one soon. If you haven’t seen it yet, go ahead a check it out! Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzq7axW_tOY . Let us know what you think!
If you have a suggestion of a song you would like us to do a parody on, let us know and maybe, just maybe we will pick your song for our next video!

If you are a patient of Showtime Orthodontic Arts, you could give us call and we will get you right in. Remember, we are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Now, if you are not a patient of ours, there is something that you can do temporarily until your Orthodontist can get you in.

You can cut the wire closest to the nearest bracket that is attached.  You can use a sterile fingernail clipper its best to use and brand new one,or you can use a fairly new one and place it in boiling water for 5 minutes to sterilize  it( just make sure it is not rusty)  also remember, to wipe the cutter with alcohol before using it.  As you are cutting the wire, place your finger on the wire and hold onto the end to be cut securely, so when you are cutting it off, it doesn’t fly off towards the back of the mouth. Also, make sure you wear eye protection as well. If you don’t feel comfortable cutting the wire, just don’t do it.

For those that don’t feel comfortable cutting the wire, just use a lot of wax and if a sore develops, place Ora-gel on the area. It is important that you notify your Orthodontist as soon as possible. If you are on vacation, you should be able to call any Orthodontist close to where you are and tell them your situation. They should be able to help you out.