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Haunted house party? You’ve had your costume ready for months. Foggy, moonlit night ahead? Your favorite weather. Ghouls and witches and vampires? Bring ‘em on.

But broken brackets? Warped wires? Abandoned aligners? If these unnerving possibilities send a shiver down your spine, this is the spot for you.

Because while the eerily unexpected is half the fun of Halloween in Wichita Falls, TX, unexpected orthodontic problems are no fun at all. That’s why we’ve carved out time for a few reminders to help you avoid some common orthodontic concerns.

Beware These Bites

When you wear braces, eating the wrong foods can have scary consequences. Chewy foods can pull a bracket right off your tooth. Hard and crunchy foods break wires and brackets. Sticky foods pull on your braces and can be hard to brush away. Eek!

Luckily, you don’t need a crystal ball to choose your Halloween treats. Ghost these candies immediately:

• Chewy caramels, licorice, taffy, and fruit chews
• Hard and hard-shelled candies, jawbreakers, and lollipops (especially with gum centers)
• Crunchy candied apples, caramel popcorn, popcorn balls, peanut brittle, and nuts
• Sticky gummies, candy corn, and jellybeans

But it’s not all trick-or-treating gloom and doom! Try these braces-friendly Halloween bites instead:

• Peanut butter cups
• Mint patties
• Soft chocolate bars without nuts or caramel
• Soft cupcakes and cookies
• Pudding cups
• Ice cream—without nuts, caramel, or other crunchy, chewy additions
• Sugar-free gum (if it’s okay with Dr. Frech)

Aligner Alerts

When you wear clear aligners, following your orthodontist’s guidance will prevent avoidable aligner problems from coming back to haunt you:

• Always remove your aligners whenever you eat to protect them from warping, cracking, bending, and staining.
• If you go out, remember to bring your protective case. The night’s no fun if your aligners have *disappeared* at the end of the evening.
• Don’t let the time get away from you! Most aligners need to be worn 20-22 hours each day. And, while you won’t turn into a pumpkin if you party too long without your aligners, you could delay your orthodontic progress if you don’t get your scheduled hours in regularly.

Time Your Treats

We can’t wave a wand to vanish cavities, so prevention is key. When you enjoy holiday treats (or any desserts), it’s good idea to eat them in moderation and with a meal. This way, your teeth are exposed to sugars and acids over a limited period. And, as you eat, saliva production increases, which helps neutralize destructive acids and wash away food particles before they can harm your enamel.

Water Works Like Magic!

Water has many bewitching qualities, especially when you’re in orthodontic treatment.

• Healthy hydration supports healthy oral tissues and saliva production.
• Water contains no sugars or acids which can damage enamel.
• Drinking water is a great choice when you wear braces, because water helps wash food particles from brackets and wires when you can’t brush.
• Water is the only good beverage choice while you’re wearing your aligners. Sugary and acidic beverages which collect in your trays bathe your teeth in those sugars and acids. Some darker drinks can stain your aligners—and your teeth!

Vanishing Food Particles and Plaque

Halloween is meant to be extra. And when you’re in orthodontic treatment, brushing and flossing is extra important to make sticky, sugary food particles and plaque disappear.

• If you’re going out for the evening, bring a travel-size toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small mirror.
• If you wear braces, brush and floss after snacking.
• If you wear aligners, remove them before eating or drinking anything other than water. Brush and floss your teeth and clean your aligners before replacing them.
• If you won’t be able to brush right away, it’s a good idea to bring your own bottle of water and rinse after eating.

Proactive orthodontic care isn’t magic. Communication and effort are all it takes! Talk to your orthodontic team at Wichita Falls Orthodontics about the best way to celebrate Halloween without conjuring up orthodontic problems. And when you’re out sharing your holiday spirit, don’t forget to treat your friends to your boo-tiful, healthy smile!

Contrary to popular belief, orthodontic treatment is not just for older children and teens who have alignment and spacing issues. At our Wichita Falls, TX office, orthodontic treatment offers many benefits for children at a young age.

Dr. Frech can identify your child’s alignment issues early, and provide treatment as the teeth begin to develop. It’s crucial to start dental care early, not only for proper dental health and cosmetic benefits, but to improve your child’s overall health.

The Benefits of Straighter Teeth

Aside from cosmetic benefits, starting orthodontic treatment at a young age offers many other advantages. A pediatric dentist can help guide the teeth into their proper position to prevent teeth extractions or bite problems, and even reduce the extent of orthodontic treatment later on.

Your youngster will enjoy the confidence of having straight teeth that, as an added bonus, will be easier to clean. Parents will be happy to hear the earlier your child gets treatment, the less your orthodontic expenses could be; plus, it is often covered by dental insurance.

Stages of Orthodontic Treatment

Multiple stages are included in early orthodontic treatment, but there are three main stages.

Stage 1: Treatment starts around age two or three until the child is around six. This stage includes preventive measures to avoid habits that lead to crooked teeth, and monitoring how the teeth grow in.

Stage 2: The first permanent teeth appear around age six to 12 years old and the dentist looks at possible early treatment for misalignment or bite issues.

Stage 3: Any further problems with permanent teeth are corrected during adolescence.

Dr. Frech and our staff are able to see early on whether your child will need to have braces in adolescence. Early treatment means fewer procedures, cleaner teeth, and less expense for parents. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Colorful elastic ligatures (the official name for those tiny bands around your brackets) are often replaced when you come in to have your braces adjusted. Which is great! Now you have the opportunity to go with your team colors, or your school colors, or tones that work with your skin and eyes, or shades that represent your favorite holiday season. Today’s bands come in a wide variety of colors, so you never need to worry about becoming bored with your choices.

But are there certain hues that can be a bit more challenging to work with. Let’s look at some of those trickier tones.

• Lunch Look-Alikes

If you don’t want kind friends constantly informing you that you have something stuck in your teeth, you might want to leave certain colors off your list. Dark greens and browns can sometimes give the appearance of food trapped in your braces. Have a look at the shades available, and see what is least likely to send you running for a mirror and a toothbrush.

• Smile Dimmers

A blazing white band might seem like a good match to your blazing white teeth, but for many people, really light colors can make teeth look more yellow. And often bands in shades of yellow can bring out any yellow in your enamel. If you’re looking for a brighter smile, try some darker, richer tones for a gleaming contrast.

• You’re So Over the Rainbow

If you are someone who loves a monochromatic look, perhaps any colors will be, well, just too colorful. In that case, there are ligatures for you! Silver or grey braces will blend with your metal brackets, and clear or tooth-colored bands will be less obvious with metal or ceramic brackets. Light colored bands can be more prone to staining, so keep that in mind if you’re going for invisibility or a close bracket match.

Now with all that being said, you be you! If you like a color, give it a go. It might be the perfect accessory for your smile and your personality. And, if it doesn’t work . . . no big deal! You can explore another part of the color palette on your very next adjustment to our Wichita Falls, TX office.

Now that you have braces, it is more important than ever to maintain good oral hygiene during your treatment, as Dr. Frech will tell you. While we trust you will continue brushing and flossing on a regular basis throughout your treatment at Wichita Falls Orthodontics, you also have to mindful of what you eat. While all those sweet, sour, and sticky candies may taste great, these treats can actually damage your teeth and braces!

Sour candies  can be acidic to your teeth, and actually wear down the enamel that protects them, resulting in tooth decay and cavities. If you do indulge in eating these candies at some point during your treatment, be sure to wash your mouth out with water, drink milk or eat a few slices of cheese. These foods will help neutralize the acid in your mouth.

Besides cavities and tooth decay, many people do not realize that good oral health and hygiene are important to your overall health, too; researchers have discovered the connection between periodontal disease and other major health concerns, such as heart disease. Therefore, it is important to maintain a good oral hygiene routine just as you did before your braces. This includes visiting your dentist here in Wichita Falls, TX every six months, brushing and flossing daily, and using an antibacterial mouthwash, as well as visiting Dr. Frech for your regular adjustment appointments.

For more questions about foods you should avoid while wearing braces, or if you have any general questions about your treatment, we encourage you to give us a call, ask us at your next adjustment appointment or ask us on Facebook!