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At Wichita Falls Orthodontics, we are pleased to offer our patients Damon Smile braces, which allow your teeth to move more comfortably and easily than traditional braces. Thanks to this innovative system, achieving your perfect smile will be faster and easier than you ever thought possible! Here's how:

Better Results in Less Time

With Damon Smile, Dr. Frech and our team can achieve great results and finish your treatment faster. Depending on your case, of course, this may mean a savings of many months. After reviewing your specific needs, we will be able to provide you with a treatment plan.

Simplified Procedures

Damon braces are very precise and effective. In fact, with this system, Dr. Frech and team can reduce the need for many of the time-consuming and complicated procedures that are used with traditional braces.

Fewer Visits to Wichita Falls Orthodontics

Because Damon braces work more efficiently, fewer adjustments at our Wichita Falls, TX office are needed. The result? Your adjustment appointments will be quicker and fewer in number.

Greater Comfort

Due to the unique design of this new braces system, we can move your teeth into their correct position with much less discomfort than is experienced with traditional braces. Also, Damon braces are small, comfortable, and easy to keep clean.

If you have been thinking about straightening your smile, visit us at Wichita Falls Orthodontics for an assessment to see if Damon Smile is right for you! Give us a call today at our convenient Wichita Falls, TX office!

In Hollywood, a world where image and beauty is just about everything, many celebrities take the time to fix flaws in their appearance that make them feel uncomfortable. One of those such celebrities is soul surfer Bethany Hamilton, who chose to straighten her teeth using Damon Smile braces, an orthodontic treatment we proudly offer at Wichita Falls Orthodontics that combines patented "tie-less" braces with advanced memory wire.

Hamilton, who overcame an injury from a horrific shark attack to return to professional surfing, chose Damon Smile to perfect her smile. With her choice, she showed children, teens, and adults who are apprehensive about orthodontic treatment that even celebrities get braces.

At age 14, Hamilton began her orthodontic treatment for a severe underbite with significant crowding and a narrow arch. She also had an open bite, which meant there was an open space between her upper and lower teeth when her jaw was closed. These types of cases are typically among the most difficult to treat and often require surgery. Hamilton relied on Damon Smile rather than traditional braces for her treatment.

If you have been thinking about an orthodontic procedure, come see us at Wichita Falls Orthodontics for an assessment to see if Damon Smile is right for you! Give us a call today at our convenient Wichita Falls, TX office!

It’s that time of year again—Halloween! Carving pumpkins. Creating costumes. And, of course, collecting candy.

But some of the candies in that collection aren’t much of a treat for your teeth. When you’re deciding on the perfect pieces to choose from the candy cauldron, here are some tricks to identify the ones that can be more frightful than delightful for your tooth enamel and braces:   

• Is It Chewy or Sticky?

Any sticky or chewy candy—caramels, taffy, licorice, gummy anythings—is candy that also sticks to your teeth. And it really sticks in between your teeth, where it’s harder to brush away.

The problem? Bacteria in plaque love sugar, and sticky candies provide them with hours of sugary feasting. Bacteria use this sugar to make acids, and acids cause weak spots in tooth enamel. These weak spots will get bigger over time as the bacteria keep on attacking your enamel, and that’s how you can end up with a cavity. Less sugar which spends less time on your teeth = fewer cavities!

And there’s another good reason to pass up chewy treats if you wear braces. Candy can get stuck under your brackets and wires, or be sticky enough to pull a bracket right off a tooth.

• Is It Sour?

Sour candies get that intense, lip-puckering taste because they’re so acidic. What’s wrong with acids? Just like the acids made by bacteria, acids in food attack our tooth enamel, too.

Sour candies are hard on your teeth all by themselves. When you eat a candy that’s both sour (acidic) and gummy (sticky), all coated in sugar, that’s triple trouble!

• Is It Hard or Crunchy?

Some kids like hard candies like lollipops and fruity drops because they last a long time. But that’s the problem. All that time a hard candy rolls around in your mouth is time spent bathing your teeth with sugar.

Thinking of shortening your sugar exposure by chewing hard candies? Also a bad idea! Crunching into a piece of hard candy can chip or crack a tooth and even damage fillings.

Crunchy treats can be hard on braces, too. Peanut brittle, nutty candy bars, candy apples, popcorn balls, or any hard or crunchy candy can damage your brackets and wires when you bite down.

Luckily, there are healthier trick-or-treating choices if you know what to look for. 

• Soft Candies and Chocolates

A chocolate bar, a peanut butter cup, mint patties, and other soft candies won’t stick around on your teeth the same way chewy or hard candies do. No sour acids, either. And because dark chocolate has less sugar than lighter chocolates, it’s an even healthier choice.

Bonus: They’re easy to bite and chew when you wear braces!

• Sugar-Free Gum

This treat is not only sugarless, but chewing it helps us make more saliva. Saliva washes away sugary food particles and helps neutralize the acids in the mouth. If you wear braces, check with Dr. Frech to see if sugar-free gum is safe for your brackets and wires.

No need to skip the trick-or-treating this year. Occasional sugary or acidic treats can be balanced out with daily brushing and flossing, a healthy diet, and regular visits to your dentist for exams and cleanings. When you do enjoy a treat that’s sugary or acidic, there are tricks to help you keep your smile healthy and cavity-free.

• Eat a treat or two with your meals instead of snacking through the day. You won’t be exposing your teeth to sugar for hours at a time, which means bacteria and acids won’t be haunting your enamel all day long.
• Drink water. If you eat your candy with an acidic soda, you’re getting sugar + sugar + acids. That’s a scary recipe when it comes to healthy teeth! Water helps wash away sugar and acids—and, if you have fluoridated water in your community, you’ll be getting a bit of fluoride to strengthen your enamel, too.
• Halloween is no time to ghost your toothbrush and floss. Be extra careful to brush and clean between your teeth after eating sweets. Wearing braces? Don’t forget to clean around your brackets and wires. Using aligners? Be sure to brush well after you eat something sugary before you replace them.

If you’re wearing braces this Halloween season, it’s important to avoid all the sticky, hard, and crunchy treats to keep your braces and your treatment schedule intact.

Any questions? Talk to Dr. Frech at our Wichita Falls, TX office to learn the best ways to keep your smile looking boo-tiful all year long!

Having teeth encased in braces can be discouraging during Halloween. If you or your child has braces, there are certain candies to avoid this holiday season—and in general—while you have braces. Candy can be tempting, especially for children.

But don’t worry; other sweet treat options can readily take their place. Take a look at the American Association of Orthodontists’ tips on how to keep your braces safe.

Treats to avoid because they can cause damage to your braces include:

• Hard candies
• Chewy candies
• Nuts
• Caramel
• Licorice
• Jelly beans
• Taffy
• Bubblegum
• Hard pretzels
• Popcorn

These goodies should be avoided because they have the potential to bend or break your braces. Broken brackets and loose wires can waste time and money.

Switch out hard, chewy, and sticky candies for these options in the mean time:

• Soft chocolate
• Peanut butter cups
• Gelatin treats
• Ice cream
• Smoothies
• Root beer floats
• Apple cider

Encouraging your child to stay with alternative, braces-friendly treats may prevent her from trying to eat candies that could break or damage braces. Halloween can still be fun, especially if your youngster (or you) don’t have to visit our Wichita Falls, TX office get braces fixed.

Make sure to remind your child to avoid harmful candies, and encourage him to exchange treats with friends to make it more fun. Only passing out candies that children can eat safely, such as soft chocolates, can make them feel included.

Dr. Frech and our team hope you enjoy your Halloween season, regardless of whether you are wearing braces.