Good Foods That Are Bad For Braces

Braces are attached to your teeth with an adhesive that normally will withstand the forces of eating. However, braces can be dislodged and wires bent or broken while eating certain foods. Check out some foods that are definitely dangerous for your braces.

Foods that are appealing, but dangerous during orthodontic treatment:

• Chewing ice will destroy your braces.
• Sticky food or candy of any kind (taffy, caramels, Tootsie Rolls, Gummy Bears, Now and Laters) damage appliances by bending wires and pulling cement loose.
• Hard food or candy of any kind (Jolly Ranchers, pizza crust, hard pretzels, beef jerky, Doritos, Fritos, Cornuts, raw carrots, nuts) may do damage by bending wires, loosening cement under the bands or breaking the little brackets and tubes that are attached.
• Foods high in sugar content (cake, cookies, ice cream) should be avoided whenever possible. If you do eat them, brush your teeth immediately. If it is not convenient to brush, then always rinse your mouth with clear water after eating sweet foods.

Remember, if you have any questions about dietary restrictions or good food choices, please ask us at Appletree Orthodontics!

Braces for Adolescents & Adults

Orthodontists today can successfully correct most problems regardless of the patient’s age. But that does not mean that the orthodontic treatment starting age does not matter. In fact it may play a significant role in the total time and expenses required for the completion of the orthodontic treatment.

Find out a little more about being treated by Appletree Orthodontics as an adolescent and as an adult.

Adolescent Treatment

Most orthodontic problems are ideally treated during this time. Usually, all or most permanent teeth are erupted and patients are at one of their most active phases of growth. This is a great time to correct most problems, as the jaws are actively growing and their growth can be most easily modified during this time. In order to minimize patient involvement during the treatment process, we will work very hard to maximize ideal treatment goals with our adolescent patients.

Adult Treatment
Healthy teeth can be moved at any age, and it is never too late to improve your smile. Our team works with all of our adult patients to achieve their individual concerns.

Here at Appletree Orthodontics, we recognize that each patient has unique needs, and we pride ourselves in tailoring our treatment to meet these requirements.  Are you ready to start your journey to a new smile? Contact us today. 

80's Throwback Thursday

Apple Tree Orthodontics is getting ready to celebrate 30 years of business. In May of 1986, Dr. Timmeny opened her practice and has been serving up smiles ever since, alongside Dr. Polgrean. After doing a little spring cleaning recently, Dr. Timmeny dug up a few pictures of Apple Tree Orthodontics from the 80’s. We hope you will look through and enjoy these pictures, because it’s you, our patients, who have supported us as your local orthodontists for the last 30 years. Our success as a practice would not have been possible with each and every one of you.

Dr. Timmeny's daughter, Maureen, who is now an orthodontist herself!

The outside of the building showcasing Dr. Timmeny's name.

Dr. Timmeny's husband, John, helping set up the new office.

Dr. Timmeny's daughter, Maureen.

The new office in progress.

We’ve made amazing memories over the years, and look forward to making so many more. Don’t forget, to celebrate our 30th we have a “Back in Time” contest up in the lobby. Do you have any fond memories of working or being a patient at Apple Tree Orthodontics? Post them on our Facbook wall, or leave us a review! We would love to hear from you.

Play it Safe. Protect Your Face!

It’s National Facial Protection Month so we’re spreading the word to our patients to remind everyone to protect your faces this spring. As many children and adults gear up to start a new sports season, it’s important to keep faces and heads protected from injuries that can be potentially be deadly.

Did you know spring is one of the busiest times in emergency rooms for mouth and facial injuries? Several of these injuries happen in the spring because they are sports-related accidents that can be easily prevented with the use of sports safety equipment. By utilizing equipment like helmets and mouth guards, children and adults can avoid serious facial injuries.

Just by wearing a mouth guard or helmet, patients can reduce the risk of concussions, knocking out teeth, or breaking jaw bones. Most coaches recommend a mouth guard or helmet, but unfortunately several athletes stray away from these two very important pieces of equipment because they don’t comprehend the importance of wearing them.

Facial injuries aren’t just painful for patients, they’re also costly. Repairs for injuries can cost up to thousands of dollars, which we understand many people don’t have. As so many of these injures can be easily prevented, we can’t stress enough the importance of simply wearing a mouth guard or helmet during organized sports and activities. Lastly, this is a good rule of thumb to abide by all year long, and not just in the spring time. If you have any questions regarding facial protection, please contact Appletree Orthodontics at 603-434-0190.