‘FRIENDLY TREATS’ RECOMMENDED FOR HALLOWEEN, Orthodontists Caution: Certain Treats Can Bite Back

(FALL 2012)  — Many holiday treats can cause ‘scary’ damage and may prolong treatment for people with braces, clear aligners or other Orthodontic appliances.

Just in time for Halloween and the start of the holiday season, ARCH Orthodontics which operates 9 offices south of Boston and on Cape Cod, reminds kids (and their parents) about tooth and brace care, types of foods to avoid, and about good eating habits.

ARCH has posted on its website (http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics) a list of ‘Braces-Friendly Treats’ (milk shakes, ice cream) and “Treats to Avoid’ (caramel, jelly beans). Also on the site are several Braces-Friendly Recipes’ including Frightful Finger Cookies, Scary Jigglers and Black Cherry Fruit Bats.

ARCH’s Dr. Andrew Chase notes, “A few sweets can be okay occasionally, provided that the Orthodontic patient remembers to brush and floss after eating. The recipes on our website are fun to make (especially as a family project), they’re fun to eat, and will help keep braces intact so they won’t put a dent in your smile.”

Dr. Robert Chavez reminds patients to avoid foods like caramel, nuts, popcorn, taffy, jelly beans, hard pretzels, licorice, gum, taco chips, and ice. “If it’s sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy, it’s not Orthodontic-friendly,” he says.

To make patient visits more fun this fall, ARCH is sponsoring these events s and contests:                                  (1)  Guess the number of candy corns in a jar. Closest guess wins an iTunes gift card; (2) Costume Contest – one winner at each office (Oct. 29-31 – call for dates/locations); (3) Candy Trade-in – Patients receive 300 OrthoReward points for each pound of candy turned in. Treats will be sent to our troops.  (Visit website for details on each item.)

As a balance to the promotion of treats for Halloween, October was chosen as National Orthodontic Health Month by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). This month, ARCH announced winners of its ‘Take Your Smile on Vacation’ Photo Contest,’ and distributed thousands of bookmarks that feature a design by a young patient on the front and Dr. Chavez’s tips for oral hygiene for people with braces on the back.

For the third year, in conjunction with National Orthodontic Health Month, ARCH has been named the Official Orthodontist of Miss Massachusetts. The practice has offices in Stoughton, Bridgewater, Brockton, Canton, Hyannis, Hyde Park, Orleans, Randolph and Westwood. Arch Orthodontics offers free initial consultation including digital photos and panoral x-rays. For more info: http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics /   1-800-28-SMILE.

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