Marking February As National Children’s Dental Health Month

ORTHODONTISTS SUGGEST ‘BRACES FRIENDLY’ FOODS

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

To mark the importance of oral hygiene for all and especially for people with braces, Dr. Robert Chavez and his son, Dr. Andrew Chase of ARCH Orthodontics, are reminding patients with braces to watch what they eat — in order to keep their teeth protected from stain and decay; how they eat — to prevent braces from breaking; and how to care for their teeth — by following an aggressive daily cleaning regimen. ARCH Orthodontics operates 7 offices south of Boston and two on Cape Cod.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) of which the Doctors are long-time members, there are four types of foods to avoid when you have braces: Hard foods, sticky foods, foods high in sugar content, and acidic foods.

Foods the Doctors consider ‘braces friendly’ include: soft fruits and breads, cooked vegetables, tender meats (off the bones), and most dairy products. Patients range in age from 7 to 80. Some 25% of today’s brace patients are adults.

“There’s a wide variety from all the food groups so it’s easy to ensure your diet remains healthy during your Orthodontic treatment,” says Dr. Chase. The Doctors speak from experience: They estimate their practice has helped improved over 20,000 smiles in the last 38 years.

To make it easier for patients to care for their teeth, Dr. Chavez created the ‘Rule of 5’s.’ The rules include: brushing 5 times each day; brushing in 5 places each time; and spending 5 minutes brushing each time. The full regimen is available on the website http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics.

“We emphasize to patients to watch what they eat, avoid breaking any appliances, and brushing and flossing. If they’re mindful of some simple guidelines, their treatment will go much smoother and they will be more likely get their braces off on schedule. Faster treatment and a great smile are the rewards for following these guidelines,” says Dr. Chase.

To help mark February as National Children’s Dental Health Month, from now through March 31^st, any patient who refers a new patient to ARCH is automatically entered into a drawing to win a rare up-close opportunity to watch an oral hygiene training session with one of the gorillas at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.  To schedule a free consultation, call 1-800-28- SMILE, email smilemaker@archorthodontics.com or visit  http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics.

Tags: ARCH Orthodontics, Bridgewater MA orthodontist, Brockton MA orthodontist, Canton MA orthodontist, Dr. Andrew Chase, Dr. Robert Chavez, orthodontist Brockton MA, orthodontist Canton MA, orthodontist Stoughton, orthodontist Westwood MA