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You and your braces will become good friends over the coming months or years, so it’s important to get your relationship off to a good start. Consider the following recommendations to prevent rocky times ahead:

1. Floss, floss, floss. Yes, it’s a pain to floss around your braces, but it's the best way to prevent gum disease and other oral health problems. Ask Dr. Thomas Burns and our staff for floss threaders to make the chore easier. Just a few minutes per day will ensure that you don’t face significant dental health issues when the braces come off.
2. Avoid sticky or hard foods. It’s tough to forgo toffee, caramel, gum, and other favorite sticky treats, but your braces will thank you. Sticky or hard foods can break a bracket or wire, so it’s best to avoid them altogether.
3. Chew with your back teeth. If you’re used to taking large bites with your front teeth, it might be time to switch your eating habits. Taking a large bite of food with your front teeth can leave your braces vulnerable to damage. Instead, cut large foods into pieces and use your back teeth to chew. This is especially important with corn on the cob, which should always be cut from the cob.
4. Wear rubber bands and headgear. Rubber bands, headgear, and other orthodontic appliances may seem annoying, but failing to comply with wearing them can increase the length of your treatment by months. Wear them now to avoid problems in the future.

Orthodontics researchers continue to innovate and develop the best ways to improve patients’ smiles. The latest generation of orthodontics includes Damon Smile, an advanced form of braces that improve upon the metal brackets of earlier generations. Talking to Dr. Thomas Burns can help you decide if Damon Smile braces are appropriate for your orthodontic needs.

What are Damon Smile braces?

Traditional braces require a series of brackets to be bonded to each tooth. Then, a thin metal wire connects the brackets. These wires are immovable and are firmly connected to the brackets. With Damon Smile, a special “invisible” bracket is placed on the teeth. Unlike with traditional braces, wires pass through these brackets but can slide within the bracket. This reduces friction and may result in a more comfortable process than traditional braces.

Aesthetic Considerations

Both teens and adults often hate the look of traditional braces, with their clunky metal brackets and wires. Additionally, rubber bands may need to be worn to hold brackets closed. With Damon Smile braces, none of these concerns apply. The brackets are clear and no rubber bands are needed, meaning that few people will notice your orthodontics unless they look closely.

Differences in Cost

Traditional braces tend to be the most cost effective orthodontic option available. Because of their specialized equipment, Damon Smile braces do cost more than traditional alternatives. It’s worth checking with your insurance company to determine whether both types of orthodontics are covered.

Length of Treatment

Another benefit of Damon Smile braces is a decreased length of treatment. Compared to traditional braces, individuals who opt for Damon Smile braces typically experience significantly lower treatment time. Particularly for those with complex orthodontic problems, shaving even a few months off of treatment may be worth it.

Less Irritation of Gums

Some people report that they experience sores or gum pain after implementation of traditional braces. Damon Smile braces are specially formed to be smooth and less invasive. This may result in diminished pain and a lower rate of gum problems. The differences are particularly noticeable in the first weeks of treatment.

To find out if Damon Smile braces can meet your smile needs, contact our Westfield, NJ office and schedule an appointment!

Having crooked, unevenly spaced, or misaligned teeth can interfere with your life at any age. Damon Smile treatment involves braces without bands, faster treatment times, and less pain than regular metal braces for teens and adults. These braces, offered at our Westfield, NJ office, can straighten your teeth for a variety of benefits.

• Allows you make a good first impression on people
• Helps you speak more clearly
• Makes it easier to clean your teeth
• Gives you more self-confidence

It’s important to practice good dental hygiene when you have braces. If you do, you can avoid accidentally letting your teeth decay during the months or years of treatment. These are some ways you can care for your smile during Damon Smile treatment.

Keep brushing and flossing.

Maintain your regular good dental hygiene habits. Continue to brush twice a day, being careful to get all of the food out from your Damon Smile braces. Floss and use mouthwash regularly, too. Also think about keeping your mouth clean during the day. Rinse your mouth with water after you eat if you’re not able to brush your teeth. Avoid sugary beverages, such as sodas, and stick to water.

Choose your foods carefully.

You’ll be able to eat whatever you want after you get your braces off. In the meantime, you can keep your mouth healthy by selecting the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones. Sugary foods are poor choices anytime, but they’re even worse when you have braces because they’re more likely to get stuck on your braces and stick to your teeth. Eventually, you could get tooth decay. Popcorn, chips, and nuts can also get stuck in your braces.

Some foods are hard to chew. They can make a bracket pop off your tooth so that you need to visit your orthodontist. Be wary of the following foods:

• Stringy meats
• Crunchy foods, such as raw vegetables and apples
• Chewy foods, such as bagels and toffee

Straightening your teeth is an investment in your future and yourself. Damon Smile braces can make your teeth straighter in less time than traditional metal braces, and with less embarrassment. Just be sure to care for your smile while your braces are on to make sure that your teeth are healthy when you get your braces off.

The Fourth of July is a great time to get together with friends and family members for BBQ, games, fireworks, and other celebrations in honor of our country’s independence. While your fellow revelers eat hot dogs and wave flags, you can impress them by sharing these fascinating facts and historical tidbits about some of our country’s traditions and symbols from the team at Westfield Braces.

The Statue of Liberty

With a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic and recognizable symbols of our country. However, as recognizable as certain parts of the statue are, not many people know that broken shackles, which represent oppression and tyranny, are lying at Lady Liberty’s feet. According to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, the copper-plated lady weighs in at a whopping 450,000 tons and has been holding her torch up for more than 125 years, which must make for some impressive arm muscles.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Since 1916, people have been flocking to Coney Island on the Fourth of July to witness what some people call the “superbowl of competitive eating.” Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest challenges competitors to devour as many hot dogs as they can in just ten minutes, with the current record holder swallowing a whopping 68 hot dogs! If you’d like to witness this bizarre and frenzied eating competition but you won’t be anywhere near Coney Island on the fourth, don’t worry. ESPN has been broadcasting this popular event for several years, so you can watch from the comfort of your couch while you eat a reasonably portioned meal.

The History Behind Fireworks

Viewing the nighttime fireworks display is exciting way to finish off the fourth. Many people know that these brilliant displays probably originated with the Chinese. However, many historians also believe that fireworks were stumbled upon when the Chinese roasted bamboo sticks over fires and watched them explode. After many years of roasting the sticks, a group of alchemists created an early form of gunpowder, which they stuffed into the bamboo sticks to create an even more powerful explosion, paving the way for the today’s modern fireworks.

Whether you’re planning on visiting the Statue of Liberty, watching fireworks in Westfield, NJ, or even participating in a hot dog eating contest, Dr. Thomas Burns and our team hope you have a safe and fun-filled holiday. Happy Fourth of July!