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Eating with Braces

As you may know, eating with braces can be quite difficult. From getting food stuck in your wires to breaking a bracket with each bite, there must be a solution! The Corbridge Orthodontics team is excited to share our solution with you all. Below is our Summer Braces Recipe guide, broken out by meals to help our patients with braces continue to eat the way they’d like to while staying on track to a perfect smile!

Summer Braces Recipe Guide

Starting from the most important meal of the day all the way to a midnight snack, gain some great meal inspiration from our Summer Braces Recipe Guide below.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Who wants to start their day off with difficulty eating? Not us! Here are some of our favorite, go-to breakfasts for braces:

• Yogurt & Granola
• Fruit Smoothies
• Soft Fruit Bowls (Bananas, Berries, Peaches, Pears - be sure to cut up all fruit instead of biting into them!)
• Oatmeal
• Eggs & Toast (We love scrambled!)
• French Toast (Pair with fruit to gain all of the healthy nutrients!)
• Pancakes (Pair with fruit to gain all of the healthy nutrients!)

Lunch

Whether you’re off to camp or work this Summer, these easy and packable lunch items will make your day easier by not breaking a bracket!

• Sandwiches (Use soft bread & tear the crust off)
• Tuna Salad
• Chicken Salad
• Egg Salad
• Leaf Salad (Without hard vegetables or croutons)
• Cold Soup

Dinner

End your day with a nutritious and delicious meal that you can be sure won’t get stuck in your braces wires or brackets.

• Rice & Vegetable Stir Fry
• Meatloaf
• Pasta (Over-cooked so that the texture is soft)
• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Mashed Potatoes
• Salmon or Soft Cooked Meat & Soft Vegetables (Like steamed broccoli)
• Summer Quinoa Salad

Snacks

Of course, we couldn’t leave out snacks! We want to make sure our patients with braces have good options top-of-mind for when they get hungry in between meals.

• Apple Sauce
• Jello
• Pudding
• Soft Fruit Salad (Bananas, Berries, Peaches, Pears - be sure to cut up all fruit instead of biting into them!)
• Yogurt
• Fruit Smoothie

Foods to Avoid

In order to make sure that your braces dental treatment remains intact throughout all meals, try your best to avoid the following foods:

• Hard Snacks (Pretzels, Popcorn, Nuts, Chip, etc.)
• Gum
• Hard or Sticky Candy
• Biting into Hard Fruits (Apples)
• Corn on the Cob

Enjoy Your Summer with a Full Stomach

Eliminate your worries this Summer by adding these recommended meals into your meal rotation! Your braces & your smile will be sure to thank you. Before you hit the beach, contact our office if you have any questions or concerns or schedule an appointment today!

Crooked Teeth

Our mission here at Corbridge Orthodontics is to give our patients within the Frisco, Prosper and Little Elm, TX surrounding areas a more beautiful smile. Not everyone is born with the confidence to smile widely and show off their perfect teeth, in fact, most people are born with an imperfect smile - or develop crooked teeth over time. We’d like to inform our patients of the common causes of crooked teeth and our recommendations moving forward.

Defining Crooked Teeth

The term ‘crooked teeth’ is widely used, but not always defined. There are several broad classifications of crooked teeth:

• Anterior Crossbite
• Posterior Crossbite
• Malocclusion

Causes of Crooked Teeth

It is quite common for people to immediately blame genetics for their crooked teeth. Recent studies and research have proven that in addition to genetics, there are also several other causes to crooked teeth and poor jaw alignment. A child’s jaw alignment is going into its final stages around the age of 7 - it is important to note the habits and actions that your child might do, and stop them before the effects become noticeable in their smile.

Self-Inhibited Causes

• Mouth Breathing - A nasal blockage, as simple as a sinus infection, can cause children to form the habit of mouth breathing. This method of breathing can inhibit childhood facial structure and put pressure on both your nasal airway and mouth muscles to grow properly.
• Reverse Swallowing - Abnormal swallowing, such as an open mouth and spread lips, strains your face and mouth muscles to the extent that if done frequently enough, will cause teeth movement.
• Abnormal Tongue Movements & Position - Incorrect tongue posture is when a person’s tongue presses and rests against their palate incorrectly. This causes your face and jaw muscles to shift to be more comfortable for your tongue, leading to teeth movement and crooked teeth.
• Thumb Sucking - Similar to a tongue pressing on the roof of your palate, the common thumb sucking habit puts a lot of pressure on the roof of your mouth. Your jaw, cheek and mouth muscles all shift for the comfort of the thumb sucking habit, causing teeth movement and crooked teeth.
• Incorrect Posture - Your posture, whether sitting or standing, is quite important. Slouched posture causes straining to your neck and mouth muscles, leading to teeth movement. Children often have incorrect posture while eating.

Treatments & Next Steps

There are several orthodontic and dental solutions to crooked teeth. Corbridge Orthodontics services include but are not limited to the following:

• Braces
• Invisalign
• Palatal Expanders

If you or your child is concerned about your teeth structure, please contact us or schedule an appointment today. Corbridge Orthodontics has a solution to crooked teeth and wants to help you!

Invisalign vs. Braces

At Corbridge Orthodontics, we're proud to help patients throughout Little Elm, Prosper, and the surrounding areas achieve healthy, beautiful smiles through orthodontic treatment. But whether you're getting braces for the first time as a teenager or pursuing a new smile through adult orthodontic treatment, you'll have a big decision to make when you start orthodontics: braces or Invisalign? As your Prosper orthodontist, we're here to help you through every phase of the treatment process, so we wanted to shed a little light on the differences between braces and Invisalign.

Should I Get Braces or Invisalign?

First things first: fundamentally, braces and Invisalign both do the same thing. By applying finely-calibrated forces to the teeth, they gently shift the position of teeth over time, eventually resulting in a brand new, healthier smile. However, the two treatments use very different methods to achieve this tooth movement.

Braces use a system of brackets and wires to move the teeth. A small metal bracket is mounted to the front of each tooth, then a thin, springy archwire is run through the brackets and secured with elastic ties. The archwire places pressure on the teeth – via the brackets – eventually influencing them to move into straighter alignment.

Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable plastic trays – called aligners – to move the teeth. The aligners fit directly over the teeth and are custom-shaped to gradually move the teeth into straighter alignment. Each pair of aligners is worn 22 hours a day for 2 weeks before moving to the next in the sequence, and by the final pair of aligners, the teeth have shifted to form a new smile.

Both braces and Invisalign offer a viable treatment option for most patients, and your choice ultimately depends on your own personal needs and preferences. Invisalign is almost impossible to see when worn, which means almost no one will notice you're straightening your teeth: you won't have to worry about having visible orthodontics in pictures, during professional events, or at social gatherings. Invisalign is also removable, so there are no dietary restrictions and you can still brush and floss your teeth as normal.

Braces may not have the same conveniences as Invisalign, but they're still a highly effective option for many patients. Braces are the most cost-effective option on the market, and we can use them to treat virtually any orthodontic condition.

Schedule a Consultation with Your Little Elm Orthodontist

Ultimately, the best way to find out if braces or Invisalign is right for you is to schedule a consultation with one of our Prosper orthodontists. We'll help you understand your orthodontic condition, evaluate the best treatment option for your needs and lifestyle, and start down the path to a gorgeous, healthy new smile. So what are you waiting for? Achieving a new smile has never been easier – take the first step and request a consultation online today!

Should I Floss First Or Brush First?

Brushing and flossing your teeth twice per day, along with regular visits to your orthodontist in Frisco, are important components of practicing good oral hygiene and maintaining your health. One question that many people have is whether brushing or flossing should come first in an oral hygiene routine. Although a few experts provide a direct answer, there are advantages and disadvantages to both orders.

Advantages of Brushing First

Most people brush before they floss, and a few experts agree that this is the best method. These orthodontic experts feel that their patients get the most out of flossing when they've first used fluoride toothpaste. They believe that brushing first removes most of the plaque from your teeth and makes it easier for fluoride to get to the spaced between them as you floss.

Advantages of Flossing First

Despite the prevalence of brushing first, some experts feel flossing beforehand is the most efficient way to take care of your teeth. One study published by the American Academy of Periodontology used 25 participants in a clinical trial that lasted through two phases. During the first phase, participants brushed before flossing; during the second, they flossed first. Results indicated that flossing before brushing allowed more of the fluoride toothpaste to penetrate between teeth and removed more plaque.

The Verdict

When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter which order you brush and floss in, as long as you're doing both. Your technique is more important than the order in which you perform the tasks. When brushing, be sure to brush the fronts, backs, and tops of all teeth by using both side-to-side and up-and-down strokes. Don't forget to brush your tongue to remove bacteria that could cause bad breath. When flossing, wrap the ends of an 18- to 24-inch thread around your fingers, holding it in a "C" shape as you gently move it back and forth between your teeth.

See Your Dental Professionals Regularly

There is much more to good oral hygiene than simply brushing and flossing. At Corbridge Orthodontics, our orthodontist, Dr. Jared Corbridge, along with our fun and caring team, we put your oral health first. We provide Invisalign, braces, and more to our patients in and around Frisco and Little Elm to help you ensure you have a healthy, beautiful smile. For more information, contact us at 214-705-6188 or fill out our easy online appointment request form today!