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Caring for an oral appliance can be difficult, but it is absolutely imperative. If your oral appliance is not clean, then it won’t properly function. One way to keep your appliance clean is by avoiding foods that can harm it. 

Nuts 

Nuts are very hard, and can do real damage to oral appliances. Nuts can destroy rubber bands, wires and even brackets! If you have braces, then avoid nuts and hard foods that can damage your brackets. Nuts may be great for teeth, but they are awful for oral appliances, so it’s best to avoid them while wearing an oral appliance. 

Hard Candy 

This may not surprise you, but hard candy can wreak havoc on teeth, and damage oral appliances. Hard candy sticks onto oral appliances, and can expose teeth to an extended sugar attack. Hard candy dissolves slowly, which allows bad bacteria longer access to the sugar they need to survive and cause havoc on teeth. This can lead to more cavities and tooth decay. Hard candy can also crack wires, dislodge brackets, and even crack teeth. It’s best to avoid hard candy. 

Starchy Snacks 

Starchy foods easily get stuck on teeth, and provide bad bacteria with sugar, which powers the bacteria to multiply and attack enamel. This problem is made worse by dental appliances, because starchy foods can easily get stuck in them and continually attack the surface of teeth. This makes the acidic attacks last longer, and has a more negative effect on teeth. If you eat starchy snacks like chips or crackers, then rinse your mouth out with water to get rid of any excess food debris.  

Sticky Candy  

Sticky candy is difficult to remove from teeth, and gives cavity-causing bacteria more time to eat away enamel. Sticky candy also sticks to wires and brackets, which increases the time that teeth are spent contacting sugar. This can erode tooth enamel, and lead to tooth decay and cavities. 

Drink Plenty of Water 

Water is essential in keeping your mouth and oral appliance clean. It helps stimulate saliva production, which naturally cleans food debris and keep the mouth at a healthy ph level. We suggest swishing with water after meals, and always keeping a water bottle handy.  

Keep Your Teeth & Appliance Clean 

Most orthodontists advise brushing 4 times per day: in the morning after breakfast, after lunch or right after school, after dinner and at bedtime. The extra brushing ensures that your mouth stays debris-free, and helps to fight cavities and potential damage to your oral appliance. 

Schedule an appointment with our office for more tips about caring for your oral appliance, and what you need to do to get the healthiest smile possible.  

A mouth-healthy diet can go a long way in helping your entire family improve their oral health, but can also better your general health as well. Here are 5 foods that your teeth – and stomach – will love. 

1 - Probiotic Yogurt 

Probiotic yogurt is an absolute must-have for those seeking mouth & gut health. Yogurt contains calcium, which builds strong tooth enamel, and casein, a protein that helps prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth and causing plaque buildup. Probiotic yogurt is also packed with healthy enzymes that improve digestion, and probiotics that help remove bad gut bacteria that can lead to inflammation and cramping.

2 - Kale 

Kale, and other vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, are all fantastic for teeth and promoting stomach health. Kale is high in water and fiber, which promotes healthy digestion. Plus, fiber naturally cleans teeth of food debris, thereby helping to prevent plaque buildup. Kale also contains glucosinolates, which helps fight inflammation and aids in regular food digestion. 

3 - Mangos 

Mangos help keep healthy gut bacteria alive, which promotes regular and healthy digestion. They are also packed with vitamin C, which aids the development and maintenance of healthy gums. When shopping, buy whole mangos, rather than mangos stored in preservatives that are packed in sugar.  

4 - Dark Chocolate 

Healthy food can also be delicious, just look at dark chocolate! Dark chocolate has some amazing benefits for teeth. It contains flavonoids, which help eliminate bad oral bacteria that fuels cavities and tooth decay. Dark chocolate helps gut health by feeding healthy gut bacteria responsible for breaking down and digesting food.  

5 – Almond Butter 

Whole, raw almonds can be tough on teeth, but almond butter can be amazing for teeth and digestive health. Almond butter is packed with calcium, which helps build strong teeth, healthy gums, and strong tooth enamel. Almond butter also contains a good amount of healthy dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion. By eating almond butter instead of almonds, you can still take advantage of their nutritional benefits without the risk of cracking your teeth. When shopping for almond butter, buy a jar that is minimally processed and contains the most amount of fiber. 

Try a Mouth-Healthy Diet 

When shopping for mouth-healthy food, try to get a lot of whole fruits and vegetables and incorporate plenty of healthy fiber. Try to avoid fruit packed in sugary syrup, as well as starchy carbohydrates that can stick to teeth and fuel unhealthy plaque buildup.

A healthy mouth is something that parents can help their child attain right in the comfort of their own home. Here are 4 important keys to a healthy mouth for children – and adults!

1 – Maintain a Proper Oral Health Routine 

Food debris left on your child’s teeth encourages bacteria growth that eats away at enamel and causes cavities. This is why it’s important to have a steady, consistent oral health routine. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends children brush twice per day, for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day to clean debris from the hard-to-reach areas of their teeth. A proper oral health routine is the best way to keep a mouth clean, and prevents a lot of oral health ailments. 

2 – Drink More Water

Water is a fantastic tool in the fight against bad bacteria and tooth decay. Water is not acidic, and does not harm teeth at all. In fact, it improves saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth of debris and restores the mouth back to a healthy ph balance. Try giving your child more water instead of sugary drinks to help keep their teeth strong and healthy. If they must have juice or a sweeter drink, water it down so that they aren’t consuming too much sugar at one time. 

3 – Limit Sugar 

Sugar feeds the bad bacteria on teeth, causing plaque and ultimately cavities, which is why you should limit the number of sugary foods and drinks that your child consumes. Before buying snacks, check the back of the package for the amount of sugar contained in the package. Try to avoid sugary drinks like soda, fruit juice and sports drinks, all of which are notoriously high in sugar.

Additionally, reconsider how many starchy snacks like bread, chips and crisps you give your child. Starch can stick onto teeth, and turn into a food-source for bad bacteria that lead to cavities.

4 – Eat a Mouth-Healthy Diet 

A healthy diet is critical to getting a healthy mouth. Mouth-healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and calcium-rich items can all strengthen teeth. When buying fruit and vegetables, make sure that you purchase them in their full-forms, and that you don’t buy fruit packaged in sugary syrup. Try adding fibrous vegetables like celery, spinach or carrots to your child’s diet, since fibrous food naturally scrubs teeth clean of food debris, and combats bad bacteria buildup.

Does Your Child have a Healthy Mouth? 

The best way to help your child achieve a healthy smile is by scheduling an appointment with our dental office so that we can evaluate the state of their oral health. Our team of dentists will give you a status report, and offer any treatment necessary to get your child the healthy smile they deserve.

Children can get bad breath from a variety of sources, and it’s actually an incredibly common and treatable condition. In fact, 50% of Americans are diagnosed with bad halitosis (bad breath) each year. But never fret, bad breath comes from a number of innocent sources, most of which can be easily fixed.

Poor Oral Hygiene Habits 

The number one cause of halitosis in children is poor oral hygiene. Luckily, a proper oral care routine is incredibly easy to achieve. To start, make sure that your child has a fresh toothbrush, that is under 3-months old and has bristles that don’t plume outward. Also, be sure that they have floss that is comfortable for them to use, and appropriate for their age.

Make sure your child brushes twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flosses once per day. When flossing, stress the importance of hitting both sides of the tooth, and beneath the gum line so that they clean their entire tooth.

Leftover Food 

Food sometimes sticks around long after mealtime, and it can cause really stinky breath – especially in children! If your child has food stuck in their teeth, then have them swish cool water in their mouth vigorously for 30 seconds. If that doesn’t work, then have them floss into the affected crevice to remove any leftover food.

Dry Mouth 

Saliva naturally cleans the mouth, and a dry mouth can cause bad breath. Dry mouth can usually be fixed by eating foods that increase saliva production like cheese, apples or carrots. Make sure your child gets enough water – 8 to 10 cups per day- and if that doesn’t help, then try chewing gum sweetened with xylitol – a healthy sugar substitute – to increase their saliva flow.

Dietary Choices 

Food can - and absolutely does - lead to bad breath.  Certain foods like garlic, onions, fish and spicy foods can turn even the best breath sour. Even dairy – which strengthens teeth and enamel – can cause bad breath. Make sure your children drink plenty of water at mealtime to help keep their teeth free of food debris.

Medication 

If your child just recently began a new medication, then it could be causing their bad breath. Sometimes generic medications like antihistamines can decrease saliva and lead to dry mouth – which can cause bad breath. To combat this, parent can make sure that their children are maintaining a proper oral care routine by brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flossing once per day.

Visit Our Office 

If your child has bad breath that is not alleviated by brushing and proper oral care, then visit our office. Our team can diagnose the cause of your child’s bad breath, and provide a treatment plan that will help them have more confidence in their smile.