Foods to avoid while you're wearing braces, from Dr. Jennifer Martin

There are a variety of foods Dr. Jennifer Martin wants you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should definitely avoid include:

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give us a call or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

Dr. Jennifer Martin and staff, reminding you to wear your mouth guards this summer

Let’s face it: sports-related injuries are common this time of year, with kids getting more involved in sports activities such as touch- or tackle football, soccer and baseball. In a recent survey, the American Association of Orthodontists discovered that 70 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports, and that’s why Dr. Jennifer Martin and our staff are helping spread the word that many facial sports injuries can be prevented simply by reminding your kids to wear mouth guards.

In addition, the AAO has four quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities.

• Wear mouth guards during contact sports
• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eyewear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant, even as a spectator

All of these can reduce injuries. Please give us a call at 925-676-8485 if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment with Dr. Martin.

What are patients saying about Dr. Jennifer Martin?

You may remember that last week, we asked you, our amazing patients, what you most liked about Dr. Jennifer Martin, our staff and our office. Well, we received some pretty great reviews over the past week, and thought we’d share a few testimonials with you today. Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts about your treatment at Jennifer L. Martin DDS! We love getting patient testimonials!

"Dr. Martin seems very nice. We noticed friends of ours are her patients." ~ Ryan M.

"Dr. Jen herself and the entire staff. Everyone is helpful, pleasant, fun and gentle with the patients as well as explain everything thoroughly to them good and bad." ~ Laura W.

"The family atmosphere. Profession does not have to mean being cold. Dr Jen has taken on the best quality of her father. ( true care, compasion, and kindness)" ~ Michael W.

"I am Natalie's mom, Janel, and I love the fact that Dr. Jen is always smiling when we see her and makes it easy for Natalie to talk to her. She looks her directly in the eye and speaks to her as an adult which I always appreciate." ~ Natalie K.

"Dr. Jen is nice and so are the assistants. The assistants are also sociable and they decorate for the holidays, which I like." ~ Jessica N.