Did You Know?

Our office does not require a referral?

Here at Angolkar4Smiles Orthodontics we specialize in orthodontic care.  A common misconception is that a referral is needed in order for our orthodontists to complete an oral exam and consultation.  This is simply not true!  We welcome all walks of life regardless of how they heard about our office.  Most dentists aren't aware that our office also prefers to see children as young as 7 years old.  It is also commonly believed that all baby teeth have to fall out before braces are needed, our doctors can offer a lot of preventative treatments that can address many developing concerns early on.  The best source of knowing is us!  Call our office for a complimentary consultation today and we will do an initial exam including x-rays at no charge. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Get Outta Town!

Here are some helpful and useful orthodontic tips to apply if you are getting out of town this summer!!

 

 

If you are wearing braces and are planning a vacation, our team at Angolkar4Smiles would suggest that you be prepared. We put together a list of items that will be handy to have with you at all times while you are out of town. They include:

• Toothpick, flosspick, or other interdental cleaners
• Travel toothbrush
• A water bottle or a mini bottle of mouth rinse
• Orthodontic wax to help with discomfort from protruding wires
• A small mirror for examining any possible issues in your mouth

*Putting these items together in a “braces/oral hygiene kit” may be wise.

If you happen to be on vacation and experience problems reaching our office, we suggest going online and searching for orthodontic practices in your area. Most orthodontists will lend a helping hand to another orthodontic patient and get him or her out of pain or discomfort.

We also suggest avoiding the following foods to prevent broken brackets and/or wire distortion while you are on vacation:

• Chewy, sticky, or gummy food
• Apples, pears, and other whole fruits (cut fruit into wedges before consuming)
• Bagels and hard rolls
• Corn on the cob
• Hard candies
• Hard cookies or pretzels
• All varieties of nuts, including peanuts, almonds, and cashews
• Cut up your protein into small pieces

Follow these tips and you can have a worry-free vacation! Please give us a call if you have any questions!

 

Happy Traveling!

 

Emergencies that can occur with braces

Brace Yourself... here comes an emergency!

Braces are delicate and must be taken care of in order to prevent damage to them. Always be careful with what you eat and your activities to keep from breaking any of your appliances. Sometimes, however, things happen and something breaks. It is important to know what to do. The following are some of the common problems that occur and what to do about them.

1. Broken Bracket

If you have a loose band or bracket and it is still attached to the wire, leave it in place. If it is uncomfortable, place wax on it, if it comes out completely, wrap the brace or band in tissue and bring it to your next appointment.

2. Loose Wire

If your wire comes loose, try to place the wire back in place with tweezers. If this is not possible, clip the wire with fingernail clippers behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If there is any discomfort, place wax on it.
Sometimes a wire tie can get loose and poke the inside of your mouth. If it does, then gently tuck the wire back in place with a blunt object like a pencil eraser or Popsicle stick. When you can't nudge it back, then cover the end with a piece of wax until you can get to your orthodontist's office.

3. Losing a color off your braces

If you lose one of the colored rubber bands on your braces, all you need to do is notify your orthodontist at your next visit. Unless it becomes uncomfortable, you do not need to see your orthodontist before your next scheduled appointment.

4. Soreness and Irritation 

For any soreness after an adjustment or any time while wearing your appliances, take aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil.
Sometimes your appliances can cause irritations on your tongue, cheeks, lips, or gums. Rinsing your mouth with salt water can help to heal the irritation and wax can be used to cover the appliance causing the irritation.

4. Lost Appliance or Retainer

When you lose any appliance or your retainer, call your orthodontist's office as soon as you can so that treatment will not be delayed for too long.



It is important to pay attention to the condition of your appliances and take immediate action when there is a problem. That way your treatment time can be kept to a minimum and you will be smiling with beautiful teeth as soon as possible.
Paying attention and doing your part will bring great rewards with a sparkling smile. This includes the essentials of brushing and flossing every day, eating a balanced diet, and visiting your dentist regularly.

Healthy Food Substitutes

More and more parents are looking to replace everyday items with another for a better, healthier and safer life for their kids.  When in orthodontic treatment, substitutions are a must...applesauce instead of apples, steamed carrots instead of natural, that sort of thing.  This post is to help give you some ideas on what you can feed your fellow brace-face :)

BREAKFAST:

This meal happens to be the easiest to keep similar to what you were doing before braces since most are options that are soft.  We recommend eggs (cooked any way really), French Toast, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, hot cereal, grits, soft toast, and cereals that will get soggy with milk.

LUNCH:

During the school year, it may be tricky to find foods on the school menu that won't damage or bother braces.  We suggest you opt for bringing lunch from home to help your child make smart food choices.  Tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches can help provide nutrition, and are soft enough not to bother braces.  You can also pack turkey or ham sandwich or soft bagel for bread.  Options for sides would include applesauce, yogurt or pudding in a variety of flavors.

DINNER:

Soft meat choices and slow-cooked meats such as meatloaf, meatballs, pot roast, roasted chicken, soft-cooked fish, fish sticks and chicken nuggets.  Serve as a side soft consistency vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, squash, and greens.  Rice, past, risotto, or couscous are excellent sides to add carbohydrates to the meal also.

DESSERT:

Indulging in dessert is fun for every kid, those with braces should be no different.  Soft options such as ice cream, cake, smoothies, milkshakes, cheesecake, cream pies, pudding and Jell-O.  Pick a flavor... they are all yummy :)

SNACK:

Curb their hunger in between meals with yogurt, cottage cheese, applesauce, bananas, baked apples and ripened fruits with soft consistency.  Saltine crackers are an option to replace chips; then can be broken into smaller pieces and softened by the saliva in the mouth.

Orthodontic Health Month

October is National Orthodontic Health Month!

 

 

 

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recognizes October as a time to raise awareness of the benefits of orthodontic treatment. The AAO is the largest, oldest professional association for orthodontists in North America,
and is comprised of more than 16,000 members (which includes Dr. Angolkar).

 

In a month full of hard, sticky, crunchy, and chewy treats, it’s more important than ever to encourage patients to be kind to their teeth during treatment.

As always, remember to brush and floss after consuming sugary foods. Exposing your teeth to sweets increases your risk of cavities, and allowing it to sit there can
lead to decalcification, the loss of calcium from the teeth.

 If you can’t keep yourself away from the sugar, opt for softer candy such as peanut butter cups or other melt-in-your-mouth treats.




 

Social Media

Attention fellow Social Media Users!

Did you know that we are a part of all kinds of Social Media sites?  Looking for a helpful article to aid in gaining knowledge about braces?  Start following us on Pinterest!  It is an excellent site that allows us to share with you interesting facts in a unique way.

http://pinterest.com/angolkar4smiles/

How many of you are using Twitter?  I bet not enough!  This one is AMAZING for getting condensed, quick information about anything under the sun.  We Tweet helpful articles, cool photos, and interesting facts about our office that you will find helpful!

 

https://twitter.com/Angolkar4Smiles

 

 

If you are not our friend as of yet on Facebook, we would love to get to know you through this interactive, fun site.  Almost every day we post on Facebook about braces, our office, our staff, and our doctors.  Check us out today!

 

 

 

 http://www.facebook.com/Angolkar4Smiles

 

 

 

We have also recently added a channel on You Tube that we hope to make a go-to place to find helpful videos in your journey to getting braces, all the way to getting them removed.  Feel free to send in your own videos about your experience with braces!

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Angolkar4Smiles

 

See you online!



Review us on Yelp!

The greatest compliment we could ever receive is a referral or a positive review from you!

Yelp. com allows you to let us know how we are doing!  If there is something that you would like to rave about our office we would love to hear about it!!  Taking the time to help us spread the word helps other families and patients in need of orthodontics.  More and more people are turning to these review sites for helpful tips on local businesses and we have just updated our listing with them.  Simply visit Yelp.com and search Angolkar4Smiles Orthodontics and select which office you are a patient at, write a few lines to us and you are done!

We hope to hear from you soon!