Tag: Mableton GA

(and eight you shouldn’t eat)

Many orthodontics patients going through treatment with braces are unsure of what foods are restricted in their diets. Many also believe the list of foods to avoid is longer than it actually is. Dr. Leroy Venn of Smile Studio Orthodontics shares some ideas about what foods are safely enjoyed and which foods are best to avoid eating while wearing braces or during orthodontic treatment near Dallas, GA.

It is true that during your treatment with braces there are limitations on what you can eat. But the time (and money) invested with braces is well worth coping with these limitations. The payoff is a perfectly straight, healthy, and attractive smile.

What foods can be enjoyed during your treatment with braces?

There are many delicious food options that can be eaten while wearing braces including:

• Bananas
• Yogurt
• Soup
• Cheese
• Pasta
• Mashed Potatoes

Dr. Leroy Venn wants to make sure that every patient, child or adult, with braces eats healthy food and gets enough daily nutrients. Here are some meal ideas that are safe for patients who are wearing braces. Perhaps there is a family favorite among some of these delicious meal options:

• Lasagna. Lasagna is a great dinner because it provides many food groups in one dish, is tasty, and is soft on your braces.
• Grilled Chicken and Vegetables. While meat from a bone can cause damage to your braces, deboned meats like chicken breast can be eaten. Chicken pairs nicely with vegetables like broccoli.
• Chicken Noodle Soup. Chicken noodle soup gives you many necessary nutrients because of the variety of ingredients that can be added. Soup is also a filling and tasty meal and will not damage your braces.

What foods should be avoided?

During treatment with braces, the three types of food that should be avoided are hard, sticky, and chewy foods. These types of food should be avoided because they can get stuck in your braces easily and be difficult and sometimes painful to get out. Some food categories that should be avoided are:

• Gum
• Popcorn
• Ice
• Caramel
• Pretzels
• Raw vegetables
• Steak
• Hard candies

Some of these foods do not have to be completely avoided, however. Foods like vegetables, steak, and pretzels can be broken or cut up into smaller pieces and then eaten safely.

There are many foods which are nutritious, delicious, and are friendly to your braces. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leroy Venn and Smile Studio Orthodontics near Dallas, GA, or for more information, please call: 770-892-3833

Orthodontic treatments like braces can help a patient achieve a life-long healthy and straight smile. The length of treatment is always as different as each patient and their treatment goals.  Dr. Leroy Venn and the team at Smile Studio Orthodontics near Dallas, GA can help give you a better understanding of the processes of orthodontic treatment and which approach may provide their patients with the best outcomes possible.

Schedule an orthodontic consultation

During the consultation, Dr. Leroy Venn will complete a new-patient exam and diagnose your orthodontic treatment needs. This assessment usually lasts about an hour and allows the doctor to evaluate your needs as a patient and answer all of your questions about your proposed course of treatment. X-rays and/or photographs of your teeth may be taken and will help Dr. Leroy Venn identify which treatment option is the best for you.

Once you’ve decided on a course of orthodontic treatment, Dr. Leroy Venn will provide you with an estimated cost of treatment, a timeline for how long the course of treatment will take, and any options for finishing your treatment. 

The time that you have to actually wear your braces will vary depending on your needs and the type of treatment indicated. The typical treatment time is 23 months. Some patients have their braces on for only six months, while other patients can have them for longer than three years. 

Getting your braces

Dr. Leroy Venn and his team will walk you through the entire course of treatment from beginning to end, schedule a series of appointments to get you started, and can discuss with you options for funding your treatment. The team will review your dental records and show you samples of braces, Invisalign aligners, and other appliances that may be integrated into your treatment.

The appointment to affix your braces to your teeth takes about 2 hours and can be scheduled almost immediately after your consultation. A Smile Studio Orthodontics associate will first prepare your teeth for the brackets, and then your orthodontist will carefully position each bracket on each tooth. Because this is such a critical step in the process, Dr. Leroy Venn invests a lot of time sweating the details (including bracket type, positioning, and wire selection) to help each of his patients achieve the best treatment outcome possible. 

Throughout your treatment, the Smile Studio Orthodontics team will help you schedule routine checkups; brief appointments to adjust your brackets, answer questions, and check your progress. These meetings usually average 15 to 20 minutes and take place every 8 to 10 weeks. If you’re using Invisalign aligners, these checkups occur every 4 to 6 weeks.

Concluding Treatment

When your course of treatment with braces is coming to an end, your doctor will schedule you for a “debanding.” Removing your braces will take a little over an hour, and you will be pleased at how easy and comfortable the process is. It is then important that you arrange with your dentist to have a thorough cleaning, check-up, and fluoride treatment after the removal of your braces. 

To hold your teeth in their new position, Dr. Leroy Venn will evaluate which retainer is appropriate for you and make you a set of retainers and recommend a practice for wearing them. Most patients are advised to wear their retainers indeterminately in some capacity. The general rule is, “Wear your retainers for as long as you want your teeth to stay straight.”

Go show the world your healthy, gorgeous smile!

Before you leave the office after your final treatment, you will be given a photo of how your teeth looked before you had braces so that you can compare how your beautiful smile looks now. 

If your dentist recommends braces for you, then Dr. Leroy Venn and the team at Smile Studio Orthodontics near Dallas, GA can help. Give them a call: 770-892-3833