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ARE YOU SETTING WEIGHT LOSS GOALS? GREAT! Just remember to stay healthy — and that includes taking good care of your teeth while dieting!

In order to keep your teeth healthy while in braces, it’s very important to be careful of the foods that you eat. Many of those dangerous foods are things you would never eat on a diet — like sour gummies. However, many healthy diet foods are also bad for your teeth, and braces!

Connections Between Oral Health & Whole Body Health

Our bodies are amazing. Sometimes we forget about the connections between each system. If you’re working to lose weight, be aware of how those diet decisions may affect your teeth. Here are four quick, useful tips:

#1: Be Careful With Juicing & Smoothies

Juicing and drinking smoothies are a recommended part of many diets. They are great ways to consume nutritious fruits and veggies. But remember they can be high in sugar and acids. Also, their strong pigmentation can stain teeth, a major problem if you have braces. Consider using a straw and always rinse your mouth with water when finished.

#2: “Grazing” Can Make Your Mouth A Constant War Zone

Some diets have you snacking less and some have you snacking more! Keep in mind that every time you eat something, your mouth works hard to regain its pH balance—battling acids and washing away debris. You can help by finishing up with a “scrubber” food like celery (chopped or sliced, to make it braces-friendly). And again, rinsing with water is super important.

#3: Some Diet-Friendly Snacks Are Not Tooth Friendly

Some diet-friendly snacks to be careful with include dried fruits that stick to your teeth, nuts, and acidic citrus foods.

#4: Drink Plenty Of Water And Get Enough Vitamins & Minerals

A change in your diet can decrease saliva flow, especially if you’re taking dietary pills or supplements. Drink a lot of water to compensate. Also, vitamins and minerals fuel healthy operations throughout your body. They reinforce tooth enamel and help you resist infection.

Let Us Know If You Have Questions

We’re cheering for you! Good luck with your diet! Let us know if you have any questions about how dieting can affect your smile. Be sure to keep your regular dental cleaning appointments so that any potential problems are identified early.

Thanks for the trust you place in our practice. We appreciate having you as our valued patient.

Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road, Antioch California 94531
(925) 757-9000 www.clubbraces.com

AFTER FINISHING LUNCH AT WORK, DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH? A survey reveals that despite knowing that a healthy, attractive smile affects both personal wellness and professional image, very few people are brushing at the office.

The survey, carried out by The Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B Laboratories, polled more than 1,000 full-time employees about their oral care habits and the importance of a healthy smile at work. Their findings were very interesting.

The Importance Of A Healthy Smile At Work

• 96% of respondents thought a smile was very or somewhat important to a person’s appearance.
• 40% ranked “smile” as the first thing they noticed about a person at work.
• 32% cited “bad breath” as their co-workers’ least attractive trait.

Office Eating And Brushing Stats

• 3/4 of respondents ate twice or more a day at work.
• Only 14% brushed their teeth!

Changing When You Brush

The sugars and starches in the food you eat can cause an “acid attack” on tooth enamel. Even after the visible evidence of food disappears, plaque bacteria continues to grow. If you don’t brush, those workday meals, snacks, and beverages stay on your teeth and can increase the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush! Let’s adjust the when of brushing just a bit, to your advantage: brush your teeth after breakfast, after meals at work, and before you go to bed.

Helpful Tips For Brushing At Work

• Leave a toothbrush at work and increase your likelihood of brushing by 65%!
• Step it up at home—the better you brush at home, the better you’ll brush at work.
• Take extra care to clean braces after (and store retainers while) you eat.

Suggestions?

If you already brush your teeth regularly at work, do you have any suggestions to help the rest of us, who may not be as valiant? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

If you would benefit from a new toothbrush to bring with you to work, ask us at Gorczyca Orthodontics about our easy travel oral hygiene kit. Your oral hygiene and dental health is our top priority. It is important to brush after lunch, especially if you have braces, Invisalign, or retainers.

Stay healthy, happy, and brush after lunch.

See you soon at Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California. Your smile is our inspiration.

IT’S OFTEN SAID, and health studies agree, that breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. And by the way, breakfast affects our oral health too!

Breakfast Can Damage Smiles During Ortho Treatment

Given our on-the-go lifestyles, breakfast can become an imbalanced, over-sugary meal! We don’t typically eat candy for breakfast—yet, we choose popular cereals and pastries that are full of sugar. These unhealthy breakfast choices can be damaging to your teeth and gums—and your appliances—with multiplying effects if you’re not brushing and flossing after breakfast.

A Healthy, Balanced Breakfast Can Protect Your Smile

Your mouth, like your body, needs nutritious food to stay healthy. A balanced breakfast rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and healthy proteins can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay, early tooth loss, and gum disease.

Healthy teeth and gums respond better to orthodontic treatment—so eating a good breakfast may also help you towards your goal of a straighter, more lovely smile!

Tips For A Smile-Friendly Breakfast

• Eat whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat bread) instead of refined grains.
• Eat firm, ripe fruits and healthier vegetables (cut into bite-sized pieces).
• Drink water or unsweetened tea to strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent tooth decay.
• Use moderation with fruit juices and smoothies—they’re typically high in sugar and can be quite acidic.
• Consider dinner for breakfast! Chicken, fish, beans, cheese, etc.
• Eat high fiber cereals with less preservatives and added sugar.
• Avoid hard or sticky foods that could damage your appliance.

Quick, Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast Kickstarts Your Day & Your Healthy Smile

Start eating breakfasts that protect your smile AND make you feel good (studies have found that breakfast affects your energy and focus). If you have ideas or recipes for healthy, balanced breakfasts, share them with us below or on Facebook!

Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road, Antioch 925-757-9000.  Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Thank you for trusting us with your oral health! We appreciate you.