Kids Guide to Preparing for Halloween

Halloween is only 2 days away. You've been waiting for this day all month now it’s finally your chance to dress up and have some fun here’s how to prepare for Halloween. This is the official kids guide to preparing for Halloween, so parents make sure the kiddies read this.

4 Tips For Preparing For Halloween

Costume Check: Make sure you have your costume together. You've tried it on a ton of times so you know it fits perfectly. Make sure you have all the accessories you need to complete your costume, but also make sure you have a flash light with working batteries to use while trick or treating.

Grab Bag: Whether it’s a bucket or nap sack have a big and strong enough bag to hold all of your sweet treats.

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Plan Out The Night: If you plan on going trick or treating creating a map of the locations you plan to visit. This will come in handy Halloween night, this will help you save time and grab the most treats you can get.

Movie Night: Watch your favorite Halloween movie to get you in the ghoulish mood of Halloween. There are plenty of family friendly classics for you to check out, such as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” or “Casper”.

Now get your rest because you are going to be very busy Halloween day. Be sure to take tons of pictures for memories. You have to remember to put your safety first, only eat candy after an adult has inspected your grab bag. Also remember if you are currently under orthodontic treatment there are foods you have to avoid and oral hygiene guidelines to follow. 

Watch What You Eat

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Braces are used as a treatment to bring out your best smile and with that come a lot of changes. One of the biggest change could be what now can and cannot eat.

You hear it constantly, “brush twice a day, floss daily, visit your dentist twice a year and be sure to make all of your orthodontic appointments”, and this is all said to ensure you maintain good oral health. Besides oral maintenance, what effects the progress of your treatment is what you eat. While you have braces you want to avoid certain types of foods, basically anything sticky, chewy, hard and crunchy. 

Here’s a list of treats you will have to avoid during your braces treatment.

Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:

• Gum (sugar-free or regular)
• Licorice
• Sugar Daddies
• Toffee
• Tootsie Rolls
• Caramels



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• Starburst

Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:

• Ice
• Nuts
• Hard taco shells
• French bread crust/rolls
• Corn on the cob
• Apples and carrots (unless cut)
• Bagels
• Chips
• Jolly Ranchers
• Pizza crust
• Uncooked carrots (unless cut)

It is important to not consume these foods. By eating the foods above you can damage your braces which could make your treatment longer than expected and we want you to have the best experience during your time of treatment.

In the meantime you here’s a list of great foods you can enjoy with braces.

• Dairy - pudding, soft cheeses
• Breads – sliced lunch bread, soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins w/o nuts, biscuits
• Grains – noodles, pasta, soft-cooked rice
• Meats/poultry - soft-cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
• Seafood - fish w/o bones, tuna, salmon, crab and crab cakes
• Vegetables - mashed potatoes, peas, yams, steamed spinach, beans
• Fruits - applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
• Treats - ice cream w/o nuts, milkshakes, smoothies, Jell-O, cake
• Other – eggs, hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, beans and much more

We aware that Halloween is approaching soon and we want you to enjoy yourself, but we also want you to remember it is Orthodontic Health Month. With braces always be mindful of what you are eating, the wrong food can lead to a sooner than expected visit with Dr. Bailey.

Stay Safe and Have Fun This Halloween

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Halloween is just two weeks away and we want all of patients to go out and have a great time with their friends and families but, we also want to make sure you are all safe. Here at Bailey Orthodontics we don’t only care about your teeth, we care about you entire well-being. Dressing up and going from door to door seems harmless, on a night where some many people are out and about on the streets anything can happen. So we are going to provide you with safety tips to make sure you Halloween is safe and fun.

Here’s safety tips provided by CDC.gov

For more tips visit this link HALLOWEEN SAFETY 

If you are under orthodontic treatment be sure to check out our list of foods to avoid by clicking here. You’re working hard on getting the wonderful smile you want don’t like candy hinder your progress.

Your Look, Your Choice

Making the choice to receive orthodontic treatment is the first step to achieving a beautiful smile. But, did you know there are several options? Bailey Orthodontics offers you many different solutions for braces treatment. As a patient you will which option is best for your aesthetic and lifestyle needs.

Options for patients needing braces treatment has expanded throughout the years. The days of just traditional metal braces are long over.

Metal braces

Metal braces are the most commonly used orthodontic appliance. Metal braces consist of brackets cemented to the front surfaces the teeth, along with a metal wire to help guise the teeth in the proper position. There are many good reasons why traditional metal braces remain popular, because they offer a reliable, effective and economical treatment option.

Gold braces

Similar to metal braces, gold braces are stainless-steal braces. Unlike traditional metal braces, gold braces are coated in 24 karat gold. The gold coating adds more of a cosmetic flare than traditional metal braces.

Clarity

Clarity braces feature a comfortable design with a translucent appearance. Made from a hard ceramic material, these braces won’t stain or discolor. The ceramic material also makes these braces less visible. Patients concerned with aesthetics of braces are choosing this option because they get the same performance as metal braces, but in a clear form.

Invisalign

Invisalign braces are basically invisible. Invisalign alignment trays are created from molds of your teeth to giving you custom aligners. Unlike the other braces Invisalign braces are removable. You can take out the aligners to do things like eat or brush your teeth, making this the most flexible option. This treatment plan requires you to get new aligners ever two weeks to move teeth into proper corrective position. Invisalign are the top of the line and most expensive treatment option for obvious reasons.

Damon

Damon braces were invented by Dr. Dwight Damon. The Damon bracket utilizes (sliding-door) technology known as "self-ligation" that allows the wire to slide back and forth within the bracket. No elastic or steel ties are used with Damon brackets. This technology creates less friction and results in greater comfort for the patient. In addition, Damon braces often reduce both treatment time and the number of adjustments that are usually performed.

You will have the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Bailey and discuss your options. The braces that are best for you depend on your orthodontic problems. For more information on the different type of braces and what is best you schedule anappointment today!

Keep Calm & Enjoy Your Visit

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Is your child anxious about their orthodontic visit? 

About 15% of the U.S population is nervous about visiting dental offices. Nerves come at all ages. From kids to adults, and the main reason for the nerves are usually a fear of pain and the unknown. However, parents are responsible for making their children feel comfortable. Here are a few tips for parents when visiting the orthodontic office with your child for a fear-free visit.

4 Tips for a Fear-Free Orthodontics Visit:

• Don’t go over details: Going too much into detail could scare your child even more. If your child has to have orthodontic treatment done try not to go into detail. Going into detail can lead to questions like, “Will it hurt?”, “How bad will the pain be?” Just leave the explaining to the doctor, they’re trained to handle your child nerves and give them the best response.

• Let your child ask the questions:  During the visit orthodontics have you child make a list of questions to ask the doctor. Having your child ask questions get the answers they want and will make them feel more comfortable with the doctor.

• Bring a distraction to the office:  Make sure your child brings something to keep their mind off of the fact that they are at the orthodontist office. For example, an iPad or mobile gaming device. They can spend time while waiting playing games or listening to music.

• DON’T pass on your fears: There are plenty of adults who have their fears about visiting the dentist. If you a dentist or orthodontist phobia make sure your children don’t pick on it. If your senses mom or dad is scared they will be too. Also don’t share your bad experiences, as a parent you are there to comfort not cause worry.

So remember to ensure your child that we are here to help keep their smiles safe.  If your have any questions don’t hesitate to call our office or visit our website to learn more about our procedures.