Brace Yourself: Braces-Friendly Recipe Ideas

It happened, your child got braces, and now their life is ruined -- their usual words, not ours, of course. 

When your child gets braces, they may feel as if their food choices are limited. And while yes, some snacks should be avoided you can rest assured that there are still plenty of braces-friendly options:

Breakfast Pancakes

A huge breakfast favorite and luckily kids with braces can still eat them! Change up the recipe for a more healthy alternative. TIP: Replace syrup with applesauce. Syrup is high in sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates -- yuck!

Smoothies

A great breakfast for brace-filled mouths on-the-go! Check out these delicious smoothie recipes and keep these tips in mind to keep your smoothie healthy.

Cold Pasta Salad

This can be prepared in a variety of ways with many different ingredients. Your child can enjoy this dish for lunch and/or dinner! Don’t forget: stay clear of hard vegetables that may hurt your child’s mouth. 

Acai Bowls

Acai bowls look good and taste even better! These delicious small berries are packed with antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids you didn’t know your child needed in their life! Be sure to try one of these recipes.

Lasagna

A delicious dinner dish for kids and they will love to make it with you too! Keep this dish on the light side with whole wheat noodles and lean ground beef.

Frozen Banana “Ice Cream”
This is a healthy alternative to actual ice cream -- dairy, fat, and sugar-free! 

Foods to AVOID:

• Hard nuts, candies, fruits (apples and pears)
• Hard vegetables (carrots and corn on the cob)
• Chips
• Pretzels
• Taco shells
• Pizza crust
• Sticky stuff like taffy, gum, or caramels
• Foods that are high in acidity that could cause discoloration (lemons, limes, or sodas)

For more braces-friendly recipes and orthodontic tips, check out our Pinterest page! 

5 Must Know Travel Dental Care Tips

Have some upcoming vacations planned? We have five dental care tips you should know before you go.

1. Make time for a dental visit.
We know how exciting it is to go on vacation. We also know how much prep work goes into getting the whole family ready to go. While this may not be your first thought, it’s a good idea to schedule a dental visit with us before departure. This way we can look for any possible issues and treat them before you leave.

2. Be prepared for a dental emergency.
From toothaches to chipped teeth, it’s important to know what to do in the event of a dental emergency:

• Toothache: Try and find the source of pain, look for any swelling, redness, or discolorations. Rinse with a warm salt water solution. Check and see if food is lodged between teeth causing pain and remove it with floss.
• Chipped Tooth: Try and save any tooth fragments and rinse with warm water. If there is any swelling, apply a cold compress to relieve pain.
• Knocked Out Tooth: If a permanent tooth is knocked out, timing is crucial. Hold the tooth by the crown (not the roots) and try to place back in its socket if possible. If unable to reinsert, put the tooth in a container of milk or water and contact us immediately.

It’s also wise to keep an emergency dental kit on hand, including gauze, wax (for braces), pain relievers, floss, and our contact information!

3. Know how to protect your toothbrush on-the-go. 
A wet toothbrush in a closed in area is a recipe for disaster (hello bacteria!). So before you pack away your brush, allow it to air dry completely. Consider a travel brush case as it has small holes for proper ventilation. And of course, keep the case clean — wash thoroughly before and after to rid any dirt or bacteria that may be lingering.

4. Bring some sugarless gum.
Chewing sugar-free gum not only helps to relieve air pressure while flying but can be a huge help in cavity prevention. Chewing gum increases saliva production which in turn works to wash away any cavity-causing bacteria. Pro tip: look for the ADA seal on packs of gum for a truly tooth-friendly product.

5. Don’t skip your routine.
It’s easy to fall out of your brushing and flossing routine when you’re not in your own home. Don’t beat yourself up! Just make sure you get back on track — brushing for two minutes twice daily and regular flossing — once vacation is over.

There you have it — five quick tips for travel dental care. For questions or concerns regarding your family’s dental health this season, give us a call or click here to request your appointment» 

Reasons To Get a Custom Fit Mouth Guard

When it comes to sports (competitive or recreational), safety is of utmost concern -- and mouth guards are one of the most important pieces of sports equipment your child needs to stay safe! 

In fact, according to the American Dental Association, an athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth if they aren't wearing a mouth guard. 

Mouth guards are essential in helping to minimize the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face, or jaw during play. 

But with all the options out there - how do you choose which is best for your child? Consider the facts:

• While less expensive, generic boil-and-bite mouth guards can restrict breathing and speech. Additionally, they are difficult to adapt to orthodontic appliances. Custom mouth guards, however, are designed to uniquely fit in an athletes mouth, with no interference with speech or breathing.
• Does your child have braces? A custom fit guard can give them the protection and comfort they need in a mouthpiece.
• Custom guards are designed for optimal oxygen flow while providing the most protection and comfort. This helps an athlete enhance their performance and endurance on the field.
• Stock guards cannot be modified to fit an individual’s mouth and can only stay in place when the mouth is closed. Custom fit guards are made from an impression of the athlete’s mouth taken at a dentist’s office.

While any mouth guard is better than no mouth guard, we encourage you to look into the custom fit option for your athlete. At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental, we offer our very own Mouth Guard Center for this exact reason. We will fit your child with a mouth guard specific to their mouth, and they can choose their colors to coincide with their school, intramural, or PAL league’s uniform. Contact us at any of our three locations today for more information!

Looking for an awesome summer camp for your athlete? Check out Long Island Youth Football Player Academy! All camps are led by USA Football certified coaches who truly believe that each player should be able to learn the fundamentals of football while maintaining a safety first outlook. We're so proud to be a premier sponsor of such a wonderful camp.