Going Back to School with Braces
Going back to school is already an exciting (and sometimes nerve-racking) time so we don’t want your braces adding to that. Our Mississauga and Brampton, ON team has compiled some helpful tips to make the process as easy and fun as possible. 1. Make sure you pack or purchase braces-friendly lunches Try to avoid overly crunchy foods (think carrots, celery, hard crackers) especially if your teeth are sore from having your braces tightened. But you shouldn’t stop eating healthful foods that fall in this category. For instance apples can be sliced into wedges or carrots can be cut into coins. You should also avoid sticky foods like candy or gum that can and will stick in your braces like glue! Softer foods are easier on your teeth and braces, so aim to make a good portion of your lunch on the softer side. 2. Have a braces kit in your backpack or locker Having some useful items on hand at school when you need them is one of the most helpful things you can do. Pack some wax for sores or tenderness, floss and/or flossing tools made for braces, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small cup for rinsing, a small mirror to check for trapped food, and some lip balm if your lips tend to chap. With these tools on hand, you’ll avoid most if not all braces-related nuisances! 3. Know that you’re not alone If you’re feeling self-conscious about your braces, don’t. Be proud of them! There are many other people your age who have braces, and if they don’t have them now, they probably will in the future. Relax and know that you’re on the path to a straighter and healthier smile. If you have any questions about making your transition into “braceshood,” just ask Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black or any member of our Mississauga and Brampton, ON team! We’re here to help make your braces experience (and your smile) the best it can be.
Talking Over Your Underbite
You’ve been told that you have a malocclusion called an “underbite.” Let’s look at just what this diagnosis means, and what it means for you. Just what is an “underbite”? A malocclusion is another way of saying that you have a problem with your bite, which is the way your jaws and teeth fit together when you bite down. In a typical bite, the front top teeth project slightly beyond, and slightly overlap, the bottom teeth. An underbite, on the other hand, results when the lower teeth and jaw extend further forward than the upper teeth and jaw, causing the bottom teeth to overlap the top teeth. What causes an underbite? Underbites tend to be genetic, and run in families, so, most often, an underbite is something you’re born with. The size of your jaws, the shape of your teeth, or both will affect your bite. A smaller number of underbites develop because of injuries or early oral habits, such as prolonged and vigorous thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. How do we treat an underbite? Your treatment will depend on the type and severity of your underbite, and your age when treatment occurs. Braces and Aligners If your underbite is a slight one, caused, for example, by crowded or overly large teeth, braces or clear aligners can help move the teeth into proper alignment. Functional Appliances If the underbite is caused by a problem with upper and lower jaw development, devices called functional appliances can be used to help guide the growth of the jawbones while a child’s bones are still growing and forming. If you’re a young patient, two appliances commonly used to help correct an underbite are palatal expanders, which gradually widen the upper jaw if it’s too narrow, and reverse pull headgear, which fits both inside the mouth and outside on the face, and provides a steady, gentle pull to encourage the forward growth of the upper jaw. Surgical treatment In some severe cases, surgical treatment can correct an underbite by reshaping the jawbone itself and positioning it further back to align properly with the upper jaw. Why treat your underbite? A serious underbite can cause damaged teeth and enamel, painful problems with the temporomandibular joint, headaches and facial pain, sleep apnea, difficulty chewing, eating, and speaking, and can affect confidence and self-esteem. By following your treatment plan, you’ll not only prevent these consequences, but you’ll achieve major benefits—a healthy, comfortable bite, and an attractive, confident smile. Want to know more? Talk it over with Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black at our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office for all the information you’ll need!
Heading Off to College? Maybe It’s Time to Graduate to an Electric Toothbrush!
Your trusty manual toothbrush has been with you from pre-school through high school—well, obviously not the same manual toothbrush, because that would be seriously unhygienic—but it’s the kind of toothbrush you’re used to and comfortable with. Now, though, you’re off to college, and your lifestyle will be changing. Late night study sessions complete with study session snacks. Getting caught up in a project and making dinner from dorm vending machines. Grabbing fast food on the way to the practice field, or work-study job, or evening class. You get the point—meals can be hectic, unscheduled, and less than tooth friendly. And if you’re wearing braces or aligners, you know you need to keep on top of brushing more than ever. It’s challenging to brush away cavity-causing plaque when it sticks around brackets and wires. And with aligners, teeth don’t benefit as much from the constant cleansing action of saliva, so it’s really important to brush away plaque and food particles before you replace the aligners after eating. Maybe it’s time to consider an electric toothbrush. After all, anything that can make your life easier and more efficient during busy college days deserves a spot in your dorm room. Electric Brushes Are Effective The most important reason to switch to an electric toothbrush is its effectiveness. Several studies have shown that regular use of an electric toothbrush leads to a marked reduction in plaque, that bacteria-filled film which sticks to the teeth and leads to cavities and gingivitis. And it’s really no surprise that an electric brush can out-perform a manual brush. Electric toothbrushes offer several design options, from oscillating/rotating brushes to oscillating/rotating/pulsating models to brushes using sonic vibration technology. What these technologies all have in common is the ability to remove plaque far more efficiently than we can on our own, because electric brushes provide the equivalent of thousands and even tens of thousands of brushstrokes per minute, compared to the hundreds we can achieve by hand. There might be a bit of a learning curve to discover how to use your brush around wires and brackets. Ask us for the best method of using an electric brush with your braces, and check out brush heads specifically designed for orthodontic work. If you use buttons with aligners, electric toothbrushes should be safe to gently clean around the buttons to remove built-up plaque. It’s usually best to stick with a manual brush for cleaning your aligners themselves—we’re happy to give you your best cleaning options, no matter which brush you choose. You know by now what your brushing habits are like. If you tend to be a bit cavalier with your brushing and flossing, make sure you set yourself up for success. Because you have better things to do during semester breaks and summer vacations than visiting Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black! Electric Brushes Can Make Life Easier Several of today’s electric brushes come with options designed to do more than simply remove plaque. They can let you know if you’ve brushed for the recommended two minutes and remind you when it’s time to replace the brush head. They can even alert you if you’re brushing too hard, which is especially important when you’re wearing braces. Want more from your electric brush? Some models offer apps that can map out just where you’ve brushed, in case there are a few spots that often get overlooked. Or provide different brushing modes for daily cleaning, deep cleaning, whitening, and more. Or come with a travel case that can recharge while you’re busy exploring the world—or going home for a visit. In the end, it’s up to you. Do some independent study and research the toothbrushes that will give you the best results for your individual brushing habits. You might not need or want a brush with all the technological bells and whistles. If you’re comfortable with your manual brush and you get good grades when you visit our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office, stick with it. But if you think you might benefit from the ease and efficiency of an electric toothbrush, if an electric toothbrush makes your teeth and gums healthier and your smile brighter, that’s extra credit worth pursuing.
How to Floss with Braces
The Smile Solutions team knows that oral hygiene is important, whether you have braces on your teeth or not. But if you are a person who wears braces, caring for your teeth and gums can become somewhat challenging. Without daily oral hygiene practices, you may become prone to cavities and tooth decay during your time in braces. Naturally, you know that brushing your teeth each morning and night, as well as after you eat, will help keep your mouth healthy and clean during the months you wear braces. But flossing is also an important part of your hygiene routine. Flossing with braces can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black, your general dentist, or your dental hygienist can help you become more comfortable and adept at flossing your teeth during the months you wear braces. Flossing Tips for Those with Braces Use Tools Provided by Our Office. A floss threader is a small, plastic needle that will help you floss between the wires and your teeth. Thread a 12-to-18-inch piece of floss onto the needle, and use the needle to get the floss easily behind the wires. Flossing Under the Wires. Once the floss is behind the wires, use your hands to manipulate the floss. Move it up and down along the wires to remove food particles. Flossing Between Your Teeth. Floss between your teeth as you normally would without braces. Move the floss up and down between your teeth, using a clean section of floss for each tooth. After You Finish Flossing. Your orthodontist may have suggested that you use a water pik or proxy brush after you finish brushing. Either of these tools will help remove any loosened food particles to ensure that your teeth and braces are clean. Continue Good Oral Hygiene Habits Good oral hygiene habits you use while wearing braces will help you achieve the beautiful smile you and the Smile Solutions team have been working toward. Once your braces are off, it may be tempting to slack off on the brushing and flossing. Don’t let yourself fall into any habits that will have a negative impact on your oral health or the attractive smile you waited for throughout the months you wore braces. See your general dentist for regular cleanings, and continue to brush and floss your teeth each day.
Planning Your Vegetarian Diet with Your Oral Health in Mind
If you’ve been following a vegetarian or vegan diet, you know that there’s much more to living a healthy life than simply avoiding meat products. Making sure your diet includes enough protein, as well as any nutrients that are primarily available in animal products, takes planning, and there’s no one-menu-fits-all solution. Why? Because there’s no one menu that will suit all vegetarians. Specific vegetarian diets can allow for many different options: Vegan—a plant-based diet which excludes meat, fish, dairy, and egg products Ovo-vegetarian—includes eggs as a dietary option, but no dairy Lacto-vegetarian— includes dairy as a dietary option, but no eggs Lacto-ovo-vegetarian—a meat-free diet which allows both dairy products and eggs If you are a pescatarian, who eats fish on occasion, or a flexitarian, who sometimes includes meat in a meal, your menu options are even broader. So let’s look at the big picture—a healthy vegetarian diet is really more concerned with the foods you do eat for nutrition rather than the foods you don’t. You can create a meal plan rich in all your essential nutrients with a little research, no matter which type of vegetarian diet is your go-to choice. And while you’re constructing your ideal menu guidelines, don’t forget about your dental nutrition! In terms of keeping your teeth and gums their healthiest, what important vitamins and minerals are often missing from vegetarian and vegan diets? Let’s look at three of them. Calcium Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones and tooth enamel. Without enough calcium, a weakened jawbone leads to loose, and even lost, teeth. The acids in our food and the acids created by oral bacteria also weaken the minerals in enamel, including calcium. These weak spots can eventually become cavities. A diet rich in calcium not only supports the bones holding our teeth, but can even help repair, or remineralize, enamel which has been weakened by acidic erosion. For vegetarians who include dairy in their diets, dairy products are a great way to include calcium. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are traditional and rich sources of this mineral. For vegans, it’s a bit more challenging, but still doable! Non-dairy foods providing calcium include dark green vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach), certain types of tofu, and fortified cereals, juices, and non-dairy milks. Vitamin D Now you’re ready to put that calcium to work by making sure you have enough vitamin D in your diet. Vitamin D not only helps keep our bones healthy, it also enables our bodies to absorb calcium. Bonus—it’s been linked to better gum health in several studies. So how to get more vitamin D? If you eat dairy, most dairy products have been fortified with vitamin D. If eggs are a part of your diet, egg yolks are a great source. Pescatarians can enjoy the benefits of vitamin D from fatty fish such as tuna and salmon. Because we get most of our vitamin D from sun exposure or foods derived from animals, plant-based foods are not a practical way to obtain the vitamin D you need. But, just as non-vegetarians can get plentiful vitamin D from fortified dairy products, vegans also have options. Try adding cereals, juices, and non-dairy milks fortified with this essential nutrient to your diet, or take a vegan vitamin D supplement. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy red blood cells, nerve cell development, brain function, and DNA production. (This is why it’s especially important for pregnant and nursing women.) Vitamin B12 can also impact your oral health. A B12 deficiency can cause a swollen, sore, or inflamed tongue, loss of taste, and gum, tongue, and mouth ulcers. Unfortunately, vitamin B12 is reliably found only in animal foods and nutritional yeasts. If you would prefer an egg-free and dairy-free diet, look to B12 supplements or B12-fortified cereals, plant-based milks, energy bars, and other vegan options. This is a good subject to discuss with your physician, because even supplements and fortified foods might not provide enough B12. In fact, Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black can be vital resources when you’re planning your healthiest vegetarian diet. The next time you visit our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office, ask for recommendations for supplements if you’re concerned that diet alone can’t provide for all of your nutrition essentials. Finally, care should be taken to ensure that, even with supplements, you get the proper amount of the vitamins and minerals you need. As a vegetarian, you are used to the concept of care. Whether it was concern for nutrition, the planet, the animal world, or another reason that drew you to a vegetarian diet, be sure to care for your body as well as your dietary choices. Careful planning can ensure a diet which supports not only your general health, but your oral health, for a lifetime of nourishing—and well-nourished—smiles.
2022 Office News!
Happy New Year everyone! We are excited to start a New Year with our families and with our extended dental families – our team and YOU! We continue working steadily to remove as much paper use as possible from our office. Patients are signing and submitting forms digitally and we are providing as much info as possible to everyone electronically. Our new website offers Virtual Consultations, Appointment Requests, and a Virtual Waiting Room. If you have any questions or trouble finding any of these on our website, please let us know so we can better assist you. As a reminder, we are open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm and Friday from 8am to 2pm. Patients can always expect to receive confirmation and reminder emails and texts messages for their appointments as well as instructions to submit photos in advance of their appointment. On arrival at our parking area, all patients are required to check in using our Virtual Waiting Room and complete the Covid Screening Form. Once received, our office will call you when it is your turn to come in. We are asking that only the patient come in if 12 years or older unless it is a consultation in which case an adult should accompany the child. These protocols are to keep everyone safe by keeping the number of people in our office to a minimum. For those patients who are looking to meet their smile goals this year, we highly suggest booking a consultation either in person or virtually. We also want to remind everyone to brush and floss daily! Here in Ontario, we are hitting the ground running in 2022. Although we have many restrictions in place, the good news is this is temporary! So, we’re hoping everyone can continue to stay positive and stick together! We also wanted to shout out Laurena, our valued dental assistant, who is celebrating an important day on January 28th! If you or anyone you may know is looking to apply with us, we are always keeping potential candidates in mind and resumes can be emailed to lesa@smilenow.com. However please note, we are not hiring at this moment as we have had several new additions within the last year. Of course, with masks and protective gear it may sometimes be difficult to recognize people so let’s continue to treat everyone with kindness. We hope to see you soon and can’t wait to help you achieve your dental goals for this year.
Smile, the New Year is Almost Here!
We’ve been celebrating the new year for a really, really long time. It goes way back, but it started formally in 1582, when Pope George XIII made January 1st the official holiday for ushering in the new year. The idea was to yell, cheer, and blow horns to scare away all the evil spirits of the previous year with the hope that the new one would be filled with happiness and opportunity. While scaring away evil spirits isn’t what’s on our mind these days, we still ring in the New Year by cheering and hollering with friends and family. It’s a time to set new goals, refocus on old ones, and look forward to all the surprises the coming year will bring. Whether you’re saying hello to the New Year snuggled up at home on your couch in the Mississauga and Brampton, ON area or by gathering your friends for a social celebration, here are some tips to help ensure you welcome this new chapter with a smile. Tips for a great New Year’s Eve celebration from Smile Solutions Stay safe. This one’s vital, because nothing puts a damper on your party like an emergency trip to the hospital. Stay responsible and try to plan ahead, whether that means taking a taxi, staying with a friend, or recruiting a designated driver. Do what you have to do to keep yourself and everyone around you safe. Spend time with the people you love most. The way we see it, the whole point of the holiday season is to cherish your family and friends. Regardless of what you’re doing, make sure there’s something for everyone. It’s essential to do something the whole group will enjoy! Smile! Whether you get all dressed to go out or have a quiet gathering with family and friends, make sure you accessorize with a smile. There’s always something to smile about! We can all agree that change can be scary sometimes, but ringing in the New Year is an observance we all welcome with open arms. We hope you’ll enjoy this transitional holiday in a fun, healthy, and safe way. You have endless possibilities ahead of you! From Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black, have a fantastic New Year!
Does smoking affect oral health?
By now, everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. But the truth is its broad-reaching health effects are not all known by everyone. This is especially true of oral health. Smoking can have serious repercussions in this regard. To give you a better idea of how smoking can affect your oral health, Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our team have listed some issues that can arise. Oral Cancer Oral cancer can have steep ramifications for anyone that gets it. Surgery can be required to eliminate the cancer before it spreads to more vital parts of your body. Any type of cancer is about the worst health effect you can get, and this especially holds true to the affects that smoking has on your mouth. The type of mouth surgery required with oral cancer can leave your face deconstructed in certain areas, and it is all due to smoking or use of other tobacco products. Tooth Discoloration and Bad Breath At the very least, it is fair to say that as a smoker you will often have bad breath, and while you may try to cover it up with gum or mints, tooth discoloration is a whole other story. The chemicals and substances in cigarettes stick to your teeth staining them brown and yellow colors that are increasingly difficult to disguise. Gum Disease and Loss of Bone Another effect of smoking is the increased risk of gum disease. Your gums may start to recede, which can eventually lead to the loss of teeth. Smoking can also increase bone loss and density in your jaw which is vital to the health of your mouth. Gum disease and bone loss are two signs that smoking is definitely bad for your mouth. When it comes to the health of your mouth, the question is not whether smoking affects your health, it’s how does it affect your health and to what degree. If for no other reason than because smoking involves your mouth as its entry point, it is safe to say that it can have long-lasting and detrimental consequences on your oral health. To learn more about smoking and your oral health, contact our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black.
Happy Holidays!
As the end of the year approaches, we want to take this time to reflect on this past year. We would love to hear about some of your favorite memories and moments from this year, feel free to share them with us below or on our social media accounts! This year we learned a great deal. One thing that has stuck with us throughout the year has been to be ready for anything. Be patient and kind with everyone. Support local businesses. We are all in this together and we should support each other in every way we can. We have loved watching our staff pull together and support one another. While this year has brought some challenges such as adjusting to new COVID protocols, our staff has persevered and become stronger and more supportive than ever. With our patients sticking with us no matter what, we have been so blessed to be where we are at today. Some of the more fun things we have been enjoying this year include local trips and stay-cations! Also, an awesome development from this year was Tim Biebs! For those of you who don’t know what they are, Justin Bieber and Tim Horton came out with a collaboration treat. They were so amazing. We have achieved some amazing things this year too. Some of our staff have taken to creating TikTok videos and posting them on our Facebook and Instagram. Dr. Black put a skating rink in his backyard for his family and local neighbors to skate when rinks were closed. Dr. Derek and Dr. Zimmerman both welcomed new babies in 2021. Several staff members welcomed new babies and grandbabies in 2021. This year we are looking forward to traveling again and getting our booster shots. We are also excited to get to know Badina, Linda, Mary-Rose, Ordia, Prachi, and Washma, our new team members! We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday and new year!
Things You Should Never Use Your Braces For
When you get your braces, Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our staff will also give you a list of foods you should not eat and things you should not do. Pay particular attention to these items to keep your teeth and braces safe. Charms belong on bracelets. While you can decorate your braces with colored bands, hanging a charm off them is a bad idea. If you bite down on the charm, you could damage your braces or your teeth. You could also swallow your jewelry. Never use your teeth as a bottle opener. This is just as important when you are wearing braces. While braces straighten your teeth, your teeth are moving in the process. That makes them weaker, and the metal in the braces does not make them invincible. Invest in a bottle opener; you can buy one for a few dollars, which is much less expensive than having to replace your braces. Contrary to what you might think, your braces are not designed to work as a radio. There are tales of people who have picked up radio signals from dental fillings or braces. While this is remotely possible, attaching an antenna to your mouth is just not a good idea. You will get better quality music from a radio. On the other hand, you can still kiss someone while wearing braces. In fact, even if both of you wear braces, the chances of your getting locked together are almost negligible. However, to avoid cutting your partner’s lips, kiss with caution. If you have any questions about taking care of your braces, please ask Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our staff. We want you to get the best results from your treatment without needless delays.