Village ORTHOdontics asks: What are you thankful for?

Happy Friday! Our staff at Village ORTHOdontics want to know what you are most thankful for in your life! Enter our latest contest for your chance to win a $50 Gift Card to either Square One or Erin Mills Town Centre!

All entries must be submitted by Wednesday, October 6th. Entry forms can be dropped off at our office, faxed to the attention of Ashley at (905) 275-0908 OR emailed to professionalrelations@villageortho.ca.

We look forward to reading your responses! Enjoy your weekend!

Foods to avoid, from Village ORTHOdontics

Our staff at Village ORTHOdontics will tell you there are a lot of foods we want you to stay away from while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should Avoid
• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give us a call at (905) 275-8501 or ask one of our team members during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

When should your child visit Village ORTHOdontics?

Our professional staff at Village ORTHOdontics will tell you that braces were originally considered to be best appropriate for teens. But these days, kids as old as seven are beginning their orthodontic treatment. Because preadolescent kids are typically not self-conscious, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists suggest it could be a good idea to start early.

Experts, however, say it depends on the treatment required. Some children who get braces at an early age end up in a second phase of treatment, and end up having braces well into their teenage years despite starting young.

Most orthodontic treatment begins between ages nine and 14, and the folks at AAO estimate most orthodontic treatment lasts from one to three years, with two years being the average. It’s important, however, that children be screened no later than age seven for one of our experienced doctors to assess what the best age for treatment is.

Hope this helps! Please give us a call if you have any questions about your child’s treatment at Village ORTHO! We hope you had a relaxing Labour Day weekend!