As some of you may already know, October is National Orthodontic Health Month. Some may ask why October, of all months, is Orthodontic Health Month. Many will consider that since Halloween is in October, it is a great month to bring awareness to the proper way to take care of your teeth while undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Now we all know that with Halloween comes Trick-or-Treating which means lots and lots of candy and sweets. While some of you may not have gone Trick-or-Treating this year due to the rain and storms here in Longview, Kilgore, Marshall, and Gilmer. There are obviously a number of reasons why it is important to minimize sweets and candy intake, especially during orthodontic treatment.
Candy and other sweets obviously have lots of sugar in them. Sugar, of course, leads to cavities for whoever is eating them, even adults, if proper oral hygiene is not up to par. During orthodontic treatment with braces or invisalign it takes more effort to properly take care of your teeth and gums. Having excessive amounts of candy during this time of year means it is of upmost importance to brush and floss your teeth.
Another important thing to remember while going through all of that trick-or-treating candy is that the hard candies are typically the ones that will cause brackets to come off and orthodontic wires to bend, which can cause delays in orthodontic treatment and hinder your orthodontic treatment progress. Furthermore, sticky candies can get stuck between the brackets and wires as well.
As an alternative to eating all that candy this year, bring it out to our Candy Give-Back Drive taking place Saturday November 3rd here in Longview at Menchie's on Hawkins Parkway. In exchange for trading in your candy (which we will donate to Operation Gratitude), you will get a Mack and Hansen Orthodontics Toothbrush kit with a travel toothbrush and gift cards to local Longview restaurants including Menchie's, Bubba's 33 on Loop 259, and other restaurants.
Please let us know if you have any questions about invisalign clear aligners. Our free consultation will allow you to discover what our orthodontists can do for you. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX next to Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Kilgore, Marshall, and Carthage Texas
