Orthodontic Blog: Merced Braces

MERCED 209.723.3776 | FRESNO 559.435.5300

Our Blog

ORTHODONTICS EXCLUSIVELY / OUR BLOG

TO ALL NEW AND FORMER PATIENTS

For over 50 years we have run a family owned orthodontic practice treating literally thousands of happy patients in the Central Valley with locations in Merced and Fresno. In today’s climate I often have patients ask us if because of Covid-19 should we wait before getting treatment. Our answer is no! In the next 21 days myself & staff will all be vaccinated for the virus. We have rolled back our fees to what they were 10 years ago.

DENTAL HYGIENE TIPS WITH BRACES

Braces are a critical step towards revolutionizing your life with a healthy, beautiful new smile – but while you’re wearing them, you’ll need to be particularly careful about your oral hygiene. That’s because all the nooks and crannies that BRACES create in your mouth are ideal hiding places for food particles, bacteria, and plaque, which can corrode the enamel of your teeth over time, leading to cavities and dental decay that can completely derail your orthodontic treatment. At Orthodontics Exclusively, we’re proud to be a resource for all things related to orthodontic treatment in the Merced area – so here are our top tips for caring for teeth while wearing braces.

THE DANGERS OF DIY BRACES

At Orthodontics Exclusively, we’re proud to offer high-quality orthodontic care to patients of all ages throughout the greater Merced & Fresno, CA areas. But beyond just providing treatment through BRACES and INVISALIGN, we want to help our patients maintain a great smile for a lifetime – and how you take care of teeth at home has a major impact on the health of your smile. Recently, we’ve been seeing a terrible trend come back into the news spotlight: DIY braces. Popular among teens, this method of attempting to improvise orthodontic care may look like a cost-saving life hack, but in reality, it’s downright dangerous.

BRACES-FRIENDLY SPRING RECIPES

Spring is in full swing, and we know many of our patients are enjoying the lengthening days, the growing sunshine, and all the fun that springtime outdoor activities can bring. As a premier orthodontic care provider serving Merced and Fresno, our mission is to help our patients smile – but we want to do that through more than just orthodontic care! To help put a smile on your face this spring, we’ve pulled together a couple braces – friendly recipes that are perfect for savoring on a sunny spring day.

FIND OUT WHY ADULT ORTHODONTICS ARE JUST WHAT YOU NEED

Today, many of the patients our Merced orthodontics practice serves are adults. The reason for this is that an increasing number of adults have realized the many social and professional benefits that come with investing in smile makeovers. And, more and more adults appreciate that there are now more discreet choices in orthodontic appliances like clear braces and translucent aligners that don’t involve wearing highly visible metal braces that are often associated with kids.

BENEFITS OF INVISALIGN

As a Fresno and Merced orthodontics practice that provides excellent orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages, the team at Orthodontics Exclusively is excited to offer Invisalign clear aligner treatment to our teenage and adult patients with certain orthodontic issues. As you may know already, Invisalign is a very popular treatment method that uses a series of clear, removable aligners to improve the health and appearance of a smile. If you are not crazy about the idea of wearing conventional bonded braces in order to get the million dollar smile you want and deserve, you should definitely look into wearing Invisalign. To help you decide if Invisalign is right for you, below are a few benefits you can enjoy as an Invisalign patient.

BRACES-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY RECIPES

When the holiday season arrives, there’s no need for people with ceramic or metal braces affixed to their teeth to miss out on some traditional foods. While there are a few holiday foods, snacks, and sweets that can damage braces, there are still many delicious foods that are safe to eat when you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment. Below are a few braces-friendly recipes that have been given the stamp of approval by your Merced and Fresno orthodontists that all our patients wearing braces can enjoy.

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN RELY ON AT ORTHODONTICS EXCLUSIVELY

At Orthodontics Exclusively, we strive to provide the highest quality orthodontic care, helping our patients achieve smiles they can be proud of for the rest of their lives. We are proud of the treatment we provide, and we bring a variety of advantages in helping our patients achieve beautiful smiles, not the least of which is experience. We have been helping people smile better for decades, and you can count on that experience every time you come into our office.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TMJ & TMD

At Orthodontics Exclusively, we believe everyone deserves excellent orthodontic health. While having a beautiful smile is a big part of that, it is not the only component to strong overall oral health. The jaws are also a major part of orthodontics. While most peoples’ jaws work just fine and do not cause trouble, sometimes people can develop Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, otherwise known as TMJ OR TMD.

BRACES-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS IN FRESNO

Orthodontics Exclusively is proud to be your choice when it comes to finding an orthodontist around the Fresno and Merced, CA areas. One of our many specialties lies in our wide array of orthodontic treatments, ranging from BRACES to INVISALIGN. We are committed to providing the utmost of care for all our patients during this process, whether they are currently being fitted for braces or just trying to get adjusted to the new changes. When you begin to wear braces, you will realize that there are a few different kinds of foods you will have to limit yourself from when it comes to eating. Hard and sticky foods are two of these examples. We do not want this to discourage you though, as there are several options for you nearby our Fresno office that we hope you will check out.

TEETH SAFETY TIPS FOR KIDS THIS SPRING

Now that the spring season is here, many of our school-aged patients will be suiting up to play baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and other outdoor sports. This is a great time for us to remind all our athletic patients and their families of how very important it is to protect your teeth when playing sports or while participating in any activity that poses a risk of injury to the mouth.

BRACES-FRIENDLY SUMMER RECIPES

When you’re wearing BRACES that are cemented to your teeth like stainless steel or ceramic braces, you have to be careful about what you eat. This is because there are many types of FOODS THAT DON’T PLAY NICE WITH BRACES like crunchy chips, hard candy, and other chewy and gooey foods & treats. Now that we’re heading into summer, there will be lots of outdoor barbecues and picnics to look forward to! To make sure those of you wearing braces won’t feel left out because you have to watch what you eat, we’ve put together a few tasty summer recipes below that are perfectly safe to eat with braces.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY ORTHODONTICS

As a parent, there’s no doubt that you’ve been taking important steps to protect your young child’s oral health. You’re probably making sure that your child is doing a good job brushing and flossing and taking him or her to your family dentist twice a year for those important examinations and cleanings. Even though you’re doing your best to safeguard your child’s oral health, there could be some hidden problems with your child’s teeth and jaws that could jeopardize his/her future oral health.