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Getting braces or BRIUS comes with a lot of rules. No sticky candies, watch out for popcorn, and steer clear of chips. These rules leave many wearers wondering what they can still eat without hurting their teeth or their expensive orthodontic appliances. Fortunately, constructing a braces-friendly lunch is straightforward once you know which foods to avoid.

Foods to Avoid When Wearing Braces

There are a few food categories to avoid when you have braces or BRIUS. Sticky foods also stick to the metal in your braces, and can potentially break wires or individual braces. For example: bubblegum, candy bars, caramel, licorice, fruit roll-ups, and Starbursts should be avoided. Many of these foods also contain high levels of sugar, which can cause plaque build-up if not brushed away properly.

Also, be wary of hard foods that can harm your orthodontic appliances. Avoid eating hard taco shells, chips, Rice Crispy treats, hard candy, beef jerky, and popcorn. Some healthy foods, such as carrots, apples, corn on the cob, and nuts, are hard on braces. To eat these foods safely, cut them into smaller pieces before eating.

Remember that certain habits may be harmful to your braces. For example, crunching on ice cubes may be a reflexive response when you’re enjoying a cold beverage, but this can significantly harm your braces and extend treatment time. To stay on the safe side, Dr. Negaar Sagafi and our team at Bethesda Orthodontics recommend you drink beverages without ice or add crushed ice whenever possible.

Lunch Recipe

Even with braces and BRIUS, it’s easy to enjoy a healthy, nutritious lunch. For example, make a panini on whole wheat bread with slices of turkey deli meat, a piece of Swiss cheese, and tomato slices. Spread 1 tbsp. of mustard or mayonnaise on the bread before toasting the sandwich in a panini grill. Serve the panini with ½ c. low-fat cottage cheese and a sliced pear or apple for a balanced meal. Then grab a pudding cup or some JELLO for dessert. Wash it all down with water containing a lemon wedge or all-natural fruit juice. Make sure to brush your teeth or rinse with mouthwash after lunch to wash away sugars and food residue that can get trapped in braces and cause decay.

If you have any questions about what you can and can’t eat with braces during your treatment at Bethesda Orthodontics, be sure to ask our team during your next appointment at our Bethesda office!

On March 17, everyone has a little Irish in them. St. Patrick’s Day is a joyous celebration of Irish heritage. The holiday originated as a commemoration of Saint Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The saint arrived in Ireland in 432 and earned the reputation of a champion of Irish Christianity. March 17th, the day of St. Patrick’s death, has been commemorated by the Irish for over 1,000 years. St. Patrick’s Day is still observed as a religious feast day by several Christian denominations, but it is better known in the public imagination as a rich celebration of Irish culture.

St. Patrick’s Day has been an official public holiday in Ireland since 1903. Each year, the Irish celebrate with a several-day festival that includes theater performances, music, fireworks, and festive parades. The celebration is also a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Montserrat, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other parts of the world with heavy Irish populations, it is an unofficial celebration of Irish heritage. Parts of Great Britain, Canada, Argentina, South Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United States, and Australia commemorate the holiday each year. Typical celebrations in these countries include drinking green beer, wearing green, eating traditional Irish foods, parades, and shamrock decorations.

Many people, Irish and non-Irish alike, take part in the “wearing of the green” on St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, the color originally associated with Saint Patrick was blue. His use of shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish made the green clover emblematic of the holiday, leading to the traditional green attire worn by thousands on St. Patrick’s Day. Other little-known facts about St. Patrick’s Day include the following:

• Each year, the United States and Ireland face off in a rugby competition called the “St. Patrick’s Day Test.”
• Montreal celebrates the holiday with an annual parade, which has been held each year since 1824. The Montreal city flag even features a shamrock in its corner, as a nod to its Irish heritage.
• The Guinness World Records named St. Patrick’s Day the “Friendliest Day of the Year.”
• Along with Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world.

No matter your cultural heritage, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to let loose and celebrate your inner Irish-ness! Don your greenest attire and exclaim “Erin go Bragh!” (Ireland forever!) to everyone you meet. From all of us - have a great St. Paddy’s day!

We are about to mark the one-year anniversary of our nation’s collective COVID-19 shutdown. Montgomery County, Md. and Washington, D.C. – where my two practices reside – went into lockdown on March 13, 2020.

Resilience is a word that is sometimes overused, but it was definitely more appropriate than ever in 2020. I am so proud of the schoolchildren who are my patients. They learned to … well … learn in a whole different way over the last 12 months. And parents? They are my superheroes! I cannot imagine working from home while monitoring schoolwork.

I am also proud of my staff and my fellow orthodontists and dentists. Even though we know the care we provide is essential, last spring we were kept for many weeks from doing what we love and what we know is a vital service to our community. We didn’t know when our livelihoods would bounce back … or if they would.

I’m especially proud that, since our practices opened up again last summer, we have proven that our offices are safe places where patients can get routine and emergency care in a COVID-free environment.

According to a new study published in The Journal of Dental Hygiene, the estimated prevalence rate of COVID-19 in U.S. dental hygienists is low. In fact, a survey of nearly 5,000 hygienists revealed only 3.1 percent had ever tested positive or been diagnosed with the virus. Masking up keeps the virus from spreading!

That study came after one published in October 2020 in The Journal of the American Dental Association that indicated fewer than one percent of U.S. dentists had been diagnosed with COVID-19. That result was far below the rate of other U.S. health professionals. The Journal also reported 99 percent of dentists were using enhanced infection control procedures such as screening protocols when treating patients.

We are committed to patient safety.

My practices not only have increased screening protocols and disinfection practices – I am scrubbing and hand sanitizing so much now that I sleep with gloves and moisturizer on my hands! – we have altered our personal behavior outside of the office to ensure our offices stay COVID-free.

I love to travel and have not been on a plane since last February. We are not carpooling with friends and neighbors – and we are not taking car or ride shares either – and we are celebrating birthdays and other family milestones from the safety of our own homes, with only those who live under our roofs. And, of course, we are excited to report that, as frontline healthcare workers, most of us have received our COVID-19 vaccines!

We miss social interaction and vacations just like everyone else, but with so many people still unvaccinated, going on a little weekend jaunt is not worth the risk.

While our practices were deemed non-essential at the beginning of the pandemic, we also know now that dentists, orthodontists, and other oral health experts actually can help diagnose COVID-19. According to Dr. Aravindhan Karunakaran, the virus can cause lesions on the tongue that might be the only symptom of COVID-19.

I hope these measures and this academic research will reassure parents and caregivers. According to a survey by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, 40 percent of parents have avoided seeking dental care for their children during the pandemic, citing concerns about infection, office closures, and cost.

Not only does this set a bad precedent about how children will view dentists and orthodontists long-term (they’re scary or non-essential), it threatens overall health. What happens with your teeth can impact everything from quality of sleep to heart health. And, according to a report in Dentistry Today, patients with COVID-19 and gum disease were 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator, and almost nine times more likely to die than those without gum disease.

Dental care is essential. And during COVID-19, it is safe.

Is it possible to straighten the teeth without braces? Yes, it is. Welcome to the world of Invisalign aligners. Invisalign aligners are made from a clear, thermoplastic material that is custom made to fit your teeth. Unlike conventional braces, Invisalign aligners are removable. More importantly, the clear thermoplastic material makes the aligners invisible, which is ideal if the thought of metal braces and elastics make you self-conscious. For the best results, proper handling and care of your Invisalign aligners is important. Follow these steps to take care of your aligners:

1. Do not eat or drink hot beverages while wearing aligners. It's a good idea to get in the practice of removing the aligners before eating and drinking. Because the aligners are made of plastic resin, heat can distort and damage them. Also, eating while wearing the aligners will cause sugar and other food particles to stay on your teeth, which contributes to plaque and tooth decay.

2. Clean the aligner trays regularly. Invisalign aligners are exposed to the same bacteria and plaque that your mouth is, so you need to clean them as regularly as you clean your teeth. However, avoid cleaning the aligners with harsh chemicals. We recommend using a cleaning kit or some other type of specific solution. When it comes to cleaning Invisalign aligners, carefully follow the instructions we give you.

3. Store aligners in a cool, dry, safe place. When you’re not wearing the aligners, store them in the case provided by our office. If you don’t use the case, they can easily be lost. Keeping them out of reach of small children and pets is also a good idea. The last thing you want is for Fido to think your Invisalign aligners are chew toys.

4. Don’t chew gum while wearing aligners. There’s one thing that conventional braces and Invisalign aligners have in common: chewing gum damages both of them.

5. Don’t soak aligners in mouthwash. Many popular mouthwashes contain a color pigment. It’s possible that soaking Invisalign aligners in mouthwash will tint or stain them.

For more tips and tricks for a successful Invisalign experience, contact our Bethesda office!