No Reason To Worry

Is your child nervous about getting braces, let them know they have no reason to be worried.

Nerves about visiting dental offices are very common at all ages, but children are more likely to have fears about visits. The main reason for the nerves is fear of pain and the unknown, don’t worry parents we have some tips for you to calm down that anxious kiddie.

5 Tips for a Fear-Free Orthodontics Visit:

• Don’t go over details: Going too much into detail could scare your child even more. If your child has to have any type of procedure done going into detail can lead to questions like, “Will it hurt?”, “How bad will hurt?” Just leave the explaining to the doctor, they’re trained to handle your child. 

• Watch words: “It’s only going to hurt a little bit” Words like hurt, pain, and shot can cause panic.

• Have you child ask the questions: Before  your visit to the orthodontist have your child make a list of questions to ask Dr. Spannhake. Having your child ask questions get the answers they want and will make them feel more comfortable.

• Bring a distraction to the office:  Make sure your child brings something to kid their mind off of the fact that they are at the orthodontist office. For example, an iPad or mobile gaming device.

• Parents DON’T pass on your fears: There are plenty of adults who have their fears about visiting the dentist. If you a dentist phobia make sure your children don’t pick on it, if mom or dad is scared they will be too. Also don’t share your bad experiences, you are there to comfort not cause worry. 

• So remember to ensure your child that everything will be okay and let them know we are here to help keep their smiles safe. 

Around 15% of the U.S population is afraid of visiting a dental office. Our goal is our office to make sure all of our patients are as comfortable as possible. We strongly endorse interceptive care for our younger patients. The goal of interceptive care is to address and treat a problem before it gets out of hand, so be sure your child knows they are in good hands with the smile experts! 

Westminster

419 Malcolm Dr. Ste. C

Westminster, MD 21157

Ph. (410) 857-4700

Towson

7801 York Rd., Ste. 315

Towson, MD 21204

Ph. (410) 321-5004

Be Kind To Your Braces

Braces are used as a treatment to bring out your best smile. And with that comes a lot of changes to your mouth including your daily oral hygiene activities and eating habits.

While you have braces you will want to avoid certain types of foods, basically anything sticky, chewy, hard and crunchy.

Here’s a list of foods and treats you will need to avoid during your braces treatment.

• Gum
• Hard Candy
• Sticky Candy
• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Ice
• Taffy
• Hard Chips
• Carrots
• Apples
• Hard/Thick Bread
• Large/Hard Pretzels
• Corn on a cob

It is important to not consume these foods, because eating anything sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy can damage your braces which could make your treatment longer than expected. We want you to have the best experience during your treatment, the wrong food can lead to a sooner than expected visit to our office. If you have any questions about what you should or should not be eating don't hesitate to give us a call.