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There are many reasons why people love autumn in Columbus, OH. Crisp air. Jeweled leaf tones. Reuniting with school friends. Fall sports. Halloween and Thanksgiving.

But there’s one thing about autumn which never appears on anyone’s favorites list: it’s the start of cold and flu season. If you’ve fallen ill, we have some ideas for taking care of yourself—and your dental health—as you recover.

• Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is vital for healthy skin, temperature, digestion, and other bodily functions. Sweating, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting—common symptoms of colds or flu—cause dehydration.

Dehydration also creates problems for your oral health. Hydration ensures healthy levels of saliva. Saliva helps prevent cavities by washing away bacteria and food particles and neutralizing oral acidity. Saliva bathes the teeth in minerals which keep tooth enamel strong. Hydration also supports healthy bone and connective tissue, which encourages faster orthodontic healing as your teeth move into their ideal positions.

Even if you don’t feel like eating when you’re ill, be sure to drink the liquids you need to stay hydrated. For your dental health, try to avoid overdoing sugary beverages and acidic drinks.

• Eat Healthy Foods

It’s always a good idea to eat nutritious foods, but it’s especially important when you’re not feeling well. Fatty and greasy foods are hard to digest. Processed, sugary, and fast foods filled with empty calories don’t provide the protein and nutrients which can encourage a speedier recovery. And studies suggest that sugar-filled foods can suppress your immune system, the network of cells and organs working together to prevent and fight infection.

A diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals will help you recover when you feel up to regular meals again. Foods which contain nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D are necessary for healthy teeth. Vitamins A and C are essential for gum health and bone density, which is especially important while you’re in orthodontic treatment.

• Minimize Exposure to Germs—For Yourself and Others!

To help prevent catching colds and flu, be mindful that viruses and bacteria can live for hours and even days on non-porous surfaces like phones, keyboards, and doorknobs. Washing your hands with soap and water before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes, before brushing and flossing, and before you cook and eat will help you eliminate most of the germs which cause colds and flu.

If you do catch something, be mindful of your interactions with others. You can help stop the spread of germs by limiting contact with other people, masking, and covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.

Protect yourself and those around you by being careful with dental hygiene. Never share your toothbrush with others. Don’t let toothbrushes touch in a common container. Always let your toothbrush air-dry since germs prefer moist environments.

And, while it’s unlikely that you’ll re-catch a cold from your toothbrush, brushes are only at their best for three to four months. If yours is past its prime, post-illness is a perfect time to replace your old brush with a clean new one.

• Be Choosy with OTC Medicine

Many cough syrups and cough drops are filled with sugar. Consider sugar-free syrups, or, if you use cough or cold medications which include sugar, rinse or brush afterward.

Look for sugar-free cough drops, which won’t bathe your enamel in sugar as they dissolve. And never crunch down on cough drops. A chipped tooth, cracked enamel, a broken bracket, or a warped wire certainly won’t make you feel better!

• Keep Up with Your Brushing and Flossing

Even when you feel weak and tired, it’s important to brush and floss as usual—with one exception.

Vomiting brings up harsh stomach acids which weaken the mineral bonds keeping tooth enamel strong. Brushing right away can spread these acids around your mouth and your enamel. If you vomit, rinse your mouth with water and wait 30 minutes before brushing to allow your enamel to come back to full strength.

• Stay Home When You’re Sick

You’ll get better faster when you take care of yourself, which includes getting the rest you need to recover. And beyond doing something for your own health, you won’t be risking the health of the people around you.

If you have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Dennis Johnson, reschedule as necessary. Your orthodontic team at Johnson Orthodontics will be happy to accommodate you to prevent the spread of colds and flu and to make your appointment a more comfortable one.

Don’t let cold and flu season ruin one of the most beautiful times of the year! Follow your doctor’s advice, take good care of yourself when you’re ill, and visit Dr. Dennis Johnson again once you’re feeling better to keep your treatment on track.

Haunted house party? You’ve had your costume ready for months. Foggy, moonlit night ahead? Your favorite weather. Ghouls and witches and vampires? Bring ‘em on.

But broken brackets? Warped wires? Abandoned aligners? If these unnerving possibilities send a shiver down your spine, this is the spot for you.

Because while the eerily unexpected is half the fun of Halloween in Columbus, OH, unexpected orthodontic problems are no fun at all. That’s why we’ve carved out time for a few reminders to help you avoid some common orthodontic concerns.

Beware These Bites

When you wear braces, eating the wrong foods can have scary consequences. Chewy foods can pull a bracket right off your tooth. Hard and crunchy foods break wires and brackets. Sticky foods pull on your braces and can be hard to brush away. Eek!

Luckily, you don’t need a crystal ball to choose your Halloween treats. Ghost these candies immediately:

• Chewy caramels, licorice, taffy, and fruit chews
• Hard and hard-shelled candies, jawbreakers, and lollipops (especially with gum centers)
• Crunchy candied apples, caramel popcorn, popcorn balls, peanut brittle, and nuts
• Sticky gummies, candy corn, and jellybeans

But it’s not all trick-or-treating gloom and doom! Try these braces-friendly Halloween bites instead:

• Peanut butter cups
• Mint patties
• Soft chocolate bars without nuts or caramel
• Soft cupcakes and cookies
• Pudding cups
• Ice cream—without nuts, caramel, or other crunchy, chewy additions
• Sugar-free gum (if it’s okay with Dr. Dennis Johnson)

Aligner Alerts

When you wear clear aligners, following your orthodontist’s guidance will prevent avoidable aligner problems from coming back to haunt you:

• Always remove your aligners whenever you eat to protect them from warping, cracking, bending, and staining.
• If you go out, remember to bring your protective case. The night’s no fun if your aligners have *disappeared* at the end of the evening.
• Don’t let the time get away from you! Most aligners need to be worn 20-22 hours each day. And, while you won’t turn into a pumpkin if you party too long without your aligners, you could delay your orthodontic progress if you don’t get your scheduled hours in regularly.

Time Your Treats

We can’t wave a wand to vanish cavities, so prevention is key. When you enjoy holiday treats (or any desserts), it’s good idea to eat them in moderation and with a meal. This way, your teeth are exposed to sugars and acids over a limited period. And, as you eat, saliva production increases, which helps neutralize destructive acids and wash away food particles before they can harm your enamel.

Water Works Like Magic!

Water has many bewitching qualities, especially when you’re in orthodontic treatment.

• Healthy hydration supports healthy oral tissues and saliva production.
• Water contains no sugars or acids which can damage enamel.
• Drinking water is a great choice when you wear braces, because water helps wash food particles from brackets and wires when you can’t brush.
• Water is the only good beverage choice while you’re wearing your aligners. Sugary and acidic beverages which collect in your trays bathe your teeth in those sugars and acids. Some darker drinks can stain your aligners—and your teeth!

Vanishing Food Particles and Plaque

Halloween is meant to be extra. And when you’re in orthodontic treatment, brushing and flossing is extra important to make sticky, sugary food particles and plaque disappear.

• If you’re going out for the evening, bring a travel-size toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small mirror.
• If you wear braces, brush and floss after snacking.
• If you wear aligners, remove them before eating or drinking anything other than water. Brush and floss your teeth and clean your aligners before replacing them.
• If you won’t be able to brush right away, it’s a good idea to bring your own bottle of water and rinse after eating.

Proactive orthodontic care isn’t magic. Communication and effort are all it takes! Talk to your orthodontic team at Johnson Orthodontics about the best way to celebrate Halloween without conjuring up orthodontic problems. And when you’re out sharing your holiday spirit, don’t forget to treat your friends to your boo-tiful, healthy smile!

Orthodontic braces have been around for more than a century and have continually evolved over that time. Today’s braces are more discreet than ever, producing excellent results without being overly obvious during the corrective phase. If you are in search of an aesthetically appealing way of straightening your teeth, Dr. Dennis Johnson and our team at Johnson Orthodontics provide multiple options to choose from, including lingual braces and clear aligners.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are progressive-phase braces designed for patients who need mild-to-moderate correction of crowded or crooked teeth. This system includes a series of custom-made trays that gradually shift the teeth into their targeted positions. Instead of frequently returning to our Columbus, OH office to have braces tightened, you simply swap the trays out every few weeks. Clear aligners are virtually undetectable and can be removed while eating or brushing your teeth. When worn as prescribed, these metal-free trays can straighten your teeth in as little as six to 12 months.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are similar to traditional metal braces in that they are fixed to the teeth. However, lingual braces differ in that they are attached to back of the teeth rather than the front. This type of treatment is preferred over clear aligners among patients with moderate to severe orthodontic correction needs. Lingual braces are non-removable and must be adjusted periodically during scheduled orthodontic visits. However, lingual braces are capable of producing much more controlled force during treatment, which can yield highly successful results.

If you think you may be a candidate for braces, but aren’t sure whether lingual braces or clear aligners are right for you, Dr. Dennis Johnson and our team can help you decide. Schedule a consultation today to find out more about your orthodontic options and start on the path to the beautiful, healthy smile you’ve always dreamed of.

Straightening your teeth with traditional braces used to be something of a public affair. While traditional teeth-straightening methods yielded high-quality results, it was also essentially impossible to wear them undetected as you went about your day. The visibility of braces could be especially troubling to teens in the high-stress environment of high school and even during the early years of college.

With Invisalign Teen, Dr. Dennis Johnson and our team at Johnson Orthodontics will tell you that many of those concerns are no longer as relevant as they once were. Because Invisalign Teen aligners are constructed out of a plastic that is both smooth and clear, in all likelihood friends and family members won’t even realize the teen is wearing them. The smooth and clear plastic also makes the aligners much more comfortable than traditional braces, which means the teenaged user won’t have to deal with something large and obstructive in his or her mouth.

Additionally, the Invisalign Teen aligners are specifically made to be removable when the need arises. Your son or daughter won’t have to worry about getting food stuck in the alignment trays because they can be pulled out before a meal and popped back in afterwards. Invisalign Teen wearers can remove the aligners before brushing, which allows them to make sure their teeth are free and clear of all obstructions.

Invisalign Teen aligners also allow wearers to keep doing all the activities they have previously enjoyed. If your teen plays sports, for example, he or she won't have to worry about a mouth filled with metal brackets getting injured during play. If your teen plays an instrument, he or she won’t have to worry about traditional braces affecting normal playing techniques. The aligners will remain both comfortable and convenient during all of those activities and more.

If your teen is concerned about physical appearance and worried that braces will adversely affect his or her life for a year or more, Invisalign Teen treatment with Dr. Dennis Johnson is definitely the right choice. Teens don’t have to be shy about their smile, won’t have to change any of the activities they normally do, and will still get all the benefits of straight teeth when the process is completed.

For more information about Invisalign Teen, or to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Dennis Johnson, please give us a call at our convenient Columbus, OH office today!