Ask Dr. Dougherty: Which foods should I avoid while in braces?

There are a variety of foods Dr. Harry Dougherty wants you to avoid while you’re wearing braces. Most foods can damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or break the brackets on your braces. If you have braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch causes plaque, cavities and tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you’ll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces.

Foods to Avoid

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give us a call or ask Dr. Dougherty or our staff during your next visit!

Happy Monday! We hope you had a great Easter weekend!

What puts you at ease at Dr. Dougherty's office?

Dr. Dougherty and team understand not everyone is thrilled about visiting their orthodontist. But here at the office of Dr. Dougherty, we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. Today, we’d like to know: What is it about our office that makes you comfortable or puts you or your child at ease? Is it something about our pleasant environment? Our courteous staff? Dr. Dougherty himself?

Let us know by posting here or on our Facebook page!

Ask Dr. Dougherty: “I’m 29 – am I too old for braces?”

Of course not! Nobody - and we mean NOBODY - is "too old" for orthodontic treatment. In fact, we read a fascinating statistic: the number of adults getting braces has actually jumped 24 percent since 1996! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: folks want to look and feel great. In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned and sparkling teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Harry Dougherty can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Dougherty would love to have you visit for a complimentary consultation. Please give us a call at 818-602-4782 to set one up!

Ask Dr. Dougherty: What's the deal with retainers?

If you have recently completed treatment at Dr. Harry Dougherty's office, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Dougherty will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, always provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Dougherty is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Dougherty, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call at our convenient Sherman Oaks office!