Play it safe this spring, from Bronsky Orthodontics

With spring here, many children, teens and adults will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, Dr. Bronsky, Dr. Matos, Dr. Moon and our dedicated team urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field.

According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

Here are a few ways to ensure your mouth’s safety this spring, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists:

Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
Wear a helmet
Wear protective eyewear
Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
Be alert, even as a spectator

We hope that helps. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact your Manhattan Orthodontist. Stay safe and have fun!

Happy Earth Day!

Whether lending your helping hand to plant trees or grasses or getting out volunteering in various projects across NYC, today is our opportunity to get involved in making our year-round impact in the community.We want to know: Did you make a difference today? Tell us, what Earth Day-related activities did you accomplish? How long have you participated in helping our community and planet?

At Bronsky Orthodontics, we support Earth Day, which marks its 41th anniversary today and is designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for our environment and ecosystem. If you’d like to join the millions of people around the world who are making small but important changes to help sustain our ecosystem, try these helpful environmental tips, courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Enjoy!

Foods to Avoid During Your Orthodontic Treatment

There are a variety of foods that our team will ask you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing 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 tend to cause plaque, cavities and even 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 you should avoid include:

• 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

Also, 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 Bronsky Orthodontics a call or ask our staff during your next visit.

Flossing with Braces 101

Our team will tell you that keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and could possibly reduce your treatment time.

Here is a very concise video explaining the proper way to floss your teeth with braces. Give Bronsky Orthodontics in Park Avenue and TriBeCa a call if you have more questions about flossing. Enjoy!

Dr. Bronsky Meets with MME Consulting

In our continued commitment to patient comfort and orthodontic excellence, our team at Bronsky Orthodontics places a great deal of emphasis on staying at the cutting edge of technology and communication. The orthodontic technologies we use, and our website and social networks are all examples of this. Recently, Dr. Bronsky met with the MME Consulting team from California, who have recently partnered with us to overhaul and upgrade our office computer system. We are excited about the recent upgrades, and continuing to provide the highest level care to you, our patients.

Happy Friday everyone!