Ask Dr. Cram: What’s so bad about nail biting?

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at Red Deer Orthodontics found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!



Here’s why:
• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask Dr. Cram or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit.

Bottled Water May Be Behind Tooth Troubles

We at Red Deer Orthodontics want you to know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

Bottled water is becoming increasingly popular in Canada over the past decade, and though it is regulated by the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, bottled water manufacturers are not not required to include fluoride. Many dental health specialists point to bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. The benefits of fluoride were noticed in the early part of the twentieth century, when researchers found communities with low levels of tooth decay. It turned out that these towns had measurable levels (around 1 part per million) of fluoride in their drinking water.

Fluorinated tap water is used across Canada, and around 40% of Canadians have fluoride in their tap water. Fluoride concentrations in these communities is typically 0.8 to 1.0 mg/L. Health Canada, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Dental Association and the Canadian Medical Association endorse both community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride-containing products as a safe means of preventing tooth decay. Between tap water and toothpaste, most of us get sufficient amounts of fluoride.

But if your family avoids fluoridated tap water in favor of ever-more-popular bottled water, you could be missing out on the levels of fluoride necessary to make a difference in your oral health. If bottled water is your water of choice, check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your choppers in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting us at Red Deer Orthodontics regularly.

What are patients saying about Red Deer Orthodontics?

Dr. Cram and his team love getting patient reviews. And lately, Red Deer Orthodontics, serving Red Deer, AB, and surrounding communities, has been getting some pretty great patient testimonials! We thought we'd share some with you today!

"Dr. Bob and his team have made our experience very pleasant and stress free." ~Carey

"I have just started my treatment, however, so far he seems to be honest and very knowledgeable. I'm very excited to have straight teeth and my service so far has been very fast and friendly! Thanks so much!" ~Teresa

"I love the atmosphere in his office. It is obvious that leadership he provides to his staff is strong by the way people do their jobs, get along with each other and care for their patients." ~Wayne

"I like the way Dr. Cram gets on my daughter's level and explains things so that she can understand as well. All the staff are warm and friendly and we also like Dr. Cram's cartoon voices." ~Taralee

October is National Orthodontic Health Month

Can you believe October is already upon us? October happens to be National Orthodontic Health Month, and this month-long event is organized by our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Many treats can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters who are going through orthodontic treatment, and these treats may cause damage that could prolong your treatment time. The AAO recommends patients avoid the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients:

• Caramel
• Nuts
• Popcorn (including un-popped kernels)
• Taffy
• Jelly beans
• Hard pretzels
• Licorice
• Bubblegum
• Taco chips
• Ice

If you happen to damage your braces, please give Dr. Cram and our staff a call immediately. Typically, small problems can be solved over the phone. Loose brackets or wires can usually be made more comfortable by applying some wax until the you can come into our office.

A great braces-friendly fall recipe! From Dr. Cram

Fall is here, and sometimes we here at Red Deer Orthodontics crave a hot delicious meal. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) made an appetizing (and braces-friendly!) dish that we would like to share with you today.






Pasta Pomodorini

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound spaghetti or spaghetti
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ¼ cup sliced garlic
• ½ teaspoon finely minced Calabrian chilies, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pint small cherry tomatoes, stems removed, crushed between your thumb and forefinger
• Sea salt, preferably gray salt
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, each torn into 2 or 3 pieces
• Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta. While the pasta cooks, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook until the slivers are golden brown and crisp, then add the chilies and cook for about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to high and add the tomatoes. Simmer briskly to soften the tomatoes and thicken the juices, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. When the pasta is al dente, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Add the sauce and the basil and mix well. Add some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and grate Parmesan over the top to taste. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy this great fall dish and have a great week!

--From Dr. Cram and staff

What do you love about Red Deer Orthodontics?

Red Deer Orthodontics, serving Red Deer, AB and surrounding areas, loves to hear your feedback about how Dr. Cram and our team are doing! We thought we’d ask you, our wonderful patients: Have you been especially impressed by Dr. Cram's work? Did our team go out of their way to make your day? Are you in love with your new smile?

There are many ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

You may write a review here.

Thank you!

Back to school with Dr. Cram!

Here in Red Deer, Alberta, kids and parents are beginning to stock up on pencils, spiral notebooks, and binders because it’s back to school time! Have you scheduled your next orthodontic check-up yet? Because it is more challenging to work around school, sports, and after school activities, Dr. Cram wants to remind our patients about how important it is to plan in advance for your orthodontic appointments. Also, to best serve all our patients we ask that you give us advance notice if you are unable to make an appointment, so that someone else has the opportunity.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule an appointment.

Happy learning!

-Dr. Cram and staff