Dr. Farrah wants to know: Are you wearing your mouth guard?

Happy Monday! With fall sports under way for a lot of Dr. Farrah Agahi's patients, we thought today would be a good time to once again remind our young athletes in braces to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports this fall.

Our staff at Smiles by Farrah Orthodontics will always tell you that you should ALWAYS wear a mouth guard when playing sports, but especially during fall months. Why? September marks the beginning of fall sports such as football, soccer and basketball, which are known to dangerous sports if you're not wearing a mouth guard.

After all, more than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Dr. Farrah and our entire staff encourage you to head over to the American Association of Orthodontists' website for a quick primer on the importance of mouth guards and protecting your mouth.

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give us a call at 512-258-6979 if you have any questions! Have a great rest of the week!

Ask Dr. Farrah: Which foods should I avoid during orthodontic treatment?

Great question. There are a variety of foods Dr. Farrah Agahi wants 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
• 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 at 512-258-6979 or ask one of our staff members during your next visit at our convenient Austin office! We also definitely encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

Ask Dr. Farrah: Why the Damon System?

Dr. Farrah Agahi and our dedicated team are pleased to offer our patients The Damon® System at our convenient Austin office. Damon braces allow your teeth to move more comfortably and easily than traditional braces. Thanks to these innovative new braces, achieving your perfect smile will be faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

You're probably saying, "All right, Dr. Farrah. Give me the specifics on how Damon braces are an advantage."

Time-Saving

Damon's innovative technology of self-ligating braces saves you time in orthodontic treatment. The Damon system allows for fewer trips to our office, as well as faster movement of your teeth than with traditional braces. The light forces applied by Damon braces are "biologically compatible" meaning that they work with your body for gentler and quicker tooth movement.

Comfortable

Damon System braces have a unique slide mechanism that allows Dr. Farrah to use far lighter forces to move teeth to their correct positions. That makes your treatment not only shorter, but it is also far more comfortable.

Because of its unique sliding door, the Damon bracket allows us to use high-tech, light-force wires to achieve tooth movement. This means less pressure on your teeth for more comfortable treatment. Not every orthodontist uses Damon self-ligating braces. The reason Dr. Farrah does is simple: it means your experience in uncovering your radiant new smile will be more comfortable and convenient than ever.

To learn more about the Damon System, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Farrah, please give us a call at 512-258-6979. We hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!