Our Blog

While it’s normal to feel self-conscious, there is no reason to avoid photos just because you wear braces. Many people wear braces and you do not need to be embarrassed about them. There are also ways you can enjoy your photos without hiding your smile.

Make it Fun

Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our staff offer rubber bands for braces in a wide range of colors. Choose your favorite color and wear it with pride. You can mix and match your colors too. For Valentine’s Day, try alternating red and pink bands. For the Fourth of July, use red, white, and blue!

Bands are also available in neon colors and glow-in-the-dark designs. Your imagination is the only thing holding you back. You might want to avoid using dark green bands, though. It makes it look as though you have broccoli stuck in your teeth. Gross!

Make them Disappear

If your braces still really bother you in photos, technology can quickly solve the problem. A photo-editing program, or even a simple paint program, can easily erase your braces. Zoom in on your teeth, pick your natural tooth color with the dropper, and paint your braces away.

If you have a significant amount of metal in your braces, try to avoid close-ups with flash. The flash can reflect off the metal. The important thing to remember is how good your teeth will look and feel once your orthodontic work is complete. Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our staff can also show you options for braces that are not as visible as the traditional style.

Educating our patients on healthy dental routines is very important to us. With National Fresh Breath Day coming up in a few days, we wanted to share some important dental health information with everyone!

No matter what, you should be brushing your teeth every day. But don’t just stop there, make sure you are flossing and brushing your tongue as well. These are all important habits to build to ensure fresh breath. Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine will help kill the bacteria that cause bad breath.

We do recommend rinsing with mouthwash after brushing. Mouthwashes don’t replace brushing and flossing but it can be a helpful addition to the routine. Fluoride rinses can be used after brushing to help strengthen your teeth and prevent decay and decalcification of your teeth.

For all of our patients in school, brushing after lunch would be ideal. You can also carry a travel toothbrush and floss with you, which can be helpful if you have a chance to use them. At the very least, rinse with water after eating snacks or lunch.

To ensure that your visits continue to be easy follow our steps: brush and floss daily, rinse whenever you have a chance, and minimize sweet and acidic foods. By maintaining these good habits, you’ll have a happy and healthy smile!

Now that many of the schools in Andover are back in session, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen would like to remind all of our patients about the importance of scheduling appointments in advance. With school, clubs, sports, and family duties to consider, we know that it can be challenging to find time to visit Chan & Chen Orthodontics this fall. In order to accommodate all of our patients’ busy schedules, it is important that you plan ahead for your appointments so that we are able to provide you with a convenient appointment time.

As always, please remember to give us advanced notice if you’re unable to make your regularly scheduled appointment with Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our team. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule your fall appointment.

We’ll see you soon and hope summer is winding down nicely for you and your family!

Kids can be picky eaters. How many times have you seen your child try to hide the peas under a mound of mashed potatoes?

At Chan & Chen Orthodontics, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our team understand how hard it can be to get your child to eat the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. The task of providing fun, nutritious meals becomes even more challenging if he or she wears braces. It's an age-old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. These five braces-friendly recipes are not only nutritious, but they will have little Jimmy flashing his “tin grin” when he sits down at the kitchen table in the morning.

1. Scrambled eggs are soft and easy to eat if you have braces. If you drown them in ketchup (which many kids love to do), eggs become even mushier. Minimal chewing is required, and that’s the key to a braces-friendly recipe.
2. A healthy breakfast provides energy and jump-starts metabolism. A smoothie is not only a good source of fruit, but it’s also gentle on braces. More importantly, smoothies are fun to create. You can toss anything in the blender (bananas, mangoes, strawberries, spinach) and create a drink that’s loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.
3. If you wear braces, eating crunchy cereals or granola for breakfast is out of the question: Bite down the wrong way and you might snap the wires or dislodge the brackets. However, you can get your grains and oats by substituting oatmeal for cereal. This mushy breakfast treat has a host of health benefits.
4. Pancakes are not the healthiest breakfast choice. Still, this Sunday morning favorite is braces-friendly. The idea is to make it healthier by hiding blueberries in the pancake batter just like your child hides peas in the mashed potatoes.
5. Toast with jam is ok, but skip slathering peanut butter on the bread. If you have braces, the general rule of thumb is to steer clear of foods that are hard or chewy. These types of foods can break wires. Of course, most kids will agree that toast isn’t the most exciting breakfast recipe. Make it a Pop-Tart instead!

For more braces-friendly recipes, please give us a call at our convenient Andover office!