No one told me that lettuce stuck in my teeth would be my biggest complaint!

Face it, sooner or later you'll eat out and have food stuck in your braces. Sometimes, a discreet quick swish or two of water dislodges it. Most times, it does not, and you must excuse yourself and head for the restroom with your dental kit, or risk grossing everyone out. (Hint: don't smile widely with food in your braces and (probably) nobody will notice it).

Brushing your teeth in public restrooms (or even at the office) can be embarrassing and even downright gross (dirty sinks, bad smells, etc). Personally, if I must brush away from home, I try to pick more "private" public restrooms (the ones with one stall and one sink, and a door that locks). The cleaner the restaurant, chances are, the cleaner the restroom. Or at least you hope so. If the sink is wet or dirty, lay down a few pieces of clean paper to give yourself a clean surface.

Inevitably, you will need to brush in a completely public restroom with a bunch of sinks, where others come and go. Just go about your business quickly and nonchalantly. Lots of people have braces, lots of people have kids with braces, and lots of people had braces when they were kids. Believe me, people are basically sympathetic. Be as discreet as possible and nobody will care.

How often will you need to brush in a public restroom? If you eat out regularly, the answer is: a lot. If you know that you're going back to the office (or back home) after eating, you could wait until then. But letting food stay stuck in your braces for hours isn't a good idea, and it certainly isn't good for your breath, either. 

Remember that clean teeth are happy teeth! Just keep repeating to yourself, "It's No Big Deal!!"

UPDATE:

The best news of my life is hearing that I am more then half way there. It super exciting to know that my journey is on the end stretch.  My days of carrying around a brushing kit are soon to be over.

www.brunosmiles.com 

Famous people wear braces too!

Are you nervous about getting braces? Maybe you’re dreading orthodontic treatment because you are afraid it will make you feel self-conscious about your smile. Some of the world’s most famous people have had braces at one point in their lives. Not all of the famous people on this list had braces in childhood—many adult celebrities have benefitted from braces too!

Famous Braces

Drew Barrymore – Shortly after filming the Steven Spielberg hit E.T., Drew Barrymore was publicly photographed wearing braces.
Tom Cruise – Unlike Drew Barrymore’s childhood braces, photos reveal Tom Cruise wearing discreet, clear braces at a recent movie premiere.
Danny Glover – Do you remember the Lethal Weapon star Danny Glover? He wore braces in adulthood too.
Gwen Stefani – During the height of No Doubt’s popularity, Gwen Stefani was photographed publicly showing off her braces on many occasions. With so many photos of her with braces on the internet, we think it’s safe to say she was proud of her choice to straighten her teeth.
Chelsea Clinton – Do you remember President Bill Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea? She grew up before America’s eyes as the first daughter. During her time in the White House, she received braces and orthodontic treatment.
Prince Harry of Great Britain – Even royalty has problems with tooth alignment. During adolescence, Prince Harry wore traditional, metal braces.
Fantasia Barrino –This successful American Idol veteran received braces after singing her heart out on the hit television show. Her braces helped align her bite and her teeth.

Muggy Weather such as this- let us treat ourselves

Weather such as this deserves nothing but a good time to cuddle on the couch and enjoy junk food. 

I found yet another great recipe that is brace friendly and delicious and this time I went "low fat." 

So enjoy the cheesecake and better yet enjoy your Monday.

RECIPE: LOW FAT TIRAMISU CHEESECAKE

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

INGREDIENTS:

2 pk (8 ounces ea) fat-free cream cheese

1 pk (4 ounces) sugarfree instant vanilla pudding mix

2/3 cup dry milk powder

1 cup cold coffee

1 teaspoon Brandy extract

3/4 cup Cool-Whip Lite

1 (6 ounce) prepared chocolate pie crust

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir cream cheese with a spoon until soft.

Add dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and coffee. Mix well

using a wire whisk. Blend in brandy extract and 1/4 cup Cool

Whip Lite. Spread mixture into pie crust. Evenly drop

remaining Cool Whip Lite by tablespoon to form 8 mounds.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Refrigerate for at least

1 hour. Cut into 8 servings. 

Yield: 8 Servings

207 calories; 7 gm fat; 11 gm protein; 25 gm carbohydrate;

636 mg sodium; 71 mg calcium; 1 gm fiber

The dating game!

 

(My adopted brother- Jonathan(left) Sarah(right))

If you would of asked me 6 months ago if braces would effect my dating and social life I would of told you that the minute I got braces...life was over.  But the truth is my life didn't skip a beat things actually started to get better. 

I was single at the time I got braces put on and immediately after (2 weeks) was asked out on several dates. When I finally accepted I asked, "does the fact that I have braces affect you?" The response took me surprise when he turned to me and said, "Honestly the fact that you are confident and humble enough to know what is best for your overall health and really the fact that you have braces shows that you care about yourself." Later when I thought about that I realized it wasn't anyone else that had the issue with my braces rather I, myself had to get past what I thought others would think. Would someone not like me because I have braces? The truth is that if I really think about it, why would I want to be friends with and/or date someone that looked at me differently because I had braces? I wouldn't! 

So get over it and just do it!

It's down to the wire!

So its time to take a step forward and go up on the wire size! Super exciting moment to know that its just one step closer to my Hollywood smile!

www.brunosmiles.com

A few myths I realized to be just that...a myth!

So since I have had braces for 3 months now I have realized quite a few things and one of the biggest is that all the myths are just that, a myth.
I listed a few of my favorites that I thought for sure were true but in reality its not that bad.

1. Braces have to hurt or feel tight to work—No pain no gain right? Well, not exactly. In the old days, only stiff wires were available. When tied to the braces, these stiff wires exerted heavy forces leading to more pain and discomfort for the patient. Now, with new technologies and flexible wires, there is significantly less discomfort associated with tooth movement. These days, you can have straight teeth with minimal discomfort. However, there are always some patients that complain about not having any pain because they think that without pain, their teeth are not moving. Remember, “It does not have to hurt to work!” 2. The tighter the better—A common comment I get from patients and would say myself is, “Make it tighter, doc. I want to get my braces off  faster!” You may think that tighter adjustments and heavier forces will move your teeth faster. While a certain level of force is necessary to move teeth, a force level that is too high may start to damage the bone and surrounding tissues. Orthodontics is a delicate balance of forces. Too much force may cause some teeth to move the wrong way and increase overall time you need braces. 3. Wires need to be changed every visit—Super-elastic wires of the present day can be bent into all different shapes and still spring back into their nice U-shaped form. If you have crooked teeth, the super-elastic wire can be connected to your crooked teeth and prove a steady light force to straighten them without needing to change the wire very often. With the limited wires of the old orthodontia days, if a wire was used that put too much pressure on a tooth, the bracket would either pop off the tooth or the wire would be permanently deformed and not move your teeth at all! That is why in the old days, orthodontic patients got many wires with incrementally higher stiffness, and these wires were changed more frequently.  4. Once I get my braces off, my teeth will stay straight forever—Getting your teeth straight and your bite right is just half the battle. Keeping your teeth straight after getting your braces off is the rest of the battle. Teeth are connected to the bone by elastic fibers. As the teeth are moved into their new straightened positions, some elastic fibers are stretched and others are compressed. After your braces are removed, these elastic fibers will tend to push and pull your teeth back towards their original position. That is why orthodontic retainers are required when braces are removed to keep your teeth straight. 5. My wisdom teeth are making my teeth crooked—You may think that wisdom teeth cause crowding. However, there is very little evidence to support the fact that wisdom teeth cause crowding. If this was true, then your teeth would never get crowded after your wisdom teeth were extracted. In fact, people who never developed wisdom teeth or who had their wisdom teeth removed may still see their teeth get crooked over time. Teeth just tend to drift forward over time regardless of whether or not you have wisdom teeth.  6. The date that I am supposed to get my braces off is set in stone—When patients are told before treatment that they will be in dental braces for a certain number of years, it is very easy to focus on that date. Usually, an orthodontist can judge from his or her experience what the typical time frame is to finish treatment. However this depends on many factors. Some factors that would slow down treatment include: broken braces, not brushing well, not coming in for regular appointments, and having dense bone. If you want to get your braces off on time, make sure you co-operate by brushing and flossing well, wearing your elastics, and showing up for your regular appointments. 7. It is easy to transfer or switch orthodontists—Though it may just look like braces and wires to you, every orthodontist uses slightly different wires, brackets, and appliances. Sometimes, the wires that one orthodontist uses would not even fit in the braces that another orthodontist uses. Each orthodontist also has his or her own technique in treating each case. For example, in creating that beautiful smile, some orthodontists may focus on correcting a bite problem first while other orthodontists may focus on straightening the teeth first. Sorting out the finances is another difficult part of switching orthodontists because different offices structure their payment plans in different ways. If you switch orthodontists, you probably will end up paying more money than if you had just stayed with one orthodontist. I know that most of you are not familiar with orthodontics so I hope that helps. These are some great things that prior to knowing about braces are questions I believed to be true but in fact they aren't.

Braces do work!

Just wanted to update you with some photos to show that through all the pain and struggle braces do work. 

Just have to remind myself...it's worth it and I can do it!

Talk about getting smacked in the face in the morning...elastics!

Every morning its like clock work, I wake up, yawn and my jaw gets smacked right back into place thanks to elastics; talk about a rude awakening!

So since my last post I have been put on elastics at night. If you know anything about elastics they are not fun. They are attached to the braces that exert the proper force that creates the right amount of pressure to move my teeth. It will lead to the best orthodontic result in the shortest amount of time. Rubber bands align your bite and are very important for the bite-fixing phase of orthodontic treatment, which is usually the longest and most difficult part of the whole process. Failure to wear the elastics may lengthen treatment time and may be more difficult to achieve an optimal result. 
For the first few days my mouth was really sore but I know if I wear my elastics intermittently (not full time or as instructed) I will have constant discomfort because my teeth won't have a chance to get used to them. After a while I got used to wearing them and it keeps me from my late night snacking. :) 

Tip of the day: NEVER DOUBLE UP ON YOUR ELASTICS, even if you skip a day of wear.  It may seem to make sense, but will actually SLOW DOWN tooth movement and your progress.

Don't forget to treat yourself!

If I can give you any advise its to not stop treating yourself. Being limited to no sticky/chewy/gooey foods (which are my favorites) can be fun but I've become resourceful to finding great things to eat. 

Its Friday so I decided a great recipe for a desert is in order.  

Let me know what you think...they are my favorites.

Butterscotch Brownies
          My mother started making these "non-chocolate" brownies when I was a little girl.  Since she in turn has lived with our family since our oldest daughter was one, our girls have renamed them "Grandma's Tannies." By any name, they're fabulous, and oh so soft.

                                               1/3 cup vegetable oil
                                               2 cups brown sugar
                                               2 eggs
                                               1 ½ cups flour
                                               2 tsp baking powder
                                               1 tsp salt
                                               1 tsp vanilla
                                               (optional:  1 cup butterscotch bits)

                   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Baking time 40 minutes.
                   In a large bowl, combine oil and brown sugar, using an electric mixer and blending well. Add eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, then add vanilla.
                   Spread batter into a greased 9"x9" pan.  If desired, sprinkle 1 cup butterscotch bits over top.  Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  After cooling one minute, swirl the bits with a knife to give a marbleized effect.
                   Cover pan with foil keep to brownies soft, or cut them in squares and store them in a covered container.

Smile in the morning and get it over with!

So its been right at a month since I've had the braces and things just keep getting better. I still have the fear of photos but really the best thing has been just to embrace them and enjoy the whole process. I will say that I love how people will tell me, "it sure takes a confident woman to be able to wear braces and still smile daily." The truth is that its not so easy but the pro's over weigh the con's.
It amazes me when people tell me that they can tell that my teeth have shifted. I know that they have changed significantly but when others can tell it reminds me why I am going through the whole thing. I actually have a great list of the best things that I have heard since braces my favorite was when someone said to me "did you do something different, did you get your hair colored?"

Life does change with braces, the little things like going out to eat isn't so easy anymore. I used to be able to eat on the run now I have to make sure to carry a toothbrush for a quick brush after I eat anything.

But in the end...it's always worth it. So smile everyday embrace that you are the confident person you know you are and show the world that tin grin!

Check out our website
http://www.brunosmiles.com/

Its just not so easy to brush and be done anymore...

I have recently realized how much I took brushing and flossing for granted. I used to think that 2 minutes of brushing in the morning and 2 minutes of brushing in the evening was a lot of work. But recently I realized how brushing takes me more like 8 minutes in the morning and 8 minutes in the evening with braces.  It is possible to keep your teeth clean but it definitely takes work. One of the best things I did was invest in an electric toothbrush, it alone cut down my brushing time in half and not to mention has removed a lot of the stains that I have from all the coffee I consume. Brushing has become a big part of my life. Not only do I brush twice a day I now have to carry a toothbrush in my purse for a "just in case" moment. I love a good salad but nothing like having a big piece of lettuce stuck between your two front teeth. So now every time I eat...I brush.

The next best thing...a waterpik. Now let me say this that it doesn't replace flossing but it is the next best thing. Yes flossing with braces is a lot of work in fact, I flossed last night and it took a good 20 minutes but in the end it is worth it. I make sure and actually floss with thread once a week and every other day I use the waterpik.

I didn't realize how important and time extensive cleaning my teeth would be with braces but one thing I realized is that in the end it will all be worth it.

 February is American Heart Month. It's true- a healthy mouth equals a healthy heart!

 

I went with the Sonicare and love it! 

Have the various speeds is great for people with sensitive teeth such as myself.

Sonicare water/air flosser its great and actually kind of fun to do! 

A bit addicting!

There is relief!

So its been a little over a week since I had the braces put on and I cannot believe they still are so sensitive. The best thing that has helped me has been Ibuprofen every 6 hours and wax. I think the worst part truly is all the scratching!  I feel like my cheeks are battling against all the wires/brackets and inevitably the wires/brackets always wins. (Sigh!)
It still is very had to bite down and especially now that my teeth are beginning to shift. Its amazing how quickly the teeth are shifting. I can already feel my bite changing whenever I bite down, its a crazy feeling when you've been biting down for so many years and now to have things change...its pretty cool.

Just remember its so early on, so use the wax. Its not worth losing the battle and trying to push through it.
The best is yet to come...maybe the pain will get better...tis all in due time!

Found another great brace friendly recipe:

Soy simmer chicken wraps

Ingredients

• 3 boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 large onions, chunked
• Small flour tortillas (pkg. of ten) wheat or white
• (optional: 10-16 oz. of cooked chopped broccoli)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 2 Tablespoons peach or apricot jam
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

In a slow cooker, or a large pan on the stove, layer the onions and the chicken breast. Allow at least three hours in the slow cooker on medium, or at least one hour on the stove---the longer the better, but you don’t have to do anything to it while it cooks. Spoon out the chicken onto a cutting board, and with a knife and fork, shred the chicken as finely as you’d like. In a small saucepan, stir all sauce ingredients together over medium heat until the mixture starts bubbling, then let it simmer for five minutes on low heat to thicken. In a serving bowl, stir sauce and onion into chicken; if you’d like, add cooked chopped broccoli. Makes about six to eight servings.

It's got to get worse before it gets better~

The pain started today but it wasn't as bad as I expected. It was a few aches, pains and sensitivity and I recommend ensuring to take mortin every 4 hours. Keeping the pain under control is very important for the first few week.
Wax has saved my life! On each point in the back of my mouth where the last bracket is it has caused scratching/sores but as soon as I applied wax it instantly cured the scratching.

Another important thing to remember is what you eat. Making sure to eat something that doesn't cause you to chew too much is key. I included a wonderful recipe that is delicious .
Let me know what you think of the recipe and I will try to post as many "Brace Friendly" recipes as I can!

Happy Eating with Braces!!

Best Baked Spaghetti

[printer friendly]

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tablespoon dried onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• ½ cup Burgundy or merlot wine (Burgundy gives a deeper flavor)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup grated American cheese, about 4 slices, or ½ cup grated mild cheddar cheese
• ½ lb. dry spaghetti, broken in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large no-stick frying pan or Dutch over, sauté meat, onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, wine, oregano, sugar and salt. Simmer, cover, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (It really makes a difference if you can take this amount of time! Otherwise 20 minutes will serve to heat everything.) Cook spaghetti and drain. Put half the spaghetti in a greased 3-quart casserole, and then add half the sauce and ¼ cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining spaghetti and sauce, and stir everything with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Best if baked for 45 minutes at 350°. Makes about six to eight servings.

It Starts!!

 I stepped into the comfortable, clean office sat in a relaxed reclined position and was nicely covered with a cotton throw and realize I'm about to take 12 years off of my life.
All in all it was pretty painless and easy, I almost fell asleep a time or two. It was a bit uncomfortable but not painful and the worst part were the cheek re-tractors, nothing like having your cheeks stretched for an hour. But the braces went on and I couldn't be more excited to start the process, I even made sure they took pictures right before the braces went on so I could log the last time with my crooked smile! 


                                                                       It Starts!

                                                              Etching/Cleaning Teeth

                                                      Dr. Jill Bruno and Gisblet hard at work

                                                                                                       BRACES!!!

Jill J Bruno, DMD, MSEd, LLC

www.brunosmiles.com

The beginning of a Journey!

Remember the famous question..."If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?" Well my answer hasn't changed much since I was a teen, its my teeth. Its one of those things that diet and exercise cannot change or else I would of attempted that New Years Resolution years ago. But the older I get the more I realize how important it is to take the plunge and do things for yourself. I have been getting the push from my general dentist since I was 20, as my jaw and bite are misaligned so I realize the issue. The crowding has made it so difficult to keep my teeth clean let alone but the bite has caused so many other issues including two root canals. The wisdom teeth are gone and I'm ready for "My Tin Grin!" :)

So here I go- start on my two year journey tomorrow! Crazy to think about, and I'm sure it will seem like an eternity - but when it's all done, it will be worth it. Two years vs. the rest of my life with the smile I've always desired. I'll try to update this each time I have an appt. with photos. I'll be glad when this is all over. :)

In preparation I feel like gummy bears and starburst are in order for dinner tonight!

Jill J Bruno, DMD, MSEd, LLC

www.brunosmiles.com