Fall photo contest at Braces by White!

Announcing our new patient contest! Now through October 31st, we’re asking you to post a professional photo of yourself to Dr. White’s Facebook Wall and ask your friends to “Like” your photo!

The person with the most “Likes” will win an iPod Nano!

This contest is only limited to current or former patients of Dr. White. Please make sure the photos are professionally-shot or are clear head and shoulders portraits, i.e., high school senior photo, prom or yearbook photo.

Make sure you have a wide smile in your photo! Also, please note that you cannot vote for your own photo on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing your happy, confident smiles!

Share your story with us! Why did you choose Dr. White as your orthodontist?

At Dr. John White's office, our greatest goal is to help you achieve a healthier, happier, more confident smile. Serving Northfield, Hudson, Twinsburg, Brecksville and Macedonia, we believe in building strong relationships with our patients in order to create a more personal and rewarding orthodontic experience.

But we’re wondering: What made you choose Dr. White for your orthodontic treatment?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can write a review on our Facebook page or on our Google listing (Hudson or Northfield Center locations).

Foods to avoid during your treatment, from Dr. John White

There are a variety of foods Dr. John White 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 definitely avoid:
• 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 or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

And, as a "Thank You" to all who "Liked" us on Facebook, we will put your name in the drawing twice IF you post a smile picture here on our Facebook Wall by tonight at midnight. Good luck to you all! Enjoy your weekend!

September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month! From Dr. White

This month, Dr. John C. White and our team want you to be extra careful with your braces and appliances. Why? September marks the start of fall sports and an increased risk to mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and Dr. White thought it’d be a good idea to share a few sobering facts about sports and facial injuries, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Injuries can happen at any age: 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. Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates—baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80% of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Mouth guards are not being used: Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. And here’s a chilling stat: One out of every four (27 percent) parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room, according to the AAO.

Not enough support for mouth guards: Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84 percent say it's because the league or coach does not require it, the AAO says.

Hard hits occur in every sport: The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75-to-85 miles per hour!

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 if you have any questions!