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For anyone living in the South, the best summer getaway is anything and everything that involves water. Being so close to South Padre Island, and with central Texas just a drive away, any Texan knows that means two things: body surfing the waves of the Gulf of Mexico or tubing down the Guadalupe River. We’re always up for anything that gets the family outdoors and off their phones! The cool water is a perfect place to share laughter and make memories with family and friends.

While we love to travel in our beloved state of Texas, we also think it’s important to get out of your home state from time to time - and even the country! It’s the perfect opportunity to experience a different culture first hand and explore new foods and new people. Traveling can help give you a more well-rounded idea of what type of lifestyle you want to live. You never know what you’ll discover about yourself and others when traveling!

Personally, we enjoy talking to different people, hearing new accents, and engaging in interesting conversations while traveling. We also love doing outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and cycling that we don’t usually get to do at home. The furthest we’ve ever traveled is to China and we would definitely recommend it!

We also can’t go anywhere without our toothbrush, toothpaste, camera, analog watch, and journal. What can’t you travel without?

We hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and what’s left of summer before school is back in session!

Many people undergo orthodontic treatment during childhood, adolescence, and even into adulthood. Wearing orthodontic appliances like braces is sure to produce a beautiful smile. Though orthodontic treatments at Joel Martinez, DDS are designed to accommodate your lifestyle, chances are you will need to make some dietary modifications to prevent damage to your braces and prolong orthodontic treatment.

The First Few Days with Braces

The first few days wearing braces may be the most restrictive. During this time, the adhesive is still curing, which means you will need to consume only soft foods. This probably will not be a problem, however, as your teeth may be tender or sensitive while adjusting to the appliances.

Orthodontic Dietary Restrictions

You can eat most foods normally the way you did without braces. However, some foods can damage orthodontic appliances or cause them to come loose. Examples of foods you will need to avoid include:

• Chewy foods like taffy, chewing gum, beef jerky, and bagels
• Hard foods like peanuts, ice chips, and hard candy
• Crunchy foods like chips, apples, and carrots

How to Continue to Eat the Foods You Love Most

Keep in mind that you may still be able to enjoy some of the foods you love by making certain modifications to the way you eat them. For example, steaming or roasting carrots makes them softer and easier to consume with braces. Similarly, you can remove corn from the cob, or cut up produce like apples and pears to avoid biting into them. Other tips include grinding nuts into your yogurt or dipping hard cookies into milk to soften them. If you must eat hard candies, simply suck on them instead of biting into them.

If you have any question whether a food is safe to eat during your treatment with Joel Martinez, DDS, we encourage you to err on the side of caution. Of course, you can always contact our McAllen office with any questions you have about your diet and the foods that should be avoided during treatment. By following our dietary instructions and protecting your orthodontic appliances from damage, you will be back to chewing gum in no time.

Orthognathic surgery is surgery to correct a wide variety of abnormalities of our patients' jaw and teeth. The surgery is often done in conjunction with orthodontic treatment. While the patient’s appearance may be significantly improved as a result, the primary purpose of the surgery is to correct functional problems including but not limited to:

• Unbalanced facial appearance
• Protruding jaw
• Open bite (upper and lower teeth don’t overlap properly
• Excessive wearing down of the teeth
• Difficulty with chewing or biting
• Chronic mouth breathing
• Sleeping problems such as sleep apnea
• TMJ pain (jaw joint pain)
• Restoring facial injuries

Knowing when to start the orthodontic treatment in preparation for orthognathic surgery can also be tricky if our team at Joel Martinez, DDS is treating a teenager. It is important to know when to get started. If orthodontic treatment is initiated too soon and the teenager is still growing, the patient will either need to hold in braces until his or her growth is complete and they are ready for surgery or the braces will have to be removed and then placed again when growth is complete. Neither of these options is attractive since it requires longer time in treatment, which is something all our patients want to avoid. Our team at Joel Martinez, DDS strives to get all patients finished with treatment as quickly as possible because it is healthier for the teeth and gums and gives them a beautiful smile to enjoy for a lifetime.

If you are considering orthognathic surgery or you have been told that you need jaw surgery, give us a call to schedule your initial consultation today. Dr. Joel Martinez, Dr. Christopher Martinez, and Dr. Vanessa Martinez and our team at Joel Martinez, DDS will explain our treatment plan in a way you will understand and we will keep you informed every step of the way.

If you’re thinking about investing in braces, there are a few things you should take into consideration. It’s normal for adult teeth to come in crooked, which is why braces are a common solution for teens and adults who desire a beautiful smile.

Your dentist may recommend orthodontic treatment if crooked teeth begin to affect your or your child’s oral health. But many factors go into whether braces would be right for you or your child, or not.

Modern orthodontic treatments offer numerous options for the typical issues people face, such as crooked teeth or jaw alignment problems. Malocclusion, otherwise known as having a bad bite, is common in patients with crooked teeth.

Braces can be worn for a short period of time to correct uneven jaw alignment, which may be the cause of an underbite or overbite in patients. A retainer is worn afterward to keep the newly straightened teeth in place.

Now that one in five braces wearers is an adult, grownups have a variety of braces options. Braces are typically left on for at least one year to straighten teeth effectively. Options can include regular metal braces, clear braces, or Invisalign® aligners.

If you’re an adult and would prefer a discreet treatment, clear braces or Invisalign retainers are your best options. Dr. Joel Martinez, Dr. Christopher Martinez, and Dr. Vanessa Martinez will be able to provide you with a recommended best route of treatment depending on what you’re trying to accomplish and what your budget is. Before getting braces, it’s worth learning about all the methods of treatment available at Joel Martinez, DDS.

Be sure to contact your insurance company before your appointment to see if orthodontic treatments are covered; otherwise, you may want to plan to pay for out-of-pocket costs. If you have questions regarding the types of treatment we provide for our patients, call our McAllen office for more information.