And if he wants to continue the apprenticeship tradition, Joey’s little brother in elementary school already wants to be an orthodontist after seeing his big brother working in professional looking blue scrubs.
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Contact UsProtecting Your Smile: Evaluating Halloween Candy Choices for Braces
Everyone should be able to enjoy the candy they get when trick or treating, including those with braces! Yet certain kinds of candy can jeopardize the health of your teeth and the state of your orthodontia. Taking care of your teeth is essential, especially when you’re investing in braces and the long-term beauty of your smile. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you bring home your candy haul this Halloween.
Understanding the Risks
Before diving into the specific candies, it’s essential to understand why some treats are problematic for braces. Braces consist of brackets, wires, and bands that are delicate and susceptible to damage. Hard, sticky, or chewy candies can easily get lodged in braces or cause brackets to break. Additionally, biting into hard candies can put excessive pressure on the braces, leading to discomfort or even damage to the teeth.
The Best Halloween Candy Choices
Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious Halloween treats that are safe for braces. Soft chocolates, such as milk chocolate bars or peanut butter cups, are generally a safe option as they melt easily in the mouth and are unlikely to damage braces. Similarly, treats like marshmallows or soft caramels can be enjoyed in moderation.
Another excellent choice for brace wearers is sugar-free gum. Not only does sugar-free gum satisfy the craving for something sweet, but it also promotes saliva production, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria from the mouth.
Proceed with Caution
While some candies are safer for braces, it’s essential to consume them with caution. Even softer treats can still pose a risk if not eaten carefully. For example, while chocolate is generally safe, avoid bars filled with nuts or crunchy ingredients that could potentially damage braces. Similarly, soft caramels should be enjoyed sparingly to prevent them from sticking to the brackets or wires.
The Worst Offenders
On the other end of the spectrum are candies that should be avoided entirely by those with braces. Hard candies, such as lollipops, jawbreakers, or candy apples, pose a significant risk of damaging braces. Biting into these hard treats can cause brackets to break or wires to bend, leading to discomfort and potential delays in orthodontic treatment.
Sticky candies, like gummy bears, taffy, or caramel candies, are equally problematic. These candies have a tendency to get stuck in braces, making them difficult to remove and increasing the risk of tooth decay and other oral health issues.
Tips for Enjoying Halloween with Braces
While it’s important to be mindful of candy choices, it doesn’t mean brace wearers can’t enjoy Halloween festivities. Here are some tips for a braces-friendly Halloween:
- Plan Ahead: Before heading out for trick-or-treating or attending Halloween parties, make a plan for which candies are safe to enjoy with braces.
- Moderation is Key: Enjoy treats in moderation and avoid overindulging in candies that could potentially harm braces.
- Brush and Floss: After indulging in Halloween treats, be sure to brush and floss thoroughly to remove any lingering candy particles and prevent tooth decay.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help wash away sugar and food particles from the mouth, reducing the risk of cavities and other dental issues.
- Attend Orthodontic Check-ups: Regular visits to your orthodontist are crucial for ensuring that your braces are in good condition and that your treatment is progressing as planned.
Have a fun and spooky Halloween!
Follow these tips this Halloween – and any time you eat something sweet – and you’ll be equipped to take care of your braces. If you have any questions about how to brush, floss, or generally care for your teeth and braces, call Adirondack Orthodontics. We would be happy to help.
The benefits of a participating provider
Want a smile that’s both beautiful and affordable? Your best choice is to work with a participating provider. At Adirondack Orthodontics, we are proud to be the only practice that participates with nearly every insurer in New York. But what exactly does that mean?
Reduced Out-of-Pocket Costs
Being a participating provider involves pre-negotiating fees with insurance companies and agreeing to adhere to those rates. As a result, your out-of-pocket costs are greatly reduced – depending on the plan, you may not have any – so your treatment is more affordable.
Streamlined Insurance Process
Moreover, we shoulder the burden of dealing with your insurance provider throughout the course of your treatment. From collecting payments to handling paperwork and filing claims, we handle it all. For you, that means no paperwork, no claims to file, no phone calls to make, so you can concentrate on achieving the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.
What it’s like working with an accepting provider
There’s a huge difference from working with an accepting provider – one who accepts your insurance but does not participate with the insurer. Not only will you pay more out of pocket – since the insurance company does not cover the entire cost of service – you also have to pay up front and then wait to be reimbursed by the insurance company. And we all know how long that can take!
Choose us for affordable, convenient orthodontic treatment
At Adirondack Orthodontics, our commitment to providing caring, personalized service to our patients goes beyond the orthodontic treatment. We strive to make the entire process both affordable and stress-free, and as a participating provider, we have done just that for thousands of families.
Call us today for a free consultation. We’d love to show you the power of working with a participating provider!
This post originally appeared in the Times Union on August 8, 2018. Written by Lynda Edwards.
Dr. Sergey Berenshteyn was 10 when his parents fled Ukraine for Queens 25 years ago. The Soviet Union had just splintered into newly independent republics, including Ukraine. His mother had been a dentist, but in the 1990s, Soviet dentistry was far behind American technologically.
“Russian dentists didn’t use X-rays to identify bad teeth; they just looked inside the patient’s mouth so my mom had to catch up in school,” Berenshteyn said. So, his middle-aged mother studied three years in New York University’s College of Dentistry, while learning English, before she could open her practice in Troy.
“My dad learned English while he studied to be a computer programmer,” the son recalled, and added with a laugh. “They still sound like villains in a James Bond movie because of they never lost Russian accents. But I’m so proud of what they accomplished.”
Berenshteyn followed his mom’s footsteps after graduating from Guilderland High School by becoming an orthodontist with practices in Latham, Albany and Clifton Park called Adirondack Orthodontics. He recently recognized his parents’ tenacity and hustle in two teenagers, both Guilderland High School students, both patients of his. And both are the children of immigrants. When they told Berenshteyn they wanted to learn to be orthodontists, he created paid apprenticeships for each of them.
“My apprentice last year was a young woman whose parents immigrated to Guilderland from the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan,” Berenshteyn said. So there was a plan in place this year when another student, Joey Hayak, asked job shadowing and ended up with a fulltime summer job.
Hayak, 17, a rising senior at Guilderland High School, was born in America to a father who emigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. Now, Hayak he’s apprenticing with is doctor, the second teenage child of immigrants to do so in two years.
“Because he’s not a certified dental assistant, Joey can’t directly work on patients but he can fill out records, get patients to the right offices, gather supplies and take X-rays,” Berenshteyn said.
Hayak’s father met his mom, who is Lebanese-American and whose family lives in Troy, when she was visiting relatives in Beirut.
They married there in 2001, a year after the end of the South Lebanon Conflict, 15 years of grueling guerrilla war pitting the Israel-backed Christian militias against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Beirut residents finally could dream of returning their city to its prewar beauty and sophistication that earned Beirut the nickname “Paris of the Middle East.”
Hayak’s parents’ families were Lebanese Christian and loved the sense of community in Beirut.
“They would say if you have a problem, everyone in the community shows up to help you solve it,” Hayak said, smiling. “But they talked about America for a long time and how great it would be to build their lives and raise their children in such an exciting, friendly country.”
The came to America and settled in Guilderland in 2001.
Hayak’s mother is a nurse and his father a construction contractor. Hayak enjoyed studying science and began researching fields for possible future careers.
“My father can fix anything that goes wrong with our house,” Hayak said admiringly. “He learned millions of facts about aluminum and glass from throwing his energy and focus into the job. And I thought maybe I can do the same thing and find a job where I can get practical experience in a future career.”
He appreciated Berenshteyn’s soothing approach to patients and the way he had arranged his office to function. Berenshteyn has a row of stations in one room where orthodontists can work on children’s braces. The kids’ parents can sit in the same room for emotional support. Hayak was also intrigued by the technology that Berenshteyn used, like scanning the patient’s teeth to make an imprint rather than using a mold.
That’s why Hayak wanted to work with his doctor.
Berenshteyn never thought of limiting summer apprenticeships to immigrants’ children. But he doesn’t think it’s a coincidence both apprentices so far happened to be first generation Americans.
“Immigrants learn fast that they need to be advocates for themselves,” Berenshteyn said. “They learn early that no one is going to lead you to water. You have to find your own path to it. And if you’re an immigrant’s child, you can learn quickly to be that proactive yourself.”
