Photos from our Halloween Family Skate and Pizza Night 2011

Last Tuesday, October 18th, Piedmont Orthodontic Associates had our Halloween Family Skate and Pizza Night! We had such a great time as you can tell by photos from the event below. Visit the Halloween 2011 photo album on our Facebook page to see many more photos from our event.

Dr. Ernest Gardner "Dracula" and his wife Cathy "Tooth Fairy"

A wonderful night for Grand-parents and grand-children!

Cold season is here....Stay Healthy!

Cold and flu season is here - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that a common cold usually includes sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and coughing. Symptoms can last for up to two weeks.

To promote a healthy and clean environment, Dr. Ernest Gardner and our entire staff give a great deal of attention to sanitation and sterilization in our Spartanburg office at all times, as well as following all requirements for sterilizing instruments and work surfaces. For the protection of other patients and our staff at Piedmont Orthodontic Associates, we always ask that patients reschedule their appointments if they have any type of cold or illness that can infect others.

And remember to constantly wash your hands and avoid contact with those who are ill! Stay Healthy!

Halloween Family Skate and Pizza Night on Tuesday, Oct. 18th!

Dr. Ernest Gardner and our entire team at Piedmont Orthodontic Associates are having our annual Halloween Family Skate and Pizza Night next Tuesday, October 18th, at Skate Palace located at 2345 South Pine Street in Spartanburg. The party is from 6p-8p. Costumes are welcome if you would like to wear one! We will be awarding prizes in several categories. Halloween Family Skate and Pizza Night is for the entire family and patients can invite their best friend.

Call our Spartanburg office and let us know how many will be attending so we will know how many pizzas to order. Looking forward to a great time with everyone!

5 Tips to Avoid Plaque

At Piedmont Orthodontic Associates, we know nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth during orthodontic treatment, courtesy of WebMD.

Let’s start with brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.

Next on the list is flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.

Also, evading a trip to visit the dentist is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily. You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting your general dentist at least twice a year or as recommended by your dentist, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your teeth while wearing braces.

You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you have braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.

Finally, before you pick up that candy bar, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ernest Gardner. If you have any questions, visit our website’s oral hygiene page, give our Spartanburg office a call or ask us on Facebook!

At Piedmont Orthodontic Associates, October means National Orthodontic Health Month!

Happy October! For those who don't know, National Orthodontic Health Month. This month-long event is organized by our pals at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Dr. Ernest Gardner and our team realize this is a great opportunity for us and to raise awareness about the importance of oral hygiene. National Orthodontic Health Month also aims to recognize the dedicated work of orthodontists like Dr. and other dental professionals in Spartanburg.

The AAO recommends patients avoid the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients:

• Caramel
• Nuts
• Popcorn (including un-popped kernels)
• Taffy
• Jelly beans
• Hard pretzels
• Licorice
• Bubblegum
• Taco chips
• Ice

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call, ask us on Facebook or ask Dr. Gardner during your visit this month!