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YOU ALREADY SUSPECT THAT ENERGY DRINKS contain a lot of sugar, but at least they're not as bad as soda pop, right? You wouldn't be alone if you’ve thought that sports drinks, thanks to their supplement arsenal, are good for growing bodies. But the truth is energy and sports drinks can be even worse for your teeth than soft drinks.

A One-Two Punch

Energy and sports drinks launch a twofold attack on your teeth: sugar and acid. Drinks like Gatorade and Powerade have about half the sugar of sodas, but popular energy drinks like Monster or Fuel often have the same amount of sugar as soda (or more). In addition, both sports and energy drinks are loaded with acid—enough to do ten times more damage to tooth enamel than soda.

Check out this Academy of General Dentistry study on tooth enamel and beverages. Researchers immersed tooth enamel in a variety of popular sports and energy drinks for 15 minutes and then transferred it to artificial saliva to imitate the effects of consuming energy drinks a couple times a day. Significant enamel damage only took five days.

Today, Half Of Teens Drink One (or more) Sports Drinks Or Energy Drinks Daily

The market for energy drinks has almost tripled in the past few years, targeting teens and young adults. Considering their popularity, it's important to know about the dangers. If you suspect you've already experienced damage from sports or energy drinks, contact us to visit about ways we can help.

Four Helpful Tips

Here are some tips & tricks to minimize damage caused by sports and energy drinks:

1. Rinse out your mouth with water or chew some sugar-free gum after having energy drinks. This rebalances the pH level in your mouth to counteract the acid. Don't brush for a while after drinking—your enamel is still soft and brushing can damage it even more.
2. Drink sports drinks before you get dehydrated, not after. That way, you'll have the saliva you need to protect your teeth.
3. Drink it all at once (but don’t choke!). Your mouth takes time to recover after each sip, so drinking continuously prevents teeth from regaining their protection.
4. Stick to healthier options when NOT working out. Sports drinks are meant to rehydrate and replenish when you’re working out hard. So, if you’re just “active”, consider alternatives like water or electrolyte drops in water.

Ask Us More About It The Next Time We See You

Here at Gorczyca Orthodontics we want you to be aware of what you can do to help prevent enamel damage. Do you have a story to share about sports or energy drinks? If so, comment below or visit our Facebook page and tell us about it. Do you have other questions for our team? We'd love to hear from you! Give us a call at (925)757-9000 or find us at www.clubbraces.com.

And thanks for the trust you place in us. We appreciate it!

SMILE WITH CONFIDENCE for the cameras. We want you to experience the thrill of the red carpet. All eyes are on you, you look gorgeous, and you feel absolutely great! Smile!

We Want You To Love Your Smile Makeover!

Every detail of your orthodontic experience preparing you for your smile makeover matters to us. We want you to love every minute of your smile makeover! Your ease and comfort are our top priority. and we are here to help you with your smile makeover every step of the way.

Here at Gorczyca Orthodontics, we specialize in smile makeovers. Dr. Gorczyca has treated over 10,000 valued patients, one at a time, with tender loving care, many of whom have seen their smile transformed. Every single person is unique, and every interaction with you matters to us. Our aim is to make your experience at Gorczyca Orthodontics extraordinary.

We Roll Out The Red Carpet For Our Patients!

We know making a smile makeover decision is a big one. At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we care that you receive the very best dental care possible. Board certified orthodontist, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca will show you before and after photos of successful cases at your initial smile makeover consultation. She will refer you to other quality oriented general dentists and dental specialists for the best overall smile makeover results and experience possible. Not only will we deliver a red carpet smile, but also a red carpet service experience.

If you have questions about smile makeovers, call us at (925)757-9000 for a complimentary consultation. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Get red carpet ready. You are going to love your new smile.

Top image by Flickr user Alan Light used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

CLEAR BRACES LOOK GREAT. So why don't real orthodontists love clear braces for fast and efficient orthodontic treatment?

Clear ceramic braces have been available to orthodontists since the 1980s. Gorgeous to look at, the surface of clear ceramic braces are far from ideal for fast and efficient orthodontic treatment.

Clear Braces Are Made From Different Materials

Made of polycrystalline ceramics, clear braces have a rougher surface than steel brackets. This rough surface of clear braces can nick and penetrate the wire and prevent teeth from sliding as quickly as possible during orthodontic tooth movement. In this way, clear braces slow down orthodontic treatment by increasing resistance and increasing the wire bracket friction.

Clear braces made of single crystal are quite smooth but can also damage wires with increased resistance to orthodontic tooth movement.

Clear braces with a metal slot can be used to overcome the problems created by increased friction against the wire caused by the ceramic surface.

Clear braces of composite plastic are tooth colored and nonallergenic, and in theory, should have surface properties not as troublesome as ceramic braces. Plastic braces are difficult to make, so their cost is more expensive than metal braces which are faster and more treatment efficient.

Clear Braces Offer No Real Treatment Advantage Over Metal Braces

To a real orthodontists, other than their transparent appearance and patient preference, there is no treatment advantage to using clear braces over metal braces. Clear braces are not new or "high tech." The choice of clear braces is strictly the personal choice of the patient.

It is important for the general public to understand that clear braces offer no orthodontic treatment advantage. All real orthodontists offer clear braces and have offered clear braces since the 1980s. Many adult orthodontic patients choose metal braces over clear braces for their treatment advantages.

Ask Your Orthodontist Which Treatment Is Right For You

Ask your orthodontist about the surface qualities of braces and the advantages of metal braces versus clear braces. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Whether you choose metal or clear braces, your orthodontist will give you a beautiful, functional, healthy, and stable smile.

Orthodontist Ann Marie Gorczyca, DMD, MPH, MS, Gorczca Orthodontics, Antioch, California www.clubbraces.com (925) 757-9000.

WE DON’T THINK OF baseball as a contact sport. Yet, baseball is the sports leader in facial injuries to children and teenagers.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than a quarter million children ages 5 to 14 are injured playing baseball each year.

Stray Baseballs Can Do A Lot Of Damage

Along with basketball, baseball accounts for nearly half of all sports-related injuries. An estimated 50,000+ baseball facial injuries occur each year to players ages 5 to 15 which required emergency room treatment.

Catastrophic injuries also occur when baseball players are struck in the head with the ball or bat. As small as this number is, baseball still has the highest fatality rate among all sports.

If your child plays baseball, please have your child wear safety gear including a facemask helmet and a sports mouth guard.

Proper Sports Protection Is Key To Avoiding Injury

Orthodontist, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca has seen many children lose teeth due to baseball related injuries when mouth guards are not worn. These accidents include teeth being hit by a foul ball or a ball bouncing up and hitting the player in the mouth. She recommends that every baseball or softball player wear a mouth guard at all times when playing the sport.

We Can Help Your Athlete With Their Home Run Smile!

If you have questions about custom made sports mouth guards or tooth straightening with or witout a facial injury, please call Dr. Gorczyca at (925) 757-9000 in Antioch, California for a complimentary orthodontic evaluation. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Let your child play and be safe at the next baseball or softball game. Provide a helmet and mouth guard. Give your child the benefit of facial protection.