Gummy Tummy --Dr. Wendy Katz

We know the rumors going around – mostly among young people – that once you swallow a piece of chewing gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your stomach for at least seven years! We really hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter the stomach and move through the digestive system just like any other piece of food and leave the body long before seven years! So, if you ever have accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

This being said, gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are a gum-chewer, make sure you chew sugarless gum, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but with less cavity causing ingredients. You see, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing!

--From Dr. Wendy Katz

The Tooth Fairy Dishes Out $2.09 Per Tooth -- Katz Orthodontics Reports

Oil’s hit $100 a barrel, gold’s at $1000 an ounce, but the real winner is inside your mouth – or, to be more precise, inside your child’s mouth. Securian Dental’s 2008 Tooth Fairy price poll reveals that per-tooth prices jumped 22% last year to a whopping $2.09 per tooth on average.

What Are Your Child’s Teeth Worth?

Securian reports that $1 is the most common price tag on a lost baby tooth. An online poll of more than 20,000 readers at ParentCenter.com confirms this trend: 52% of respondents report paying a dollar a tooth. In Securian’s survey, $5 per tooth was the second most popular payment. With 20 baby teeth to lose, today’s children are looking at a nice little nest egg.

The Tooth Fairy isn’t terribly consistent, however, as a closer look at recent poll results reveals. She leaves merely a nickel per tooth for some children, and splurges on others, with a few precious teeth going for $50 each! Also, East Coast teeth appear to be the most valuable. New York teeth go for about a dollar more than California teeth, and about a dollar and a quarter more than Midwestern teeth.

Tooth Fairy Economics

With a 22% increase this year, the Tooth Fairy Index outstripped the NASDAQ and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, both of which decreased while tooth prices skyrocketed. Despite this year’s surprising jump, the per-tooth price generally reflects the overall health of the economy, according to Securian, which conducts its Tooth Fairy poll annually.

Tooth Fairy expert Rosemary Wells of the Northwestern University School of Dentistry tracked the Tooth Fairy’s generosity extensively, and checked her yearly prices against the Consumer Price Index. She reported that from 1900 through 1980, tooth prices rose steadily in proportion to rates of inflation.

The Tooth Gap and the Generation Gap

Today’s children are faring quite well compared with past generations of tooth-losers. Generation X youngsters, for instance, woke up to mere change. According to Wells’s research, the average value of a tooth in 1980 was 66 cents. Baby Boomers were lucky to see even a quarter – the average tooth in 1955 only returned 19 cents.

So if your gap-toothed second-grader is disappointed when she peeks under her pillow, you can remind her of just how good kids have it these days.

And remember that seven is the best age to come in for an orthodontic consultation, so bring your little ones in to Katz Orthodontics for the best in orthodontic care.

Healthy Grins Always Win at Dr. Katz's Office

We recently launched a new program at Dr. Katz's office to reward our patients our referring doctor’s offices. Every time you get your teeth cleaned during your orthodontic treatment you are entered in our contest drawing! Simply fill out a certificate from our office at your next orthodontic adjustment appointment. Present the certificate to your dental hygienist at your next cleaning appointment. Your hygienist will fill it out and once you bring the card back, you are entered in the drawing. You AND your hygienist can win! When your name is selected, both you and your hygienist receive a gift certificate! The gift certificate will perhaps be to Target or perhaps to a restaurant!

This new program for our patients and their referring dental offices rewards commitment to excellent dental care! Stop by Dr. Katz’s office today to pick up your dental cleaning certificate!

From Kissing to Metal Detectors: Braces Myths Unraveled -- Dr. Katz

Dr. Wendy Katz and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) sets the record straight on some of the biggest myths surrounding braces and orthodontic treatment. Currently more than four million children and one million adults in North America wear braces. Below are the answers to some of the most popular – and strange – questions AAO members have received from their patients during the past year:

If two people with braces kiss, can their braces become locked together?

With today’s smaller sleeker braces it is extremely difficult – almost impossible – to lock braces while kissing. Also, braces are not magnetic, which means any “attraction” felt is on the part of the wearers, so pucker up!
Teen with braces

Will my braces set off the metal detectors in the airport?

You are cleared for takeoff – the lightweight materials used in braces will not affect metal detectors.

Can braces rust?

No. Today’s braces are made of new stronger materials, like titanium alloy, and will not rust.

Will my braces interfere with radio signals or electronic devices?

No. Radio-loving gadget fanatics can rest easy.

Can I play a musical instrument?

Yes – that is if you could play a musical instrument before you got braces.

Will braces increase my chance of being struck by lightening?

No. With or without braces the chances of a lightening strike remain the same which, in the U.S. in any one year, according to nationalgeorgraphic.com, is one in 700,000.

Now that I have braces, can I still play sports?

Yes, but be sure to wear a mouth guard. Mouth guards are one of the least expensive pieces of protective equipment available. Not only can mouth guards save teeth, they may also protect against jaw fractures. Mouth guards are advisable for anyone, whether they wear braces or not.

Will my braces attract unwarranted attention from fish?

Scuba aficionados take heart: there is no need to cancel your next dive. The small brackets used in today’s braces, especially ceramic or tooth-colored brackets, will not attract attention from unsavory fish or sea life.

Once braces are removed, my teeth will remain straight forever, right?

Wrong. Teeth move throughout one’s lifetime, therefore it is important to hold on to retainers and wear them as prescribed by your orthodontist to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile.