Giving thanks this holiday season

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it's a great time to ask ourselves what we're thankful for. With our friends and family around us, we celebrate the blessings given to us in the past year. Our staff at Farina Orthodontics thought we'd ask: What are you thankful for this holiday season? Do you have any Thanksgiving wishes you would like to share?

Dr. Farina and our entire team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It’s a big food holiday, so be careful what you eat with those braces! If you have any stories or photos to share with us, we’d encourage you to send them along or post them on our Facebook page!

Lastly, please help us help others this Holiday Season. We would like all of our patients to give us their favorite recipes by December 20th as we are busy designing a cookbook to sell, with all proceeds going to a local food bank, Feeding America Tampa Bay, specifically the Kids Cafe.

- Our cookbook will have all of our patients recipes
- Dr. Farina’s favorite Italian & Spanish recipes
- All of our staff favorites
- Recipes must be handwritten or typed
- The ingredients must be separated from the directions

Send us your recipes to Tampasmile24@aol.com.

We look forward to reading your recipes!

“I got my braces. Now what?"

We love when patients ask us that question! Now that you’re wearing braces, it’s just as important to maintain a good oral hygiene regimen as you did before before orthodontic treatment began.

Braces are known to trap food particles and make it difficult to brush or remove plaque, which is why Dr. Mark Farina and our team recommend that you brush and floss after every meal. We also encourage you to use a proxabrush to help with the smaller areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. We encourage the use of fluoride rinse as well; ask Dr. Farina for a recommendation.

When your braces are initially placed, your teeth are likely to be very sensitive. You may experience discomfort for up to 3 or 5 days, which is why we encourage you to eat soft foods during that time. Remember, the less pressure you put on your teeth, the less discomfort you will have.

You may also be thinking, “Okay, so what can I eat?” We would encourage you to avoid eating sticky, hard, crunchy or chewy snacks that can stick to your teeth.

Our team at Farina Orthodontics will tell you it’s crucial to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, please call our New Tampa or South Tampa office immediately to schedule an appointment for repair.

Lastly, in addition to visiting Dr. Farina's office during your orthodontic treatment for adjustments, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months, or as recommended by your dentist.

Ask Dr. Farina: “I’m 49 – am I too old for braces?”

Thanks for the question – at Farina Orthodontics, NOBODY is “too old” for braces!

In fact, our staff read a fascinating statistic recently: the number of adults getting braces has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people want to look and feel great. In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned and sparkling teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Mark Farina can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.


If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Farina and team would love to have you visit for a consultation at our New Tampa or South Tampa office. Please give us a call to set one up!