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At Tavarez Orthodontics, our practice's top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment.

One of our commitments is meeting with you to help you explore all or the options available to you or your child. We offer complimentary consultations for those interested in orthodontic treatment. During this time, you'll have time reserved with Dr. Kathleen Tavarez, who will assess your particular needs as well as discuss treatment options available and answer any questions you may have. We place a high value on making sure you have complete information before beginning treatment.

If you have been thinking about obtaining the dazzling smile you’ve always wanted, we invite you to give a call at. We have two convenient offices in Menlo Park and San Carlos, CA.

See you soon!

Memorial Day weekend is a time Americans remember all those who bravely gave their lives for our country. It’s also the unofficial start of summer, and for many kids, getting out of town for three days with parents after being in school all these months is sure to be sweet, sweet relief.

At Tavarez Orthodontics, we know Memorial Day weekend is ripe for travel. After all, it’s unofficially the start of summer and time for a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories with parents or friends. What are you up to this Memorial Day weekend? What will you be doing on your day off from school or work?

Whether you are headed to a barbeque, a camping trip, or just having fun in the California sun this weekend, we’d like to hear all about it! Enjoy the holiday!

Located in Menlo Park and San Carlos, California, our practice's top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. Dr. Kathleen Tavarez and our professional staff recognize that every patient has different needs, and we pride ourselves in the courteous service we deliver to each person who walks through our doors. Whether you're an adult, adolescent or child, Dr. Tavarez and staff are committed to helping you achieve the smile you deserve - a healthy, beautiful one!

Today, we thought we'd ask: What made you choose Tavarez Orthodontics for your (or your child's) orthodontic treatment?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting us for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can write a review on our Facebook page or on our Google listing!

You may write your review for our Menlo Park office here, or here for our San Carlos location.

Thanks for the question! There are a variety of foods Dr. Kathleen Tavarez and our team want you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces! If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should definitely avoid:
• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give us a call or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article on eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.