Guess what October is.....................??????????????

This awesome photo is courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists!!!

When we think of orthodontic health...... what comes to mind??? Well if your in the dental profession then we think of healthy gums, clean teeth and cavity free teeth with or without braces!!! However...... if you are not in the profession we can only assume that you think of the dreadful process of braces! :-(

Here are some positive and TRUE facts about orthodontics, If you keep your teeth and braces clean, come to every visit you need and follow all of our instructions- not only does it not "hurt" but it doesn't take "forever"!!! 

We explain this to ALL of our patients and the ones that do follow our simple instructions have an INCREDIBLE experience!!!! Yes, its true people can go through braces without hating it!  :-)

Ultimately the goal of National Orthodontic Health month is to not only promote a healthy mouth but a more pleasant approach to orthodontics!!

Did you know that Crooked teeth and misaligned bites can:

*Interfere with proper chewing which in turn can cause digestive issues.

*Make cleaning your teeth more of a challenge, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis.
*Strain the teeth, jaws, and muscles, increasing the risk of breaking a tooth or causing pain in the jaw joint itself.
*Make people feel self-conscious about their appearance and affect their self-esteem which causes them to smile less.

If you are struggling with any of the above concerns, we would LOVE the opportunity to discuss how we can help with you!

Since October is National Orthodontic Health Month we thought we would share a Halloween recipe that you CAN eat with braces on!!!

Frightful finger cookies

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup almond slices

1 tube red decorating gel

1 tube green food coloring

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add drops of green 

food coloring to dough until you achieve a nice deep green color. 

Divide the dough into four equal parts, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.. Take one quarter of the dough at a time from the 

refrigerator. Break off one heaping teaspoonful and roll it into a finger shape. Squeeze in around the middle of the finger to 

create a knuckle shape. Then, using a butter knife, make indents in several places to resemble a finger. Repeat with rest of 

dough.

Place cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes - let cool. Then, squeeze red decorating gel onto 

the tip of each finger and gently press an almond sliver on top so the gel oozes out from underneath. 

Remove cookies from baking sheets and let them cool on wire racks. Then serve and enjoy!

***Adapted from "CDKitchen.com's" Marlene C. Mcasias

Here is a list of Orthodontic do's and don'ts on Halloween from the AAO.

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