All I Want For Christmas Is...

My two front teeth...
to be straight, bright and healthy.

Sometimes we may forget how important having great oral hygiene is, especially when we have braces. And this time of year, with all of the amazing treats and goodies, it is even harder to stay on top of proper brushing and flossing. But if we want our smiles to be the best they can be when our braces are removed, we have to stay focused and put the work in now...even when we may not want to.

Food and plaque can get trapped in the tiny spaces between braces and wires, causing decay and enamel stains. And did you know that food left in these tiny spaces can also react with the bacteria in your mouth and the metal in the braces to produce a bleaching effect, leaving small, permanent light spots on your teeth? 

You all know...but we are going to say it anyway...sweets, soda and other sugary and starchy foods can promote tooth decay and gum disease.  It might be too much to ask, but try your best to stay away from these types of foods. OK...we know, way too much to ask, especially now. So, if you are going to eat a sweet treat, please remember to brush afterwards.  It is best to brush after every meal and use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss at least once a day to clean between braces and under wires. But if you don't have your toothbrush with you, rinse your mouth vigorously with water soon after enjoying those special homemade goodies.

Below are a few tools that will make staying on top of your oral hygiene easier.

Crest Ortho Essentials Hygiene Program

The Best Gifts Are Handmade

'Tis the season for giving. But who said that the best gifts have to be the ones that cost the most? 

Save yourself some time, money and frustration...skip the malls and department stores. Give gifts that are handmade and straight from the heart. We think handmade gifts are the perfect way to show how much you care. And with so many resources out there these days, it's easy to find the perfect gift for every person on your list.

Handmade gifts are also perfect for the kids. Grandparents love anything made by a child's hands. Not only that, making gifts gets kids involved and teaches them what the spirit of the season is all about. 

We found the cutest handmade gift that will get the kids involved...something they will be excited to give to everyone.

DIY Chalkboard Coasters

The supplies for making these coasters are inexpensive (some items you might already have lying around the house). The steps are super easy and not at all intimidating. For complete directions on how to make these coasters, please visit livingwellspendingless.com. 

Other great sites for handmade Holiday gifts are hgtv.com, realsimple.com and marthastewart.com. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Happy Holidays to all and to all a good craft project!

Beautiful Smiles Don’t Have An Age Limit

Don't let age stop you from having the straight teeth you've always dreamed of. Braces aren't just for kids anymore. Parents are still making regular trips to the orthodontist's office, but these days more and more are leaving their kids in the waiting room.

Sad, but true…over time our bodies start to wear out, including our teeth. As you age, your teeth break down. Unfortunately, it's one of the most visible signs of aging. As teeth wear, the lower and the upper jaw move closer together. Shortening of your teeth causes your lips to change, creases to form on the sides of your nose and mouth, a deep crease develops between your chin and lower lip and jowls develop on the sides of your jaw. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can also contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay and abnormal wear of the tooth enamel.

Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Numerous technological advances have made braces less noticeable, less painful and even less time-consuming. 

As America's baby boomers have become more health conscious, they're rejecting the notion that loosing teeth and dentures are a routine part of growing older. These days people are exercising more and eating healthier and braces are another way of demonstrating that you care about yourself and your overall health.

 

Don’t believe us? Still think you’re too old for braces? Check out these adults who decided it was time to improve their smiles…you might be surprised.

     Faye Dunaway - Age 61                      Tom Cruise - Age 40                       Gwen Stefani - Age 30          

  

 Famous Faces With Braces

 

PS. Don't forget to check out our FaceBook page. We have a great photo contest going on right now and we would love to see the pictures you come up with!

We Are Thankful for All of Our Wonderful Patients and Their Families!

Everyone at Lenz Orthodontics would like to take the time to wish our patients and their families a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many people as there are wonderful foods and traditions to enjoy as families gather around the table. If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment, you may want to take a moment to plan which foods you will be able to eat this Thanksgiving. Be aware of the wrong kinds of foods…it is possible to break or displace a part of your braces by eating certain foods. 

Foods we recommend trying to avoid: 

Popcorn, Corn on the Cob, Chips, Nuts, Caramel…Basically any hard, crunchy or sticky foods

The most important thing to remember is to clean your teeth, gums and braces as soon as you are through eating anything. We hope this will help you get through the holiday without any orthodontic emergencies, while still enjoying all of the delicious food! 

Looking for something a little different to bring to the family pot-luck this year? 

Try this recipe we found from Pillsbury.

Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread 

Ingredients 

1 can (16.3 oz.) Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated honey butter biscuits (8 biscuits)

¾ cup canned pumpkin pie mix (not plain pumpkin)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps 

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers, to make total of 16 thin biscuits. Spread pumpkin pie mix on top of each. Top each with melted butter. In small bowl, mix granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle over each. Stack biscuits in 4 piles of 4 biscuits each. Place stacks on their sides in a row in loaf pan, making sure sides without filling are on both ends touching pan. It should look like a 16-layer sandwich with no filling on the outside ends. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until loaf is deep golden brown and center is baked through. Cool loaf slightly. If necessary, run knife around edges to loosen loaf from pan. Carefully turn pan upside down on serving platter to release loaf. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle over loaf. Serve warm.

We're Bloggers Now!

We want to welcome everyone to our new blog! We are super excited to finally have an outlet to keep our patients, their families and their friends up to date on all of the new and amazing things happening at Lenz Orthodontics!

Here, within this blog, we will do our best to keep you posted on office news, contests and events, education information…and just the fun things that happen along the way. So be sure to check back often.

If you haven’t noticed yet…we have changed the look of our website just a bit. We hope you find it user friendly as well as informative. New features have been added to the site like patient reviews and online appointment request forms. So if you haven’t been to our website in a while…it’s high time you check it out.

Also, we have added some great Social Media tools to the mix. FaceBook, Instagram, Google+ can now all be accessed through our website.

We hope you enjoy getting to know Lenz Orthodontics. Please feel free to leave comments here or on our FaceBook Page…we would love to hear from you!

Welcome to Our Blog

Everyone would like a beautiful smile, and this is one of the best reasons for orthodontic treatment. An attractive smile enhances self-esteem, which can actually improve one’s quality of life.