Be Proud of Your-Selfie

No matter what our age...I think we can all admit...we have taken a selfie or two. And with selfies and instant photo sharing being as popular as it is these days, a camera-ready smile is a great thing to have. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a celebrity or genetically blessed to flash a stunning smile. You just need practice. Sounds crazy, right? Practicing to smile like you would practice a sport or cooking a recipe may seem silly, but as they say...practice makes perfect. 

Smiling naturally may not come as easy for some people as it does for others. But just like with anything we do in life, the more we practice, the easier it gets.

Helpful Tips for a Photographic Smile

1. GET IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR - Take time to practice your smile in front of a mirror. See how it looks when you hold your shoulders back and strike a natural, unforced smile. Play around with turning your head and finding your best angle. Figure out which smile you like best, then practice, practice, practice 'til you get right. Remember how great that smile feels so that you'll be able to replicate it without looking in a mirror.

 

2. SMILE WITH YOUR EYES...or as Tyra Banks would say, Smize - A genuine smile will naturally draw in the eyes. And a natural smile is not something you can fake. The eyes are essential for a genuine, warm smile.When you are practicing your smile in the mirror, focus on your eyes and which muscles are working and how.

3. MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE - One thing that can cause you to fear flashing your pearly whites, is when they might not be that pearly. Be sure to brush your teeth after each meal and carry floss with you...just in case. We all know that good oral hygiene is important...but the fact is, a healthy mouth will make you feel more confident about your smile.

Now get on out there and SMILE! 

Smiling raises your spirits and makes other people happy. 

Your smile is a  very powerful expression.

 

For those of you who have been considering improving your smile, but are feeling uneasy about the thought of braces, consider this...Invisible Braces.

 

If all you need is a little cosmetic improvement for a great smile and you'd prefer not to have braces, the nearly invisible Simpli5 no-braces system or Invisalign may be the treatment for you. A quick evaluation will tell if you are a candidate for this convenient treatment and, if so, you can have a dazzling smile in just a few months.

Oh Delicious Snickerdoodle...Please Be Mine!

With Valentine's Day being tomorrow and all...a few of you might be scrambling around after work or school tonight looking for the perfect gift for your one true love.

Well look no further! The Perfect Gift is right here and you will just need to make a stop at the grocery store...that's it.

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles

 Original Photos provided by Two Peas and Their Pod

Seriously...doesn't the name alone make you just want to fall in love? A friend of ours turned us on to these cookies a few months back and no joke...these cookies are, hands down, the best cookies you will ever taste in your life! You're Valentine will be yours forever after just one bite...promise.

Now...these cookies are a tiny bit labor intensive, but it is well worth it. The recipe requires you to "brown butter", which not many of us are familiar with, but it is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. All browning butter is really is just melting butter for a bit longer than usuall and getting it off the stove right before it wants to burn. 

The recipe makes 2 dozen delicious cookies, so you will have plenty to give to each of your special Valentines. The best part...they are so ooey gooey soft, even Valentines with new braces can enjoy them!

If you make these cookies and love them, leave us a comment and be sure to pass this on to your friends.

Smart Snacking Tips to Help Keep your Beautiful Smile

MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A beautiful, cavity-free smile once your braces are off  will depend entirely on you. So consider this: cleaning your teeth after you eat is important, but also practicing good eating habits and limiting sugar intake will keep your mouth in optimum health. 

Making informed choices

There are many people who choose to snack throughout the day in order to keep their metabolism steady throughout the day and stay satisfied. When you are busy running around all day, it can sometimes seem like there are long gaps in between meals and a snack can help tide you over until you can get home and make dinner. Not all snacks are created equal and it is important that you take this into consideration. You should not be sitting there eating sugars and processed foods for your snack time. Not only are these bad for your health, they can wreak havoc on your smile. Here are some tips you should keep in mind when you are trying to pick out a healthy snack in order to keep your smile looking beautiful.

Conscious snacking

The first thing that you can do is to start noticing which types of snacks that you are eating, along with the time that you are eating them. Start out by making a little journal so that you can determine if the snacks you are eating are healthy enough for your smile or if you need to make some major changes.

Keep healthy snacks at hand

One of the best ways that you can make sure that you are eating teeth approved snacks is to only keep those snacks available. Admit it, if you have a bag of cookies and a bag of apples available at your house; you are more likely to choose the bag of cookies when you get hungry. Get rid of all the unhealthy snacks and only allow the good ones to stay.

One type of snack that you can keep around includes fibrous and crunchy fruits and vegetables. An example of this would be apples. This is because these types of fruits are able to scrub off your teeth of some of the germs and bacteria that are there while also increasing your flow of saliva. Protein rich foods are also great because they will give you the nutrients and minerals that are necessary for building strong teeth. You can choose options such as edamame, eggs, soft meats, and beans. Cheese is another great source because it is high in calcium content to help your teeth grow strong.

Step away from the sugary drinks

Soda and sports drinks are bad news for your teeth, and NOT recommended while you’re wearing braces. Most fruit juices are loaded with sugar and acid as well. Consider milk or water instead. Chocolate milk may be a good option  too. It offers a healthy dose of protein and  half of your daily calcium.

Eat an apple

If you are stuck on an idea of what to eat for your snack, you can never go wrong with having a nice apple. In fact, it is almost like giving your mouth an extra brushing when you decide to eat an apple. They are full of the fiber that you need in order to keep both your teeth happy and your stomach full without all of the added sugars that come with most other snacks that you can choose. Other good snacking alternatives include celery, pears, blueberries, cheese or yogurt.

Having a hard time eating fruits & veggies that are hard to bite into with braces?  Try slicing them up into little bite-size pieces.

AreYou Ready For Some Football...with the Kids!?

You can feel the excitement in the air as the Big Game draws near and many of us make plans to watch the game with family and friends. We are either going to a Super Bowl Party, or hosting one ourselves. If you are one of the people in the latter category, you probably have everything you need to host the most amazing Super Bowl Party ever. Decorations...check, snacks...check, drinks...check, stuff to keep the kids entertained for 3 to 4 hours...ooops. 

So, you may not have given much thought to what the kids are going to do while the adults are watching the game or chatting it up in the kitchen. But let's face it, shouldn't everybody at your Super Bowl Party have a great time no matter what their age? 

No worries...We have some fun ideas that won't take much time to prepare.

1. Fun Games: 

Make an area in the house...away from the main TV area, a kid-friendly game room. Put out a few board games, craft items, etc. You can even create some fun party games so the kids can drum up a little competition of there own. 

Below is a fun twist on a classic party game...and all you need is some poster board, construction paper and a blindfold.

                                            Wall Football

This photo originally appeared in FamilyFun Magazine

Get everything you need to make this great game along with directions on how to play.

2. Fun Food: 

While veggies and ranch dip might seem like a great snack for the adults. For the kids...not so much. Serve a food that all kids love and one that they can create themselves. Try a Make Your Own Pizza Bar! The kids will love creating a personal pizza that is just for them...and the toppings offered don't have to be elaborate just cheese, pepperonie, olives...you know what kids like. 

 

How to set up a make-your-own pizza bar for your Super Bowl party. 

3. Fun Friends: 

Let the kids invite a few of their own friends to the party. Just as you would invite your friend, "Mark" and allow him to bring a guest, tell parents who are attending your Super Bowl Party that their child can bring a guest as well.  
The More the merrier!

Lenz Orthodontics

Now...You ARE Ready for Some Football!!

 

 

Good Vibrations

Did you know that there is a faster way to get the smile you have always wanted? It's true...you can actually speed up your treatment time by 38 to 50%! 

You're not going to believe it when we tell you, but there is new technology designed to decrease the time you are in braces or Invisalign by increasing the rate of your tooth movement...and all you have to do is wear a mouthpiece for 20 minutes a day! We know...you don't believe it.

This new technology is called AcceleDent and we are excited to be one of the first practices in Wisconsin to offer this revolutionary new treatment to our patients.

AcceleDent is an easy-to-use, hands-free device that uses gentle micropulses to accelerate bone remodeling and move teeth faster than with just braces or Invisalign alone.

And the best part...AcceleDent is both non-invasive and non-surgical! You can continue to do your regular daily activities while wearing AcceleDent...watching TV, doing homework...even while reading our Blog.

Wearing AcceleDent means that you can get your braces off faster and you'll feel more comfortable during treatment.

Baby It's Cold Outside

With temperatures in the low 20's...who wants to go outside? No one. And when kids can't go outside and play, there really isn't much else for them to do but stay indoors and "plug in". 

Technology today has made it easy for kids to just turn off their brains and turn on the computer or a video game. What happened to the days when kids who where cooped up indoors built forts and played board games? As parent's, we know that we should foster our children's imaginations...but how do we compete with Play Station, Wii, Facebook and the internet? 

As corny as craft projects sound...craft projects really do inspire kids to use their imagination, and "Imagination allows children to develop forces of creativity." 

We found one craft project that actually bring the outdoors indoors. 

What could be better?

When you are all snowmanned and sledded out...and quite frankly just tired of the cold. Get inside where it's warm and gather the kids around the table for some Snow Painting.

It's easy and all you need is snow and a little bit of food coloring.

For detailed instructions on this great indoor project please visit whilewearingheals.

Be sure to share this idea with your friends. And if you liked our snow painting idea...try out another site we found for great winter time craft projects...

The Crafty Crow

New Year - New You

It’s a new year…and you know what that means…a new start in all areas of your life!

Many of you may have already made your New Year’s resolutions, and those resolutions may have been something to the effect of…resolving to save money, spending more time with family and friends or losing weight. But why not make a resolution to improve your dental health?

Our smiles are much more important than many of us realize. Did you know that your smile can help you look younger, relieve stress and live longer? It’s true. The sad thing is...people who are unhappy with their smiles cover them up. And people who have lived their life being self-conscious about their smiles have actually learned to smile without even showing their teeth.

Dr. Lenz is passionate about helping you take the steps you need to improve your smile because he understands how powerful it can be.  He takes pride in helping our patients improve their life experiences by helping them feel good about smiling. If you are one of those people who has been hiding their smile, this year is your time to shine! Make the best resolution you can make for yourself...achieve your goal of a beautiful, full, healthy smile!

Our smiles don’t only improve our lives; they improve the lives of those around us. As they say…a smile is contagious!