Stay cool with a braces-friendly summer treat

Summer is here! Kids and adults alike will now be spending more time outside being active and enjoying the hotter temperatures. What’s better on a hot summer day than a delicious treat that will cool you down after doing something active in the summer sun? Luckily, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have just the thing, Watermelon Sorbet! You can find the complete recipe below:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind

Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Happy Summer!

-Dr. Adams and team

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see Dr. Adams for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Adams to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at Adams Orthodontics to schedule an appointment.

A braces-friendly fall recipe, from Adams Orthodontics

Can you believe October is already upon us? October happens to be National Orthodontic Health Month, and this month-long event is organized by our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Today, our team at Adams Orthodontics would like to share a great braces-friendly Halloween recipe with all of our patients, courtesy of the AAAO and “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman. This Spider Bites recipe is delicious, and provided that you remember to brush and floss after indulging, this is a cookie that won’t bite back!

Spider Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 Tsp. salt
• ½ Tsp. baking powder
• 1 package black rope licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces**
• 1 small tube of white (or color of choice) frosting
• Toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs into the mixture and blend. Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder using low-medium speed. Drop tablespoon helpings of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and roll each helping into a ball.

Bake 9 minutes at 375 degrees. The batch should produce around three dozen cookies.

Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then using a toothpick, create four small holes in either side of the cookie. Still using the toothpick, push one end of a piece of the cut licorice into each hole, creating the “legs” of the spider. Once all eight pieces are in place, create eyes or decorate at will using the white frosting. Then eat and enjoy!

**Licorice can sometimes stick to braces; parents should monitor

Dr. Adams presents: A delicious braces-friendly summer wrap!

Now that summer is here in Ottawa, ON, Dr. Adams and our team know that you're probably spending more time outside at picnics, potlucks, and barbecues with friends. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) made an appetizing (and braces-friendly!) summer dish that is sure to delight. Remember, a healthy diet provides essential nutrients and helps you achieve the best possible result from your orthodontic treatment.

Soy Simmered Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 large onions, chunked
• Small flour tortillas (pkg. of ten) wheat or white
• (optional: 10-16 oz. of cooked chopped broccoli)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 2 Tablespoons peach or apricot jam
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

In a slow cooker, or a large pan on the stove, layer the onions and the chicken breast. Allow at least three hours in the slow cooker on medium, or at least one hour on the stove—the longer the better, but you don’t have to do anything to it while it cooks. Spoon out the chicken onto a cutting board, and with a knife and fork, shred the chicken as finely as you’d like. In a small saucepan, stir all sauce ingredients together over medium heat until the mixture starts bubbling, then let it simmer for five minutes on low heat to thicken. In a serving bowl, stir sauce and onion into chicken; if you’d like, add cooked chopped broccoli. Makes about six to eight servings.

Enjoy this great recipe!

-From Dr. Adams and staff

"How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest at Adams Orthodontics!

Dr. Blair Adams and staff have some exciting news to share this Sunday night! The American Association of Orthodontists, which Dr. Adams is a proud member of, is offering a $2,500 academic scholarship to two lucky winners of their "How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest.

All patients at Adams Orthodontics 18 years of age or younger are eligible to enter, and entries are due by June 1st! You can learn more about the contest on the AAO's web site, but here are a few subjects to think about while making your short video:

• What were you like before you had orthodontic treatment at Adams Orthodontics? How have you changed?

• How proud are you of your new smile?

• When did you notice changes in yourself? What kinds of changes have you noticed?

• What would you say to others whose smiles make them self-conscious?

• What does your new smile mean to you?

We think this is a great opportunity and our entire staff at Adams Orthodontics encourage you to enter. If you have additional questions, please give us a call! GOOD LUCK!

Dr. Adams at the AAO Annual Session in Washington D.C.!

To better serve our patients at Adams Orthodontics with highest quality orthodontic care available, Dr. Blair Adams continues to pursue a very active interest in orthodontic advances and always strives to bring his patients the “best of the newest” technologies.

One of the ways Dr. Adams improves our service is by attending important conferences, meetings and seminars, and this past weekend, he was in Washington D.C. attending the 110th AAO Annual Session, an educational event that is one of the largest orthodontic conventions in the world - and one that allows him to consult with orthodontists from around the country and stay up-to-date on all the latest technologies and orthodontic treatment options available. This, in turn, allows Dr. Adams to give you, our wonderful patients, the best treatment experience possible.

Besides being a proud member of the American Association of Orthodontists, Dr. Adams is a member of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, the Canadian Orthodontic Association, Northeastern Society of Orthodontists, Ontario Association of Orthodontists, Ontario Dental Association, Ottawa Dental Society, Progressive Orthodontic Study Group and the Ottawa Orthodontic Study Group.

If you've got an appointment scheduled with Dr. Adams soon, we encourage you to ask him about his trip, including what he learned and how continuing education and acquisition of new technology helps us treat you more effectively at Adams Orthodontics.

Parsing through the myths and facts about orthodontics, from Dr. Adams

Dr. Blair Adams knows there are quite a few myths about orthodontists (and orthodontics) floating around these days. But before you buy into those myths, he thinks you should get the facts! We came across a great site that helps set the record straight. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have some excellent information on the myths and facts of orthodontics. We encourage you to check them out today!

If you have any questions about orthodontics or your treatment here at Adams Orthodontics, feel free to give us a call at 613-748-1252.

Happy Tuesday!