Brace Yourself Blog

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.  Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. During dental health month The Smile Specialists offer a program in which we would come visit your school or organization and talk with young children about their teeth.  The focus of the program is to educate children on healthy habits and discuss what happens at the dentist.  The presentation is full of cute and funny teeth pictures, fun facts, as well as hands-on brushing and flossing skills.  We like to ask a lot of questions, get the kids involved in the presentation, and have fun in the process!  If you think you might be interested in scheduling a presentation with your group,…

The greatest gift is our ability to make choices – and of course the freedom to make choices. But do we really give our children enough opportunities to make good choices? We begin by dressing, feeding, and entertaining our children as infants because they are unable to do so, until they have learned for themselves. Our first opportunity to empower them to make choices happens when they learn to speak. Then we can offer them choices and ask them to select. I believe that offering them 2-3 good choices, is good parenting. If I could begin again…rap music would not have been one of the choices. Nor would unlimited video games and or sugared drinks. I would offer movies, games, and books that stimulate the imagination. I would offer those items that teach the lessons of forgiveness, truth, and love. Also, those that free us from fear, jealousy, rage and…

        Young children that are rapidly growing and developing are tremendously flexible.  Bony sutures are still open and not fully fused at early elementary school ages.  This is how our Press-on Incremental Expanders (PIE’s) are able to accomplish palatal expansion so comfortable.         The PIE’s gently guide palatal growth day by day as our 6-10 year old patients wear them.  Parents just have to help remove the smooth appliances from their children’s molar teeth, and their child can brush/floss and press on the next slightly wider appliance before bed time. For most young children we can avoid cemented expanders.  Parents who formerly had to activate a jack-screw appliance are thus able to keep the process more pain-free for their children.  Our appliances are made entirely of plastic- a more forgiving substance than the heavier metal jack-screw appliances. Thus, through palatal growth, we are able to create enough room for tooth…

Ok — We are open to suggestions here! Our office has voted and we want you to respond with your choice and in six months we will update the list. Make sure you vote to help break the two that tied! This list comes from our sixteen staff members. As of now though, here it is… THE BEST of Collegeville… (Within a 5 mile radius) Cheeseburger — Red Robin Soft Pretzel — Philly Soft Pretzel Factory Cupcakes — Sublime Prime Rib — My Friends Tavern Cheese steak — Palermos Salad — Palermos Hoagie — Collegeville Italian Bakery & Primo Pizza — Rocco’s & Palermos Breakfast — Anna Maries French Fries — Rocco’s        

One day as I was browsing Pinterest, I came along a post that said you could clean your grimy shower head with vinegar, and it would come out looking like new! I thought that I had nothing to lose and I gave it a try. I was AMAZED at how clean and shiny my shower head was, it honestly looked brand new. After trying that experiment, I went on to find things that I could use vinegar for. Here is a list of my experiments so far…. Shower Head – Tie a bagger of white distilled vinegar around your shower head and leave it sit over night. Remove the bad and rinse with water. Retainers – Calcium build up on retainers can be soaked in ½ vinegar and ½ water for about 20 minutes. After soaking scrub with toothbrush. Windows – 2 cups of water, ¼ cup white distilled vinegar,…