Smiles on Spring Break

Halloween Candy Buy Back

On November 2nd 2010, Adams and Gimlen Orthodontics participated in our first annual Halloween Candy Buy Back. We had an amazing response from our patients, 190 pounds of candy were collected and delivered to Operation Gratitude.




Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed in harm's way. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.




From our Military overseas:
“I want to personally thank you for sending Operation Gratitude care packages. It meant a great deal to me and the other Soldiers to receive letters from children and a box of goodies. I thank you for all your support of the Soldiers. For many of us this is our first time away from our families for this long and also away from our homes for the holidays. It is people like you who give us a smile, give us a moment of joy, and that we appreciate for the support from the American people.” R.T.Mac

“Thank you for the care package and the well wishes from those who support your efforts. My name is Sergeant First Class B.R. I am currently deployed in Southern Iraq on a base called COB Basrah. We arrived here in the last month of Operation Iraqi Freedom and are now working for Operation New Dawn. With this new mission come new challenges. One of the reflections of this mission is not only the drawdown of forces, but the drawdown in services and supplies while we are here. The comfort and hygiene items you sent came at a perfect time. Our PX has been short on both items so they are all the more appreciated. I wasted no time in dishing them out to the guys. And thanks to you I was able to take care of my troops. I made their day a little more comfortable and you all made us feel loved, supported, and appreciated. Some of my guys here have not had much support from back home in the way of letters or mail so this was a good consolation for them as well. Again, thank you for the package, the support, and notes of encouragement.” Sincerely, a grateful Soldier, SFC B.K.R

From a Military Mom who did not get to celebrate Christmas with her son:
"My son and his fiancé serve with the USS Abraham Lincoln (currently in the Gulf) and she contacted me yesterday about receiving one of your boxes. Pam couldn't believe all the stuff that people had donated. She said she cried reading the letters enclosed because she didn't understand why anyone cared. I told her Americans are grateful for her service, and she replied, 'Yes, but to take time out of their busy days to collect and donate, to write me a letter, to pay for postage... all for someone they've never met?' ...... To receive this package right before Christmas did more good for Pam than the donors will ever realize. It had been a long hard week for her over there, and the upcoming holiday wasn't making it better. Like a knight in shining armor you stepped in and delivered a box of joy to a very special sailor. Thank you"



At Adams and Gimlen Orthodontics we not only seek to improve the smiles of our patients, but we believe we should help to improve the community and world we live in.

Sandpipers

Adams and Gimlen Orthodontics are proud to be supporters of Sandpipers. We are official ticket vendors for the Sandpipers Holiday Home Tour event held the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December. Come in and purchase your tickets to tour 4 beautiful homes in the South Bay. Each ticket is 25 dollars and completely tax deductible. There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than supporting a great organization like Sandpipers.

Silly Band Winners

Congratulations to our silly band contest winners!!!

Cami Kaplanis, Page Moore and Jonathan Felker

Tongue piercings linked to gap between teeth

by British Dental Health Foundation
Playing with a pierced tongue stud could lead to a gap between the front teeth. A new study suggested that tongue piercings could be a major cause of unnecessary orthodontic issues. The report claimed that those with tongue piercings were likely to push the metal stud up against their teeth and consequently cause gaps and other problems to arise.
The research was carried out at the University at Buffalo in New York.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said the study highlighted the risks that tongue piercings have on oral health.
“It’s certainly something to think about before going out to get a tongue piercing. The temptation of playing with the stud in the mouth would be very high and in time this could lead to hundreds of pounds worth of corrective treatment,” Dr Carter said. “The results of this study stress the risks that are associated with tongue piercings. As well as causing an apparent gap, oral piercings can also lead to chipped teeth and infection.”
“In order to avoid such health problems in the future, along with the spiraling costs of any related treatment, I would advise people to stay clear of tongue piercings,” Dr Carter said.
Sawsan Tabbaa, lead author of the study, said that “force, over time, moves teeth” and that the results are caused by people playing with their studs crop up in a “very high percent of the cases.”
A professor of orthodontics at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Tabbaa, explained that tooth damage was common in both past and current case studies.
The current study featured a 26 year-old female patient and showed that a space between the upper front teeth had appeared during a period of seven years, as the metal bar was pushed against and between the teeth.
The patient provided researchers with photographs to show that she had no diastema before having her tongue pierced. It was strongly thought that positioning of the tongue stud between the maxillary central incisors caused the midline space between the front teeth.
The only solution was for the patient to wear a fixed brace for an extensive period of time.
The author concluded that tongue piercings could result in serious injuries, not just to teeth but said they have also been associated with haemorrhages, infections, trauma to the gums and, in the worst cases, brain abscesses.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics

Researchers say the best teeth whitener is fruit

A recent study by Harvard University revealed that eating fruit daily is the best way to whiten teeth. Through a three-month clinical study, it was determined that strawberries, orange peels, and lemon juice are the most effective teeth whiteners in the world.
Strawberries can be made into a puree and smothered on the teeth.
Strawberries have a natural enzyme that removes tooth stains, according to TeethWhitener.net. Orange peels can be used to remove tooth stains, just by rubbing the inside of a peel against tooth surfaces.
A little lemon juice and salt work very well to remove stains just wash your mouth out with this, or even rock salt and warm water will work at night to remove stains.
Baking soda has long been known to work wonders for smiles. It may taste awful, however adding baking soda on a toothbrush along with mouthwash can help alleviate the negative taste. Also a strawberry mixture added to baking soda/peroxide not only adds a sweet taste to the concotion, but is yet another effective whitener.
It is best to not drink coffee, tea, colas or red wine, which are all known to stain teeth and cause some decay of the enamel. Apples and potatoes can cause discoloration, but they also tend to clean off the teeth. Mouth washing is important after eating apples.
Also, stop or slow down tobacco use, as both dipping and smoking can cause tooth discoloration. Avoid mouthwash, as it sometimes will stain teeth. Finally, remember that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Going to the dentist once or twice a year for a cleaning and checkup is strongly suggested.