Guard That Smile

Does your child play a contact sport? 

Photo provided by www.oralanswers.com

Appletree Orthodontics wants to remind patients, coaches and athletes to play it safe when suiting up for recreational and organized sports.  

Since April is National Facial Protection Month, we wanted to share some information with you about a small piece of safety equipment that can make a big difference in preventing head or facial injuries...a Mouth Guard. 

While we encourage everyone to play sports, we also want to encourage everyone to stay safe. Appletree Orthodontics hopes that if you are playing sports this year, that you guard your goal of a healthy straight smile by wearing a mouth guard. Each year, more than 2.6 million children 19 years of age and younger are treated in hospital emergency departments for sports and recreation-related injuries. This fact alone should tell you just how important it is to protect your teeth and your orthodontic appliances with a mouth guard. 

Mouth guards are made of flexible material that is fitted to protect your upper and lower teeth. Mouth guards help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue or jaw. 

We want all of our patient athletes to be equipped with the proper mouth guard to ensure they are protected and comfortable. Please contact Appletree Orthodontics if you have any further questions regarding protecting your smile or purchasing mouth guards.  

Mouth guards are a smart investment for your health, so be sure to make the use of a mouth guard a routine.

The Breakfast Club

Photo Provided by crackerbarrel.com

Waking in the morning is already be a daunting task, not to mention the fact that you have to try and muster up the energy to prepare for the full day ahead. 

There is one sure fire way to get an extra boost in the morning…eat breakfast.  

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Who are “They”? And why do they say this? Well…”They" are those doctors and scientists who have spent their life’s work figuring out ways to help us be a healthier society…so it’s probably safe to say that we can trust them. 

When they say that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s because eating breakfast not only provides you with the energy you need for a productive day, but it is also helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but did you know that skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult? People who skip breakfast tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or they eat high-calorie snacks when they get hungry throughout the day. 

While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform at their best, kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains need regular refueling often. When kids skip breakfast, they don't get what they need to be at their best. Studies show that children who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more often than children who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Preparing a good breakfast can be as quick and easy as splashing some milk over cereal or making oatmeal or a healthy smoothie. 

Feeling short on time in the morning? Enroll your children in a school breakfast program or pack a breakfast that they can eat on their way to school. 

3 Tips for Starting Your Day the Healthy Way 

• Purchase portable breakfast items such as fruit, yogurt or breakfast bars. 
• Get up 10-15 minutes earlier than you usually do in the morning to eat breakfast. Waking up earlier will allow you to make sure you have time to set and eat in the morning. And when you think about it…15 minutes is not that big of a deal, it’s like 1 less hit of the snooze button. 
• Replace drinking a cup of coffee with drinking a glass of milk or orange juice as both are proven to provide natural energy. 

Always remember…make sure that the foods you are consuming for breakfast are healthy and good for your body and your oral health.