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Happy Columbus Day!

What is Columbus Day? 

As the second Monday in October is approaching very quickly we are almost ready to celebrate Columbus Day. On October 12 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived in America, today we celebrate Columbus Day over an extended long weekend holiday. Many of us spend Columbus Day together with family or friends enjoying good food and good times. It’s important to enjoy yourself over Columbus Day but also to be careful especially if you are undergoing orthodontic treatment.

We understand that accidents over the course of the Columbus Day holiday can happen and it can be very difficult to receive treatment especially with our offices facing shortened hours. If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention feel free to check through our website for a number of quick fixes that you can make to orthodontic appliances to ensure your short-term comfort.

Are you going away for Columbus Day? 

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If you are going away for Columbus Day or spending time with friends is also very important that you keep track of any removable appliances. For patients that use retainers or Invisalign dental aligners it’s very important that they keep track of their appliances and continue to use them over the course of the holiday. We understand that sometimes appliances can be lost or damaged over the long weekend and if this occurs make sure to phone into our answering service or e-mail us directly so that we can order you a replacement appliance as soon as possible.

If you go without your appliance for a long period of time it can greatly impact the length of your treatment and extend the length of your treatment. Make sure to continue wearing your appliance and to keep track of it especially when you are traveling, it can be a costly expense to replace it. Enjoying Columbus Day with friends and family may also affect your diet especially if you have a permanent orthodontic appliance. Make sure to consider your food options before going out to an event.

It is important to consider that their are certain foods you will need to avoid in order to maintain your oral health. For a description of the foods that you should best avoid over Columbus Day feel free to consult our website on some of the foods to avoid with braces.

Beach Braces 1730 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Suite B, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 TEL: 310-379-0006 Fax: (310) 379-7051.

Happy Columbus day!

Opperation

Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude: A Candy Buyback

With Halloween fast approaching, there are many orthodontists that are looking for solutions to steer their patients away from all of the sugar and junk that could ruin the progress of their orthodontic treatment. Luckily there is a solution and it comes in the form of operation gratitude which is a candy buyback program for orthodontists and dentists. 

US Army

first_msc via Flickr

As children collect candy for Halloween and throughout the Halloween season,  participating orthodontists can encourage them to hold back on eating the candy and to collect it. At an appropriate time participating practices will be able to buy back the stockpiles of candy and in exchange give children coupons for food, services, toothbrushes or other creative exchanges. After the orthodontists and dentists collect all of this candy up and exchange it, they are asked to send the candy off to operation gratitude.

Where does all the candy go?

Operation gratitude then bundles up all of the candy that is collected from practices across North America to eventually send the candy along with supplies in the operation gratitude program which is a military support group designated to support US military troops. All of these candies and supplies will eventually be sent overseas and deployed to US military troops who are in harms way.

The program is a big win for orthodontists as it can work to reduce any October issues in orthodontic and oral care. The program also works to benefit American soldiers were deployed in harm’s way and gives them a much-needed morale boost. Many practices that participate in this program experience overwhelming support and the children, who have been told to avoid candy throughout October, certainly enjoy getting some type of treat in exchange for their Halloween efforts.

Halloween is a fun time of year for kids and there is no reason why they should have to miss out because they are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. Kids with orthodontic appliances can still go out and collect candy and with a program like this one orthodontic office can still reward them for taking part in the Halloween season.

The program has been widely successful and this year will be shipping its 1 millionth care package on December 7, 2013. Operation gratitude runs entirely on donations and even some money is needed to handle the shipping costs for their care packages. Donations can be made via the website, or at any one of the orthodontic candy buyback programs that occur throughout early November and October.

For more information contact our office by clicking here, alternatively post any comments on our Facebook wall.

Beach Braces 1730 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Suite B, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 TEL: 310-379-0006 Fax: (310) 379-7051.

Operation Gratitude

emergency treatment

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day!

Labor Day is one of the last great weekends of summer so is very important you get out and enjoy the long weekend before returning to work or school. We understand that Labor Day is filled with lots of activities, food, family and fun and we hope that you can have a safe and wonderful long weekend.

emergency treatment

As always we do understand that accidents can happen especially over the long weekend. People enjoy getting out and being active and sometimes this can lead to you damaging your  orthodontic appliances. While our office does have restricted hours throughout the long weekend we are available to book appointments and our answering service is always available throughout the long weekend.

Should you have any issues with your orthodontic appliance or need an emergency adjustment, we can quickly get you in and scheduled for an appointment after Labor Day.

On our You Tube channel you can also find information on how to make quick adjustments to your orthodontic appliances as a temporary measure, so you can enjoy being comfortable over your long weekend.

For some of our patients that have removable appliances it’s very important to mention that appliances like Invisalign and retainers need to be worn consistently through the holiday weekend. Make sure that you remember your appliances if you are travelling and that you are using them for the recommended amount of time each and every day.

Remember also to take care of your oral health and should you have any type of non-removable appliances to keep to your dietary restrictions as outlined on our website and by Dr Panucci. Avoiding certain foods can help to maintain your oral health. If you are camping for the weekend make sure to take appropriate food as well as everything that you need to keep your braces clear of debris. Being prepared is the best step towards being comfortable and making sure that your treatment progresses.

If you need any advice about foods that you should avoid, feel free to call us or contact our office.

Beach Braces 1730 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Suite B, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 TEL: 310-379-0006 Fax: (310) 379-7051.

Happy Labor Day!