Four Flavorful Fall Smoothies

With Fall in full swing and with it the hectic holidays just a step further down the road, we thought we’d put together a list of a few fall-themed smoothies that can serve as a great (and easy!) breakfast or after school snack.

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie
If you’re a pumpkin fan, this smoothie is for you! While pumpkin is a trendy item, especially this time of year, what you might not know is pumpkin has both fiber and protein which makes for a healthy and filling smoothie.

• 2 tablespoons canned pure pumpkin
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 banana, frozen
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• ¼ cup ice

Helpful tip: If you’re finding that you have several over ripened bananas that you aren’t able to eat in time, toss them in a freezer bag! Frozen bananas are the perfect addition to smoothies and help make preparation even easier for those hectic weekday mornings. 

Cranberry, Pear, & Orange Smoothie
That’s quite a mouthful, and trust us, you’ll love this nutrient-packed smoothie!  It chocked full of filling fiber from the pear, Vitamin C from the orange, and antioxidants from the cranberries. If you’re using whole cranberries for the first time, this smoothie might be a bit tart! Add a bit of extra honey to tone down the tart zing.

• ¾ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 pear, core removed & chopped
• 1 small orange
• ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon honey

Feeling adventurous? Add in any of the items below to give this smoothie even MORE flavor!

• A handful of fresh spinach
• A frozen or fresh banana
• A few frozen strawberries, blueberries, mango, or pineapple
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Caramel Apple Smoothie
This smoothie is a great alternative to the traditional sticky treat and delivers all of the delicious flavor! Smoothie staples Greek yogurt and almond milk add filling protein and frozen banana adds plenty of sweetness.

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• ½ cup applesauce
• ¼  tsp caramel extract
• Caramel sauce & cinnamon for topping

Recipe swap: This recipe is very adaptable - the trick is to use what you have! Experiment with different types of milk and yogurt. If you don’t have caramel extract on hand, add a bit of caramel sauce right to the blender! Many of the applesauce pouches that are so popular with kids come in fun flavors too. The options are endless, have some fun with it!

Green Monster Smoothie
When you are ready to move on from using spinach in your green smoothies, Swiss chard is a great next step. Swiss chard has a delicate flavor and softer leaves that blend well in most blenders. It is actually in the same family (amaranthaceae) as spinach and beets!

• 2-3 cups Swiss chard, destemmed and roughly chopped
• 2-3 ripe bananas, fresh or frozen
• 1 tart green apple, chopped
• 1 medium whole grapefruit, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup white cranberry juice or water
• 2 cups ice

This recipe makes plenty, so freeze individual portions for those extra hectic mornings!

Loose Wires and Broken Brackets

Photo provided by oralb.com

We know even despite your best efforts, the wires and bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens, please contact Hinesly Orthodontics as soon as possible so that we can check and repair your appliance. If any piece of your appliance comes off, be sure to save it and bring it to the office with you.

In an emergency, you can temporarily fix the loose wire by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to carefully and gently push the wire back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain until your appointment.

Don't hesitate to reach out to us at in our Ann Arbor office at (734) 769-7600 or our Tecumseh office at (517) 423-6300 immediately if you experience any issue with your braces. 

We’ve All Suffered From Pizza Burn, Right?

According to Gallop Poll, approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the US every year, and we consume about 251,777,000 pounds of pizza per year. If you’ve done your fair share of eating some of the 3 billion pizzas sold nationwide, then chances are you’ve also had your time of suffering from pizza burn. Pizza burn can happen in that micro second it takes to indulge in your first bite of that hot, cheesy, saucy pizza that you just could not wait to bite into. Though burns may be a little out of the orthodontists’ league, we wanted to take a second anyway and give you some helpful tips to get you through the pizza burn pain. When it comes to your mouth, Hinesly Orthodontics has you covered.

So whether it is a pizza burn, or another hot food you should have waited on before biting into, chances are you’ve burned your mouth before. There are several symptoms that can occur with this unfortunate mishap, from tears in the roof of your mouth to blisters. Check out these important steps to take to soothe your mouth next time you have this accident, and help it heal correctly.

Applying or sucking on ice can relieve the stinging. Gargling cold water or eating ice cream are other options.

An over-the-counter pain reliever can help, if the pain is really distracting.

Squeezing Vitamin E from a capsule over the wound can speed up healing. It will regenerate new tissue and heal the wound.

Resist touching the burned area. This may be difficult, but by touching the affected area, the lesion may become irritated further.

Drinking milk can coat the scorched area.

Avoid acidic, crunchy, and other hot foods, or even very salty and spicy dressings. This will stop the burn from getting irritated further.

Maintain good oral hygiene while your mouth is burnt, keeping it as clean as possible to promote healing and prevent further infection.

Make sure you allow your burn to heal; it usually takes about a week for soreness and blistering to pass. Also, let us know if you have any home remedies that we didn’t list, or any interesting stories about a time you burned your mouth. Leave a comment or post it on our Facebook wall! Also, check out this video we found with more helpful tips for fighting pizza burn!

Back To School With Braces

Caring for braces especially for students in school can be quiet hectic due to the restrictive devotions to maintain the braces and for this reason, Hinesly Orthodontics has decided to put up an article which will make caring for orthodontic braces easy in school. As a student who just had an orthodontic treatment, you should be rest assured that it is the best that can happen to give you the perfect smile again but the care for your teeth and gums help make it very effective. Take a look at your new braces, you can notice a lot of nooks and crannies that can trap food and plaque and that means a great risk of tooth decay is imminent if not properly cared for, therefore you need to pay special attention to cleaning your teeth. This might look hectic but right here the team of Hinesly Orthodontics has a few great tips to keep your braces in top condition.

1. WATCH YOUR DIET

As an orthodontic patient with braces, it is very important for you to select your diet with caution. We know that there are several foods in school which tastes great but don't look great in your braces. Certain foods can either break a bracket or some foods are sugary and can have negative effects on the natural ability to brush behind the bracket. Be sure to make decisions on foods based on what is healthy, tasty, and won't harm your brackets.

Food to avoid: As an orthodontic patient we would advise that you desist from:

• Sticky or gooey foods 
• Hard foods
• Sugary foods
• Acidic drinks 

2. WEAR A MOUTHGUARD
With braces on your teeth, you might be wondering if you should desist from sports or retire from being the captain of your favorite sports team, but the truth is orthodontics does not affect your ability to play sports. You can keep on with your braces and sports if and only if you have your mouth guard on. Mouth guards are safety measures that can mean the difference between just a bruised, fat lips and thousands spent in orthodontics repair work. While you are in any kind of physical activity (including gym classes), it is advisable that you wear a mouth guard which can protect your teeth and braces from flying sports balls, swinging elbows or an accidental fall or hit.

3. BRUSH AND FLOSS REGULARLY
Braces can easily trap food, and this trapped food can lead to other inimical dental problems. Because of this, it is very important to brush your teeth after every meal and to floss at least once a day.

4. DON'T CHEW ON PENCILS
Pencils, pen, and rulers are all hard objects and most times when you get bored, anxious or plainly destructive you are tempted to chew on them in class. Obviously, this can be destructive in the moment and can be grossly inimical over time. It is important that you don't practice these habits while wearing braces.

We know that maintaining braces in school is can be tough. That is why we ensure to give you the best plans of action to help you out.

For more questions and inquiries that you may have, we are always at your service. You can always contact Hinesly Orthodontics.

There's No Age Limit On A Beautiful and Healthy Smile

Don't let age stop you from having the straight teeth you've always dreamed of. Braces aren't just for kids anymore. Parents are still making regular trips to the orthodontist's office, but these days more and more are leaving their kids in the waiting room.

As you age, your teeth break down. Unfortunately, it's one of the most visible signs of aging. As teeth wear, the lower and the upper jaw move closer together. Shortening of your teeth causes your lips to change, creases to form on the sides of your nose and mouth, a deep crease develops between your chin and lower lip and jowls develop on the sides of your jaw. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can also contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay and abnormal wear of the tooth enamel.

Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Numerous technological advances have made braces less noticeable, less painful and even less time-consuming.

As America's baby boomers have become more health conscious, they're rejecting the notion that loosing teeth and dentures are a routine part of growing older. These days people are exercising more and eating healthier and braces are another way of demonstrating that you care about yourself and your overall health. Some adults shy away from braces because they want to avoid having a mouth full of metal. Fortunately, with the advancement of technology we have also advanced our treatment options.

Options for adult braces include:

Traditional metal braces

"Clear" ceramic braces

Ceramic braces are similar to traditional braces, but their brackets are made of tooth-colored

porcelain, and so only the connecting wires are visible.

Lingual braces

These braces are attached to the back of the teeth, facing the tongue. Though you cannot see lingual braces, they can be irritating to the tongue and may be more difficult for your orthodontist to adjust.

Clear aligners

Clear aligners are custom-fitted, removable appliances that are placed over your teeth. The major advantages are that aligners are essentially invisible and are easier to clean than braces because they can be removed during eating. You will wear each set of aligners for about two weeks, and then put on a new pair to further adjust your teeth. 

                

Don't let you age be the reason you pursue a healthy and beautiful smile. Contact us today for a consultation to find out what treatment options may be best for you. 

Benefits Of A Beautiful Smile

Everyone wants a naturally aligned and beautiful smile, and it is no secret that orthodontic braces or clear aligner therapy can help deliver one. There are greater benefits to wearing braces than just having straight teeth. You will gain many oral benefits in addition to cosmetic ones.

Oral Health: Crooked and/or crowded teeth often overlap each other making it difficult to keep those tight spaces clean.  Brushing and flossing become more difficult allowing bacteria and plaque to build up.  This can eventually lead to periodontal disease and decay. With orthodontic treatment your teeth will become properly aligned which will allow more effective brushing.

Speech Impediments: The position of you teeth play a role in speech.  When the dentition is out of alignment, either the teeth are too far out or pushed back too far, this can affect speaking patterns and possibly cause embarrassment and frustration.  Orthodontic treatment can readjust the positioning of the teeth to allow for clearer and more professional speech.

TMJ prevention: TMJ (Temporomanibular Joint) can be prevented by receiving braces as orthodontic treatment. TMJ can occur from stress on the jaw joint in people that have an incorrect bit pattern or misalignment of the bite. Teeth that have been aligned by braces also have a better bite pattern and this helps with chewing.

Our goal is to the enhance the quality of life for those who come to us for their orthodontic health care. If you have any questions regarding braces as orthodontic treatment feel free to contact us today.

Hinesly Orthodontics 

Tecumseh Office 

126 Herrick Park Dr.

Tecumseh, MI 49286

(517) 423-6300 office

Ann Arbor Office

2433 Oak Valley Dr., Ste. 200

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

(734) 769-7600 office

Dentist vs Orthodontist

Recently there has been a lack of understanding about who should be providing your orthodontic care. Most patients contemplate on whether they should seek treatment for braces or clear aligners from their general family dentist, or a certified orthodontic specialist. Making the decision to get orthodontic treatment is an important one that will affect your dental health for a lifetime, so it’s important that consumers are informed of the significant differences in care between a certified orthodontist and a general dentist.

In reality, just like not all doctors are the same, the same fact is true when it comes to dentistry. Did you know that all orthodontists are dentists, but only 7% of dentists are orthodontist? This is determined by training, as all general dentists complete 8,000 hours of dental training for their dental degrees, orthodontists start with this same training and continue on with over 4,000-6,000 hours in an accredited residency program to learn orthodontic basics. A general dentist is wonderful for routine dental work, but the scope of their practice is preventive, cosmetic, and restorative. Orthodontists, on the other hand, are trained specialist and have the expertise in smile and facial aesthetics, jaw function, facial growth and development, tooth movement, alignment of teeth and jaws, and straightening of teeth. Thus, orthodontists have the best experience, judgement, and certifications to give the best orthodontic treatment for all patients with braces.

You will notice today several general dentists are advertising orthodontic care such as Invisalign, as well as offering special discounts for these treatments. We urge you to recognize that these general dentists are not orthodontic specialists recognized by the American Dental Association.

At Hinesly Orthodontics we understand that your smile is priceless and want you to be confident in knowing that our orthodontic office is the clear choice for braces.