Candy Buy Back Program

Halloween is right around the corner and Aspire Orthodontics’ “Operation Gratitude: Candy BuyBack” program for the troops is on its heels.

Patients and members of the community are asked to donate their leftover, unwanted or unneeded candy on Nov. 1. Aspire Orthodontics on Chambliss Avenue in Suite A will give $1 per pound of candy donated. There is a 10-pound limit per donor.

The program brought in 200 pounds of sweets last November.

“We would have been happy with 100 pounds, because it was our first year,” said Marlene Rogers, new-patient coordinator. “We definitely want to exceed 200 pounds this year.”

Aspire needs help from the community to reach that goal.

“We want the community to come to our event,” Rogers said. “We were really pleased with the outcome last year. If we could get an even greater turnout this year, then that would be wonderful.”

Patients at Aspire receive fliers for the Nov. 1 event. They are encouraged to spread the news to neighbors, friends and colleagues. Aspire’s doors will be open for candy drop-offs from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

“As responsible orthodontists, especially if it is candy they cannot eat, and as members of the community and U.S. citizens, we wanted to keep the fun while supporting our troops overseas,” Rogers said. “All the candy will be given and shipped overseas to our troops. We just feel it is a true way to lift their spirits.”

Rogers said she hopes children become excited about the program, as well.

“Our Candy BuyBack program is an opportunity to get children involved in a charitable act and allow them to truly show their support for our troops overseas in harm’s way,” Rogers said.

Collected candy will be sent to Operation Gratitude’s base at the California Army National Guard in Van Nuys, Cal. All candy will then be shipped overseas to the troops. A total of 125 tons (over 250,000 pounds) were collected nationwide through buy-back programs in dental and orthodontist offices.

Letters and notes of gratitude to the troops are also accepted with the candy.

“Contributors can write a note to show their appreciation to the troops by thanking them for everything they do. It’s a nice way to express gratitude to the soldiers.”

Any candy donated must be wrapped.

“We will not collect any open pieces of candy,” Rogers said. “Individual pieces are welcomed. They do not need to come in a bag, as long as they are in their original wrappers.”

Contributors may donate as much candy as they want. Compensation will stop at $10. This means an individual could donate a truck full of candy, but the compensation maximum would remain $10.

Rogers said she thanks patients and members alike and hopes they will come out again for this year’s event

Read more: Cleveland Daily Banner - It’s a sweet deal

What you need to know before getting braces

Feb 03, 2011 9:29 PM by Suzi Milovanovic

Rate this Article:

Brace Face Who wouldn't want a great smile complete with sparkling white teeth all perfectly aligned in a row? Braces can help achieve this image, but ask anyone who wore dental braces as a teenager about the experience and many will shudder from the memory. Emblazoned in their memories are the endless taunts about their mouth full of metal brackets, bulky headgear and unforgettable terms like "brace face." If you're on the starting block of the brace race, there are things you need to know that will make the process easier and help you understand what to expect. How long you will wear braces Treatment periods for braces vary, but as a general rule, the more severe the problem, the longer it will take to correct. Some problems are corrected in just six months, while other problems can take several years. Once braces are removed, plan to wear a retainer that will help keep the newly aligned teeth in place. Visiting your orthodontist Frequent check-ups before, during and after the braces treatment period is to be expected. Braces work by gradually moving the teeth into a new and proper alignment, so gentle activations may be applied during your regular adjustment visits, usually every 6 weeks or so. Do braces hurt? There is really no reason to be anxious about getting the braces put on your teeth, but there may be mild soreness or discomfort after the orthodontic wire is engaged, lasting anywhere from a few days to a week. Most people experience some discomfort the first 4 days to a week after their braces, expanders and/or wires are placed and after a wire adjustment and/or an activation appointment. Your lips and cheeks may need one to two weeks to get used to the braces as well. The cost of braces Don't be frightened, but the typical cost of braces will be somewhere around $3,500 to $9,000 altogether, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done. For those with very crowded or crooked teeth, you can expect to pay more towards the higher end of those numbers. Check with your insurance prior to venturing into braces for what is covered before, during and after treatment. If you are foregoing insurance, be sure to get an itemized quote from the orthodontist and remember that everything is negotiable. Cleaning braces You will need to be extra thorough with cleaning while you wear braces since the brackets and wires will attract and hold food particles. There are a lot more angles that you have to be mindful of in order to properly clean your teeth during the treatment period. We are not all born with great teeth, but dental braces can certainly help make it seem like we were, not only to look better but to have healthier teeth as well. More on braces Brace yourself: Braces for adults 8 Facts about braces 3 Ways braces have changed since you were a kid Tags: braces orthodontics

As Phyllis Diller once said, “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” Making someone smile brightens their day and is one of the most generous things which you can do. Smile has a rippling effect that touches the whole community. Imagine if you spilled coffee on your dress or you are stuck in the traffic jam. Whatever may happen, you must never lose that pretty smile on your face. One great benefit of smile is that it chases the blues. So, all you need to do is smile at someone and make them happy. This activates the serotonin levels in the brain, which in turn fights stress and cause you joy. This article mainly focuses on some of the hidden benefits of smiling, which is the key for a happy and healthy life! So, read on…
Smile Your Way to Better Health!
Below are some of the health benefits of smiling, which most of us are aware of, but fail to practice:

• Makes You Feel Better
  When you smile, it does create positive vibes and makes you feel better. You can experiment it yourself by smiling for about a minute. See and feel the difference. Your mood shifts towards more happiness. These means that even if you are not happy and still fake a smile, you will actually start feeling a lot better.
• Reduces Blood Pressure
  Research has shown that smiling does bring a huge difference in the blood pressure. You can also experiment this by having your blood pressure checked. Ask your doctor to let you smile for a minute or two after the first readings. Now you will know the difference in both the reading! So, all you need to do is say cheese!
• Boosts the Immune System
  The immune system helps you to stay healthy by keeping all the infections at bay. Studies have stated that a smile can boost your immune system by reducing your chance of getting infections. So, here is another reason for you to smile!
• Busts Stress
  Now one of the ten-point Scout Law for the Sea Scout troop was “A scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties.” Now, I understand why Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the scoutmaster made this rule for all the scout boys and girls. The next time you are low, tired, despondent, or overwhelmed, have that beautiful smile on your face for some minutes and feel the change! It is an excellent method to uplift one’s mood and energy. So, why don’t you try it yourself!
• Releases Happy Chemicals
  A happy smile can actually make you feel happy by releasing serotonin, endorphins, and other biochemical substances in your body. So, release these ‘happy smile chemicals’ and feel the difference!
• Smiling Eases Pain
  So, the next time you have a pounding headache, take some aspirin and call a fun loving friend. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Pain, people who put on a happy face during any uncomfortable situation or procedure felt less pain than those who grimaced. So, isn’t it easy to fight pain smiling?
• Makes You Live longer
  This simple act of smile can make a huge difference between life and death. Have you ever thought about it? I don’t think so… Researchers from the University of Illinois have studied that positive people lived more on an average of about four to ten years longer than their peers did. However, the key to good health is to have a genuine smile, but not a fake one. So, don’t bury your emotions and force a grin. Instead of it, start thinking of things that makes you happy and start smiling for a longer life!

So, these are some of the benefits of smiling. Make it a point to practice giving a happy smile whenever you can. Here’s a small smiling homework for you:

• When you get up in the morning, make it a point to wake up with a smile. Hold the smile for a minute.
• Next, when you make you talk to someone, make an eye-to-eye contact and offer a happy smile. This does lift the mood of both you and the recipient.
• As soon, as you feel negativity creeping you, smile for a while and watch the difference!
• Decide this very minute that you would start smiling as often as you can to reap all the above-mentioned benefits.

I hope that this would surely change your life at home, work, and socially. So, start smiling and open the doors for a happy and healthy Life!

Gingivitis, the first stage of periodontal disease, starts when the bacteria in dental plaque irritate the gums and cause infection. Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to more serious conditions...

About the AAP

Contact Us

 

What Is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis, the first stage of periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, starts when the bacteria in dental plaque irritate the gums and cause infection. Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to more serious conditions.

Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal (gum) disease. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene, which leads to plaque buildup.
Other factors that may contribute to gingivitis include, diabetes, smoking, aging, genetic predisposition, systemic diseases and conditions, stress, inadequate nutrition, puberty, hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, substance abuse, HIV infection, and certain medication use.
The bacteria in dental plaque irritate the gums and cause infection. When your body launches an immune response against these invaders, the gums become inflamed. People with gingivitis usually experience little or no discomfort. Therefore, it is important to recognize the symptoms, such as gums that are red, swollen or bleed easily.
Gingivitis can be reversed with professional treatment and good home oral care. However, if gingivitis is left untreated, it can advance to periodontitis.

National Cheeseburger Day

When : Always September 18th National Cheeseburger Day is today. Top off America's favorite sandwich, with a piece of cheese. The food industry makes it a point to celebrate a wide variety of foods. We believe the Cheeseburger certainly earns a special day. Celebrate National Cheeseburger Day by firing up the grill, and cooking cheeseburgers. You can do so for lunch or dinner.... or both! Any kind of cheese will do. Try a different cheese, if your adventuresome. For the carb conscious, eat your burgers without the buns. Watch for....... luncheon and dinner specials today at your local restaurants. Tops on the specials board certainly should be cheeseburgers!

Book Lovers Day

When : August 9th and/or first Saturday in November.

Book Lovers Day encourages you to find a place in the shade to relax with a good book.

Book reading is a great hobby. It's an important one, too. Employers look for it on resumes. Reading is educational, informative, and relaxing. It makes us both smarter, and happier people.

Book Lovers Day is a great day to celebrate. Just grab an interesting book, find a quiet, cozy place, and crack open the cover. Celebrating Book Lovers Day in August is pleasurable on the deck, under a shady tree, poolside, or in a cozy hammock. If you fall asleep while reading, that's okay. It's all part of the relaxing benefits of being a book lover.  

National Hot Dog Day

When : July 23rd

 National Hot Dog Day celebrates one of America's favorite summer sandwiches. It is only fitting that this dog gets its day.

Its summertime. Hot dogs are center stage on the grill, and at picnics all across America. They are at the ballpark. They are sold from carts on street corners in every city. It's not hard to find them. We consume hundreds of millions of hot dogs on the Fourth of July alone.

Enjoy National Hot Dog Day to the fullest. Have a couple of hot dogs for lunch or dinner. And, don't forget to cook a few on a stick at the evening campfire.

What's in a hot dog? Don't' ask, and we won't tell. Sometimes, its best if you don't know.

Happy National Hot Dog Day!

The companion for  National Hot Dog Day is National Mustard Day

---

How many Hot Dogs do we eat?
We consume so many hot dogs, in so many venues, that the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council hesitates to forecast consumption. But, it does report that each year we buy over 837 million packages of hot dogs at retail outlets, and over 24 million hot dogs at baseball stadiums alone. 

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

When : Always June 7th

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is a great day to eat America's favorite flavor of ice cream.

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is a field day for ice cream makers. However, we probably don't need any additional incentive to eat Chocolate Ice Cream. And, with the arrival of warm, summer weather, cooling off with a little (or a lot) of chocolate ice cream is a natural.

Celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day by enjoying it a few times today. It's as simple as that. Just make sure to eat  it quickly before it melts in the summer heat.

April Is Stress Awareness Month

April Is Stress Awareness Month

For the 20th consecutive year, April 2012 has been designated StressAwareness Month. During this thirty day period, health care professionals and health promotion experts across the country will join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
Sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization, Stress Awareness Month is a national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.
"Even though we've learned a lot about stress in the past twenty years,"says Dr. Morton C. Orman, M.D., Founder and Director of HRN, "we've got a long way to go. New information is now available that could help millions of Americans eliminate their suffering."
Dr. Orman has invited leading health care organizations across the countryto develop and disseminate helpful educational materials and other information about stress during the month of April. He is also promoting public forums, discussion groups,and other informative community events.
The Health Resource Network is a non-profit health education organization established in 1982. It consists of health professionals, health promotion experts, and educators committed to developing more effective programs for improving health and preventing disease. In addition to sponsoring Stress Awareness Month, the organization also sponsors National Stress Awareness Day, held every April 16--or the day after income taxes are due!

This Month in History - March

This Month in History - March

1 Yellowstone becomes the U.S.'s first national park. (1872)
2 Texas declared its independence from Mexico (1836).
2 Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 100 points in a basketball game. (1962)
3 The Star Spangled Banner becomes the National Anthem (1931)
4 The Constitution of the United States of America goes into effect. (1789)
4 Mrs. Charles Fahning of Buffalo N.Y. is recognized as the first woman to bowl a perfect 300 game. (1930)
5 The Boston Massacre occurred. (1770)
6 Silly putty is invented. (1950)
6 Well known and loved Walter Cronkite signs off as anchorman off the CBS Evening News (1981)
7 Alexander Graham Bell patents the Telephone. (1876)
7 Monopoly board game is invented (1933)
8 President Ronald Reagan calls the USSR an "Evil Empire" (1983)
8 Baseball great Joe DiMaggio dies (1999)
9 Ironclad ships the Monitor and the Merrimack battle in the Civil war.
10 The U.S. government issues paper money for the first time. (1862)
10 Alexander Graham Bell places the world's first telephone call, to his assistant in the next room. (1876)
11 The most famous storm in American history begins.... the Blizzard of 1888.(1888)
12 Girl Scouts were founded. (1912)
12 Baseball great Joe Dimaggio agrees to a new contract with the NY Yankees, and gets a $6,250 raise. My, how times have changed! (1942)
13 Senate begins impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. (1868)
13 Greenwood patented earmuffs, originally called the "Champion Ear Protector". (1877)  See Ear Muff Day
13 Harvard University is named after clergyman John Harvard. (1639)
14 Eli Whitney patents the Cotten Gin (1794)
14 George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company, commits suicide rather than facing the ravages of cancer. (1932)
15 "The Ides of March" Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus. (44 B.C.)
16 Professor Robert Goddard launches the first liquid fuel rocket. (1926)
16 The Mai Lai Massacre takes place in Vietnam. (1968)
17 On this day everyone is a little bit Irish- It's Saint Patrick's Day!
17 The rubber band was invented. Can you imagine life without them!?! (1845)
18 Soviet Union cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to take a space walk. (1965)
19 Congress approves Daylight Savings Time. (1918)
20 Harriet Beacher Stowe publishes the book Uncle Tom's Cabin . (1852)
21 The infamous Alcatraz prison is closed. (1963)
23 Patrick Henry declares "Give me liberty, or give me death!" (1775)
24 German scientist Robert Koch announces he has discovered the bacillus that causes Tuberculosis. (1882)
24 Elvis Presley joins the U.S. Army. (1958)
25 The European Economic Community (ECC) is established by the Treaty of Rome. (1957)
26 Ludwig von Beethoven dies in Vienna, Austria. (1827)
26 Dr. Jonas Salk invents a vaccine to fight polio.
26 The Eastman Dry Plate and Chemical Company manufactures the first motion picture film. (1885)
27 The biggest earthquake ever recorded strikes Anchorage, Alaska.  It measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. (1964)
28 Nathaniel Briggs patents the washing machine. (1797)
28 The city of Madrid falls to the forces of Francisco Franco, ending the Spanish Civil War. (1939)
28 Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident occurs in Middletown, Pa. (1979)
29 Ice jams stop the flow of water over Niagara Falls. (1848)
29 Coca Cola is invented. (1886)
30 The 15th amendment goes into effect, giving black men the right to vote. (1870)
30 Jeopardy debuts on television. (1964)
31  The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France (1889)

Random Acts of Kindness Day

When : Always February 17th

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day. And, you know what to do...perform a few random acts of kindness. Almost any kind deed will do. And, we highly recommend you perform kind acts on as many people as you can.
This is a favorite day of many people and groups. People like the idea of showing a little kindness to others. Its a fun and good thing to do. And, they like being on the receiving end of this day as well. It makes both the giver and the receiver feel good.
Schools have used this day as an educational event, and to promote the value of kindness. Organizations have used this day to promote their cause, and for fundraisers.

Caution: What comes around, goes around. Random Acts of Kindness is highly contagious.

The orthodontist said my braces will be off before the spring melt!