1.50 for a Cavity -- Valeriano Orthodontics

Vending machines are a quick way to satisfy hunger. You put in $1.50 and you get back a candy bar, bag of chips or even a soda…but that’s not all! Vending machines not only dispense sweet treats and caffeine bursts, but they also dispense cavities!

Every time you chow down on that chocolate bar the bacteria in your mouth have a party feasting on the sugar. The sugar quickly turns into acid; that’s right, ACID!!! The acid sits on your teeth and eats away at the tooth’s natural enamel (the stuff that protects your tooth from decay). When this enamel is eaten away by the acid on your tooth, you get a cavity! Brushing your teeth after eating a sugary treat can help prevent cavities; but before you indulge remind yourself: “can’t brush? Hold the sugar!”

When choosing a snack, consider these nutritional options that will not only satisfy your hunger and that “sweet tooth”, but won’t cause acid build up resulting in cavities:

--Fresh Fruits (berries, oranges, melon, pears, etc)
--Raw Vegetables (broccoli, celery, carrots, etc)
--Bread
--Pretzels (low salt)
--Milk (low or non-fat)
--Cheese (low or non-fat)
--Nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc)
--Sliced meat

Hope these tips help from Valeriano Orthodontics

Molasses Cookies from Dr. Valeriano

The wisdom of the ages tells us that necessity is the mother of invention. Brenda Waterman, age thirteen, offers new proof of this proverb. When getting braces mandated cutting a list of foods out of her diet – including her much-loved treat of caramel apples – she devised a work-around recipe that let her indulge her craving. This clever replacement for caramel apples was the inspiration for The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (And Your Orthodontist) Will Love, which Brenda created along with her mom, Pam Waterman.

Get a sneak peak with the following recipes:

Marvelous Molasses Cookies

They smell wonderful even before baking, they melt in your mouth, and they never harden up. Yum – the best of gingerbread and ginger snaps in one!

* 1 cup shortening
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ginger
* 2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Baking time 11 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, egg, salt and molasses, using an electric mixer and beating until fluffy. Add cinnamon and ginger. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the baking soda into the warm water; add water mixture to the molasses mixture alternately with the flour until well blended.

Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about four dozen. Store in a covered container.

Enjoy from Valeriano Orthodontics

Digital Imaging at Valeriano Orthodontics, More Results with Less Radiation

At Valeriano Orthodontics, we use digital imaging for all of our x-rays. This exposes our patients to much less radiation than previous x-rays used!

We are also able to view the patient's x-rays at any workstation in our office, so that we can manage the patient's progress together. It's a great way to show our parents and patients the x-rays so they can monitor their progress. At Valeriano Orthodontics we care about our patients and want them to be involved in the treatment process so they can watch their smile evolve!

Our Philosophy at Valeriano Orthodontics

At Valeriano Orthodontics, we have a Philosophy we would like to share with you. We believe wholeheartedly in providing our wonderful patients with the best care possible.

• We treat the face first. While traditional orthodontic treatment has focused primarily on “a good bite,” we believe that our primary objective is to create a beautiful smile and enhance facial esthetics to improve the bite.

• A beautiful smile is more than just straight teeth. We always evaluate and treat the smile on a “micro level.” We reshape teeth and change their proportions, evaluate smile lines and recontour gingival with a laser.

• We create beautiful faces for a lifetime. Orthodontic treatment affects how the face looks today and how it will look in the future. Our goal is to do what is best for the “aging face.”

• We can achieve great results in most patients without extraction of permanent teeth or jaw surgery. Extractions are done when it is an enhancement to the facial features. We never remove teeth just to “fix the bite.”

• We use low force and low friction braces with high tech wires to move teeth as quickly and with as little pain as possible.

• Since it is a vital component to great orthodontic treatment, we strive to provide our patients with excellent communication. We believe that our “Patient Manager System” is the best way to continually improve and enhance communication.

• We believe in positive motivation and are always looking for new ways to keep our patients involved.

• We combine the latest technology with excellent clinical skills and expertise.

• We believe in lifetime retention and we will do everything possible to make that an easily achievable goal for our patients.

• We are truly grateful for all of our wonderful patients and parents that have given us the opportunity to serve them. We hope that orthodontic treatment will do more than create beautiful smiles—we believe that we can positively change lives!