Guess How Many? David Did at Valeriano Orthodontics

Remember back a couple of months when we had that delicious jar full of treats at the front desk? It was Halloween time and we asked you to guess how many pieces of candy were in the jar? Well someone guessed it right, the winner? David M!

Congrats, David! From Valeriano Orthodontics

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!

Say Cheese! Valeriano Orthodontics

Have you ever wondered why we take so many photos as a part of our orthodontic treatment? Quite simply, it’s all about the face! Traditional orthodontics uses plaster teeth molds and focuses primarily on the teeth and "bite." While a good bite is an important part of treatment for my patients, at Valeriano Orthodontics, my primary objective is to create beautiful faces and smiles. As you probably know, we take digital photographs of the face and teeth as part of every new patient exam and periodically throughout treatment. These photos help me evaluate the teeth and jaw position as it relates to the entire face. I can then use all the tools of modern orthodontics to create the best smile for each patient. Here are some examples:

Expansion versus extraction
--For many years, extraction of permanent teeth was the primary treatment plan for most patients with moderate to severe crowding regardless of their facial shape. While extraction is still a good choice for full and protrusive facial features, it can have an undesirable effect on most patients who exhibit a flatter profile. For these patients, a wider, fuller smile is a more desirable outcome and extracting teeth will not produce the desired effect. With the help of Damon and other low-force, self-litigating braces, we are able to perform treatment with fewer extractions. The changes and enhancement to the face of these patients is nothing short of remarkable.

Gummy Smile and the Soft Tissue Laser
--With photographs, I also evaluate the gingival (gum) tissues and contours and how they relate to your smile. Simple soft tissue procedures can often be accomplished to eliminate a "gummy smile" or uneven gingival tissue. With the addition of a soft tissue laser, we will soon be able to perform some of these procedures in our office. These laser procedures can be done with a simple topical anesthetic and no injections! The soft tissue laser will be a great benefit to our patients and their smiles.

Tooth Positioning in preparation for cosmetic dentistry
--Patients who seek veneers and other "quick-fix" cosmetic dental procedures are sometimes disappointed with their outcomes. Often these patients would have benefited from orthodontic treatment done in conjunction with their cosmetic dentistry. I am fortunate to work with many talented cosmetic dentists who send their patients to Valeriano Orthodontics for an orthodontic evaluation before starting cosmetic procedures. With patient photographs, X-rays, and the internet, I can communicate with my dental partners in an extremely efficient and timely manner.

While my staff and I are not professional photographers, we are experts in using photography and modern orthodontic techniques to create beautiful smiles and faces for our patients.

Remember to Always Smile for the Camera!

Dr. Greg Valeriano

Valeriano Orthodontics Patient Reviews

At Valeriano Orthodontics, we provide superior orthodontic services to meet the individual needs of each of our patients. Just see what our patients are saying!Everyone is so friendly. Dr V. is great and really knows what he is doing. I like seeing the same person every time I go. They understand you and your situation. My manager Leslie is so sweet and takes her time to get to know you. It’s great customer service.
-Carrie B.

What I like best about Dr. V. is that he is soooo nice to kids and he makes a scary braces visit turn into a visit that I enjoy going to.
-Brian G.

Valeriano Orthodontics is high tech, with lots of nice people, and fun all over the place. It is animated, not just a typical orthodontics office. I love it!
-Carol G.

Dr. V. is patient and explains treatment plans clearly. The front office staff is warm and great!!! They have quick and convenient appointment hours, a game room for kids, and a variety of magazines.
-Nwamaka E.

Dr. Valeriano is very informative and straight to the point. He is very gentle and made the braces transition easy.
-Janice M.

Dr. V. is very considerate of my daughters. He treats them with respect and kindness - he's easy for them to talk to. They are comfortable asking him questions. He explains procedures so that they understand without making them feel like they asked a stupid question. He doesn't compare my daughters to each other. They are individuals (one is more sensitive to pain then the other, one never seems to have problems, the other always has something going on. Thanks Dr. V!
-Karen E.

Friendly, technologically advanced office and prompt is what you find at Valeriano Orthodontics. We love them!
-Willow R.