Giving Thanks....with braces

There are many "brace friendly" foods to enjoy this Thanksgiving!

It may surprise you that some of our traditional Thanksgiving foods were not included at the first Thanksgiving feast otherwise known as the Harvest Festival. The only written eyewitness account of the first Thanksgiving dinner was a letter written by colonist Edward Winslow in 1621.

Below you will find a list of foods that were consumed at the first Harvest Festival and some that were missing. You will also learn which of these foods are safe to eat with your braces.

Foods that were not served at the first Thanksgiving:

* Turkey-OK to eat with braces

*Popcorn-A no no with your braces

*Cranberry sauce-OK to eat with braces

*Potatoes-OK to eat with braces if cooked

*Pumpkin Pie-OK to eat with braces

*Apples-OK to eat with braces if they are cut up or baked in a pie

Foods included in the original Harvest Festival Feast:

*Fish-OK to eat with braces

*Duck-OK to eat with braces

*Goose-OK to eat with braces

*Lobster-OK to eat with braces

*Eel-OK to eat with braces

*Mussels-OK to eat with braces

*Oysters-OK to eat with braces

*Corn-OK to eat with braces. IF you cut it off the cob

*Parsnips-OK to eat with braces

*Collards-OK to eat with braces

*Spinach-OK to eat with braces

*Onions-OK to eat with braces

*Dried beans-NOT OK to eat with braces

*Dried blueberries-OK to eat with braces

*Grapes-OK to eat with braces

*Nuts-NOT OK to eat with braces

So, as you can see, our "feasts" have changed quite a bit. We hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

How to enjoy Halloween with Braces

Halloween and braces can be a scary combination. Think: nutty candy bars, caramel apples and candy corn that can damage retainers and braces and make Halloween memorable for all the wrong reasons. On top of that, some traditions, such as bobbing for apples, are not conducive to kids with braces. As you plan your Halloween party, even if you don't have a little one with braces, keep those kids in mind so they can enjoy the Halloween fun and don't feel like they're missing out. Some trick-or-treat sweets don't even have to be that sweet. Consider other, more nutritious (and not always edible) trick-or-treat giveaways.

Skip anything that is tough to chew. Candy bars or sweets which contain nuts are no-nos. Anything that requires a bit more gnawing, even for those with perfect teeth, should not be an option. This includes sweets containing caramel, popcorn or anything with a rubbery consistency, such as taffy, licorice and jelly beans. When it doubt, skip it. That $4 bag of candy can become very expensive if you have to fork out hundreds of dollars to repair the damage a bit of candy does to orthodontia.

Opt for goodies with a soft, mushy consistency. Peanut butter cups are acceptable as long as the nuts in the peanut butter are crushed very small. Instead of candy apples, opt for healthier sliced apples. It's recommend that you remove the skin and slice them very fine. Orange (in honor of the pumpkin) smoothies and chocolate milkshakes are a great option for parties. Parfaits and orange jello are good options, and candy bars aren't completely off-limits, as long as the treats don't contain nuts or caramel (think of bars like Mars).


Be careful of certain games and activities which may harm braces. If your child is going to a party, make sure they know that bobbing for apples, for example, is off-limits. Even though the child isn't necessarily gnawing on an apple, the action of grabbing the apple with one's teeth can cause a lot of damage in just a few seconds. If you are planning parties, incorporate other games, so even kids with braces can enjoy them.

Bake. Don't rely on the big supermarket bags of candies when your child has braces. There are a lot of great treats available so the child doesn't feel like she is missing out; they just require a bit more time. Make some soft cupcakes, cakes with sweet orange frosting or even bon bons. As long as it's soft and doesn't contain anything chewy or hard, you'll be good to go. If you're in a big hurry, your local bakery often has Halloween cupcakes and brownies (without nuts) on hand.

Make sure the child practices good dental habits. All children, regardless of whether they have braces or not, should brush and floss as soon as possible after getting a belly-full of sweets. It's all the more important when a child has a mouth full of orthodontia.

Incorporate non-food goodies. Think about other treats you can pass out to trick-or-treaters besides food. Buy small cans of play-dough in festive Halloween colors. How about noisemakers, or those little plastic spider rings? Kids love Legos. A small Lego package would be an unexpected giveaway. Think in terms of party favors and not necessarily sweets which are bad for a child's dental and overall health.

Take part in candy buy-backs. If your child gets a lot of candy he can't eat, there are orthodontists that participate in candy buy-backs. They'll actually pay the child with cash or with non-food prizes in return for their bags of candy. Aspen Orthodontics will be doing a buyback with Impressions Dental on Tuesday, November 1st. Earn $1 per pound of candy for you and .50 a pound for your school!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Can Orthodontics help break a bad habit?

Some parents wonder if stopping a child’s nail biting habit is another positive effect of orthodontic treatment. Since nail biting can be harmful to braces by breaking brackets and bending wires that delays treatment, orthodontists feel that finding ways to curtail the habit is in our patient’s best interest.
Here are a few facts about nail biting… technically called “Onychophagia”.
About 30 percent of children aged 7-10 bite their nails
About 45 percent of teenagers bite their nails
About 25 percent of young adults bite their nails
Only about five percent of older adults bite their nails
Nail biting is considered to be a stress induced habit that peaks during the teenage years and usually is overcome as an adult. Besides the fact it can damage braces during treatment if the habit persists, it can be harmful in different ways:
Your fingers are pretty much involved in almost everything you do and they are a walking germ fest. Your fingernails are twice as dirty as your fingers. When you bite your nails… do you need to read more?
If nail biting is severe and involves the cuticles and breaks the skin, the germs transfer from the mouth to the open wound and can cause infection.
It is also a poor reflection on a person’s image. No one likes to watch a person bite their nails, especially a teenager or adult. Bitten nails are far from attractive in comparison to manicured nails, especially in the business world.
Teeth are not meant to chew all the time. Nail biting tends to keep your teeth in constant motion, which can wear them down faster than a non-nail biter's. It places stress on front teeth, can weaken them, and may contribute to the teeth becoming crooked or misaligned.
The good news is many orthodontic patients report that they are unable to continue their habit while wearing braces, which leads to breaking the habit. As your bite changes during treatment, their teeth no longer come together correctly. After a couple years of braces, patients usually lose the urge to bite their nails and generally overcome the problem.
Whether you have braces or starting orthodontic treatment, breaking the habit of nail biting is a good choice. It is healthier not to bite your nails and we suggest you keep them trimmed well during treatment.

Timing is everything when treating children

Evaluating and diagnosing each individual patient’s dental development presents a slightly different challenge for an orthodontist. There are many factors at work and different approaches that can be used.
In severe situations, permanent tooth removals may be required to create the necessary space for others. However, no one enjoys having their teeth extracted and we try to avoid this option whenever possible. Fortunately, there is another way. By using a child’s natural growth spurts, a savvy orthodontist can avoid the need for tooth extractions if he evaluates a patient at an early age.
Children usually have a couple of predictable growth spurts. The first generally occurs around 8 or 9 years of age, right before puberty. Another one will typically follow during puberty itself, which falls between 11 or 12 years. During these growth spurts, the face and jaw will grow. The strategy is to harness this natural growth and combine it with braces and/or appliance to create more room for teeth if needed.
Since timing is everything, it is important to have your child evaluated by an orthodontist at a young age. It is generally difficult to know for sure if your child will need orthodontics until his or her permanent teeth begin to erupt. However, important forecasting clues can be understood by a trained orthodontist.
The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that your child be examined by an orthodontist at age 7 or 8 to determine if early orthodontic treatment is needed. It is not necessary to be referred by your general dentist for a complimentary orthodontic evaluation here at Aspen Orthodontics. Be proactive and contact our office to schedule an appointment. If your child does not require early interceptive treatment, Dr. Hunsaker will continue to monitor your child’s dental and growth development in our complimentary supervisory program to determine the right time to begin treatment, based on your child’s needs.

Protect Your Kid's Teeth with a Mouth Guard

At Aspen Orthodontics our number one concern is our patients. No matter what time of year or type of contact sport, make sure your kids are properly protected.


We recommend that all of our patients be proactive and protect yourselves when playing any contact sport, organized or just with friends, by wearing a mouth guard. It only takes a split second to damage your beautiful smile!
The damage caused by a ball, puck or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child – often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of dental health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control.


Unfortunately, many parents, kids and coaches don´t realize the damage a ball or on-field collision can do until it´s too late. As professionals in the field of dentistry, our goal is helping patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, the last thing we want to see is a smile ruined by a preventable injury. Extensive dental care is then required to repair the injury and many patients will experience needless discomfort, aggravation, loss of time, and incur an unnecessary financial investment throughout their lives to maintain the dental work required to repair the injury. So please “Play It Safe” and wear a mouth guard.
During orthodontic treatment, it is especially important for patients to wear a mouth guard to prevent injury from braces that can easily cut lips and cheeks when hit. If you need one, our. The time to start wearing one is now!!

YMCA Backpack Drive

Aspen Orthodontics is happy to announce our annual backpack drive for the YMCA! We are asking for donations of backpacks filled with school supplies to donate to the local YMCA. To show our appreciation, we will give you 10 Aspen Smile Bucks for every back pack you donate! Just bring your donation into our office when you have your regular appointment. The YMCA is such a great organization, and this is a fun and easy way to serve your community! Thank you so much for you contributions!

Handling out of town emergencies

School is out and summer vacation is here. Do you know what to do if you have an orthodontic emergency while you are out of town, on vacation, or away at camp? Fortunately, most problems with your braces don't qualify as true emergencies. Let's talk about a few things you can do while you are away to avoid the inconvenience and expense of trying to find an orthodontist in an unfamiliar area. Here are some helpful hints on what to do if you have a problem with your braces.
Take a mini emergency kit with you – Include orthodontic wax, nail clippers or small pair of wire cutters, tweezers, a pencil with an eraser, and our phone number if you need guidance.
Irritation of your lips or cheeks – apply wax to the irritated area. If any sores develop, go to a local drug store and buy topical anesthetics like Orabase or Orajel to temporarily numb the area until you return and we can fix the problem.
Poking or protruding wire – Occasionally, the arch wire extends in the back or may come right out of the bracket when chewing gum, hard candy, and sticky foods. Use a pencil eraser or something soft to push the wire flat against your teeth. Add wax to the end of the wire if needed to prevent irritation. If the main wire breaks, you can clip the wire with a pair of nail clippers, flush to the next anchored bracket – just remember to disinfect the clippers or wire cutters first with rubbing alcohol, if handy, or use the flame on a lighter to kill the germs. Once the wire is clipped, make sure to avoid swallowing the clipped piece of wire.
Loose band- If a band around one of your back teeth comes loose, don’t worry about it unless it is causing problems while your eat. Worst-case scenario, clip the main wire with nail clippers flush to the next bracket and remove the loose band. Apply wax if needed to avoid irritation from the cut wire. We can repair when you return.
Loose bracket – Hard foods are the main cause of loose brackets. During the summer, we all tend to be more lax with our normal routines. However, out of town is not the time to take a chance breaking a bracket by not following the restricted diet. If a bracket does come loose from a tooth, remove the bracket with a pair of disinfected tweezers if you can and continue on your merry way. Don’t forget to contact us when you return so we can schedule an appointment to replace the bracket. It is difficult to repair an emergency during your regular appointment when there isn't sufficient time scheduled to repair.
Loose ligature wire or elastic – If a small elastic ligature (the piece that attaches the arch wire to the bracket) comes partially or all the way off your braces, use a pair of disinfected tweezers to put it back into place. If a ligature is lost, don’t worry about it. Call us when you return.
True emergencies-If you experience a true emergency where you are so uncomfortable you can’t wait till you get back, contact the local dental society for an orthodontist recommendation. You can also search on your cell phone for an orthodontist nearest you. Most orthodontists provide and emergency contact number when out of the office and will help an out of town patient with a problem they cannot easily attend to on their own.
Also, don’t hesitate to give us a call to ask us for guidance if you don’t know what to do. Our goal is to provide you with a terrific smile, and – just as important – to be sure you are comfortable and safe throughout the course of your treatment, even when you are away.
Have fun and be careful!!!

How to keep you teeth clean while wearing braces

Here at Aspen Orthodontics, we don’t have to tell you that keeping your teeth clean during treatment is very important. Braces have a habit of collecting additional food while eating that can cause many problems if not cared for correctly. So you don't offend others with unsightly food caught on your braces, or to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, decalcification or discoloring of teeth and cavities, here are are five tooth brushing tips for orthodontic patients to keep in mind while wearing braces:
1. There is more to brush than what you see. Most patients spend their time brushing the parts of their teeth and the braces they can see. However, it’s just as important to clean the inside areas of your teeth as well as the chewing surface of each tooth. Brush all surfaces inside, outside, along the top of the teeth and the gum line for best results.
2. Make sure you spend enough time doing a good job. Did you know the ADA recommends you brush your teeth for approximately three minutes to do a good job… even if you aren’t wearing braces? At one point you may have received a three minute egg timer to time brushing from your dentist. It seems like the time will never end when watching the grains of salt flow to the bottom. Most popular songs today are approximately three minutes long. Listen to an ipod or radio while you are brushing instead of using a timer. If you start brushing at the beginning of a song… and stop when over… you can dance around for three minutes while brushing, without the time dragging.
3. Use dental floss often. Food is often trapped between teeth and flossing with braces is easier with a floss threader, especially when trying to thread the floss under your main wire. Dental floss threaders save time and are very easy to use once you get the hang of it. They are available in the toothbrush aisle in any grocery or drug store.
4. Be prepared. In order to brush after every meal you must be prepared. Always keep a toothbrush in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.
5. Regular dental cleanings and checkups are still important. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. However, we recommend you visit your dentist regularly while wearing braces to eliminate any plaque you may have missed while brushing or using dental floss.
Good luck keeping those teeth clean! If you follow these tips, your teeth will look top-notch when you get those braces off!

Mothers Day Contest!

Announcing our Mothers Day Contest! Tell us how your mom ROCKS! Simply write a short essay telling us how great your mom is and she could win a spa gift certificate! And if your essay is picked, you could win an I-tunes gift card! Entering is so easy! There are three ways to do it. 1: leave us your story on our facebook page. 2. Visit our website at www.aspenortho.com and leave us your story in our contact us forum. 3. Entry forms are in our office! Fill it out while you are at your appointment. We are excited to hear how great all of your moms are!

Riggs Elementary Winter Festival

This Saturday will be a great day at Riggs Elementary. Please join us for an afternoon of fun! If we see you there wearing your Aspen Orthodontics t-shirt, you will earn 10 tokens! There will be vendors selling artwork, jewelery, and clothing. Each grade level is in charge of a game and you can purchase tickets to play! Games are .25-.75 to play. For only $5 you can purchase a wristband for unlimited bounce house play. Ice blocking, face painting, a DJ and food! It will be a great family day, we hope to see you there!

6930 South Seville Boulevard, Gilbert

Win an I-PAD!!!

It has never been easier to win an I-Pad!!! Become a fan of Aspen Orthodontics on your Facebook page. Leave a positive comment about our office on our wall. And then you will be entered in our drawing to win the I-Pad!

Once we reach 750 fans a winner will be randomly drawn from the raffle.

Make sure to let your friends, grandparents, cousins, and neighbors know about the contest!

*BONUS!*

Refer someone to our office for a complimentary consultation and receive 3 extra entries!