Drs. Simon, Haerian & Ludwig; providing children with the best and brightest smiles!

What is the best way to find excellent orthodontic treatment? If you’re a scientist, you could do extensive research and perhaps even a double blind study or two. If you’re a dance instructor with an aesthetic eye, simple observation will suffice.

One of our Moms has double the reason to find a good orthodontist since she has twins with overbites. Luckily, she runs a dance studio that provided her with a plethora of students at just the right age for undergoing orthodontic treatment. She paid attention to who was sporting braces and how their teeth and bite looked after they were finished. She found the children with the best and brightest smiles turned out to be patients of Drs. Simon, Haerian & Ludwig.

Her daughter is finished with Phase I of treatment and is waiting for all her permanent teeth to see if Phase II is necessary. Her son recently was fitted for a MARA. Mom is now patiently waiting until the day that her twins have the best and brightest smiles, too.

A Beauty AND a Beast!

Sophia, a patient of Drs. Simon, Haerian, & Ludwig, recently turned in an outstanding performance in Bedford High School's production of Beauty and the Beast. She really stood out because of her height and the gigantic hat she wore as she sang a solo in the opening act! Plus, she was finally brace-less and was able to show off her perfect smile in style.

She performs just as beautifully on the court as she does on the stage. Volleyball is her game and she excels at being "a beast" as she uses her height to the full advantage to spike the ball. Sophia's smile has always been a memorable one since she even scored the team award of "best smile" while still in braces.

It's awesome to have a patient who is able to shine in such diverse ways and even more awesome to know we helped create that winning smile!

A Festive and Braces-Friendly Recipe to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

If you're planning to spend St. Patrick's Day celebrating your Irish heritage, or just enjoying the festivals, food and "wearing of the green"- we've got a treat for you! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have a tasty and braces-friendly recipe that is perfect for today. Corned Beef Casserole presents a twist on the traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage, and will surely become a family favorite!

Corned Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 (12-ounce) can corned beef
• 1 (10.5- to 14-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
• ¾ cup milk (use just ½ cup if using larger soup can)
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
• ¼ cup bread crumbs (seasoned or toasted plain)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, cook the noodles just until tender; drain. In a large bowl, chop the corned beef into a coarse crumbly texture.

Stir in soup, milk and onion. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Add the noodles and the corned beef mixture and stir together well. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8 people.

Try serving the casserole with petite whole green beans from the freezer…or add 1 cup of finely chopped purple cabbage, 1/4 cup diced onion and 2 teaspoons fennel seed or powder for some true Irish flavor.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, from all of us at Drs. Simon, Haerian, & Ludwig!

Foods to Avoid during your Orthodontic Treatment

There are a variety of foods Drs. André Haerian, Jennifer Ludwig, and Eugene Simon want you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should avoid include:

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Also, chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give Drs. Simon, Haerian, & Ludwig a call or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article on eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

Distinguishing the Myths and Facts about Orthodontics

Trust us when we say Drs. Eugene Simon, Andre Haerian, Jennifer Ludwig and our staff know there are quite a few myths about orthodontics (and orthodontists) floating around these days. But before you buy into those myths, we think you should get the facts! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists set the record straight (no pun intended) and have provided some information that sheds some light on the myths and facts of orthodontics. We encourage you to check them out today!

If you have any questions about orthodontics or your treatment here at Drs. Simon, Haerian, and Ludwig, feel free to give us a call.