Baker Orthodontics presents: A braces-friendly recipe

LEMON PUDDING YUMMIES: So very moist, these are especially nice for those first few tender days after braces go on or after an adjustment appointment.

Ingredients:
¾ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
2 (3 ¾ oz.) package of instant lemon pudding (dry)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the shortening, sugar and dry pudding mix, using an electric mixer and blending until creamy. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking soda, salt and milk, and mix until well blended. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. This recipe makes about 4 dozen.

Recipe from The Braces Cookbook – Recipes You (and Your Orthodontist) Will Love by Pamela Waterman and Brenda Waterman.

Stay Cool with a Braces-Friendly Summer Treat!

Summer is here! Kids and adults alike will now be spending more time outside being active and enjoying the hotter temperatures. And what’s better on a hot summer day than a delicious treat that will cool you down after doing something active in the summer sun? Luckily, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have just the thing, Watermelon Sorbet! You can find the complete recipe below:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind

Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Happy Summer!

-Dr. Baker and team

Foods to avoid during your orthodontic treatment

There are a variety of foods Dr. Baker wants 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 Baker Orthodontics a call or ask our staff during your next visit.

A great braces-friendly winter recipe, from Baker Orthodontics

Winter is here, and sometimes we here at Baker Orthodontics just feel like a hot delicious meal is in order. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) made an appetizing (and braces-friendly!) dish that is sure to delight. Dr. Baker would like to remind you that a healthy diet provides essential nutrients and helps you achieve the best possible result from your orthodontic treatment.

Pasta Pomodorini

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound spaghetti or spaghetti
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ¼ cup sliced garlic
• ½ teaspoon finely minced Calabrian chilies, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pint small cherry tomatoes, stems removed, crushed between your thumb and forefinger
• Sea salt, preferably gray salt
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, each torn into 2 or 3 pieces
• Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta. While the pasta cooks, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook until the slivers are golden brown and crisp, then add the chilies and cook for about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to high and add the tomatoes. Simmer briskly to soften the tomatoes and thicken the juices, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. When the pasta is al dente, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Add the sauce and the basil and mix well. Add some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and grate Parmesan over the top to taste. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy this great winter dish and have a great week!
--From Dr. Baker and staff

Baker Orthodontics supports National Orthodontic Health Month

Can you believe October is already upon us? October happens to be National Orthodontic Health Month, and this month-long event is organized by our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Many treats can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters who are going through orthodontic treatment, and these treats may cause damage that could prolong your treatment time. The AAO recommends patients avoid the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients:

• Caramel
• Nuts
• Popcorn (including un-popped kernels)
• Taffy
• Jelly beans
• Hard pretzels
• Licorice
• Bubblegum
• Potato chips
• Ice

If you happen to damage your braces, please give Dr. Baker and our staff a call immediately. Typically, small problems can be solved over the phone. Loose brackets or wires can usually be made more comfortable by applying some wax until you can come into our office.