Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have put together a helpful list that outlines when you should call Dr. Reed. Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in with us:

1. Early or late loss of baby teeth
2. Difficulty of chewing or biting
3. Mouth breathing
4. Finger sucking or other oral habits
5. Crowding, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
6. Jaws that shift, make sounds, protrude or retrude
7. Speech difficulty
8. Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
9. Protruding teeth
10. Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all
11. Facial imbalance or asymmetry
12. Grinding or clenching of teeth

Do any of these warning signs fit you? If so, give us a call as soon as possible!

Hope this helps,

Dr. Charles Reed

Don't forget- Monday is the last day to submit your photos for our "Where in the World is Dr. Reed?" contest.

To enter, simply snap a photo with 'Dr. Reed'. Our team will be selecting five winners in the following categories: Most Unusual, Closest to Denver, Farthest Away from Denver and Funniest.

We can't wait to see where your summer travels took Dr. Reed this summer! Have a great weekend everyone!

Reed Orthodontics is excited to announce that we will be hosting our "Where in the World is Dr. Reed?" summer contest. This contest is the perfect opportunity for anyone traveling outside of Denver and Centennial, CO, to share their vacation with Dr. Reed and our team!

To enter, simply snap a photo with Dr. Reed's photo on your spring and summer vacations. You can pick up a Dr. Reed on a stick at your next appointment. Our team will be selecting five winners in the following categories: Most Unusual, Closest to Denver, Farthest Away from Denver and Funniest.

Reed Orthodontics will be selecting our contest winners at the beginning of September, so don't delay in submitting your entry! Have fun and be creative!

You have braces, and you’re probably wondering what to eat. You can’t have gum, popcorn or other delicious but braces-unfriendly foods. But fear not! Reed Orthodontics has a delicious spring smoothie recipe that is perfect for those warm, sunny afternoons. Enjoy!

Ingredients
• 2 ½ cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 ½ cups crushed ice
• 1 ½ cups club soda
• 3 Tablespoons vanilla syrup (sold as a coffee flavoring)
• ½ cup sugar or more, to taste
• 1 can whipped cream

Directions
Wash and drain strawberries. Remove stems and slice. Put lime juice in blender, and then add batches of strawberries, about a half-cup at a time, blending until liquefied. Strain the strawberries through a fine sieve to remove most of the seeds and some pulp. Place back in blender, and blend with the crushed ice. Pour into a 2-liter pitcher and stir in club soda, vanilla syrup and sugar. Serve in six tall glasses with a swish of whipped cream on top.

Everyone has a favorite childhood recipe, or a treat that reminds them of mom, dad or grandma's baking. Peanut butter and jelly are no longer just for sandwiches – today's recipe will redefine your favorite childhood snack. Nikki's recipe for PB&J Cookies is one of the originals from the Reed Orthodontics staff and patient Cookie Cookbook. What great recipes we’ve received from everyone!
Dr. Reed would like to pass on a big thank you to all of you who shared your favorites with us. We also encourage patients and staff to share more of their favorite recipes on our Facebook page. Enjoy this tasty treat!

PB&J Cookies

Mix 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp. baking soda, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl mix 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 Tbsp. Butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Mix dry and wet ingredients. Roll dough into a ball and put peanut butter and jelly in the middle of the dough ball.

Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Let cool and serve with milk!

Hey parents! Focusing on your kids' teeth and oral health so much that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, our staff at Reed Orthodontics can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

At Reed Orthodontics, our patients want to get as much out of their treatment as possible. That includes asking a lot of questions and making sure they take care of both their appliances and oral health.

Would you like to learn more about what to expect during orthodontic treatment, from someone with firsthand experience? Well, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recently developed the Braces Brigade blog, where past, present, as well as future orthodontic patients from coast to coast document their (or their child’s) orthodontic journeys. The blog will serve as a source of guidance for others as the patients undergo orthodontic care.

Our team at Reed Orthodontics encourages you to visit the Braces Brigade blog to read these great and informative blogs—who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two! As always, don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions about the Braces Brigade or your own orthodontic treatment with Dr. Reed!

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

With 101 Facebook "likes," Cherokee Trail senior Jace O. is the winner of the Reed Orthodontics' Senior Photo Contest. He received $100 cash as the first place prize. Erica is our second place contest winner, and she will be receive a great dinner certificate. Congratulations Jace and Erica!

Thank you to all of our patients who participated in the Senior Photo Contest. We enjoyed seeing all of your senior photos, and reading your comments. Stay tuned for another contest soon!

If you recently completed treatment at Reed Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Reed will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, always provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Reed is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Reed, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call!

Braces at Reed Orthodontics are more fun than ever! With the Brace Painter, parents and children are able to “paint their braces,” and visualize how teeth will look with different colors of bands.

Would you like to try out green and gold bands this March, without the commitment of an all-out St. Patrick's Day look? The Brace Painter allows for you to select different colors, and then assign those colors of bands to certain teeth. Now, you can visualize your braces before you even come in for your appointment!

As always, please let Dr. Reed know if you have any questions about the Brace Painter, or your orthodontic treatment at Reed Orthodontics. Have a great week!

Dr. Reed wants to know: Is dairy a major part of your diet? If not, it should be! A 2008 study from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has found that regular consumption of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, can actually lower your chances of contracting periodontal disease (also known as gum disease). Results of the study also showed that adults who consume at least 55 grams of lactic acid a day are less at risk for gum disease.

Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child's teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella, and Monterey Jack all stimulate the body's salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque's ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child's teeth.

Gum disease is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth that affects the gums and jaw. Gum disease results in a loss of teeth and bone, and has been connected to certain cases of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease and osteoporosis.

Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Next time you reach for a quick snack, choose some cheese, or a glass of milk, and remember with each bite, and every sip you are preserving your teeth for a lifetime of smiles and good oral health!

For more information about which dairy foods are best for keeping your teeth healthy, please give us a call.

Senior photos are only taken once, and our team at Reed Orthodontics would love to see yours! Dr. Reed invites patients to share their photos on our Facebook page, or by emailing them to beg4braces@aol.com, for a chance to win $100 in our Senior Photo Contest.

The contest ends April 1, 2011, so don't delay in submitting your entry! The more people you invite to "like" your photo on our Facebook page, the better your chances are for winning $100. Say cheese!