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We hope you had as much fun with our Scavenger Hunt Contest as we did!  Big THANK YOU to everyone who participated.

Congratulations to our winner, Addison K!!!  Enjoy that Amazon gift card!

It’s fall which also means it is apple picking season!
The problem is biting into an apple with braces is a no-no, it is best to cute it up into smaller pieces …or better yet, find some great braces friendly recipes to cook those apples into!

We have included some great recipes to try out!  Let us know your favorite!

Warm Apple Pie Smoothie
1 apple, cored and cut into chunks (peeled if you don’t have a high-powered blender)
½ cup / 120 ml water (for a creamier smoothie you can use yogurt)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or raw organic honey)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of allspice
1 scoop protein powder (optional)

Combine apple, water, vanilla, maple syrup and spices in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a mug and microwave on high for about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, and if you’re feeling particularly daring, add a bit of whipped cream on top. Serve!

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded apples (about 2 medium)
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut or canola oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.; line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, stir together the shredded apples, buttermilk, peanut butter, oil, egg, and vanilla. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, stirring until just mixed, being careful to not over beat. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the muffin tops.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Crescent Roll Apple Pies
1 Apple sliced (tart)
3 heaping tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. melted butter
1 Pkg. of Crescent Rolls

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the dough on a cooking surface, brush with butter and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll up 2 or 3 apple slice in the dough forming a crescent, place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Brush each crescent roll with remaining melted butter and top with cinnamon.
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.
Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!

Visibly crooked teeth are not the only reason to take your child into the orthodontist. There are some subtle things to look for as well, which may indicate the onset of more serious orthodontic issues. Many orthodontic issues are much easier to address if treated and corrected during a child's development.

Waiting until facial development is complete or until the permanent teeth have come in can make correction of many orthodontic issues more challenging. Both children and adults can benefit from orthodontic care at any age, but addressing issues early is almost always the ideal choice.

If you're wondering if you or your child might have need for orthodontic care, there are some things you can be on the lookout for. Here are some of the most common warning signs of orthodontic issues:

• Difficulty when chewing or biting
• Chronic mouth-breathing
• Sucking the thumb, the fingers, or any other oral sucking habits that continue after the age of six
• Overbite - when the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth by more than 5mm
• Top front teeth that cover more than 25% of the bottom teeth while biting
• Underbite - when the top front teeth go behind the bottom row of teeth when biting
• Crowded, crooked, overlapped, misshapen, misplaced teeth or extra teeth of any size
• Crossbite - when one or more teeth tilt toward the cheek or toward the tongue causing excessive stress on the jawbone
• The center of the top and bottom teeth don't line up
• Uneven teeth-wearing
• Baby teeth coming out too early for the child's age
• Pain in jaws
• Clicking in the jaw joints
• The jaw shifts off-center while chewing or biting
• A jaw that protrudes, or recedes, too much
• Difficulty speaking or enunciating clearly
• Chronic biting of the inner cheek or roof of the mouth
• Asymmetrical facial structure
• Grinding or clenching of the teeth

If you notice that either you or your child has one or more of these conditions, they could be signs that there is a risk of orthodontic or health problems. The sooner these problems are addressed, the wider and brighter you will be able to smile going forward!

As much as we hate to admit it, August is a reminder in a couple of weeks, Back to School activities will be in full swing!  Kennell Orthodontics wants to send your children back to school prepared for school life with braces or new orthodontic treatments. Pack your child their very own "Back to School with Braces" kit - something as simple as a ziplock plastic bag including items such as:  Orthopicks, orthodontic rubber bands, mini toothbrush and toothpaste, orthodontic wax, small mirror, floss, retainer case and tissues. This kit can easily be tucked into their backpack or locker and will help as a reminder of orthodontic care even when at school.  Start the school year off right with these reminders:

• bring retainer cases to lunch room and keep retainer in it to avoid accidentally throwing it away with lunch trash;
• always wear protective mouth guard for all fall sports - this will help prevent brackets from breaking and inner lip from rubbing against braces.

Stay ahead of the Back to School shopping rush by preparing these orthodontic kits now - kick back and enjoy the last weeks of summer!!