Four Flavorful Fall Smoothies

With Fall in full swing and with it the hectic holidays just a step further down the road, we thought we’d put together a list of a few fall-themed smoothies that can serve as a great (and easy!) breakfast or after school snack.

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie
If you’re a pumpkin fan, this smoothie is for you! While pumpkin is a trendy item, especially this time of year, what you might not know is pumpkin has both fiber and protein which makes for a healthy and filling smoothie.

• 2 tablespoons canned pure pumpkin
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 banana, frozen
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• ¼ cup ice

Helpful tip: If you’re finding that you have several over ripened bananas that you aren’t able to eat in time, toss them in a freezer bag! Frozen bananas are the perfect addition to smoothies and help make preparation even easier for those hectic weekday mornings. 

Cranberry, Pear, & Orange Smoothie
That’s quite a mouthful, and trust us, you’ll love this nutrient-packed smoothie!  It chocked full of filling fiber from the pear, Vitamin C from the orange, and antioxidants from the cranberries. If you’re using whole cranberries for the first time, this smoothie might be a bit tart! Add a bit of extra honey to tone down the tart zing.

• ¾ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 pear, core removed & chopped
• 1 small orange
• ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon honey

Feeling adventurous? Add in any of the items below to give this smoothie even MORE flavor!

• A handful of fresh spinach
• A frozen or fresh banana
• A few frozen strawberries, blueberries, mango, or pineapple
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Caramel Apple Smoothie
This smoothie is a great alternative to the traditional sticky treat and delivers all of the delicious flavor! Smoothie staples Greek yogurt and almond milk add filling protein and frozen banana adds plenty of sweetness.

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• ½ cup applesauce
• ¼  tsp caramel extract
• Caramel sauce & cinnamon for topping

Recipe swap: This recipe is very adaptable - the trick is to use what you have! Experiment with different types of milk and yogurt. If you don’t have caramel extract on hand, add a bit of caramel sauce right to the blender! Many of the applesauce pouches that are so popular with kids come in fun flavors too. The options are endless, have some fun with it!

Green Monster Smoothie
When you are ready to move on from using spinach in your green smoothies, Swiss chard is a great next step. Swiss chard has a delicate flavor and softer leaves that blend well in most blenders. It is actually in the same family (amaranthaceae) as spinach and beets!

• 2-3 cups Swiss chard, destemmed and roughly chopped
• 2-3 ripe bananas, fresh or frozen
• 1 tart green apple, chopped
• 1 medium whole grapefruit, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup white cranberry juice or water
• 2 cups ice

This recipe makes plenty, so freeze individual portions for those extra hectic mornings!

Back To School Smiles

Healthy teeth do more than provide your child with an opportunity to show off their smile. Healthy teeth enable your child to be more confident, allow for easier social development and help to promote over-all good health.

Most orthodontic problems are inherited, and therefore cannot be prevented. However, early diagnosis and treatment by Dr. Beim can often guide facial development and tooth eruption, and thereby prevent more serious problems from occurring. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.

The upcoming school year is like a clean slate just waiting to be filled with good memories and opportunities for growth and adventure. So embrace the summer months and give your child a happy, healthy smile!

Just the Facts: According to surveys taken by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry:

• 9 out of 10 Americans agree that an attractive smile is an important social asset.
• 3 out of 4 Americans agree that an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances for career success.
• 1 out of 2 Americans are satisfied with their smile.

Contact us today to schedule your appointment! 

Invisible Braces...No Magician Needed

Need to fix your smile, but the idea of traditional metal braces has you thinking twice? Well guess what, you can get a perfect smile and no one will know you're wearing braces.

Whether you're a teen facing alignment issue or you're an adult wanting a little cosmetic improvement for a great smile and you'd prefer not to have braces, the nearly invisible ClearCorrect no-braces system may be the treatment for you. A quick evaluation by Dr. Beim will tell if you are a candidate for this convenient treatment.

We know that many people are eager to achieve a beautiful smile without wearing braces and that's why the ClearCorrect system is so great! ClearCorrect is an express aligner system. A series of aligners are customized for your teeth to apply pressure to the teeth that you want to move. Dr. Beim will check your progress and give you new sets of aligners every 4–6 weeks. You’ll wear the aligners for at least 22 hours per day, progressing through each step until your treatment is done.

ClearCorrect is the solution for adults and teens that have experienced crowding, spacing issues, overbites, underbites and crooked teeth. ClearCorrect provides the benefits of braces without the limitations found in other clear aligner products:

Superior clarity 
ClearCorrect is one of the clearest aligner products available. ClearCorrect aligners are virtually invisible. They're also resistant to clouding from wear.

Excellent hygiene 
ClearCorrect is removable so you can brush and floss like normal; plus the smooth surface finish of ClearCorrect aligners won’t trap bacteria so you can clean them easily, unlike braces and other aligner products.

Enhanced control
ClearCorrect gives your doctor a level of control during treatment previously only available with braces, ensuring at the end of treatment, you get the straight smile you’ve always wanted.

Check out this ClearCorrect patient testimonial 

If you want straighter teeth but are concerned about how you'll look in braces talk to us about ClearCorrect!

Why Your Child Needs An Early Evaluation

Orthodontics deals with the correction of teeth and jaws that are not in the right position. Beim Orthodontics has been a versatile help in creating a straight and healthy smile to patients who are affected with crooked teeth and other oral problems such as: 

• Overbite: In which the front teeth lie so much far forward, protruding quite the lower teeth.

• Underbite: In which the lower teeth lie too far forward, sticking out more than the upper teeth.

• Crossbite: In which there is a wide opening between the upper teeth and the lower teeth in front.

• Crowding: This is when there are too many teeth growing on a dental ridge more that it can accommodate

These problems are easily solved with orthodontics through the use of aligners, traditional braces, and various appliances to mention a few. It is factual that orthodontics effectively manages oral problems when discovered early, especially when the patient is a child and yet to develop a permanent tooth. A recommendation from the American Association of Orthodontists, the ideal age for a child’s first orthodontic exam is age seven when the orthodontist is fortunate enough to monitor closely the eruption of their permanent teeth and follow the growth of the jaws through its critical years of development. It is obvious that early evaluation enables us to catch the problem while it is at its metamorphosing stage, rather than after the patient has already developed, thus making it much more effectively managed with imminent invasive treatment needed in the future avoided.

When orthodontic problems are left undiagnosed and untreated, many of these issues can result in severe and permanent oral health problems. These may include abnormal wear of the tooth surface or enamel, inefficient chewing, and even excessive stress on gum tissues and supporting bones which can lead to gum recession or bone loss. Early treatment of these problems not only protects the teeth but can be more cost effective to fix the problems before they cause damages

Early treatment phase is provided from ages 7 and older when the treatment is majorly aimed at eliminating bite problems which can damage the teeth or gum tissues, treating down the road less invasive thus minimizing tooth extraction or jaw surgery.

Orthodontics patients of Beim Orthodontics are advised to see Dr. Beim early so that they can attain the best oral health and have a nice straight, healthy smile with a strategized treatment plan.

For more questions and information, you can contact Beim Orthodontics today.

Beautiful Smiles Have NO Age Limit

Don't let age stop you from having the straight teeth you've always dreamed of. Braces aren't just for kids anymore. Parents are still making regular trips to the orthodontist's office, but these days more and more are leaving their kids in the waiting room.

It's sad, but true…over time our bodies start to wear out, including our teeth. As you age, your teeth break down. Unfortunately, it's one of the most visible signs of aging. As teeth wear, the lower and the upper jaw move closer together. Shortening of your teeth causes your lips to change, creases to form on the sides of your nose and mouth, a deep crease develops between your chin and lower lip and jowls develop on the sides of your jaw. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can also contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay and abnormal wear of the tooth enamel.

Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Numerous technological advances have made braces less noticeable, less painful and even less time-consuming.

As America's baby boomers have become more health conscious, they're rejecting the notion that loosing teeth and dentures are a routine part of growing older. These days people are exercising more and eating healthier and braces are another way of demonstrating that you care about yourself and your overall health.

Don’t believe us? Still think you’re too old for braces? Check out these adults who decided it was time to improve their smiles…you might be surprised.

Faye Dunaway - Age 61

Tom Cruise - Age 40  

Gwen Stefani - Age 30  

At Beim Orthodontics are committed to excellence in orthodontics and life-long results for our patients, no matter what your age is. For more information regarding adult orthodontic care give us a call today! 

Your Smile Can Be Perfect For You

There are many factors that go into creating the perfect smile. From proper alignment of the teeth to correct jaw position and facial structure, each play a role in the appearance of your smile.

Do you have a perfect smile? Get yourself in front of a mirror and have a look.

1. The ideal relationship between the upper and lower front teeth should provide some vertical overlapping. Ideally, the upper front teeth should bite approximately 2 millimeters in front of the lower front teeth. And…the upper and lower front teeth should be angled slightly forward, toward the lips, thereby providing adequate support for the lips.

2. The center line between the upper front teeth should line up with the center line between the lower front teeth, and both lines should coincide with the midline of the face.

3. When smiling, the upper back teeth should fill the width of the smile from the corner of the mouth to the corner of the mouth. A broad, healthy smile evenly fills the entire area of the smile, minimizing the dark triangles at the corners of the mouth and provides proper support for lips and cheeks.

4. Upon smiling the upper lips should elevate approximately to the gumline. The lips usually elevates more when we are younger and less as we age.

5. When smiling the bottom edge of the upper front teeth should follow a curve that mirrors the curvature of the lower lip.

If you think your smile might be less than perfect, Dr. Beim can help. Your perfect smile is just a phone call away.

You're As Young As Your Smile Looks

Trying to find ways to preserve your youthfulness as you age?  How about starting with your smile.

Your teeth are probably the only thing on your face that doesn’t get wrinkles, but your teeth certainly do show signs of aging. So if you want to look younger and healthier, your teeth are a great place to start! Although our teeth are extremely resilient, over the years all of the chewing and the overall natural aging process can take a toll on our smile. Here are three ways to make your smile look as youthful as you feel.

Brighten Up
Teeth naturally darken as we age. One reason is that your teeth absorb color from food and drinks. Even if you take fantastic care of your teeth, they will eventually yellow over time. Whitening your teeth with custom whitening trays is the best way to achieve a deep and thorough color change that can take years off your appearance. Our office provides Zoom Whitening, ask us about our services. 

Straighten Up
Even if you start out with perfectly straight teeth, something called mesial drift will cause them to shift over time. Crowded teeth are an instant giveaway of age and straightening your teeth can often take 10 to 15 years off your appearance. Crowded teeth also increase the risk of tooth decay, premature tooth loss, and gum recession, all of which guarantee looking old.

Keep it Up
Maintaining your oral health is important to making sure your smile is healthy and vibrant. You can do this by keeping up with your oral hygiene, this includes: brushing, flossing, eating foods that do not harm your teeth and visiting your dentist every 6 months.

A large percentage of our patients are adults, and they agree that it’s never too late to improve your greatest asset – your smile. During the initial examination, we will be able to determine the best possible treatment for your individual needs. At this time, we can outline the treatment plan, time of treatment expected and the approximate cost.

Contact us today and find out how we can help improve your smile.