Looking for a delicious braces-friendly winter dessert? We’ve got a great recipe!

You have braces, and you’re probably wondering what to eat. You've heard from Sobler Orthodontics that you can’t have gum, popcorn or other delicious but braces-unfriendly foods. But fear not! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have a delicious recipe that will satisfy both your sugar craving and hunger when the weather gets cold.

Apple Bombolini
Ingredients:

Rustic dough
• 9 ounces cake flour (about 3 cups)
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoon cold water

Apple sauce filling
• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Diced apples:
• 4 Granny Smith apples
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ lemon, juiced

Directions:

For the dough: In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, add the dry ingredients and mix for 5 seconds to blend. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until the butter is about the size of peas. Add the cold water and blend until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a roughly shaped ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Applesauce filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples. Put the apples with the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and cook until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, and refrigerate.

Diced apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into large slices. Toss with the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and set aside.

Assemble the bomboloni: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out to1/4-inch thick round. Cut into 6-inch rounds. Place about 1/4 cup of the Apple Sauce Filling onto the center of each round. Top with a few pieces of the Diced Apples. Pull the sides up towards the center to form a bundle, pinching the dough together towards top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before baking

Bake the bombolonis: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the bombolonis from the refrigerator and place them on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 5 servings.

We hope you enjoy it! Happy Holidays from the Sobler Orthodontics Team.

The importance of retainers, from Sobler Orthodontics

If you recently completed treatment at Sobler Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Drs. Terry Sobler & Ian Sobler will provide—or have provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers 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. Terry Sobler or Dr. Ian Sobler is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.
* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.
* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team if you have any questions!

Drs. Sobler and The Jawonio Cranio-facial Team, Honored for Giving Back to the Community

Drs. Sobler and many other professionals have recently been honored for their work with The Jawonio Craniofacial Clinic. Watch this video for an example of how the Jawonio Craniofacial Team gives back to their community. To learn more about Jawonio, please visit www.jawonio.org

Mouth guards and sports injuries, with Sobler Orthodontics

If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. A protective mouth guard is advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and others. Be sure, however, to avoid mouth guards that custom form to your teeth as these will resist any tooth movements we are trying to achieve.

In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, please schedule an appointment with our team.

Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at Sobler Orthodontics in New City, NY.

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see Drs. Sobler for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for our doctors to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at Sobler Orthodontics in New City, NY to schedule an appointment.

Your pal, fluoride

There are so many ways you protect your teeth throughout your orthodontic treatment. You brush your teeth twice a day, floss regularly and protect your mouth and appliances from being damaged. But did you know there is another, often forgotten about, way to keep your teeth clean and healthy during your treatment? Fluoride – a mineral that helps prevent cavities and tooth decay – can help keep your teeth strong! Fluoride comes in two varieties: topical and systemic. Topical fluoride is applied directly to the tooth. Topical fluoride includes toothpastes and mouth rinses. Systemic fluorides are swallowed in the form of a dietary supplement.

Fluoride used in the dentist/orthodontists’ office is often times a stronger concentration than in toothpaste or mouthwash, but is available at some drug stores or a pharmacy (ask your doctor how to purchase professional strength fluoride). A fluoride treatment typically takes just a few minutes. After the treatment patients may be asked not to rinse, eat or drink for at least 30 minutes in order to allow the teeth to absorb the fluoride. Depending on your oral health or doctor’s recommendation, you may be required to have a fluoride treatment every three, six or 12 months. Your doctor may also prescribe a fluoride product such as mouthwashes, gels or antibacterial rinses for at-home treatment.

When choosing your own fluoride product, be sure to check for the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of acceptance. Products marked with the ADA seal of approval have been carefully examined and have met the criteria of the ADA for safety and effectiveness. Take care of your teeth, and smile bright!

Distinguishing the myths and facts about orthodontics, from Sobler Orthodontics

Trust us when we say Drs. Sobler 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 Sobler Orthodontics in New City, NY, feel free to give us a call.

What's New From Sobler Orthodontics?

Summer may be nearly over, but at Sobler Orthodontics we have some exciting news for our patients! In the coming weeks we will be offering several new and exciting patient contests. Stay tuned on our Facebook page, and "like" us to automatically get updates about our contests and events!

We are also pleased to announce several new services offered at Sobler Orthodontics, including:

- Defender Mouthguards - a customized new option for athletes in braces. These new mouthguards provide one of the best fits around, and superior protection. Check out their web site for more information, or ask us!

- Damon Clear Braces - The Damon System is a great way to achieve a straighter smile, and now with clear brackets, your smile will look great even when in braces!

- The Insignia System - A high tech treatment option that can give patients a truly customized smile. With Insignia, we are able to use special orthodontic software to give you precise results in less time!

Congratulations Savannah!

At Sobler Orthodontics, we are always holding a fun contest for our patients, and this week we wanted to congratulate the latest winner, Savannah. She won a gift certificate for two to the movies! Stay tuned on our blog or our Facebook page for the latest news and events at Sobler Orthodontics!

Common Braces Problems, and how to solve them!

When you first get your braces on at Sobler Orthodontics, the doctors and the team give you a few tips on a few of the most common problems with braces, and how to solve them without needing to call us at all! Check out this short video above in case you have forgotten, and be sure to pick up extra wax at your next appointment!

Ask Sobler Orthodontics: Is Invisalign® really customized for each patient?

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work, says Dr. Sobler. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing we do is to take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. The best thing about it all? Nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Sobler is a certified Invisalign provider. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, please give us a call.

At Sobler Orthodontics, easy access to your account information

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at our office enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!

June is National Smile Month!

It’s June already! Where does the time go?

Drs. Sobler and team are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month, a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call!

–Sobler Orthodontics of New York City, New York