Our Blog

Reminder To Use Your Flex Spending Accounts!

Can you believe the 2018 year is quickly coming to an end? As the calendar winds down toward 2019, we know many of our patients are anxiously keeping an eye their flexible spending balances, and trying hard not to squander any of their hard-earned dollars which has accumulated for medical and dental expenses over the past year.

That’s why Dr. Brad Gilbert, Dr. Adam Wells and our SmilesForever Orthodontics team would like to give those patients with Flexible Spending accounts a friendly end-of-the-year reminder that it is time to schedule a visit so that you can optimize your benefits! Whether you are currently in treatment with an active payment plan or are thinking about starting orthodontics for yourself or a family member, it isn’t too late to take advantage of available funds.

Orthodontics Are Covered

Did you know that orthodontics are covered under these FSA and Health Savings account plans? Yes, we get that question a lot and are so happy to let our patients know that the orthodontic services we offer including, orthodontic appliances, traditional braces, clear braces, diagnostic x-rays and Invisalign are all allowable expenditures under these plans. Consultations are also covered under FSA plans but you don’t need to worry about budgeting for first time consultation fees because they are always complimentary with our doctors at SmilesForever Orthodontics!

Our Friendly Staff Can Help Plan Your FSA Budget

At SmilesForever Orthodontics, we work hard to meet your needs, while in the treatment chair and when it comes to payments and insurance. Our doctors and team never want financial obstacles to keep anyone from receiving the orthodontic care they need and our treatment and insurance coordinators take pride in helping our patients budget and save! We’re here to help if you have any questions regarding planning your 2019 FSA and Health Savings open enrollment, your orthodontic insurance, your treatment and your accounts, just give us a call!

Contact SmilesForever Orthodontics Today

Our practice tends to be quite busy during the holidays when schools are closed and many adults have free time away from work. By calling any of our four locations in Dacula, Duluth, Flowery Branch and Loganville, GA soon, we can help you budget your FSA dollars toward your treatment so that you can “use it before you lose it” and also help you in planning for your and your family’s gorgeous smiles next year!

Surviving Halloween with Braces!

If you are the parent of someone with braces - or a kid at heart with braces yourself, you won't need to worry about taking the fun out of Halloween with our SmilesForever Orthodontics survival tips!

Dr. Brad Gilbert and Dr. Adam Wells would like all of our patients to enjoy this SPOOKTACULAR  holiday. Because really, all anyone wants to do on Halloween is dress up, watch a spooky movie or two, eat some yummy Halloween candy and most of all - HAVE FUN!!

In following our tips you'll make this a ghoulishly fun event!

Keeping Teeth & Braces Healthy

1. Stay away from hard, crunchy, sticky and chewy candies. Choose soft and creamy candies instead. Examples are candies without nuts, caramel and taffy. Plain M&M's and Three Muskateer's Bars are just two braces-friendly candies!
2. Remember to brush well after eating any candy! The sugar remaining on teeth for any length of time can cause tooth decay.

Trick or Treating With Alternative Choices to Candy

Given the choice between a fun toy or candy - consider passing up the sugar in favor of a treat that will last longer and will be more fun!

1. If you're planning to hand out treats in the neighborhood, have some fun alternatives on hand. Necklaces, rings, stickers, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, coloring books - these all make fantastic treats and are super affordable at the dollar store. You'll soon have a line of little ninja's and ballerina's lining up to knock on your door!
2. Many communities and churches are hosting fall festivals on Halloween. They often have fun booths and games to enjoy, which help to take the focus off the candy!
3. Check out our Ghoulishly Delicious Treats Pinterest board for fun meals, snacks and treats. They're all braces-friendly recipes!

No Trick!

Setting a healthy Halloween habit now, will help not only help protect your child's braces, the habit will help them keep their teeth healthy long term! Your children may be more inclined to heed your warnings about the effects of sugar on teeth if they know about the continuous tug-of-war taking place inside their mouths. Colgate has a great article, What Are the Effects of Sugar on Teeth?

Helping them understand how teeth react to sugar can have a lasting impression, and you know, we want you all to have beautiful, healthy SmilesForever!

A Safe Halloween for Smiles and Trick or Treaters!

Keep your smiles and selves safe by always make sure to walk well-lit paths while out on Halloween to avoid trips and falls.

In the unfortunate event that a bracket or appliance becomes loose or broken, please call us so that we can evaluate how to help get you comfortable. Broken braces may also slow down expected treatment time if left too long. By making us aware that something needs attention, we can help keep your treatment progressing toward your perfect smile!

From all of us at SmilesForever, we wish you all a safe, healthy and fun Halloween!

New Back Pack - ✓ CHECK
Pencils, Marker, Notebook, Erasers - ✓ CHECK
Toothbrush, Wax and Floss - ✓ CHECK
Braces-Friendly Lunches - Oh. Oh-no! HELP!

If your child started orthodontic treatment over the summer and will be returning to school with a sparkling new set of braces this fall, packing lunches that won’t be too difficult to chew and won’t damage their braces may be YOUR biggest back-to-school challenge.

Dr. Brad Gilbert, Dr. Adam Wells and our team have made it easy to navigate packing braces-friendly lunches with tips and menu ideas to make it less challenging.

So what to actually pack?

By simply remembering our number one rule avoiding foods that are hard, crunchy, sticky and chewy, your braces-wearing child will still think you’re the BEST school lunch-packer in your family! Accidents happen, but they are much easier to avoid by following this simple rule.

You'll find many resources on the Internet and Pinterest for fresh ideas. Check out our SmilesForever Pinterest board Braces-Friendly School Lunches.

There are also some great books out there for cooking braces-friendly meals. We particularly love The Braces Cookbook by Pamela Waterman and Brenda Waterman.

A Few Braces-Friendly Items To Choose From:

Sandwiches

Any sandwiches with soft bread (cut off the crusts if necessary) or try using Pita Bread or a wrap as an alternative.

• Peanut (or Almond) butter & banana, Peanut butter & jelly or honey (remember to only pack smooth, creamy peanut or almond butter and avoid super sticky and crunchy peanut or almond butter)
• Soft lunch meats
• Hummus and thinly slices cucumber
• Tuna salad
• Egg Salad
• Chicken Salad (We found great braces-friendly recipe by Tracey over at The Kitchen is My Playground Traditional Southern Chicken Salad)
• Sandwich Wraps and Pinwheels
• Kabobs

Soft Foods

• Cottage Cheese
• Thin Cheese Slices
• Mock Crab Meat
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Deviled Eggs
• Cold Cuts
• Cold Pasta Salads

Fruits

• Oranges
• Kiwi
• Star Fruit
• Strawberries
• Melon
• Grapes
• Bananas

Sweet Treats

• Applesauce
• Marshmallows
• Smooth or creamy chocolate
• Pudding
• Muffins
• Cupcakes
• Yogurt (avoid yogurts that come with hard crunchy granola or toppings)
• Jello

Adaptable Lunch Favorites

• Soft Tacos
• Pizza cut into manageable bites (No thick crust)
• Apples and Carrots cut into thin slices and wedges
• Lunchables - make your own with thinly sliced lunch meats and cheese and soft Ritz crackers

Do you get bored having the same food for every meal? So will your child! Try mixing it up a little. Add pineapple to applesauce, dried cranberries to chicken salad, sliced olives to deviled eggs or hummus. Cut lunch meat, fruit and cheeses into fun shapes!

All of us at SmilesForever Orthodontics wish you fun and healthy lunch-packing this school year, just remember the number one rule - "Nothing hard, crunchy, sticky or chewy", and you'll keep those braces sparkling and do great!

Smiles - Sunshine - Summertime FUN!

We are SO ready for summer. Like really ready. Early ready. SO ready we're starting our SmilesForever Orthodontics Summer Contest Photo Challenge TODAY!

At your next appointment be sure to pick up one of our Summer of Smiles signs to take your summer pictures with! Feel free to drop by for a sign before then if you'd like to better your chances in the drawing - each new picture posted earns you an entry!

Dr. Gilbert, Dr. Wells and our staff can't wait to see what fun and mischief our patients get up to this summer. Have fun smiling and GOOD LUCK!