Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22nd. This day is used to spread environmental awareness and show support for environmental protection. The Earth and its natural resources are important to allowing all living organism, from plants to humans, to thrive in the world. However, the environment isn’t going to protect itself. We must take action to make sure Earth is in a clean and healthy state. Since Earth Day was launched in 1970 we have made process with legal acts being put in place to support environmental safety.

Here are 5  Earth Day Facts (Source: dosomething.org)

• Earth Day originated in the US but became recognized worldwide by 1990.

• On Earth Day 2009, Disney released a documentary film called Earth that followed the migration paths of four animal families.

• Every year on April 22, men, women, and children collect garbage, plant trees, clean up coral reefs, show movies, sign petitions, and plan for a better future for our planet.

• Some schools and communities celebrate Earth Day for a whole week to expand the time frame that people focus on the earth and how they can preserve it.

• On Earth Day 2012, more than 100,000 people rode bikes in China to reduce CO2 emissions and save fuel.

Let’s celebrate this Earth Day by "Going Green". Going green simply means implementing certain lifestyle changes designed to help you live in a more eco-friendly way. It means becoming more environmentally aware and changing your behavior and lifestyle to reduce the amount of pollution and waste you generate.

Every little action you take to protect the Earth helps, start today and help save the planet. To learn more about Earth Day visit Earthday.org

April is National Facial Protection Month!

National Facial Protection Month focuses on spreading awareness about the importance of protecting children and adults from oral and facial injuries. Many injuries that do occur during sporting activities could have been prevented had the proper protective gear had been worn. An estimated 12 million people between the ages of 5 and 22 years suffer a sport-related injury annually.  A recently published study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database of injuries treated at hospital emergency departments, for the period 2001-2008. Researchers found the five most common causes of childhood injuries were, in order of frequency, basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds and soccer.

For our patients we want to remind you that it is important for you to protect your mouth during treatment. For protection you must wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can help prevent injury to the teeth, mouth and even jaw. Mouth guards are made of flexible material that is fitted to protect your upper and lower teeth. You can buy a stock mouth guard or get a custom guard made. The right fit mouth guard will act as cushions protecting your mouth from hits and preventing serious injury.

To learn more about National Facial Protection Month please visit AAOMS.org

Easter Day Fun!

Bunnies and eggs popping up everywhere, well that’s because Easter Day is coming. Easter is this Sunday, April 5th and with the beautiful weather that spring has brought on it is a perfect time to get outside with your family and get involved in Easter themed activities.

Easter Day activities are fun for kids, but can bring joy to the family as a whole. And the great part about these activities is that you can pick up supplies at your local store for a round of DIY fun!

Here are 3 EGG-cellent Do It Yourself activities:

Dying Eggs
Traditionally eggs are off-white, but with beautiful colors blossoming from nature why not add a little life and color to our eggs on this holiday. The main things you need are eggs are food coloring. For detailed instructions on dying eggs click here.

Easter Egg Hunting
The day of Easter is the perfect time to invite family and friends over so kids can enjoy a fun-filled Easter egg hunt. What you’ll need is plastic eggs and mini treats. You’ll need to put the treats inside the plastic eggs, after you fill the eggs it is time to strategically hide the eggs in your yard. Let the kids run wild and find the hidden eggs. To make the hunt more fun you can pick a grand prize for the child who finds the most eggs!

Bunny Crafts
Since Easter is synonymous with bunnies having your kids create bunny crafts can be fun! Here are some ideas for bunny crafts.

Click here for more fun ideas

Share your Easter day fun with us on Social Media:

Post pictures on our Facebook wall
Tag us on Instagram @RIOrtho #RIortho
or Tweets Us @PoserOrtho

Develop Good Habits Early

Are you looking to get the kids in your household excited about oral hygiene? Well we have some great tips for you.

Although it is not recommended that children see an Orthodontist until age 7, children should begin a oral health routine by age 3. If your child does need to receive orthodontic treatment when they are older is it best that we are to able to work on healthy teeth and gums.

Here are a few tips:

Listen to fun songs that promote brushing: Kids love a catchy songs, search YouTube for fun songs like "Teach Me How to Brushy".

Play oral health related mobile apps: Mobile gaming applications like "Toothsavers" promote healthy brushing habits as kids work to save a fairy tale kingdom.

DIY Home activities: There are many fun activities that you create with kids to promote habits like flossing. Colgate has a site dedicated to family activities, click here.

Character themed dental products: Oral B has introduced new Frozen themed toothbrushes and toothpaste! This a great way to get kids excited about oral hygiene.

Lead by example: Brush with your child and show them the proper way to brush their teeth for two minutes, two times a day.

For more information on oral hygiene and early treatment visit our site riortho.com 

Keep Up With Oral Hygiene While On the Road

It's spring time so we all know what that means... SPRING BREAK

It's Spring Break season so this means vacation traveling. Even when you are not in the comfort of your own home don’t let your healthy teeth habits fall to the wayside. Having a clean mouth is important. It gives you fresh breath and a nicer-looking smile. Brushing and flossing removes a thin sticky film of bacteria that grows on your teeth. This sticky film, called plaque, is the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease.

The best way to keep your teeth healthy while on the road you must keep a kit with you to make sure everything you need is on hand while under Orthodontic treatment.

Here are some of the items that need to be in your kit:

• Travel Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Threader floss
• Rubber bands
• Mini Mirror

& in case of a dental emergency

• Dental wax
• Cold pack
• Over the counter pain killers

Putting together a mini dental travel kit is the easiest way to support your healthy habits while on the road. Get a small bag that can easily fit in your carrier and fill it with all the items you need. Also, make sure you keep a Rhode Island Orthodontics Group contact card inside your kit just in case you have an emergency and need to contact our office.

It's National Frozen Food Month!!!

March is National Frozen Food Month!!!

Pioneers in food preservation and frozen food brands are recognized for their contributions to this revolutionary industry during this month. Charles Birdeye is heavily acknowledge this month as he is credited with inventing frozen foods. Frozen foods include healthy produce, portioned meals and a variety of cuisines and dishes. Freezing is ultimately the best way to preserve foods. Frozen foods make the world of cooking much easier, keeping food safe and fresh.

Frozen Foods Facts (source: easyhomemeals.com)

• The bestselling frozen food is ice cream.
• Freezing acts as a natural preservative so many of your favorite foods contain no preservatives.
• Flash freezing (quickly freezing foods at extremely cold temperatures) was introduced in the 1900s by Clarence Birdeye.
• Frozen fruits and veggies that are properly packaged can be stored for up to a year!
• The freezer aisle in most grocery stores comprise of about 3,700 different foods.

Frozen foods can be used to make some of the best meals. From breakfast to dinner, from lunch to snacks, frozen foods help you create meals you and your family love. For frozen meal recipes easyhomemeals.com

Remember, whether cooking for yourself or someone else who is under orthodontic treatment be sure to check out our foods to avoid list to make sure your food wont harm your braces. 

National Dentist Day is Coming

March 6th is National Dentist Day! 

This day is used to recognize your dentist and show a little appreciation. Although you've chosen Rhode Island Orthodontic Group to provide your orthodontic care you must visit your dentist every 6 months (twice a year). Your dentist helps you maintain your overall oral health care which includes:

• Teeth cleaning
• Removing/ repairing problem teeth
• and Filling cavities

Here are 10 interesting facts about dentistry:

1) The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime. That is enough spit to fill 2 swimming pools!

2) You are should not keep your toothbrush near a toilet. The airborne particles from the flush can travel up to a distance of 6 feet. Yuck!

3) People who drink 3 or more glasses of soda each day have 62% more tooth decay, fillings and tooth loss than others. Put down the pop and sports drinks and pick up some nice fresh water instead.

4) In 1994, a prison inmate in West Virginia braided dental floss into a rope, scaled the wall and escaped. (We suggest that you use floss to clean between your teeth instead of climbing prison walls! If you don’t you are missing around 35% of your teeth’s surfaces.)

5) You should replace your toothbrush at least every three months, and always after you have an episode of flu, cold or other viral infections. Notorious bacteria can implant themselves on the toothbrush bristles leading to re-infection.

6) Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. However, we do not recommend that you use your pearly whites to open bottle caps!

7) The standard advice to “see your dentist twice a year” was actually invented by an ad agency for Pepsodent toothpaste! Your dental professional should recommend the correct schedule for your regular dental visits.
 A recent poll has shown that health professionals (physicians, dentists and nurses) were among the most trusted people in The United States. The least trusted? Lobbyists and congressmen of course!

9) According to a recent survey done by Time Magazine, 59% of Americans would rather have a dental appointment than be sitting next to someone talking on a cell phone. Maybe some of us should take a hint!

10) Over three out of four people in the United States suffer from some form of gum disease. It is the leading cause of tooth loss in people over age 35. The good news is, in most cases gum disease can be prevented or controlled!

Without regular dental examinations and necessary treatment, it is possible to end up with straight teeth and good bite, but with decayed teeth and unhealthy gums. And who wants that? Be sure to make your scheduled dentist appointments.