October recipe of the month: Paula's famous cinnamon buns!

 

Check this out! Paula Shoyer makes her famous cinnamon buns - we are lucky enough to have this family as part of our practice. Paula has honored us with homemade treats as well. Absolute Heaven!

And here are some braces-friendly treats we think you'll enjoy this Halloween season.

- The Orchin Orthodontics staff

"Hey, Dr. Orchin! Which foods should I avoid?"

There are a variety of foods Dr. Andrew Orchin wants you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should avoid
• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why during your treatment at Orchin Orthodontics, we invite you to give us a call at (202) 686-5100 or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

Marvelous Molasses Cookies for Everyone From Orchin Orthodontics

Check out this brace friendly recipe from Brenda and Pam Waterman in their book, The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (And Your Orthodontist) Will Love.

Anyone with braces knows that it's important to avoid sticky foods, crunchy foods, hard foods, chewy foods, and so on. It's easy to look at the list and think, "What can I eat?" The Watermans' new book tackles that question with creative and thorough answers in the form of 50 braces-friendly recipes, plus additional tips and advice – enough to reassure any doubter.

Marvelous Molasses Cookies

They smell wonderful even before baking, they melt in your mouth, and they never harden up. Yum – the best of gingerbread and ginger snaps in one!

* 1 cup shortening
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ginger
* 2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Baking time 11 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, egg, salt and molasses, using an electric mixer and beating until fluffy. Add cinnamon and ginger. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the baking soda into the warm water; add water mixture to the molasses mixture alternately with the flour until well blended.

Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about four dozen. Store in a covered container.

Now That I Have Braces, What Can I Eat? - Washington DC

You just got braces and the orthodontist has informed you that over the next several months you will want to avoid eating anything sticky, hard, crunchy, or chewy. What does this leave for you to eat? Lettuce? Nothing?

Luckily, there was someone else wondering the same thing when she first got braces! Brenda Waterman, 13, decided she was going to find a way to have her cake and eat it too, so she created a variety of “braces-friendly” recipes that allow you to enjoy your favorite treats without interfering with your orthodontic care! Her cookbook, “The Braces Cookbook: Recipes you (and your Orthodontist) will Love,” gives patients a variety of delicious recipes, safe to eat with braces; plus additional tips and advice for packing lunches, what to eat at parties, and braces-friendly restaurant dishes! There’s even a section with tips for dealing with the soreness that can occur when your braces or appliance are adjusted. Enjoy the foods you love – even with braces!
Here is a delicious, sneak peek recipe from “The Braces Cookbook:”

Wonderful Waffles

Forget the recipe that came with your waffle iron – this recipe will redefine fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The secret to delicious waffles is letting the batter "sit" for five minutes before pouring into the waffle iron. Top cooked waffles with syrup, jam, fresh fruit or even whip cream. Makes about 5 servings!

Preheat your waffle iron according to the directions. You may want to lightly spray it with vegetable oil before heating.
• 3 cups flour
• 2 Tbl + 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbl sugar
• 4 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
In a large bowl, whisk (or use electric mixer on low) together all ingredients. Let batter sit for about five minutes to activate the baking powder.

When waffle iron is ready, pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto each of the four squares (experiment with your iron – you don't want the batter overflowing). Gently close the cover and set your timer as the manufacturer suggests. Do not lift the cover while they bake. When done, carefully lift one edge with a flat spatula and pull the waffle away from the iron. Keep waffles warm on a plate under a clean dishtowel while the others bake.