Bluegrass Orthodontics Blog

Damon Forum Meeting

2012-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Dr. Ferguson was in Phoenix, Az. over the past weekend participating in the 12th Annual Damon Forum. A 3-day continuing education seminar about the braces we use in our office - The Damon System. While he was there learning about this innovative brace system, he was also fortunate enough to hear their new spokesperson, "Soul Surfer" Bethany Hamilton speak about her experience with the Damon Brace System. Click on the link below to see why Bethany Hamilton is Stoked about Damon Braces and so are we!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O7L1I7dUBU&feature=share

Partners in Education Update

2012-01-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce we have donated a total of $10,700.00 to local area schools from September 2011- December 2011 through our Partners in Education Program. As you know, our Partners in Education program is a cooperative program we established in August 2010 to provide local area schools with a monetary donation they can utilize within their school to help off set the cost of classroom supplies.

When a child or an adult starts full orthodontic treatment in our office, we will donate $100.00 to a school of their choice. Once a month we will deliver a check along with a letter stating the name of the patient(s) who selected that school to receive the donation in their honor.

We have had such a great response from teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, etc., that we decided to continue this program for the 2011-2012 year. Thus, this far Fayette County has received a total of $5,600.00, Bourbon County has received $1,500.00, Jessamine County has received $600.00 and other surrounding counties have received $2,700.00!

All of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics are excited to continue this program and be able to give back to our communities which have been so good to us! We value and understand the importance of education for the future success of the children within our community and this is just one way we are able to help.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

From all of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics, we'd like to wish our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers a very Merry Christmas. We'd also like to extend a special holiday message to our "ortho family" of patients, and colleagues because without you we would not be who we are today. We are eternally grateful for all of your support through out this past year and we look forward to continue to provide your family with the best orthodontic care possible. We are very blessed to have such wonderful and caring people in our lives, that words can not express the gratitude we feel towards you all.

May each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

Orthodontic Emergencies

2011-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

It is almost the bewitching hour! Time to dress up, pretend we are someone or something else, eat all those special goodies and hopefully not break any orthodontic wires or brackets. However, if in the instance you sneak one of those "no-no goodies", we have created some helpful hints to get you through the rest of the Halloween night.

Broken Arch Wires:

If an archwire is broken and it is NOT poking or causing discomfort, you can place a small piece of wax on the end and call our office in the morning to schedule an appointment.
If an archwire is broken and it IS poking or causing discomfort, you can either put a piece of wax on it or you can clip it with a pair of nail clippers which have been disinfected with alcohol. Again, please call our office in the morning to schedule an appointment.

Broken Brackets:

If a bracket/brace has popped off your tooth and is still attached to the archwire, and it is NOT bothering you, please call our office in the morning and we will schedule an appointment to repair the broken bracket.
If a bracket has popped off your tooth and is NOT attached to the archwire, please keep the bracket in a ziploc baggie and call our office in the morning to schedule a repair appointment. If the archwire is poking, you may clip it with a pair of disinfected nail clippers or place a piece of wax over the pokey end.

Pokey Archwires:

If an archwire is poking, you may either put a piece of wax over the end or clip it with a pair of disinfected nail clippers. Please call our office the next morning to schedule a repair appointment.

Of course, these are just a couple of incidents that could occur. The best prevention of broken brackets or archwires is to follow our guidelines and stay away from the gooey, sticky, chewy or hard foods this Halloween. However, with any emergency situation, if you can not temporarily fix the problem at home, or if you have any questions about a situation, please do not hesitate to call our office!

We hope you have a "SPOOKTACULAR" Halloween!

October is National Orthodontic Health Month

2011-10-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween is fast approaching and soon we will be answering our doors to little ghosts and goblins asking us for "Tricks or Treats." We know everyone loves the treats, but for an orthodontic office, those treats can cause havoc on your braces. Sticky, crunchy, hard or gooey candy are big culprits in breaking brackets and arch wires. To prevent this, we have compiled a list of some orthodontic friendly treats.

Soft, melt in your mouth chocolate, such as Hershey Bars
Peanut Butter Cups
Jello
Plain M&M's (no peanut M&M's)
Mounds or Almond Joy candy bars
3 Musketeers candy bars

Think before you decide to put something in your mouth if you are wearing braces. Definitely stay away from bubblegum, tootsie rolls, licorice, Snickers candy bars, etc. If it is sticky, gooey or crunchy it is not your friend! This theory also applies with regular treats if you are attending any "spooktacular" Halloween parties!
Below you will find some "brace" friendly Halloween recipes. We hope you have a "ghoulishly" great Halloween!

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Softies

Recipe idea adapted from “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman

Makes 36 – 40 cookies

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 15-ounce can plain pumpkin puree
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon milk
1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In large mixing bowl, with a mixer or whisk, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, oil, molasses and milk. Add flour mixture slowly into pumpkin mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

The dough is very soft. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets, 12 cookies to a pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Store in a covered container between sheets of waxed paper.

Yummy Mummy Spinach Dip

What You Need:

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen pizza dough, thawed

1 egg, beaten

2 sticks KRAFT POLLY-O STRING-UMS String Cheese

2 black olive slices

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream

1/4 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 green onion, sliced

1/2 cup finely chopped red peppers

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

WHEAT THINS Original Crackers

Make It:
PAT dough into 12x6-inch oval on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Indent dough, about 3 inches from one end of oval, for the mummy's head. Let rise in warm place 20 min. or until doubled in volume.

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Brush dough with egg. Bake 18 to 20 min. or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Pull apart string cheese to make about 16 strips; arrange on bread for the mummy's wrappings. Bake 1 to 2 min. or just until cheese is melted; cool slightly. Press olive slices into bread for the mummy's eyes; cool completely.

MEANWHILE, mix sour cream and dressing in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in next 5 ingredients. Refrigerate 30 min. or until ready to serve.

USE sharp knife to remove bread from top of mummy's body; scoop out bread from center, leaving thin shell on bottom and side. (Reserve bread top. Discard removed bread or reserve for another use.) Fill bread with spinach dip just before serving; cover with top of bread. Serve with crackers. (Nutrition information is for dip and crackers only.)

Scary Skillet Shepherd's Pie

What You Need:
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup beef gravy
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup milk, divided
1 cup water
2 cups instant potato flakes
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It:

COOK vegetables as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in gravy; simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally.

MICROWAVE cream cheese and 1/4 cup milk in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; beat with whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk and water. Microwave 2-1/2 min. or until hot, stirring after each minute. Stir in potato flakes and Parmesan until well blended. Spoon into resealable plastic bag; cut 1 corner from bottom of bag.

REMOVE 12 peas from mixed vegetables; stir remaining vegetables into meat mixture. Squeeze potato mixture into 6 mounds on meat mixture to resemble ghosts. Add 2 of the reserved peas to each for the eyes.

For more great orthodontic friendly recipes visit http://www.braces.org/NOHM/Orthodontic-Friendly-Recipes.cfm or http://www.braces.org/JustForKids/Recipes.cfm.

Bluegrass Orthodontics 1st Annual Food Drive

2011-08-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

BLUEGRASS ORTHODONTICS

1ST ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE

Help us give back to our community!

Earn 1 HORSEBUCK for every canned item brought in!

COLLECTION DATES: Sept. 1, 2011- Nov. 9, 2011

Boxes will be located in the reception rooms at every office.

Any un-opened canned or boxed items will be accepted.

Please no glass items.

Dr. Jennifer Sullivan

2011-08-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a new face around Bluegrass Orthodontics. That new face belongs to Dr. Jennifer Sullivan DMD MS, who occasionally fills in for both Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Tipton when they are out of the office attending continuing education seminars.

Dr. Sullivan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 2003 where she received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine. In 2004 she completed an Advanced Education program in General Dentistry, also from the University of Pennsylvania. From there she moved to Lexington and practiced general family/cosmetic dentistry from 2004-2007 and was also a faculty member of Clinical & Restorative Dentistry at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Sullivan received her Master's Degree & Certificate of Orthodontics from the University of Kentucky Orthodontic Graduate Program in December 2010.

Dr. Sullivan is well active in the dental/orthodontic community and belongs to many of the same committees as Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Tipton. She is a member of the Bluegrass Dental Society, Kentucky Dental Association, and the Kentucky Association of Orthodontics.

When Dr. Sullivan is not practicing orthodontics, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their 5 year-old daughter Sofia. In her free time, Dr. Sullivan also enjoys, learning languages, taking care care animals, reading, cooking and exercising.

We are very fortunate to have the help of Dr. Sullivan as this allows us to continue seeing our patients on a regular schedule when Dr. Ferguson or Dr. Tipton need to be out of the office. Therefore, if you are in the office and see Dr. Sullivan make sure to stop and say hi!

Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton's Adventures

2011-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Have you been following Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton on our Facebook page during their adventures this summer? If not, what are you waiting for? Click on this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bluegrass-Orthodontics/122310402342 which will bring you to our facebook page, then click the "like" button and you too can watch where they will go next!

Both Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton have been very busy this summer. They have traveled to Florida, New Mexico, Alabama, California, New York, South Carolina and even China! However, in between all this traveling to different states, they have decided to visit some local areas also, such as Centre College and a Wigwam Village in Kentucky.

If you can not get onto our Facebook page, we have uploaded some of their voyages below. We hope you enjoy the pictures. Remember, it is still not too late to pick up your Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton. They are at every office just waiting to go on an adventure with you this summer!

Flat Ferguson at the top of the Empire State Building in New York.

Flat Ferguson hanging out at the beach in South Carolina.

Flat Ferguson visiting the Wigwam Village in Kentucky.

Tiny Tipton taking a ride in Florida.

Flat Ferguson visiting in California.

Flat Ferguson in Utah!

Here is Flat Ferguson riding a horse in Alabama!

At a rodeo in New Mexico. Go Flat Ferguson!

Both Flat Ferguson & Tiny Tipton went to a swim camp at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.

Here they are in China!

Flat Ferguson wore glasses while he visited the Great Wall of China!

Partners in Education Update

2011-07-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!!

We started this program August 1, 2010 with a goal of donating $25,000.00 by August 1, 2011. We are proud to announce that as of today, July 7, 2011 we have donated a total of $24,300.00 to local area schools through our Partners in Education program. We can see our goal in the near future and we'd like to say thank you for all that have made this possible. We can't wait to spread the good news once we have obtained our goal!

Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton Are On The Move!

2011-06-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Summer has begun and so have Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton's travels. Together, they have traveled to Owensboro, Kentucky to enjoy the music of the Legendary Live Festival. Flat Ferguson has ventured out of his comfort zone and decided to go horseback riding in Athens, Alabama. Meanwhile, Tiny Tipton has been in a peacock nest, took a ride on a motorcycle, and even visited some polar bears in Florida. Visit our facebook page to see the pictures.

Where do you think they will go next? If you haven't already picked up your Flat Ferguson or Tiny Tipton, what are you waiting for? Stop by any of the four offices and get yours today! If you don't have an appointment coming up you can always print them from this blog post. Remember, after taking their picture to email it at kyortho@qx.net or upload them on our facebook page! You could win a $25.00 WalMart gift card.

HAPPY TRAVELS!!!

Partners In Education

2011-05-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

As the school year ends, we'd like to thank all of our family and friends that have made it possible for the great success of our Partners in Education program. We started this program August 1, 2010 and to date we have raised $20,700.00!! Eventhough, the school year has almost ended, we wanted to let you know that our Partners in Education program has not. We are continuing it through the summer and are hoping to reach our goal of $25,000.00 by August 31, 2011!

We have had such a great response from the community including a number of thank you letters from schools, superintendants, principals, teachers and the PTA's that have benefited from this program.
These wonderful letters have been compiled and made into a book which is located in our reception room at the Alumni drive office. We encourage you next time you are in the office to read some of the heart warming letters and see the good use your donation was put towards. The $100.00 donations were applied to a variety of different uses including classroom supplies to helping make food backpacks for a school in Rowan County.

We are truly humbled by what this effect has had on our community/surrounding communities. Therefore, from all of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics we would like to say "Thank You" because without your support we would not be so close to obtaining our goal.

Thank you again and have a wonderful and safe summer!

Summer 2011 Contest!

2011-04-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton have arrived!

Summer is almost upon us and that means vacations, summer camps and day trips. However, not all of us get to enjoy going away for the summer because for an orthodontist that is our busiest time! Therefore, we have created Flat Ferguson and Tiny Tipton! Help Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Tipton go on a vacation by taking one of them with you this summer.

One winner from each category will be chosen and will win a $25.00 Wal Mart Gift Card. The categories are:

Furthest Traveled
Most Places Traveled
Most Unusual Place Traveled

All you have to do to enter is send us a photo of either Flat Ferguson or Tiny Tipton traveling with you this summer. You can upload pictures via Facebook and tag them, send them as an email to kyortho@qx.net , bring the picture with you to your next appointment or put the picture in the mail to:

Bluegrass Orthodontics

Attn: Liz Maskos

620 Perimeter Dr., Ste. 207

Lexington, KY. 40517

Stop by one of the offices and pick up your Flat Ferguson or Tiny Tipton today to get the adventure going! You can also click on one of the pictures below and print it out from your home computer! Hurry because the contest ends August 11th!

Sport Safety

2011-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

Facts About Kids and Sports Safety

•Injuries can happen at any age or skill level – More than half of the seven million sports- and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24.*

•Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates. Baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age.*

•Mouth guard use is very low – Seventy six percent of parents say the thing that concerns them most about their child participating in sports is that he⁄she will get hurt, yet only 33 percent reported that their children wear mouth guards during organized sports.**

•Most coaches and leagues are not advising the use of mouth guards – Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 59 percent say it's because their child doesn�t need that level of protection. Forty percent say it�s because their child�s coach doesn�t require it.**

•Hard hits occur no matter what the sport – The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75–85 miles per hour. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car.***

•Cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics.****

•Some parents surprised that mouth guards protect more than just teeth – Ninety-five percent of parents surveyed reported that they believe a mouth guard could help prevent damage to teeth.**

•Thirty-four percent did not know that a mouth guard could help prevent against jaw injury.**

•Children with braces need to wear mouth guards – One out of every three (31%) parents say their child has orthodontic treatment or braces while playing an organized sport.*

•Lacerations can occur if an orthodontic patient´s mouth is not properly protected.

Visit http://www.braces.org/miahamm/index.html for more information.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

** American Association of Orthodontists

*** eFastball.com

**** MSNBC.com

Partners in Education Update

2011-04-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally sprung here in Kentucky and with spring comes spring break! We hope everyone had a fun and safe week off from school!

With that in mind, we are so excited to update our Partners in Education program because we are well over halfway through our goal of $25,000.00 which is donated to area schools. Since we began this project in August of 2010 we have donated a total of $17,700.00!!!

We are very happy to be able to help out our communities, which have been so supportive of us! Without you, we would not be able to reach our goal. Therefore, we'd like to thank all of our patients, neighbors, friends, and co-workers for your enormous support!

Look at the graphs to see if your school has benefited from one of our donations!

Contests

2011-03-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LATEST WINNERS!!

For our next contest, we need all of our budding artists! We have 3 spring shapes, a sun, a butterfly or a flower at all 4 office locations. We need you to take one home, decorate it and bring it

back to one of the offices. We will put them up in our offices to help

decorate for spring. Don't forget to put your name and phone

number on the back. We will choose one winner

from each office.

GOOD LUCK AND THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!

We Are It!!

2011-02-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

We are the only office located in Lexington, Nicholasville and Paris Kentucky that is a Damon Braces Premier Provider! A Damon Premier Provider is a key Damon doctor with an outstanding level of Damon System experience. Don't know what the Damon System is? Click on the link to learn more about the Damon System and what it can do for you!

http://damonbraces.com/

Partners In Education Update

2011-01-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

First, we hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that 2011 is treating everyone kindly so far!

We'd like to thank all of our wonderful family, friends and patients who have referred someone to our office. Without your kind referrals we would not be able to accomplish our goal for the Partners in Education program. We are pleased to announce as of January 2011 we have donated $8,700.00 to local schools! We still have a ways to go to reach our goal of $25,000.00 by August 2011. However, with your continued support, we believe we will reach our goal. The greatest compliment a patient can give us is the referral of your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members.

Please look at the charts below to see which schools have benefited from our Partners in Education program.

Christmas Trivia

2010-12-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

With Christmas approaching, we thought it would be fun to post some Christmas trivia. Hope you enjoy!

Did you know if you were to buy every item on the "12 Days of Christmas" song it would cost you $96,824.00?

Also, if you counted all the gifts that were given in the song "12 Days of Christmas" you would realize that the number of gifts being presented were 364 total, which means a gift for every day in the year!

Warning: Christmas shopping may be hazardous to your health. Statistics have shown that avid Christmas shoppers will be elbowed at least 3 times while shopping! OUCH!!

On the average, Americans send out 28 Christmas cards to friends and family every year.

The traditional Christmas dinner in England used to be a pig head prepared with a mustard sauce.

Most of the popular Christmas carols that we sing today were written in the 19th century.

The song "Jingle Bells" was first written for Thanksgiving and then became one of the most popular Christmas songs.

It was once believed that any woman who was not kissed while standing under the mistleoe, will not marry the coming year.

Christmas trees take an average of 7-10 years to mature.

Did you know that Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, even including Hawaii and Alaska?

31.3 million real Christmas trees were purchased in 2007! That's a lot of Christmas trees!

Partners In Education Update

2010-11-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

As of November 4, 2010 we have donated a total of $4,900.00 to area schools through our Partners In Education program! Thank you so much for your support! Please continue to spread the word so we may reach our goal of $25,000.00 by August 31, 2011. Look at the Pie Charts below to see what schools we have donated to.

WIN AN IPAD!!

2010-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Want to win the hottest electronic this year, an iPad? All you have to do is make a comment on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, or comment on our blog about how much you enjoy being one of our patients. After you make your post, email us at kyortho@qx.net with your name, telephone number, which social media site you posted on and we will enter your name in a drawing to win an iPad!

The more comments you post the more times your name will be entered, which means the more chances you have to win!

One lucky winner will be drawn on March 1, 2011.

Have fun and don't forget to send us an email! We can't wait to read what all of our awesome patients have to say about us!

October is National Orthodontic Health Month

2010-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves this time of year. We get to dress up, pretend we are someone we are not such as superheros, princesses, or even monsters. We think the best part of Halloween is that it is a free time to eat those devilish goodies. However, those goodies can do a lot of damage to our orthodontic patients. Remember to stay away from chewy, sticky, gooey candy when trick or treating. Those special treats can cause wires and brackets to break resulting in some not so happy little ghouls or goblins. Here are some examples of "brace friendly" candy, 3 Musketeers Bars, Hershey Chocolate Bars, Candy Corn or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

If you are hosting a party we have some "spooktacular" brace friendly recipes listed below. You may also visit http://www.braces.org/NOHM/ for more information about National Orthodontic Health Month. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

FRIGHTFULLY FABULOUS CUPCAKE SANDWICHES
(American Association of Orthodontists/MCT)

INGREDIENTS

12 cupcake liners
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup warm (not hot) water
3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce can of chocolate frosting
1 16-ounce container of whipped topping
Assorted braces-friendly candy pieces, such as chopped peanut-butter cups, chocolate bars and melt-in-your-mouth candies

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.

2. Combine cocoa powder, water, and mix until smooth. Fold in mayonnaise. (Make sure cocoa mixture is not hot to prevent breaking of mayonnaise).

3. Add vanilla and whisk until smooth.

4. In mixing bowl, combine sugar, cake flour, baking soda and salt and mix slowly until well incorporated. Add wet cocoa mixture, mix on medium-high until well blended. Scrape down the sides and blend for another 30 seconds.

5. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full of batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack. Slice each cupcake in half horizontally, and serve the halves with chocolate mousse or frosting, whipped topping, and assorted candy pieces. Kids can build the sandwiches by spreading one-half of a cupcake with mousse/frosting or whipped topping, sprinkling on candy pieces and placing the other half of the cupcake on top.

Serves 12. Recipe provided by Michael Chiarello for http://www.braces.org/.

MUMMY DOGS

INGREDIENTS

32 Hillshire Farm Lit'l Smokies
1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated crescent dough rolls
Mustard or Ketchup, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
3. With a knife or a pizza cutter cut each rectangle lengthwise into 8 strips making a total of 32 strips. Wrap one strip of dough around each Lit'l Smokies, stretching dough slightly to look like bandages, leaving part of tip exposed to create face. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 12-14 mins. or until golden brown. Draw features on tip of Lit'l Smokies with mustard to create a face. Serve with mustard or ketchup, if desired.

Partners In Education School Chart

2010-09-30T13:03:00.001-07:00

Partners In Education School Dispersment

August - September 2010 = $2,800.00

Partners In Education Update

2010-09-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Our Partners In Education program is moving right along. As of October 1, 2010 we have donated $2,800.00 to area schools!

Just a reminder what the Partners In Education program is all about. We will donate $100 for every child or adult that starts full braces with us to a school of their choice. These funds will be dispersed every two months and will include the name of the patient(s) who selected that school to receive the donation in their honor. These donations are earmarked for teachers' use in their classrooms for supplies.

Click on the pie charts above to see which schools are leading the pack. It looks like Edythe J. Hayes Middle School in Lexington has the highest amount at $500.00 and Henry Clay High School is next at $200.00. We have a lot of other area schools that will be benefiting from $100.00 donations.

We are heading in the right direction to reach our goal of $25,000.00 by August 31, 2011! We'd like to thank all of our patient's for helping us in spreading the word about this program. We wouldn't be able to reach our goal with out your help!

Join Our E-mail List!

2010-09-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can receive e-mail confirmation notices for your upcoming appointments? Not only will you receive e-mail confirmations for your appointments, but you can also sign up to receive text messages, check your appointments online, look at your photos and x-rays along with the capability to view your account history and make a payment online. It's a simple process. At your next appointment give the front desk your e-mail address and with in the next day you will receive an e-mail from us giving you a user name and a password. Simply follow the e-mail instructions in the letter and you will be activated.

Once you are activated, visit our website at www.kyorthodocs.com and go to the upper right corner on our home page and click on "Your Account & Appointments". This will take you to the log in page where you enter your Last name, User Id and Password. From there, you will be on your way to accessing important information, plus you will also receive our online newsletter and e-mails about upcoming events within our practice.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

YouTube Winning Video!

2010-09-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to David, Katie, and MaryBeth for being the winners of our summer YouTube video contest! We all loved watching it and thanks for the wonderful comments. You all really ROCK!!!

Partners In Education

2010-08-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our practice is pleased to announce a new cooperative program we have established called "Partners In Education". We all value and understand the importance of education for the future success of children in our community. Our mission is to provide monetary funding directly to local schools that is earmarked for teachers' use in their classrooms for supplies.

We will donate $100 for every child or adult that starts full orthodontic treatment in our office to the school of their choice. The funds will be dispersed to local schools every two months and will include the name of the patient(s) who selected that school to receive the donation in their honor. We have set a goal of $25,000 to be donated between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 to area schools.

All of us here at Bluegrass Orthodontics are excited to begin this new effort and hope our surrounding communities will be also. We feel that every child deserves a great education and this is a way to give back to the community which has been so good to us.

If you have any questions, in regards to the "Partners In Education" program, please feel free to contact Liz Maskos at 859-268-1190 or via e-mail at kyortho@qx.net.

2010 Scholarship Winners

2010-07-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Trent Rankin and Elijah Drug for winning a $500.00 scholarship from
Bluegrass Orthodontics. We are glad to be a part of helping you further your education. Good luck in college!

Trent Rankin and Dr. Ferguson

Elijah Drug and Dr. Tipton

Bluegrass Orthodontic's Pony Club

2010-07-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO THE PONY CLUB!

Lexington's premier orthodontic practice is pleased to welcome you to the Pony Club, a fun and exciting club designed especially for patients in the observation stage of treatment.

The observation phase is an essential part of your orthodontic treatment. It allows Dr. Ferguson or Dr. Tipton monitor your growth and development at regular intervals to determine when the need for orthodontics will be anticipated. Timing for orthodontic treatment is critical, and regular visits to our office during this phase ensures the proper start to your treatment.

During this phase you will visit our office every 4-6 months and be a member of the Pony Club. This special club offers you exclusive benefits such as:

**Pony Club membership card

**Pony Club stuffed animal

**Office backpack or office t-shirt

**Ability to collect Horsebucks (see website, http://www.kyorthodocs.com/, for guidelines on Horsebucks)

Not only will you receive your Horsebucks at your regular visits, but you will also receive other Pony Club special rewards. We look forward to having a big corral full of little ponies for our Pony Club!

SILLY BANDZ!!

2010-07-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

We now have Silly Bandz for sale! For only 25 Horsebucks you can purchase one package of Silly Bandz.

We have many styles to choose from including, dinosaurs, sea life, vehicle, pop star, and animals. What a great way to congratulate yourself for being such an awesome patient!

Stop by and pick up your package of Silly Bandz!

Bluegrass Orthodontics YouTube Video Contest

2010-06-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

VIDEO CONTEST

Are you interested in winning $250.00 from our office? Enter in our next contest! We want all of our upcoming actors and actresses to grab your video cameras and make a video about your favorite orthodontist, us, Bluegrass Orthodontics! You can do a cheer, make a skit, sing a song, or just act crazy, but we do ask that you keep it fun and respectful. The best part is all videos entered will be able to be viewed on our YouTube channel. To access our YouTube channel, go to http://www.kyorthodocs.com/ and click on the YouTube icon locted on the home page of our website.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES:

1. Make a video 2 minutes or less in length about Bluegrass Orthodontics.

2. Keep all videos clean, fun and respectful.

3. Submit videos and the signed release in either a CD or DVD by September 1, 2010 to

Bluegrass Orthodontics

Attn: Liz Maskos

620 Perimeter Dr., Ste. 207

Lexington, KY. 40517

4. All participants in the videos must have a signed Permission/Consent Form. These forms are available at all 4 office locations.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!

Congratulations!

2010-05-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

All of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics would like to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to Jack Rockaway one of our former patients. Jack is a senior at Trinity Christian Academy in Lexington, Kentucky, who has been accepted to Harvard, Yale and Princeton next year! Jack has made his decision and in the fall he will be attending Yale. What a great accomplishment, Jack, we know you will continue to succeed throughout your life! Congratulations, again!

Moms For Mouth Guards - How far would you go to protect your child durin...

2010-05-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

April is National Facial Protection Month

2010-04-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining, it is a warm spring day. Your child has their first sporting event today. You get everything packed- chairs, sunscreen, hats, water bottles, snacks, etc. You've been watching the game and you are so excited because your child is doing so well. All of a sudden a ball comes and hits your child in the mouth. A time out is called and you run down to the field and notice that your child's mouth is bleeding. As you have your child open their mouth to get a better look at the accident you notice that part of your child's braces are broke and your child has some cuts in their mouth. You call your orthodontist and they meet you at the office for an emergency visit. As your orthodontist is looking and repairing your child, he/she asks if your child was wearing their mouth guard? Whoops, the one thing you forgot to pack!

If that story sounds familiar to you, you are not alone. Did you know that 67% of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard - yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays sports is that they will get hurt?* According to the American Association of Orthodontists, one out of every 4 parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room. Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84% say it's because the league or coach does not require it.* Cheerleading is also considered one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics according to MSNBC.com. Therefore, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and football great Emmitt Smith are teaming up together to help spread the word about the importance of mouth guard awareness during the month of April.

The main purpose of a mouth guard is to cover and protect the teeth and braces while playing a sport, which can help prevent jaw, mouth and teeth injuries caused by a collision or a fall. Mouth guards can come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes and also vary in price. While the color of a mouth guard does not make that big of a difference (some sporting leagues may require you to have a certain color), the type of mouth guard does. When in orthodontic treatment, make sure that you do not get a mouth guard that needs to be boiled. The boiled mouth guards are form fitting to your teeth and due to your mouth consistantly changing while wearing braces, the boiled mouth guards may not fit through out your child's sport season. We recommend you get a mouth guard that you can adapt to fit your child's mouth by trimming it with scissors. Dick's Sporting Goods or Wal Mart seem to have the best selection and carry orthodontic mouth guards such as The Shock Doctor Youth Gel mouth guard that sells for around $15-$16 each. If you are unsure which mouth guard will work best for your child and their sporting event talk with your orthodontist.

So, remember as you start to pack up for the next big game don't forget to grab your child's mouth guard. A trip to the emergency room is definately not as much fun as being there to watch your child and their team win the big game!

You may also want to visit Mom's For Mouthguards website and make a pledge stating that you will have your child/children wear a mouth guard, to help protect their winning smile and prevent facial injuries while participating in sports activities. For each pledge made, the AAO will donate mouth guards to the National Alliance for Youth Sports.

*American Association of Orthodontists

Bluegrass Orthodontics Talks With Area Schools about Dental Health

2010-02-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

During the month of February, Dr. Ferguson and Liz Maskos visited with some area elementary schools in Lexington, Kentucky to educate children about the importance of dental health. Dr. Ferguson spoke with a class of kindergartners at Trinity Christian Academy while Liz spoke with nine K/1 classes one 2nd/3rd grade class at Veteran's Park Elementary.

Both Dr. Ferguson and Liz spent about 30-40 minutes with each class teaching them how many baby and permanent teeth they have along with the proper brushing and flossing techniques. They even used a couple of experiments to show the importance of flossing and why fluoride is so important.

Below are some photos of their fun educational experience with the kids.

February is National Children's Dental Health Month

2010-01-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

National Children's Dental Health Month began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 3, 1941. The American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949. This single day observance became a week-long event in 1955, and in 1981 the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

We believe at Bluegrass Orthodontics that children's teeth are meant to last a lifetime and a healthy smile is very important to a child's self esteem. With proper brushing and flossing along with eating a balanced diet and visiting the dentist two times a year children can achieve this goal! Therefore, during the month of February, Dr. Ferguson and Liz Maskos will be visiting some area schools in Lexington, Kentucky to help educate children about the importance of dental health.

Please visit back soon to hear how their visits went!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2009-12-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

All of us here at Bluegrass Orthodontics have been truly blessed this year. We have had some new additions to our Bluegrass Orthodontic family. Heather, one of our assistants welcomed a new baby boy in October and Angelia, one of our treatment coordinators got married in October. It was a busy month in October around here!

We have also been blessed by our other orthodontic family, our patients. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful group of patients and every day we thank that they are part of our Bluegrass Orthodontic family. During this time of year we especially would like to say thank you for all you.

From all of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics we’d like to wish our families, friends, co-workers, and our extended family, our patients, a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!!

Why is Fluoride So Important?

2009-12-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Fluoride protection against tooth decay is needed throughout life. However, while you are wearing braces, it is much harder to keep your teeth clean. This can result in higher than normal amounts of plaque accumulation, which can cause cavities.

Using a fluoride toothpaste after each meal or at least twice a day is one of the most proven ways to help you stay decay free. Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to the acids produced after eating or drinking and replaces minerals that are lost in the early stages of tooth decay.

Place a small amount of PreviDent on your toothbrush and brush as normal. When finished brushing expel the remaining out, but do not rinse with water. The fluoride needs to stay on your teeth in order for the active ingredient to work, therefore, no eating or drinking for 30 minutes afterward. For this reason, we recommend our patients brush with the PreviDent at night instead of their regular toothpaste.

Because your risk of tooth decay may be higher while you are wearing braces, we provide our patients with their first bottle of PreviDent 5000 Booster Fluoride at their initial banding. However, due to PreviDent 5000 Booster having over 4.5 times the fluoride protection than your everyday over-the-counter toothpaste, it is a prescription only. If you find you have run out of your first tube, let us know and we will give you a prescription.

With great brushing habits and the help of extra fluoride we are hoping to help all of our patients, friends, family, and future patients to a healthier, and happier smile.

New Information About Sports Drinks and Soda Pops

2009-11-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING

SODA POP & SPORTS DRINKS!

Sports drinks and soda pops have become so popular, that actually carbonated soft drinks account for more than 27% of American’s beverage consumption according to the National Soft Drink Association. Research has shown that soft drinks along with sports drinks may be highly damaging to tooth enamel, due largely to the combination of their acidic flavor additives and high sugar content. The typical 12 oz. can of regular soda contains 9-12 teaspoons of sugar, which can increase the risk of tooth decay. Similarly, sports drinks, such as Propel, Gatorade or Fruit20 also have high sugar content along with acidic flavor additives. Even the “sugar free” sports drinks have Citric Acid that can cause enamel erosion.

What you can do to help prevent de-mineralization is to limit the amount of soda pop consumption in your diet. Rinse with water after drinking soda to shorten the exposure to the dental enamel. If you like the idea of having “flavored water”, dilute your sports drink with half water. However, your best bet is to grab a bottle of water instead of the sports drink or the can of soda pop.

Welcome to our Blog

2009-11-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog of Bluegrass Orthodontics. Your provider for excellent affordable orthodontic care in Lexington, Kentucky. Follow this blog for news, events, and points of interest in the orthodontic industry. Please visit us at Bluegrass Orthodontics for more information about our practice.