Happy Holidays!

From the Rampton and Defay Orthodontic Family, to yours, Happy Holidays! 

 We love taking a little time during this holiday season to eat fabulous food, exchange gifts and enjoy our blessings. One of those blessings, is you, our patients! You give us a reason to smile each day.  Giving you a dazzling smile, makes us proud of the work we do.  We go home each day, happy to work in one of the world's greatest professions.  Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives.
As we reflect on this past year and prepare for the year to come, our patients are huge part of our focus. We hope that you and your families have a very happy holiday and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Creating Smiles for Christmas

At Rampton and Defay Orthodontics, we are in the business of making people smile.  We recognize that there are many children in our community who may not receive gifts on Christmas morning without the help the others.  We would like to see all kids smile on Christmas morning. This year, like last year, we are a drop site for Toys For Tots. All donated toys go directly to less fortunate children in our community.

We invite all patients and members of our community to bring a new, unopened, unwrapped toy to our office. The drop box will be in our front office until December 15th. We hope you are as excited as we are to deliver a smile and toy to child on Christmas morning!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Rampton and Defay Orthodontic team has so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season. During this time, with friends and family close to us, it is nice to reflect on the many wonderful things we have in our lives. A few of our team members commented on what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Sarah is thankful for health and strength. Ariel is thankful to live in nice home and to have food to eat for every meal. Cheryl is thankful for friends and family. Dr. Defay is sincerely grateful to have such terrific patients. Seeing his patient's smiling faces day after day, is what makes his job so awesome!

We recognize that so much joy and satisfaction in our lives comes from our patients. We are lucky to interact with such a friendly, diverse, fun group of people each day. We are truly happy when you sit in our chair and we get to know you! Thanks for being great! We hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving.

Watch Out for those SPOOKY Candies that Stick to Your Brackets

It's ironic that October is National Orthodontic Health Month, considering that our patients will probably eat more sugar this month, than any other month of year! The Rampton and Defay Orthodontic Team would like to remind you to take care of your braces and your teeth while you are enjoying the spoils of trick-or-treating. 

Just because you have braces, doesn't mean you can't enjoy Halloween and all that yummy candy. There are many braces-friendly candies. Be selective in the candy you eat and be sure to brush brush brush!

Here are Dr. Defay's top 10 best Halloween Candy Picks:

1. Candy Corn

2. Hershey Bars

3. Kit Kat Bar

4. Hershey Kisses

5. Three Musketeers

6. Malt Balls

7. Sweet Tarts

8. Plain M & M's

9. Pixi Sticks

10. Junior Mints and mint patties

Try to avoid licorice, hard candy, taffy, caramels, gum balls and any other hard, sticky candy that will stick to your teeth and brackets. Trust us, it's worth having a beautiful smile to skip a few of those sugary treats. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

When Should I Bring My Child for a Consultation?

One of the most frequently asked questions is, "When should I bring my child in for treatment?" The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child be evaluated by an orthodontic specialist by age 7, when they have a mixture of adult and baby teeth.  

Children have more formidable bone structures than teenagers and adults, and as they grow, orthodontic appliances can help guide jaw growth, which may prevent the development of an overbite or under-bite, as well as tooth crowding due to space limitations. Orthodontic treatment is also helpful for guiding newly emerging adult teeth into a proper alignment, which is not only aesthetically advantageous, but also helpful in preventing tooth decay.

Bringing your 7-year-old child to Rampton and Defay Orthodontics for an evaluation allows us to detect possible problems with the jaw and teeth, while they are still easy to correct.  Early detection means treatment may be simplified and more cost effective than delayed treatment.  If we identify a problem, our Doctors and team will discuss possible corrective options and present a treatment schedule.

If your child is approaching his or her 7th birthday, or it has passed, it is time to make an appointment at Rampton and Defay Orthodontics.

Summer Time!

We are getting close to those dog days of summer and it is pretty toasty! We hope you are staying safe and cool whether you may be swimming, boating, playing in the sprinklers or celebrating with fireworks.

Although the heat is rising we have some cool, refreshing treats that also don't harm our braces. Popsicles, ice cold lemonade, fudgesicles, snowcones, ice cream just to name a few. They all just happen to be delicious, braces-friendly and you can find them sugar-free as well! Lucky us!

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has also provided an excellent recipe for Watermelon Sorbet:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.



Enjoy! Have a fun and safe summer!

-Rampton and Defay Orthodontics

WebMD Features Adult Ortho

About a month ago we posted about adult orthodontic treatment at Rampton and Defay Orthodontics. The word about the popularity of adult ortho is spreading. A feature article on adult orthodontic treatment had been published on WebMD, a widely recognized Web resource and online community offering consumers information on many health topics. The article, which examines why adults seek orthodontic treatment and options for treatment, includes quotes from Dr. Michael Rogers, 2011-12 American Association of Orthodontists President. It also features why adults are choosing orthodontics and different orthodontic options. Check it out!

View the Article, "Braces? At my Age?*