A Festive and Braces-Friendly Recipe to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

If you're planning to spend St. Patrick's Day celebrating your Irish heritage, or just enjoying the festivals, food and "wearing of the green"- we've got a treat for you! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have a tasty and braces-friendly recipe that is perfect for today. Corned beef casserole presents a twist on the traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage, and will surely become a family favorite!

Corned Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 (12-ounce) can corned beef
• 1 (10.5- to 14-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
• ¾ cup milk (use just ½ cup if using larger soup can)
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
• ¼ cup bread crumbs (seasoned or toasted plain)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, cook the noodles just until tender; drain. In a large bowl, chop the corned beef into a coarse crumbly texture.

Stir in soup, milk and onion. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Add the noodles and the corned beef mixture and stir together well. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8 people.

Try serving the casserole with petite whole green beans from the freezer…or add 1 cup of finely chopped purple cabbage, 1/4 cup diced onion and 2 teaspoons fennel seed or powder for some true Irish flavor.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Invisalign® and your oral health, from Meehan Orthodontics

When considering treatment options, patients often ask us how Invisalign treatment is so different than traditional braces. Well, there are more reasons to smile about Invisalign with Meehan Orthodontics than you may know. Invisalign is a series of removable aligners that are nearly invisible, and besides straightening your teeth, can improve your oral health. Here’s how:

Healthy gums: Straight teeth allow a close fit for gums. This lessens the gum stress that is caused by crowded or widely spaced teeth, thus also reducing red and swollen gums.

Easy cleaning: Invisalign is removable, therefore brushing and flossing is easier and you are able to maintain a healthy mouth. These habits are vital to avoiding tooth decay, plaque and even gum disease.

Improved speech and chewing: Properly-aligned teeth don’t have the discomfort or compound speech impediments that can be caused by crowded teeth or a deteriorating jawbone.

If you have any questions about Invisalign, just ask Dr. Meehan the next time you’re in for an appointment. Or, you may post your question on our Facebook page! You can also read this article for more information on Invisalign and your oral health.

At Meehan Orthodontics, what helps you relax?

Dr. Meehan and team understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about Meehan Orthodontics that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or Dr. Meehan?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call!

Cool kids get braces at Meehan Orthodontics!

Braces today are “cool” and—many would say—even “fun.” These were among the findings of a 2010 nationwide survey of moms whose children are going through or have had orthodontic treatment. New technologies such as Invisalign, advanced computer software, color options, and even popular celebrities—Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Danny Glover, Serena Williams—sporting stylish braces are making orthodontic treatment more comfortable, fashionable and cool for today’s teens.

The study, conducted on behalf of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists for February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month, found 86 percent of moms reporting that braces are cooler today than when they were children. Sixty-nine percent of moms also said wearing braces makes their children feel cool, and 81 percent reported their children’s experience with orthodontic treatment as either positive or extremely positive.

Different color options and the ability to change colors, for example, provide exciting ways for young patients to customize appearances. That enthusiasm helps them to feel good about their orthodontic treatment with Dr. Meehan, and may contribute to the success of treatment.

Has your child or teen visited Meehan Orthodontics for a consultation? If not, please give us a call and let us help your child begin the journey to a gorgeous smile!

Dr. Meehan asks: Would you like to win a $50 gift card?

Did you spend Halloween this year as a ghost, goblin, or witch? Our team at Meehan Orthodontics would love to see your Halloween spirit! Share your Halloween photos on our Facebook page, through email, or by bringing them into our office for a chance to win a $50 gift card.

Our Halloween Costume Contest ends Monday, Nov. 8, so don't hesitate to submit your Halloween photo! You can also "like" our Facebook page to see the complete photo album of Halloween at Meehan Orthodontics.

A braces-friendly recipe, in celebration of National Orthodontic Health Month!

Did you know that October is National Orthodontic Health Month? Dr. Meehan and our team know how tempting this time of the year can be for your sweet tooth. With all of the caramel, candy corn, and lollipops that are often passed around to trick-or-treaters, we know that it can sometimes be hard to find hard candy alternatives.

However, there is good news! Today, we would like to share a great braces-friendly Halloween recipe with all of our patients, courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontics, or AAO, and “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman. This Spider Bites recipe is delicious, and provided that you remember to brush and floss after indulging, this is a cookie that won’t bite back!

Spider Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 Tsp. salt
• ½ Tsp. baking powder
• 1 package black rope licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces**
• 1 small tube of white (or color of choice) frosting
• Toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs into the mixture and blend. Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder using low-medium speed. Drop tablespoon helpings of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and roll each helping into a ball.

Bake 9 minutes at 375 degrees. The batch should produce around three dozen cookies.

Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then using a toothpick, create four small holes in either side of the cookie. Still using the toothpick, push one end of a piece of the cut licorice into each hole, creating the “legs” of the spider. Once all eight pieces are in place, create eyes or decorate at will using the white frosting. Then eat and enjoy!

**Licorice can sometimes stick to braces; parents should monitor

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see Dr. Meehan for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Meehan to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at 708-761-6065 to schedule an appointment at Meehan Orthodontics.

With Meehan Orthodontics, 24/7 access to your account

At Meehan Orthodontics, we embrace new technology, whether it is through the innovative orthodontic treatments that we offer, our high-tech web site and social networks, or our modern office conveniently located in Palos Heights, IL.

Did you know that patients at our office have access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website? You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home! And, because we know folks sometimes forget, you can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

Take a look at a few patient reviews about this service:

"I just had my braces put on in August and I was able to look at my before pics and see the progress that my teeth have made. It is also great to be able to see both the payments that I am making and the insurance." ~David

"I actually got to see my son's teeth online. Do you know how hard it is to get a teenager to show you his teeth?" ~James

"We can see payments that we've made at the exact times and amounts that they were given. We don't have to call the office for questions that can be easily answered. We can just go online and look at the frequently asked questions page." ~Walter

You, too, can sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button at the top of our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!

Thanks to Invisalign® with Meehan Orthodontics, mom and dad can have a perfect smile, too!

Hey parents! Are you focusing on your kids'oral health so much that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, our staff at Meehan Orthodontics can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

Dr. Meehan asks: Is your child nearing their seventh birthday?

Dr. Meehan will tell you that braces were originally considered to be best appropriate for teens. But these days, kids as old as seven are beginning their orthodontic treatment. Because preadolescent kids are typically not self-conscious, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists suggest it could be a good idea to start early.

Experts, however, say it depends on the treatment required. Some children who get braces at an early age end up in a second phase of treatment, and end up having braces well into their teenage years despite starting young.

Most orthodontic treatment begins between ages nine and 14, and the folks at AAO estimate most orthodontic treatment lasts from one to three years, with two years being the average. It’s important, however, that children be screened no later than age seven for Dr. Meehan to assess what the best age for treatment is.
Hope this helps! Give us a call if you have any questions about your child’s treatment!

What are patients saying about Meehan Orthodontics?

Last week, our team at Meehan Orthodontics asked you, our amazing patients, what you most enjoy about your experience at our office. Well, our team received some great reviews! Today, our team would like to share a few with you. Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts about our office! Dr. Meehan and team love getting patient testimonials!

"He is friendly, easy to talk to, and confident about his work. He looks for solutions that are best for the patient, not just trying to achieve the "perfect" bite for everyone." ~David

"He's very good at what he does, he has a wonderful personality and is always very patient in answering any questions I may have. His staff is a wonderful group, smiling and positive. I always look forward to going to the orthodontist because of the great staff and doctor. Also, I like the fact that Dr. Meehan is a younger doctor who is familiar with all the latest technology." ~Marianne

"We really like Dr. Meehan and would refer anyone looking for an orthodontist to him." ~James

"Dr. Meehan is very good at explaining what is to be expected from the treatment, and what he expects from the kids as their part of their treatment. He is very patient with my kids, and they are very comfortable and happy that we choose Dr.Meehan as their orthodontist." ~Bernard