Adult Orthodontic Treatment in Beaverton, OR - A Patient Testimonial

In this brief video, one of our patients describes the smile she has been waiting her entire life for, and how Dr. Doleac and the Magic Smiles team helped her obtain it!

Dr. Phil Doleac is an orthodontist serving adults, children and teens with quality orthodontic care in the Portland, Beaverton, and Scappoose areas. We have three conveniently located offices, and provide orthodontic treatment with traditional braces, Damon self-ligating braces, and even Invisalign invisible braces! Visit our web site for more information!

Enter the AAO Video Scholarship Contest!

We have some exciting news to share with all of our patients this Thursday. The American Association of Orthodontists, which Dr. Doleac is a member of, is offering a $2,500 academic scholarship to two lucky winners of their "How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest.

All patients at Magic Smiles 18 years of age or younger are eligible to enter, and entries are due by June 1st! You can learn more about the contest on the AAO's web site, but here are a few subjects to think about while making your video:

• What were you like before you had orthodontic treatment? How have you changed?
• How proud are you of your new smile?
• When did you notice changes in yourself? What kinds of changes have you noticed?
• What does your new smile mean to you?
• What would you say to others whose smiles make them self-conscious?

This is a great opportunity and we encourage you to enter. GOOD LUCK!

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

Did you know the month of May is designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Ronald Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more significant in this day and age, as kids everywhere are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your convenience. The guidelines call for children and teens to exercise for at least one hour each day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At Magic Smiles, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

The Braces Cookbook: Kid Tested, Orthodontist Approved

The wisdom of the ages tells us that necessity is the mother of invention. Brenda Waterman, age thirteen, offers new proof of this proverb. When getting braces mandated cutting a list of foods out of her diet – including her much-loved treat of caramel apples – she devised a work-around recipe that let her indulge her craving. This clever replacement for caramel apples was the inspiration for The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (And Your Orthodontist) Will Love, which Brenda created along with her mom, Pam Waterman.

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.

Neatly divided into chapters such as Definitely Deserved Desserts and Be-Nice-To-Me Beverages, The Braces Cookbook offers a broad assortment of recipes from main courses and sides to breakfasts and snacks. An all-around guide, the book also offers suggestions for packing lunches, preparing quick meals, and handling parties and restaurants, where the food selection isn't under your control. There's even a section of tips for dealing with the soreness that can arise in teeth and gums when braces are adjusted.

Purchase The Braces Cookbook for your kitchen, and pick up an extra copy or two – they make great gifts!