June is National Smile Month! From Dr. Magness

With June just hours away, our team at Memorial Smiles want to tell our patients that June is National Smile Month, which means it's once again time to especially practice good brushing, flossing, good nutrition, as well as visiting your dentist regularly (as well as visiting Dr. Magness) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health problems.

After all, there's more and more evidence nowadays that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during treatment at Memorial Smiles.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call! We hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Share your experience at Memorial Smiles with the world!

Drs. Marc Magness and Bonham Magness are both board-certified orthodontists in Houston, TX and have committed their professional careers to creating beautiful and healthy smiles; smiles that exude confidence and promote self-esteem.

Whether you've visited Memorial Smiles for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our practice is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there. Or, you may review us on Yelp if you wish. After all, reviews help Drs. Magness and team create more beautiful smiles in Houston and surrounding communities!

You may write a review here. Thanks in advance and have a great upcoming week! We all look forward to reading your reviews soon!

Your pal, dairy!

Our staff at Memorial Smiles want to know: is dairy a part of your diet? If not, it probably ought to be. A 2008 study from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has found that regular consumption of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, can lower your chances of contracting periodontal disease (also known as gum disease).

Gum disease is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth that affects the gums and jaw. Gum disease results in a loss of teeth and bone, and has been connected in studies to certain cases of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease and, of course, osteoporosis.

Results of the study showed that adults who consume at least 55 grams of lactic acid a day are less at risk for gum disease. Drs. Magness and our team will tell you that eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Next time you reach for a quick snack, choose some cheese, or a glass of milk, and remember with each bite, and every sip you are preserving your teeth for a lifetime of smiles and good oral health!

For more information about dairy and oral health, please give us a call at 713-468-9669.

Memorial Smiles, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

Are you aware that the month of May is observed as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more activity into their lives, and guess what? That reminder is even more significant today as kids are distracted more and more by TV, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can - and do - 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 reference. The guidelines call for children and teenagers to exercise one hour every 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 Memorial Smiles, we like to encourage our patients to exercise or participate 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 you should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

Have a great weekend!

-- Drs. Magness and team

Drs. Magness and Memorial Smiles, wishing you a happy Mother's Day!

Memorial Smiles, serving Houston and surrounding communities, would like to take this time thank all the wonderful moms out there for being so great during your child's orthodontic treatment. Whether it's driving their kids to regularly scheduled appointments or for "being there" while their child is treatment with Drs. Magness, the moms who come to our office are all great, and we'd like you to know that we appreciate you all! Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

You deserve more than just a day of appreciation, but enjoy your special day on Sunday, moms!