Patriotic fun facts with Dr. Magness!

On Sunday, Houston orthodontist Dr. Marc Magness and our staff at Memorial Smiles will celebrate our country's 234th birthday. Because we know our patients LOVE fun facts, here are some fun facts about Independence Day we knew you'd enjoy! Enjoy the rest of the week everyone, and have a GREAT Fourth of July weekend!

- Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

- The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation, which meant that people didn't want to be taxed by a government that did not represent them.

- In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.

- America's mascot, the bald eagle, can achieve speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when making a predatory dive. During a normal flight, bald eagles can travel up to 30 miles per hour.

- Someone who specializes in the history of flags is called a vexillologist.

- The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

- According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs during their Independence Day festivities.

- Speaking of food, there's a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard grill came from our great state of Texas. The Lone Star State is America's leader in the production of cattle and calves.

Dr. Magness & Memorial Smiles, helping you save face this summer

Wouldn’t you believe it, summer is here, and we know that this season is known to bring with it an increased chance of our athletes damaging their teeth. If you'll be playing sports this summer, it's important that you consult Houston orthodontist Dr. Marc Magness for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. Mouth guards, out staff will tell you, are advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and many more.

In case of any accident involving the face, we want you to check your mouth and appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances are damaged, please schedule an appointment to see Dr. Magness and team immediately. And don’t forget to ask us—Dr. Magness will be more than happy to provide a mouth guard for any patient in treatment!

Our team at Memorial Smiles will tell you that only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call at (713) 468-9669 if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at our office.

Share your summer adventures with Memorial Smiles!

As the school year comes to an end for a lot of our patients at Memorial Smiles, the days get longer and the hot Texas sun begins to warm up, there’s no better way to beat the heat than jump into a pool or chill under the shade with a cool beverage.

For most of our patients, summer brings a chance to get away from it all and escape everyday life, if only for a week or two. For others, it means a season of relaxation and relief from homework and studying, among other activities.

How about you?

What are your summer plans? Do you have any interesting plans for a summer vacation? Our entire staff (as well as Dr. Magness) would be interested in how you are all spending your summer vacations. If you’re headed to an exotic destination, awesome! If you're going camping, we'd like to hear about it! Going to an Astros game? Tell us! Even if you're staying at home and hanging out, let us know!

Please feel free to share your summer plans and adventures on our Facebook page as the summer rolls along!

Dr. Marc Magness wants to know: what should we blog about?

As the hot Texas summer quickly approaches, our staff at Memorial Smiles strives to continue blogging about important topics related to braces and your treatment with Houston orthodontists Drs. Marc and Bonham Magness.

To help us continue blogging through the course of the long, hot summer, however, we'd love your opinion: What would you like us to focus on our blog over the summer? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask Dr. Magness for a while and just haven't found the right time? Give us your ideas, we want to hear them!

We hope you have a great rest of the week! See you soon!