What Will YOUR Smile Look Like After Orthodontic Treatment?

It is sometimes hard to believe the transformation your smile undergoes during orthodontic treatment. Erkis & Hickmann Orthodontics loves to see our patients’ smiles light up when they see their new smile in the mirror for the first time. For those of you who haven’t yet started or finished your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ron Erkis or Dr. Lynnsay Hickman, have you ever wondered what your new smile might look like after treatment?

The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO for short, has recently launched a new tool called “Virtual Smiles”, which shows what your smile might look like after orthodontic treatment.

Check out the Virtual Smiles tool, and call Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics to get started on improving your smile today!

At Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics, what puts you at ease?

Drs. Ron Erkis, Lynnsay Hickman 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 Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or Dr. Erkis and Dr. Hickman?

Let us know by posting here, on our Facebook page, or by giving us a call!

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, from all of us at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics

What's the difference between a Dentist and an Orthodontist?

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" We hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Drs. Ron Erkis and Lynnsay Hickman started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Drs. Erkis and Hickman decided they wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So they stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics, which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn't it nice to know there are dental experts at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

Give our office a call if you have any questions or if you need to schedule your next visit.

Am I too old for braces?

Who’s afraid of “metal mouth” and the appearance of braces? Not adults, apparently. Recently, our staff at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics read a fascinating statistic: the number of adults getting braces has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people want to look and feel great. In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned and sparkling teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ron Erkis and Dr. Lynnsay Hickman can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Drs. Erkis and Hickman would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!