If you could be ...

This past week, Dr. Badalamenti and our staff were asked, "What would be your ideal job, other than making your patients' teeth straight and healthy?"

We had fun with this during the past couple of days ... many of us are truly happy doing what we do. But, just daydreaming about something else as a profession ... here were some of our ideas ...

... an opthamologist
...fashion consultant
...marine biologist
...avid vacationer
...nurse
...park ranger
...Caribbean tour guide

Most of these other professions fit the people who mentioned them, but there were a couple of surprises. Can you guess who said what? We invite you to guess on our Facebook page!

Who would YOU be? What is YOUR dream job?

Dr. B wants to know: Will you join the AAO's Braces Brigade?

Attention current and former patients of Dr. Badalamenti: Have you ever thought about sharing your experience in braces in writing? If so, we've got the perfect opportunity for you to do so! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists are proud to offer the Braces Brigade campaign, where you can blog away about your experience in orthodontic treatment with millions of people and come away with a $100 American Express gift card!

To complete your Braces Brigade application, you'll need to provide:

* Name
* Age – Must be 14 years of age or older
* E-mail
* Phone number
* Stage of orthodontic treatment
* A photo of your braces/smile
* A sample blog post – picture yourself as a member of Braces Brigade and show off those blogging skills! (100-word minimum)

In your blog/vlog, you may answer questions such as:

• Why did you decide to get orthodontic treatment with Dr. Badalamenti?
• What advice would you share with other orthodontic patients?
• What does it feel like to get braces on?
• What foods do you miss the most?
• What new foods have you discovered?
• Do your friends have braces or retainers?
• Where is the first place you’re going to show off your new, beautiful smile?
• How has your new smile changed your life?

All applicants must either be an orthodontic patient at our office or the parent of a patient. If you happen to be under 18, your parents must fill out a consent form along with your official entry, giving you permission to enter the contest.

We encourage you to apply for the Braces Brigade today! GOOD LUCK!

Testimonials really say it best!

We receive many nice testimonials regarding our office, Dr. Badalamenti, and the staff. Many of our referrals are from patient recommendations and appear on our Facebook page. Their confidence in Dr. Badalamenti is a great compliment, and we sincerely appreciate that confidence.

When we receive compliments throughout the day, we remember them to share during our daily morning meeting. It's nice to focus on the positive that we encounter each day. One of our main testimonials is the continuing education and technological updates we strive to share with our patients. And along with that, is our commitment to the personal aspect of treatment. Those are the two main areas of focus we receive compliments on from our patients. It's nice that they appreciate our efforts.

The importance of flossing, from Dr. Badalamenti and team

Dr. Badalamenti and team understand some of our patients consider flossing to be a nuisance during their treatment, and it is often hard for patients to develop a good habit. Flossing is one of the time consuming aspects of having braces. Most patients have had trouble flossing even before having braces because their teeth are so out of alignment and may have tight contacts. Then adding braces to the flossing equation sometimes frustrates the patients. We always encourage our patients to floss, we provide floss threaders, and we will re-instruct them at any time to help make flossing easier. We show them how to use the threaders with the floss-necessary with braces. We also provide proxy brushes, but they are to be used in addition to flossing.

The best thing, though, is once they have the habit of flossing regularly, it is not as time consuming as they thought. Once the teeth are aligned, and the braces are off, flossing is a breeze for them!