Happy New Year from Smile Solutions!

The 2010 holiday season is upon us, and our team at Smile Solutions would like to wish all our patients and their families the merriest of holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

We thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year's resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, from all of us at Smile Solutions!

A great braces-friendly winter recipe! From Dr. Chung

It’s chilly outside, and sometimes nothing satisfies the staff here at Smile Solutions more than a hot meal. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) made an appetizing (and braces-friendly!) winter dish that is sure to delight. Remember, a healthy diet provides essential nutrients and helps you achieve the best possible result from your orthodontic treatment.

Best Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tablespoon dried onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• ½ cup Burgundy or merlot wine (Burgundy gives a deeper flavor)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup grated American cheese, about 4 slices, or ½ cup grated mild cheddar cheese
• ½ lb. dry spaghetti, broken in half

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large no-stick frying pan or Dutch over, sauté meat, onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, wine, oregano, sugar and salt. Simmer, cover, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (It really makes a difference if you can take this amount of time! Otherwise 20 minutes will serve to heat everything.) Cook spaghetti and drain. Put half the spaghetti in a greased 3-quart casserole, and then add half the sauce and ¼ cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining spaghetti and sauce, and stir everything with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Best if baked for 45 minutes at 350°. Makes about six to eight servings.

Enjoy this great winter dish and Happy Holidays!!
--From Dr. Chung and staff

We have selected the Winners for our Halloween Costume Contest 2010!!

Drumroll please..........

Coming in 2nd place is Kevin with his awesome pirate costume!



And 1st place goes to..... Katelyn and her beautiful dress!



Smile Solutions would like to thank all of the patients that entered the contest and all of their friends and family for voting. Stay tuned for our future contests! Check out all of our entries here, www.wowbraces.strutta.com

Staying connected with Smile Solutions

At Smile Solutions, we embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative treatments we offer, our high-tech web site or our Facebook fan page. As you can probably tell, we love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page.

For social media to work, we understand that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While Dr. Chung and our staff take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog?

Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

Dr. Chung Discusses SureSmile in Recent TV Interview

Dr. Chung was recently interviewed on TV to discuss the revolutionary robotic braces technology, SureSmile. SureSmile uses wires that move teeth in a much more precise manner than ordinary wires. We are able to accomplish this precision using 3D imaging. Using a handheld oral scanner, we capture a three dimensional image of the teeth, which allows Dr. Chung to manipulate the model of the teeth into the desired end result. The wires are then manufactured by a robot, bending the wire to the exact specifications needed. This unique method allows us to provide a more proactive orthodontic treatment, leading to significantly shorter treatment time- 10-12 months on average.

Call us today to set up a consultation with Dr. Chung at our Edison or Union, NJ offices to learn more about the SureSmile system.

Dr. Chung voted as one of New Jersey's Favorite Kids' Docs

Dr. Chung is pleased to share that he was recently named one of New Jersey's Favorite Kid's Docs in New Jersey Family Magazine. From February to June 2010, New Jersey Family Magazine asked readers to vote online for their favorite pediatric healthcare professionals. Our team at Smile Solutions is very proud of Dr. Chung's achievements and high standards in orthodontic care. We would like to thank all of our patients for their votes and support!

To learn more about Dr. Chung, and why he was voted as a New Jersey favorite doctor, give us a call today!

"Hey Dr. Chung! What's the deal with retainers?"

If you recently completed treatment at Smile Solutions, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Chung will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Chung is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.

* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)

* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.

* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.

* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.

* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact us if you have any questions or ask us on Facebook!