Why do you love Seattle in the summer?

Cohanim Smileworks, your Seattle orthodontist, is situated around some pretty unique neighborhoods. Each is special with its own personality, created by the people and places (and our amazing patients) living within.

Today, Dr. Robert Cohanim and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Seattle? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps a favorite getaway in Washington?

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs in Seattle, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods” in Washington.
If you need to schedule your next appointment, give us a call! Have a great week!

Stay cool with a braces-friendly summer treat!

Summer is here! Kids and adults alike will now be spending more time outside being active and enjoying the hotter temperatures. And what’s better on a hot summer day than a delicious treat that will cool you down after doing something active in the summer sun? Luckily, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have just the thing, Watermelon Sorbet! You can find the complete recipe below:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind

Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Happy Summer!

-Dr. Cohanim and team

June is National Smile Month!

According to the American Dental Association, a person's smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it's important for our team at Cohanim Smileworks to support National Smile Month this June.

Show off your pearly whites by posting your favorite smile photos on the wall of our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing what you share!

Orthodontic emergency care with Dr. Cohanim

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohanim.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with Cohanim Smileworks.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.

Loose Wire: Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Headgear Does Not Fit: Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, headgear becomes more comfortable the more it's worn, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.

General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem.

Cheese and your oral health, from Dr. Cohanim

Did you know research shows cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your teeth? Not only does cheese provide large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also fights cavities. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss and Mozzarella all do their part to stimulate our salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris ...and protect them from acids that weaken them.

What does that mean? Cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque's pH level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your teeth.

Hope this helps!