Braces Friendly Soothing Recipes

We know how those teeth can get a little sore after orthodontic adjustments, so here are some soothing recipes that we hope you and/or your child will enjoy.

• Appetizers:
• Dinner:
• Desserts:

Thanks to “Straight Status” for some of the contributed recipes

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Easy on Your Teeth Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1/8 tsp dill weed
dash Worcestershire sauce
dash hot sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
paprika

Peel the eggs after they have cooled and cut into halves lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolk, place in a small bowl, and mash with fork. Add the remaining ingredients except the paprika. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Refill the egg halves with this mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Soothing Santa Fe Chicken Chowder

2 tbsp butter
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp salt
2 cups very finely chopped chicken breast
1 pint half & half
1 can (15 oz) creamed sweet corn
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 ½ cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

In a dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and garlic. Add the chicken broth, cumin, cayenne, coriander, salt and chicken. Stir, and over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Add the half and half, corn, tomatoes, and green chilies. Stir and increase the heat to medium. Gradually stir in the cheese until melted.

Serves 4-6.

Painless Pasta with Roasted Red Sweet Pepper Cream Sauce

2-8 oz containers soft style cream cheese
1 cup half and half
2 green onions, very thinly sliced
3 tbsp onion, very finely chopped
½ tsp basil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
2-7 oz jars roasted red sweet peppers, drained and finely chopped
12 oz angel hair pasta, cooked
½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat, melt the cream cheese, stirring often. Add the half and half. Stir in the green onions, onion, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and the red peppers. Continue to stir until the sauce is creamy and smooth and heated through. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Serves 4-6.

Special Smiley Mashed Potatoes

1 package (22 oz) frozen mashed potatoes
1 tbsp butter or margerine
2 ½ cups milk
½ pound ground beef, cooked, finely crumbled, and drained
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes or ¼ cup finely diced fresh tomatoes with skins removed
2 oz diced black olives
½ cup sour cream
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

In large microwaveable bowl, combine the potatoes, butter and milk. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave oven and stir the mixture well. Stir in the last 6 ingredients, return bowl to the microwave and cook 7 minutes on high. Stir well with fork to fluff.

Metal Mouth Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup milk
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced onion
1 tbsp very finely chopped green pepper
1 egg, beaten
¼ tsp dried oregano

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly with hands. Form or roll into 24 equal-sized balls. Place in a well-greased 9″x13″x2″ casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Service with a smooth spaghetti sauce over soft Dante angel hair pasta.

Bucky Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
10 flour tortillas, cut into small bite-size pieces
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 can (4 oz) green chilies, chopped
1 can (4.5 oz) black olives, chopped
1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies
½ cup water

In a skillet, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain and run through a food processor or blender. In a greased 9″x13″x2″ casserole dish, layer ½ the mixture, tortillas, cheese, green chilies, and black olives. Repeat. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the soup, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and water. Mix thoroughly and pour over the top of the layered ingredients. In a preheated oven, bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serves 6-8.

Wired White Pizza

1 tube (10 oz) refrigerated pizza dough
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated alfredo sauce
½ cup onions, finely chopped
7-8 slices bacon, crisply fried and finely crumbled
1 jar (2.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped
7 oz hickory smoked gouda cheese, grated

Using a pizza baking sheet, follow the manufacturer’s directions for handling and shaping the dough. Pre-bake the dough prior to the layering of the ingredients for 5-6 minutes at 425 degrees or until lightly golden brown. Evenly spread the alfredo sauce over the pre-baked dough and layer the remaining ingredients in the order given. Transfer the pizza to a preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Chew-less Chili Chicken

2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely chopped
1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of chicken soup
¾ cup chicken broth
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 jar (2 oz) diced pimentos
8 flour tortillas, 7″ diameter, cut into small pieces
2 ½ cups cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Reserve 1 cup of the cheese for sprinkling on top. Pour into a greased 9″x 12″ x2″ casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 4-6.

Braces Friendly Banana Cream Cake

1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
2 cups bananas, thinly sliced

Grease a 9″ x 12″ x 2″ baking pan and lightly dust with flour. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs on at a time. Beat in the sour cream. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing well. Beat in the vanilla, milk, and bananas. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with whip cream or drizzle with a chocolate topping of your choice.

Crossbite Carrot Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt
1 can crushed pineapple in a heavy syrup, well-drained
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups carrots, very finely grated.

Grease and lightly dust a 9″x12″x2″ baking pan with flour. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, mixing well. Beat in the pineapple, vanilla extract, and carrots. Pour into the baking pan and bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Allow to cool completely frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)

In large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter, beating until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the cake. Refrigerate.
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When wearing Braces – Discomfort can Happen

Wearing braces occasionally means your teeth may be sore. Sore teeth are effectively treated with Advil and rinsing with cold water. Many of the archwires Dr. Wilkinson uses are thermally activated. That means the wire changes properties when exposed to varying temperatures. If your teeth are sore immediately following an adjustment, rinse with cold/ice water. This will temporarily ease the tension on your teeth. As your teeth move into their ideal position, the archwires will get a little long. They may poke the cheeks from time to time. This is best handled by calling our office to have us clip the ends of the archwire. Temporarily, you can place a small ball of orthodontic wax or sugarless gum on the ends until it is possible to see Dr. Wilkinson. If you do not have any orthodontic wax, your neighborhood grocery store will carry earplugs made of wax that can be used similarly.
Eating certain foods can break/loosen brackets and appliances and/or pull the archwire out of the tube on the back teeth. Most times, a pair of tweezers or clean needle-nose pliers can be used to reinsert the wire into the tube. If the archwire is too stiff or you have any difficulties, please call our office.

Broken/lost brackets are not always emergencies! If possible, save the broken bracket/band and place some wax on the bracket to protect your lip. Please call our office if a bracket comes loose or breaks. Repair of broken or lost brackets will require a separate appointment.

If a spacer is lost prior to a banding appointment, replacement of these will require a separate appointment. Please call our office and we will be happy to advise you.

Please call our office if an expander (RPE) or Herbst- appliance comes loose. Repair of these appliances will require a separate appointment.

Broken retainers should not be self-repaired. If you lose or break a retainer, call our office.

Trauma to the face or mouth can cause dislodgment or embedding of brackets. Please call our office immediately, and we will guide you. Visit our San Antonio Orthodontist for any question

Be prepared for a tooth age on your Vacation

PICTURE THIS: YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE TRAVELED to a gorgeous beach location for a week of fun in the sun. You’re about to do some serious sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling when a family member starts complaining about a bad toothache! Or, a pokey wire is making someone’s cheek bleed. Argh! Few things can kill your vacation spirit faster than a dental problem or dental emergency. So here are a few tips for taking your teeth on vacation!More on this website

Before You Go

If you’ve been keeping your regularly scheduled appointments, this is probably not an issue. But if not, call us to make an appointment. As you know, most problems with your teeth or mouth happen gradually. If we can catch a developing issue before you leave on your vacation, you probably won’t need any of the other tips below.

Second, consider making yourself a “dental emergency kit” to pack along on your vacation that includes the following:

Mouthguard(s) – A mouthguard prevents chipped or knocked-out teeth. If your plans include any type of high adventure activities (or things as simple as skateboarding or other sports), consider taking a mouthguard.
Floss – You were planning to bring floss along anyway for your nightly dental routine, right? We knew it.
Pain Relievers – Both topical and ingested (but don’t use aspirin as topical pain relief as it can damage your gums).
Orthodontic Wax – If anyone in your group has braces, you probably already know how important this is.
Clove Oil, Pencil w/ Eraser, and Sugarless Gum – See explanation below.
Contact Information – Even if we aren’t close by, you may need to contact us via phone or email.

Some On-The-Spot Tips

Toothache – Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply an icepack to your cheek if its swelling. It may be helpful to apply some topical pain reliever or dab clove oil on and around the tooth. If the pain persists, get a hold of us.
Chipped, Broken, Or Knocked Out Teeth – Save the pieces/tooth in milk or saltwater and get to emergency care quickly. After an hour, odds decrease that the tooth will go back in where it belongs. If there’s bleeding, put some gauze over the wound.
Lost Filling – Here’s a cool tip—put sugarless (sugarless only!) gum in the spot the filling used to cover. This will keep the pain down and stop other things from getting stuck in the gap.
Something Caught In Your Teeth or Braces – Rinse with warm water and gently floss. If it’s not coming out, DON’T try poking around with something sharp. Give us a call or seek out local care before it causes grief.
Pokey Braces Wires – You can try to move a protruding wire with a pencil eraser. If that doesn’t work and it’s still poking you, cover it up with wax. Not enough wax? You can use sugarless gum or foam earplugs. We don’t want you trying to clip any wires yourself.

When In Doubt, Contact Us
That’s why you’ll want to include our contact information in your dental emergency kit. We’ll give you advice, or refer you to someone in the area if you need immediate care. We’re here to help you and your family in any way we can. Keep in mind that if you are somewhere with internet access, you can always direct message us on our Facebook page! for more questions about San Antonio general dentistry visit this website
Have a fantastic vacation, and thank you for being our valued patient!
Any other tips YOU know about? Share them below!