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A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a tax-free account that allows you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses. You choose an annual amount to contribute to your account, and your employer deducts your salary contribution before calculating your taxes. Paying for eligible expenses, such as orthodontic treatment, with these pre-tax dollars saves you money. Since eligibility varies from plan to plan, be sure to check with your human resources administrator for details on your benefits.

Use It Or Lose It Rule . . . Act Now To Maximize Your 2014 Benefit

Participating in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a great way to stretch your health care dollars, but keep in mind that they do come with restrictions. The most controversial provision, known as the Use It Or Lose It Rule, requires that you use all of your tax-advantage dollars within the plan's coverage period or you forfeit any remaining pre-tax dollars. For many, December 31, 2014 marks this year's deadline to incur expenses and use dollars set aside in a FSA. The end of the year is rapidly approaching, so now is a great time to put your FSA dollars to good use. To find out how your remaining FSA dollars can be used for orthodontic treatment, contact our office today.

Sign Up Now For Flex Spending To Cover 2015 Orthodontic Expenses

If your company offers a FSA account, now is the time to start thinking about allocating dollars to your account for 2015. Since many plans allow you to apply FSA dollars to orthodontic care, it's a great time to schedule a new patient exam or a growth and development follow-up visit to evaluate your child's orthodontic needs for the upcoming calendar year. Give us a call . . . we're here to help you understand your and your child's orthodontic care and to provide you with the necessary information to take advantage of FSA tax-free benefits for orthodontic treatment.

Halloween is a fun time of year, but before you head out to trick-or-treat, Dr. Godwin would like to offer a few tips for keeping your braces healthy and happy.  While Halloween treats are tempting, it's important to remember that many can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters with braces.  Treats that are sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy can potentially cause damage to braces, clear aligners, and other orthodontic appliances.  In addition to patient discomfort, a broken bracket or loose wire may prolong treatment and require additional appointments.

The team at Bel Air Orthodontics knows how hard it is to avoid all Halloween treats, so we encourage you to enjoy braces-friendly alternatives rather than feel that you are missing out on all the fun.  Dr. Godwin recommends that a few sweets can be okay occasionally, provided that you remember to brush and floss after eating.  Check out our frighteningly-good Halloween recipes and braces-friendly tips below so that you can enjoy the holiday and still be on pace to achieve your healthy, beautiful smiles.

Braces-Friendly Treats

In general, orthodontic patients should look for foods that are soft and easy to chew.  Soft, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, peanut butter cups, milk shakes, gelatin, ice cream treats, and most soft cookies and cakes are good examples of braces-friendly treats.

Treats to Avoid

Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment should avoid treats that are sticky, hard, chewy or crunchy, such as caramel, nuts (including candies that contain nuts), licorice, jelly beans or taffy, hard pretzels, bubblegum, candy corn, and popcorn.

Here Comes The Good Stuff!

Now that you know the do's and don'ts, here are some fantastic recipes courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists and The Braces Cookbooks, perfect not only for patients with braces, but everyone looking for a yummy homemade treat!  That way no one will feel left out this Halloween, and your party will be a monster success. To scare up your own Halloween party, try these recipes that are easy on your orthodontic hardware:

Click on the image to download the following recipes:

• Spider Bites
• Frightfully Fabulous Cupcake Sandwiches
• Pumpkin Cookie Pops
• Peanut Butter Eyeballs
• Marvelous Molasses Cookies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Softies
• Slimy Lime Punch . . . Enjoy!!

More downloadable recipes courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists:

• Frightful Finger Cookies
• Goblin Goodies
• Graveyard Shakes

Have a great braces-friendly recipe you'd love to share? Send it to us at info@belairortho.com.

Every October, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) takes the spotlight during National Orthodontic Health Month. It’s a time when orthodontists reach out to patients and their community to increase public awareness about the benefits of orthodontic care.

As part of that effort, Bel Air Orthodontics is spreading the AAO’s message about the benefits of early orthodontic evaluation. Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons why all children should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child get an orthodontic screening no later than age seven.

Why is age seven considered the optimal time for screening?

By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth making it an ideal time for evaluation. With early screening, Dr. Godwin can spot subtle problems with emerging teeth and jaw growth. While many young patients may not be ready to start treatment, early evaluation allows us to choose the optimal time to begin treatment and provides a greater opportunity for an effective treatment outcome.

What are the potential advantages of interceptive treatment?

Early treatment allows Dr. Godwin to:

• Correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
• Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
• Create more space for crowded teeth
• Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
• Correct thumb-sucking and help improve minor speech problems

Problems to Watch for in Growing Children

If you notice any of the following in your child, it’s time to schedule an orthodontic evaluation:

• Early/late loss of baby teeth
• Difficulty chewing or biting food
• Mouth breathing
• Finger or thumb sucking
• Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
• Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
• Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
• Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
• Crowded front teeth around age 7 or 8

Additional information on early interceptive treatment is available at the AAO’s website. To view and/or download their handout entitled “Problems to Watch for in Growing Children” click the image above.

Orthodontics does more than create beautiful smile – it creates a healthier you. If you have questions about your child’s dental development, contact our office at 410-838-2244 to schedule an evaluation.

It's back-to-school time, and that means the school nurses have their hands full. To make they're job a little easier, Bel Air Orthodontics recently visited schools throughout Harford County to make sure that nurses are prepared to handle orthodontic emergencies during the school day. Our complimentary kits provide school nurses with much needed dental supplies such as orthodontic wax, floss, toothbrushes and paste, along with a Nurse's Guide which is filled with helpful tips and emergency care information.

With some minor intervention and guidance from the school nurse, many of our patients with minor emergencies such as broken brackets, loose and/or poking wires can return to class and finish out their school day. So if you're not sure how to handle an orthodontic emergency while at school, stop by the nurse's office. They've got the know-how and supplies to help you out thanks to the team at Bel Air Orthodontics.

Since some orthodontic emergencies may require repair by your orthodontist, Dr. Godwin also recommends that you contact our office as soon as possible so that we can address your concerns and/or schedule an appointment.