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“St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic.” Adrienne Cook

Lucky green shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots of gold – it must be St. Patrick’s Day! If you’re not Irish, how do you go about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? It’s easy: You just put on one of those tall leprechauns hats, dress in green from head to toe, and wear one of those carefree pins that say “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”. On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish, and that is the universal beauty of the holiday. Celtic pride does not discriminate.

Wondering what our team at Gary Yanowitz, DDS is doing to celebrate March 17th? Well, we’ve thought about doing everything from handing out lucky gold coins (you know, the fake ones that are made of chocolate) to shamrock stickers. Maybe we’ll even give away green toothbrushes and floss! You’ll never know unless you come in to see Dr. Gary Yanowitz !

All kidding aside, St. Patrick’s Day is an important cultural and religious holiday. There are lavish parades and church services across Ireland on March 17th. Over time, however, the holiday has developed into a day to observe Irish culture in general. In places like England and the United States, where there is a large Irish Diaspora, the holiday has greater significance than other countries. From the streets of Boston to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, it is a day of celebration, and many Americans of Irish descent will cook up a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage.

So, to all of you with Irish ancestry, and to all of you who have decided to be Irish for the day, our office wishes you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Good luck looking for a pot of leprechaun gold, which is said to exist at the end of the rainbow. However, keep away from those sugary Lucky Charms; sweet cereals might taste good, but your kids’ teeth might not be feeling too lucky if they eat it for breakfast every day. Have a great St. Paddy’s Day!

While you don’t have to wait to start eating right, March is the month the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics asks everyone to pay special attention to what goes into our bodies. The Academy has designated the month of March for focusing the public’s awareness on what they eat.

What Not to Eat

The academy points out that the foods you eat have a direct effect on the health of your teeth and specifically on tooth decay. Bacteria rely on carbohydrates to thrive. That is why Dr. Gary Yanowitz and our team at Gary Yanowitz, DDS tell our patients to cut back on both candy and sweets. They consist of simple sugars that feed the bacteria in your mouth and enhance tooth decay.

It’s the hidden sugars that will cost you, though. Get in the habit of reading labels on food and looking for products with added sugar. This includes ingredients that end with the suffix “ose.” When it comes to nutrition, these foods offer little value beyond satisfying that sweet tooth.

What You Should Eat

Turn to foods that not only taste good but are good for your teeth too. Dairy products, for example, provide the body with nutritional items that support tooth enamel. Foods high in protein feature phosphorus, a nutrient critical to oral health.

You can’t really go wrong by adding color to your diet, either. Fruits and vegetables make for a colorful plate and a healthy meal. Use some caution with acidic fruits like oranges or even tomatoes, because the acid can erode tooth enamel. It is better to include these foods in a meal instead of eating them by themselves.

Remember, good nutrition is something you should worry about all year long, not just when celebrating National Nutrition Month. March just serves as a fun reminder that eating right is a proactive step in managing your dental health.

We encourage you to give us a call at our Pembroke Pines, FL office to learn more!

More than one patient has come into our office and asked, “What can I do to help my teeth when wearing Invisalign?”

While everyone’s teeth and dental needs are different, there are certain things everyone can do to make wearing their Invisalign aligners a more rewarding experience. Always follow the list of instructions and tips from Dr. Gary Yanowitz, and add the following advice to your daily routine.

Always ask us about teeth whitening. Our team at Gary Yanowitz, DDS knows how important it is for you to keep your teeth white and stain-free from the foods and drinks you consume daily. If you have attachments to your teeth, they will not whiten properly. Ask our office about teeth whitening when wearing your aligners; it might be best to wait until your treatment is complete.

Continue flossing every day. You should be flossing in any case. But it can be easy to assume that Invisalign will protect your teeth from bacteria. This is not true. Bacteria can get behind the aligners and affect the health of your teeth and gums, so keep up with your flossing schedule.

Follow the 48-hour rule when wearing your aligners. When you insert every new set of aligners, you should leave them in as much as possible during the first 48 hours. Your teeth will move more during this timeframe, and the aligners do the most good during this time.

You may experience slight discomfort while wearing your Invisalign aligners. You can take a pain reliever to help with the discomfort, but if you experience too much pain, please give us a call at our convenient Pembroke Pines, FL office to schedule an appointment!

Back in October, our team at Yanowitz Family Dentistry bought back Halloween candy from our patients to send to troops deployed overseas. We worked closely with the good people at Operation Gratitude, who have made it their goal to deliver some happiness to the troops who sacrifice so much for our freedom and safety.

Recently, we received a heartwarming letter from Operation Gratitude, and we wanted to share it with you all.

"Greetings from the Armory!

On behalf of Operation Gratitude and the Military recipients of our care packages, I thank you for your
support of our Halloween Candy Drive and generous donation of 133.5 lbs of candy and 1 letter. Your
contribution will enable us to send over 100,000 'chock full' Care Packages this year to the tens of thousands
of brave men and women still deployed overseas in harsh and remote areas; to their children anxiously
awaiting their return; and to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their Care Givers.

With the help of supporters nationwide since 2003, we have sent more than One Million Operation Gratitude
Care Packages containing snacks, hygiene products, entertainment and hand-made items, and personal letters
from appreciative Americans. These expressions of love and concern from fellow citizens offer our Military &
Veterans a much-deserved "Thank You For Your Service" and are always greeted with enthusiasm and great
appreciation.

As one Private First Class wrote:
'It's Christmas morning over here in Kuwait, and your box is the only present I got to open today and let me tell you - I was all smiles and teared up a couple times with what those wonderful, beautiful kids wrote. It's hard being away from my wife and two daughters but your words and gifts and support make it a little easier. I got so excited over the Beanie Baby and I LOVE the hand-knit scarf-very touching. Please keep doing what you're doing. It means the world to all of us over here on this side of the world! And the individual label made it really heartfelt and special! I thank you very much for what you all do. God bless and Merry Christmas!'

I hope you saw the coverage of our One Millionth Care Package celebration and delivery—all made possible
by your support. Please join us as we start our March to the 2 Million Care Packages!

Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and wonderful patriotic spirit. Every single donation we receive
furthers our mission of saying "Thank You" to those who serve. The recipients of your generosity will
remember your kindness forever. And I will always be appreciative of your support and encouragement for
Operation Gratitude.

With-much fondness,
Carolyn Blashek
President/Founder"

We want to thank all of our patients who helped us join this awesome effort to show our appreciation of our troops!