More Than Just A Pretty Smile

Spannhake Orthodontics

At Spannhake Orthodontics, our dedication to providing extraordinary personal service with compassion and consideration to the unique needs of each of our patients is our top priority. 

The primary focus of our practice is to work with our patients to obtain a healthy and beautiful smile, taking oral and facial harmony into consideration. As a specialty practice in orthodontics and dental-facial orthopedics, Dr. Spannhake's goal is to provide consistently excellent orthodontic treatment to children, adolescents and adults in a gentle and caring environment. 

We feel open communication is extremely important in creating a positive environment for our patients and insuring a successful treatment outcome. Here at Spannhake Orthodontics, we consider dental health to be an integral part of overall good health. We believe that good dental health can instill a sense of well-being, provide a lifelong smile, and promote good overall health. 

If you have questions on how to improve your dental health, let’s talk! Our caring team takes pride in providing exceptional care to patients of all ages. We have great information right at your fingertips 24 hours a day on our website. 

Take a look at the NEW PATIENTS section as well as TREATMENT section. You can also request an appointment right on our website, by clicking here.

3 Super Quick Smoothie Recipes

One of the most common questions we get from new patients is “what can I eat after I get my braces?”  Aside from the typical checklist of approved and nonapproved foods to eat during your orthodontic treatment at Spannhake Orthodontics, we like to go above and beyond and provide you with recipe ideas, too.  Yes, there are certain points in your treatment process when your mouth might be more sensitive than usual, but that doesn't mean you don't get to enjoy a delicious meal or snack. Smoothies are the perfect solution for when chewing just doesn’t sound all that fun!

You can prep and freeze these 3 super quick and easy smoothie recipes. Choose your own base of yogurt, juice, milk, tea, or water and some ice to blend these ingredients up into something spectacular for your tastebuds!

BERRY BLAST

• 1C Raspberries
• 1C Blueberries
• 1C Strawberries
• 1C Spinach

SWEET SUNRISE

• 1C Raspberries
• 1 Orange
• 1/2 Banana
• 1C Mango

GREEN MONSTER

• 1 Grapefruit
• 1 Banana
• 1C Pineapple
• 1C Spinach

More On Retainers

Several patients underestimate the importance of wearing their retainers after their braces come off, but it’s actually one of the most critical post care practices to keep your teeth straight. After all the time, money, and energy spent on braces, why spend all that when you don't plan to keep them straightened after treatment?

What is a retainer?
A retainer keeps teeth from moving back to the positions in which they started before you got braces. There are many different types of retainers—some are removable and some are permanent, some retainers are made of plastic and metal, and some are all plastic or all metal.

How long do you need to wear your retainer?
If you've been given a removable retainer by Dr. Spannhake you may be wondering how long you need to wear it. It takes time for your tissues and bones around your teeth to reorganize and set into place after braces treatment.

The amount of time you’ll need to wear your retainer depends on your unique situation, but typically, retainers should be worn at least as long as the time you spent in braces. You might need to wear them full-time for a while, and then transition to wearing them only at night. Dr. Spannhake will have a treatment plan especially for you, and if you stick to it, you'll always have a straight smile.

New UNICORN ICE CREAM Recipe

Are you ready for the most magical Ice Cream recipe you’ll ever find? Not only is it cute, but it’s great for all ages. Best of all, it's braces friendly & taste buds approved! Unicorn Ice Cream is magic on a cone!

UNICORN ICE CREAM

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whipping cream
• One 14 sweetened condensed milk

Gel food coloring:

• Electric Blue
• Electric Green
• Egg Yellow
• Magenta
• Purple
• Star Sprinkles
• Purple Disco Dust (optional)
• Green Disco Dust (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until medium peaks form.
2. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk into the whipped cream, and fold the whipped cream and condensed milk together until completely combined.
3. Separate the ice cream base into 5 bowls. Add 2-4 drops of food coloring to each bowl (1 color per bowl). Use a spoon to mix in the food coloring until it is evenly distributed in the ice cream base. You can add more food coloring as needed to reach your desired color.
4. Using a standard loaf pan, layer the ice cream. Place ½ of each color in the pan in big dollops. (I layered the blue, green, and purple first, and then the yellow and pink on top of that.) Then repeat the color layering.
5. Run a butter knife through the ice cream a few times in each direction to swirl the colors together. You don't want to completely mix the colors, just swirl them a bit.
6. Top the ice cream with star sprinkles and sprinkle with disco dust. Because everyone knows unicorns are glittery.
7. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 8 hours to overnight, or until the ice cream has set up.

NEW CONTEST ALERT | Christmas Tree Selfie

New Contest Alert! Here are all the details on our Christmas Tree Selfie Contest! Enter for a chance to win an Astoria VR Headset perfect for ANY SMARTPHONE! #SpannhakeSelfie

Click here to post your photo on our Facebook page! 

We're A Toys For Tots Donation Location!

Guess who is a drop off location for Toys for Tots this year? SPANNHAKE ORTHODONTICS! Here is all the info you need to help us donate to Toys for Tots this holiday season! #SpannhakeSmiles #SpannhakeOrthodontics#ToysforTots