Share the walk with us...

We are proud to say that because of many generous donations and the over-whelming response to the wristbands, Dr. DiCiccio's Heroes for Hooters came in third in corporate donations in this years Susan G Komen~Race for the Cure on October 29, 2011.  We are ever so grateful to everyone who supported this cause and we can all take pride in this accomplishment!  Please share the day with us by watching this video...

 

Thank you again for supporting the cause...there is no time to waste in finding a cure for breast cancer. Our team nearly doubled this year and we are open for anyone who would like to jump on board for next year's walk!  Let us know if you are interested!
We are the Heroes for Hooters!!
~Dr. DiCiccio and Team

Our first S4L scholarship recipient

We are very excited to introduce our first Smile for a Lifetime-Fresno/Clovis Chapter scholarship recipient!

Smile for a Lifetime is a national, non-profit organization that sponsors the orthodontic care of kids between the ages of 11-17. The mission is to create self-confidence, inspire hope and change the lives of these kids so they can go on to do great things in their local communities. Interested individuals can visit the DiCiccio Orthodontics website for the application and qualification requirements. The completed applications are reviewed by our local Board of Directors and the recipients are chosen. The Board meets on a quarterly basis.

Congratulations Ryan! Welcome to the Smile for a Lifetime family! Enjoy the journey.

We are excited to be a part of this amazing organization.
~Dr. Pat DiCiccio & Team

October is here...time to see your general dentist!

Dr. DiCiccio and his team want to know... Are you properly brushing and flossing daily during your treatment?

If the answer is yes, that’s great!  But, don’t forget that it is also extremely important for you to visit your general dentist at least every 6 months in addition to brushing your teeth, flossing and coming to your regular visits in our office for your orthodontic adjustments. Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining good oral health, especially during orthodontic treatment!

Why is October a great month to visit your dentist??? Well, not only is it National Orthodontic Health Month, but it is also National Dental Hygiene Month.

Your general dentist will be checking for problems that might not be seen or felt, detect cavities and early signs of decay, treat oral health problems early and encourage you to properly brush and floss your teeth. Your general dentist is part of the team that is going to help you achieve that amazing smile you are working so hard for. 

Don't ignore this important piece of the puzzle!!!

~Dr. DiCiccio and Team

Don't be Tricked, Pick the right Treat

Halloween tends to be one of the busiest times of the year at an  orthodontist's office, primarily because patients indulge in treats that they should not be eating. Those of us at DiCiccio Orthodontics want you to remember that candies and other treats that are hard, chewy, sticky or crunchy can cause damage to braces, clear aligners and other orthodontic appliances. In addition to discomfort, a broken bracket or loose wire may prolong treatment and require additional orthodontic appointments. As part of National Orthodontic Health Month, the AAO is providing orthodontic-friendly Halloween recipes and tips to help patients and their families enjoy the holiday.

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has teamed up with Pam Waterman, author of The Braces Cookbook, to bring orthodontic-friendly recipes and treats to trick-or-treaters and their parents. It’s no trick - these recipes are fun to make, fun to eat, and they won’t put a dent in the smiles of the nearly five million orthodontic patients currently in North America who wear braces, clear aligners or other orthodontic appliances to help them achieve a healthy, beautiful smile.


We suggest that you brush as soon as possible after eating candy, minimizing the impact of the candy on the teeth.  If brushing is not possible, the second best thing is to either consume the candy with a meal (so that the increased saliva produced while eating will help wash the candy off the teeth) or rinse the mouth with water.  In addition, you can chew sugarless gum, especially xylitol gums that help control tooth decay-causing bacteria. It is also better to eat  the candy in one sitting to decrease the amount of time it is in contact with the teeth.
 

We want our patients to have fun while in orthodontic treatment. Cooperation is always key, and exercising caution at Halloween could keep you on the right track to great results!

~Dr. DiCiccio and Team

 

20 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile

DiCiccio Orthodontics knows you take pride in your smile! And that you want to keep your smile looking as beautiful and healthy as you possibly can. Brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist may not be quite enough to keep those pearly whites in tip-top shape! We found an article about 20 things that can ruin your smile.

Some of these include:

• Sport drinks
• Tobacco
• Puberty
• Citrus or Acidic foods
• Dry mouth

We encourage you to take a look at the rest of them. Feel free to ask our team at your next visit if you have any questions regarding your dental health. We also invite you to ask us on Facebook. 

the Secrets to a Happy Life

Happiness and smiles go hand-in-hand! Dr. Pat DiCiccio and team are exceptional at creating beautiful, life-changing smiles. Here are some suggestions for finding the happiness to go along with it! I found this post on A Smile per Day and just had to share it!

The video brings the transcript to life. The lyrics are taken from a famous essay — written in 1997 by Mary Schmich, a columnist with the Chicago Tribune — which gives some amazing advice for life. The article is called: "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" and can be found here. 

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) - the original video

Enjoy the transcript: 

Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. 

Do one thing every day that scares you. 

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.  

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. 

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements. 

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. 

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. 

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. 

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. 

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. 

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. 

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. 

But trust me on the sunscreen.

LIKE us on Facebook...We'll donate for YOU

As our way of kicking off the founding of the Fresno/Clovis Chapter of Smile for a Lifetime...$1 for each LIKE on the DiCiccio Orthodontics facebook page from NOW until December 31, 2011, will be donated by Dr. DiCiccio back to the Fresno/Clovis Chapter of the Smile for a Lifetime Foundation. Tell your friends to LIKE us!    

Smile for a Lifetime is a national, non-profit organization that provides orthodontic care to individuals who may not have the opportunity to acquire assistance. Launched in 2008, Smile for a Lifetime Foundation aims to reach individuals with financial challenges, special situations, and orthodontic needs. The Foundation sponsors the orthodontic care of hundreds of patients each year. Smile for a Lifetime Foundation has participating orthodontists throughout the US. Each chapter has its own local Board of Directors who choose patients to be treated by the Foundation within their local community.

It is our mission to create self confidence, inspire hope, and change the lives of children in our community in a dramatic way. The gift of a smile can do all this for a deserving, under served individual who, in turn, can use this gift to better themselves and our community.

Please LIKE our Smile for a Lifetime Fresno/Clovis Chapter fan page to follow the latest on what is happening in our local community. An additional $1 will be donated for LIKES on this page as well. This is an amazing opportunity for some very deserving local kids who will make a difference in our community one day. 

Please see our website to find the application and qualification requirements.  

As of 9-3-2011:

Our current standing on DiCiccio Orthodontics facebook is...397

Our current standing on Smile for a Lifetime-Fresno/Clovis is...24

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