Ghosts, Goblins, and a Ghoulish Halloween Recipe!

Trick-Or-Treat! October is National Orthodontic Health Month, and in honor of Halloween, the American Association of Orthodontists has provided trick-or-treaters with some tips and treats for a ghoulishly good time!

Dr. Ehrmantrout thought he'd pass 'em on!

Frightfully Fabulous Cupcake Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can of chocolate frosting or store-bought chocolate mousse
1 container of whipped topping

Assorted “braces-friendly” candy pieces such as chopped peanut butter cups, chocolate bars and melt-in-your-mouth candies.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.

Combine cocoa powder, water, and mix until smooth. Fold in mayonnaise. (Make sure cocoa mixture is not to hot to prevent breaking of mayonnaise). Add vanilla and whisk until smooth.

In mixer, combine sugar, cake flour, baking soda and salt and mix slowly until well incorporated. Add wet cocoa mixture, mix on medium-high until well blended. Scrape down the sides and blend for 30 seconds.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 way full of batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack.

Slice each cupcake in half, horizontally, and serve the halves with chocolate mousse or frosting, whipped topping, and assorted candy pieces. Kids build the sandwiches by spreading one-half of a cupcake with mousse/frosting or whipped topping, sprinkling on candy pieces and placing the other half of cupcake on top.

Halloween Safety Tips

•Young children should always be accompanied by an adult
•Carry a flashlight
•Wear a light-colored or reflective costume
•Choose face paint over masks for young ghosts and goblins
•Have an adult inspect all treats before the children dig in

And remember to have a fun and safe Halloween! From Dr. Ehrmantrout and team.

Write a Review of Dr. Ehrmantrout or the Hawks Prairie Orthodontics office!

Whether you have visited Dr. Ehrmantrout for a week or for years, we'd love to hear your feedback about Hawks Prairie Orthodontics office. Now with the Internet, it is even easier to write your thoughts and share them with the world. We'd want to encourage you to write a review of us. It only takes a moment!

You may write a review here.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

--Dr. Ehrmantrout and team

Halloween at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics

Come visit us at Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics during the week before Halloween for our theme days! Our staff will be dressing up for the entire week, and on October 29th we will be holding an open house in which our local dentists will attend. Be sure to give us a call for more information, at 360-464-2502.

Have a spooky and safe Halloween,

--Dr. Ehrmantrout & Team

Invisalign Tips

Many people know that Invisalign is a great solution to braces if you don't want to experience the look and feel of traditional metal braces. What few people know, though, is that just like traditional braces, Invisalign requires proper care to work effectively. Good oral hygiene is highly important, even when you are wearing something in your mouth that you can take out to eat with. It's still likely that your aligners can build up plaque if not treated properly. When wearing your Invisalign aligners, ask yourself the following questions:

1.) Am I eating with my aligners on? - These aligners are removable and should be taken out when you eat.
2.) Am I drinking anything other than water with my aligners on? - Though it's not a necessity for you to take out your aligners while you drink, think about how sticky a soda is. If you take out your aligners when drinking a soda, you have a better chance of keeping your aligners clean.
3.) Am I brushing before putting the trays on? - The aligners have both an inside and outside. Keeping the outside clean is easy. Keeping the inside clean is also easy: just make sure you've brushed your teeth before putting the trays on.

These are all very simple steps, and ultimately, they help to keep you building good oral habits.

--Dr. Ehrmantrout

Dr. Ehrmantrout's Trip to Costa Rica

Last weekend, Dr. Ehrmantrout visited the Invisalign facility in Costa Rica for the 2nd year in a row, in order to work through several of his cases one on one with his dedicated Invisalign technician.

Dr. Ehrmantrout recently became an Invisalign Premier provider, and as part of this certification, a dedicated technician is assigned to him. This visit was also to attend an Invisalign study club with 15 other Premier Invisalign Providers from around the United States. While he did not get a chance to take any photos while there, be sure to ask Dr. Ehrmantrout about his trip at your next appointment!