10 Ways You Can Be Kind Today

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:32

Our summer contest is coming to end, but there is still time for you submit your acts of kindness by August 28th. Random acts of kindness are selfless acts performed by a person or people to either assist or to cheer up a person or people. Everyone benefits from kindness, and we’re adding an extra incentive if you let us know what you’ve done to be kind. We are asking all of our patients to tell us about random acts of kindness they have performed. When you let us know about your acts of kindness you will be entered to win $100, $200 or $300. For some performing random acts of kindness is a part of their daily routine, however if you need a few ideas check out the list below.

10 Ways You Can Be Kind Today

• Volunteer to clean a room in your house
• Help with dinner 
• Help a sibling or younger family member with homework
• Tell your friends you appreciate them 
• Leave an online review for your favorite businesses or organization 
• Share helpful tips with friends
• Share kind words with a stranger
• Make plans to spend time with your grandparents 
• Write a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life
• Give someone you care about a hug

You can enter our kindness contest in our office,by tagging us on social media and using the hashtag #wentzkindnesscontest or by sending an email to tamara@wentzmail.com. You can enter as many times as you like, but hurry the contest ends August 28th, 2015.

Braced For Impact

The kids are heading back to school and slowly but surely the heat is turning down. This means one thing, fall is among us.

There are so many great things about fall from the weather to the seasonal dishes. Another great part of fall is the beginning of sports like football, volleyball, basketball and soccer.  While we all love sports we also love staying safe and this fall we want you to "brace yourself" by wearing a mouth guard.

What is a mouth guard? (according to mouthhealty.org)

Mouthguards, also called mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face or jaw. They typically cover the upper teeth and are a great way to protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining.

Here's a fact for you:

Sports-related injuries often end-up in the emergency room; however, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that more than 600,000 of these visits involve injury or damage to the teeth and mouth. This fact alone lets you know just how important it is to be protected by a mouth guard.

At Wentz Orthodontics we want all of patient athletes to be equipped with the proper mouth guards to ensure you're protected and comfortable. One of the most important tasks is selecting the proper mouth for your sport. Stop by our office today or wait until your next appointment and ask your assistant for a mouth guard to help protect your teeth, mouth and jaw.

Wentz Orthodontics

4013 84th Street

Lubbock, TX 79423

(806) 792-7223 

(806) 794-8124

Back to School Breakfast

It’s time to head back to school. Whether you’re heading back to grade school, middle school, high school or college, there is one important component that relates to our patients doing well in school and in treatment. It’s breakfast!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the meal that kick starts your day and gives you fuel you need to get through the day. In general, kids and teens that eat breakfast have more energy, do better in school, and eat healthier throughout the day. You may be thinking how is breakfast important to treatment? Well it’s important that you eat food that is good for your oral health and safe for your appliance.

It's important for to have breakfast every day, but what you eat in the morning is crucial too. It’s best to choose breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber, and protein while low in added sugar. Foods with these nutrients may boost attention span, concentration, and memory, which they need to learn in school. While under treatment hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided.

Knowing this here are a few foods that you can add to your breakfast menu:


1. Eggs- Eggs are loaded with Choline, a vitamin important to memory stem cells which is crucial to learn. Eggs can also be included in various recipes that the whole family can love.

2. Blueberries - Blueberries are loaded with Vitamin C, as well as folic acid, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which have shown to help prevent cancer and diabetes. Try adding blueberries as a topping to cereal or even mix them into muffins and pancakes.

3. Whole Wheat Bread – Whole wheat bread gives kids their iron, vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. So instead of making a sandwich on white bread for lunch you can use Whole Wheat Bread instead. It’s a little change that will make a big impact.

4. Oatmeal - Instead of high-sugar, high-fat options from the grocery store, try baking a batch of low-fat oatmeal cookies. Raisins, cranberries, dried apricots and nuts can be great additions to the cookie dough because of their nutritional value & taste.

5. Yogurt - Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Consider Yogurt as an alternative to ice-cream for dessert. When mixed with berries and granola, yogurt is a tasty treat.

These are just a few foods that are important to include in breakfast. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems.

For more information about foods that are best for you or your family give us a call and visit our Foods to Avoid List to see what you shouldn’t be eating while in treatment.

Wentz Orthodontics

4013 84th Street

Lubbock, TX 79423

(806) 792-7223 

(806) 794-8124

Be Good To Your Braces & They'll Be Good To You

This summer we’re promoting kindness and as we encourage you to be kind to others we also want you to be kind to your braces. 

What do you mean be kind to your braces?

When we say be kind to you braces we are asking that you take cares of your orthodontic appliance so that your treatment process can go as planned.  Dr. Wentz has determined braces are the best corrective option for you so we want you to take care of your braces. Taking care of your braces and following treatment instructions will help your achieve the best final results.

Here's how to be kind to your braces:

Brush and flossing daily

You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food becomes caught in the brackets and between your teeth. Brushing after meals and flossing will help prevent plaque from forming and should become part of your daily schedule. We know that it can be a pain to floss around your braces, but flossing is the best way to prevent gum disease and other oral health problems. If you find flossing with braces difficult, don’t give up on it. There are tools that can help. Ask us about Floss Threaders. Floss Threaders definitely make flossing with braces much easier.

Avoid sticky or hard foods

Even though it may seem like the best foods are the foods that are sticky and/or hard, those foods can break a bracket or wire. An example of sticky food is laffy taffy and an example of hard food is hard shell taco. To see the full of foods to avoid click here.

Chew with the back of teeth

Taking a large bite of food with your front teeth can leave your braces vulnerable to damage. Cut large foods into pieces and use your back teeth to chew.

Wear your elastics

Elastics move the teeth in a direction they could not be moved using braces alone. Change the elastics routinely even if they are not broken. After a while, elastics lose their strength. Change them after each meal and before bedtime. If one elastic breaks, replace both sides.  Carry extra elastics with you at all times. If you don't have enough to last until your next appointment, please stop by our office and pick more up or call us and we can send more to you. We don't want you to run out

Be mindful of wires and brackets 

Every day when you brush your teeth, check to make sure you do not have any loose braces by gently trying to slide each one. If a wire or band comes loose, do not be alarmed. If a tie wire is protruding and irritating, use a blunt instrument (the back of a spoon or a pencil eraser) to carefully push the wire out of the way. If you have a broken or loose appliance, please call us to determine if your breakage is urgent and requires immediate repair.


This summer we're giving out rewards for your kindness! Let us know about your act of kindness and you'll be entered to win cash prize up to $300! Enter in our office, tag us on social media using the hashtag ‪#‎wentzkindnesscontest‬ or email tamara@wentzmail.com. Contest ends August 28th, 2015.

Wentz Orthodontics

4013 84th Street

Lubbock, TX 79423

(806) 792-7223 

(806) 794-8124

Retain Your Smile

Yes, we know your super excited to get your braces removed and an anticipating loving your new smile, but to keep that smile there is another step to the process. This final step is called Retention.

Once the active orthodontic appliances are removed, the patient will receive retainers to stabilize the dental correction. Because the bone and soft tissues surrounding the teeth are stabilizing for several months after braces are removed, it is imperative that the retainers are worn as instructed. Failure to wear the retainers may result in undesirable movement of the teeth, which could necessitate re-treatment.  Because teeth can continue to move throughout life, we feel that individuals who have undergone orthodontic therapy should wear retainers indefinitely. A patient should wear retainers as prescribed by our practice.

So many patients tend to lose and misplace their retainers, but we want to make sure you don’t skip a beat in your retention process. Here’s what you need to do to take care of your retainer:

• Don't fold it in your napkin or leave it on the table at a restaurant. Garbage cans don't make happy hunting grounds.
• Don't put your retainer in your pocket. You might sit on it and break it. OUCH!
• A protective case is provided for you. Always keep retainers in its protective case when it’s not in your mouth. 
• Animals and younger children love to play with it. Please make sure your retainer is in your mouth at all times. Your retainer should only be out of your mouth when brushing or eating.
• Keep things clean! Be sure to brush your teeth without your retainers in. Do not boil your retainer or put it in hot water. Brush your retainer with a toothbrush using toothpaste or water.

Your retainer is a special part of the road to a better smile. The benefits of orthodontic treatment will last a lifetime if you keep these important tips for caring for your retainer in mind. For more information regarding Retention visit Wentzorthothodontics.com  or give us a call today!

4th of July Ortho-Friendly Treats

Every year on the 4th day of July we celebrate a great American holiday, Independence Day. Flags of bright red, white and blue appear everywhere you go. Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th of July because it was on July 4, 1776, that members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

The best things about the 4th of July are Family, Food and Fireworks. Everyone will show off their patriotism in different ways on Saturday. One way to show support for Independence Day that the entire family to enjoy is by making 4th of July themed treats. Since some of our patients are currently abiding by Dr. Wentz’s rules to avoid anything hard, sticky and super sugary, we've listed 5 tasty ortho-friendly treats for our patients under treatment to enjoy.

5 Ortho-Friendly Fourth of July Treats (For recipes click the name of each treat)

Cupcake Cones

Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

Patriotic Punch

Jell-O Firecrackers

Red, White and Blue Cheesecake

Share your treats and your 4th of July fun with us, Tag us in your photos on Instagram and post photos to our wall on Facebook.

Protect Your Smile This Summer

It’s summer time so that means it’s time to get out and have some fun in the sun. Grab the kids and head outside. While you’re enjoying yourselves it’s still important stay safe which includes protecting your smile.

We advocate protecting your smile all year round, however summer is a time where playing and fun activities are turned up a notch. Here are a few tips for enjoying your summer safely.

Stay hydrated

It’s going to get pretty hot this summer here in Lubbock and all around Texas. When you’re out in the sun you have to stay hydrated, but make sure you are drinking fluids that are good for you. Sports drinks that claim to help you with endurance usually are high in sugar. Super sugary drinks are not the best for your teeth. Sugar produces acid that causes tooth decay which can lead to cavities among other issues. To stay hydrated your best option is to drink lots of water.

Remember the foods you must avoid

Summer is filled with sweet treats, but you have to remember while under orthodontic treatment you must avoid certain foods. To protect your orthodontic appliance stay away from sticky, hard and crunchy foods and treats. Find healthier foods you can snack on that are tasty and good for you.

Guard your grill

Summer is filled with fun and physical activities for kids and families. While participating in physical activities you have to protect your mouth with a mouth guard. Mouth guards protect teeth and jaw from potential injuries. Contact us for information regarding custom mouth guards.

Make your appointments

Summer time = free time for kids since they are on vacation from school, which is the perfect time for dental check-ups. You must make sure you make all of your scheduled appointments with Dr. Wentz to ensure that we can track the progress of your treatment.  Along with visiting us, it is important that you schedule time for a check-up with your dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy.

We hope that all of our patients have a awesome summer and remember this summer we are giving away cash prizes when you complete a good deed. All you have to do is let us know about your act of kindness and you’ll be entered to win. Contest ends August 28th, 2015.