Stay cool with a braces-friendly summer treat!

Summer is here! Kids and adults alike will now be spending more time outside being active and enjoying the hotter temperatures. What’s better on a hot summer day than a delicious treat that will cool you down after doing something active in the summer sun? Luckily, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have just the thing, Watermelon Sorbet! You can find the complete recipe below:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind

Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Happy Summer!

-Dr. Ruff and team

The Trek Across Maine begins!

Our team at Dr. Ruff's office have officially began the Trek Across Maine! Darlene, Sarah and Kim are heading up together and Bruce and his wife Kate will be meeting the rest of us in Bethel tonight.

This week, Cooper came in to get his family's prize. His family helped design the cycling jerseys that we are wearing during the Trek Across Maine this weekend. Since we picked their design, they received their very own cycle jersey and $50 in gift cards!

Be sure to check back to our Facebook page this weekend, so that you can receive all sorts of exciting updates about our Trek Across Maine. Wish us luck!

Smile! June is National Smile Month!

According to the American Dental Association, a person's smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it's important for our team at Dr. Ruff's office to support National Smile Month this June.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss every day to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ruff.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call.

At Charles J. Ruff, DMD, your comfort is our priority!

From convenient appointments to offering contests and other forms of entertainment in the waiting room, there are so many things our Waterville, Skowhegan and Dover–Foxcroft orthodontic offices do to help put our patients at ease. For example, at each appointment, patients receive Ruff Bucks that can later be turned in for prizes like gift cards, water bottles and t-shirts! As an added benefit for our patients and any moms and dads who spend time in our waiting room, Dr. Ruff also offers FREE wireless internet.

We’d like to know: What is it about Dr. Ruff and our team that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment or friendly staff? Let us know by posting here, on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Dr. Ruff and team, wishing you a relaxing and memorable Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time when Americans everywhere stop and remember all those men and women who bravely gave their lives for our country.

Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer 2011, and for many folks in Waterville, Skowhegan and Dover–Foxcroft, getting out of town for three days after being cooped up in the office or in the classroom means sweet, sweet relief. At Charles J. Ruff, DMD, we also know Memorial Day weekend is ripe for travel. After all, it’s a season of vacations, adventures and great memories. Whether you are headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, hitting the great open roads or hanging out in your backyard this weekend, we want to know about it!

Have a nice and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

Did you know the month of May is designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Ronald Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more physical activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more significant in this day and age, as kids everywhere are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your convenience. The guidelines call for children and teens to exercise for at least one hour each day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At the office of Dr. Charles Ruff, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

Dr. Ruff's Annual Parent Appreciation Contest

To honor and thank all of the amazing parents who visit our office, Dr. Ruff will be hosting our Annual Parent Appreciation Contest. We appreciate all of the time and effort that you put into your children's orthodontic treatment. As a special thank you, we be awarding two luck parents a photo frame and various gift gift cards (valued at $200). To enter your mom and dad, please stop by our office, send us an email or connect with us on Facebook.

Thank you to all of our amazing parents, from the team at Dr. Ruff's office!