At Legler Orthodontics, we love meeting
and getting to know ALL of our wonderful patients and we are continuously surprised
by the intelligence, determination, and talent that walks through our doors.
Whether our patients are gaining fame in the Hollywood spotlight, winning
medals, or saving lives we feel so incredibly lucky to have contributed on
their path to success. A smile gives people confidence, leaves a lasting
impression, and most importantly, is the boldest statement you can make without
saying a word. After the 25th Anniversary of Legler Orthodontics, 25
years of creating smiles that are making an impact on this world, we felt it
was important to share and feature the stories of some of our most influential
patients.
For our first Patient Profile, we
are featuring…
Patient: Kat Redner
Occupation: Jet Girl
Kat Redner 20, was born in Vero
Beach, Florida and a Legler Orthodontics patient at age 12. She is currently
studying Multiplatform Journalism at the Florida Institute of Technology but,
Redner is not the typical college student. She is also learning how to drive a
jet dragster at Larsen Motorsports. Yes, we repeat DRIVING A JET DRAGSTER! You
know, those fire breathing turbine powered cars that race down a ¼ mile track reaching
speeds over 280 mph. Yep, Kat may actually be a real-life Wonder Woman!
When she first started her college
career at 18 years old, Kat met Elaine Larsen (current boss) and her entire
world was changed. She was inspired by Elaine who is not only an IHRA Jet
Dragster World Champion but, a powerful business woman, wonderful mother and
wife, and someone that embraces being a female that never backs down from a
challenge. Kat immediately applied at Larsen Motorsports and jumped head first
into the racing world. At first, she started doing the marketing and social
media for The Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster Team but in November 2016 she was
given the opportunity to start racing these crazy jet cars.
Sitting in part of the shop at
Larsen Motorsports where they build the bodies of the jet dragsters, we asked
Kat about her “12-year-old self in braces” and the impact it made on her life.
Kat giggles, scrunching her nose and says “Well, at 12 years old that is ALWAYS
the awkward stage in your life, you’re in middle school and you’re like, I do
NOT feel confident in myself. But after I got braces I gained so much
confidence once my teeth got straighter and my smile looked better. Now it is my
favorite thing about myself!” Kat definitely has a dynamite Legler Smile!
The best part of our day spent with
Kat was talking about her girl power team and the young fans that look up to
her. We asked her what it’s like to be in a primarily male dominated sport and
the advice she would give to any little girl hoping to achieve their dreams.
Kat responded enthusiastically, “When men see me at the track they are like, oh
she’s just a girl she doesn’t know what she is doing but once they see you
wrenching on the cars and doing the same job as them, they totally start to
respect you and appreciate what you do. It’s almost better because I’m
underestimated and I get to prove everyone wrong. I would tell little girls with
high ambitions and dreams that you can do absolutely anything you set your mind
to. Work hard and always pursue your dreams and no one, male or female, can
hold you back.”
We had an incredible experience
listening and watching our very own patient display what it’s like to be a Girl
Boss! Kat ended our convo with her favorite quote, “You have three choices in
life: you can give up, give in, or give
it all you got. And a Jet Girl gives it all she’s got!” It’s all about girl
power and Kat is the perfect example of a Legler Smile and we are thrilled to
have had the chance to visit her!
Welcome back to our Summer of 7
Series Part 2! Dr. Lee Legler from Legler Orthodontics has teamed up with Dr.
Chelsea Garcia from Seaside Smiles in Vero Beach to cover additional topics on
the importance of Age 7.
To recap our Summer of 7 Series
Part 1, Dr. Legler and Dr. Reza Ardalan from Ardalan Pediatric Dentistry in
Port St. Lucie discussed what a parent should expect in their child’s mouth
during the process of this transitional phase. They touched on permanent (grownup)
teeth beginning to erupt and why it is necessary to evaluate your child’s
dental growth and development. They discussed the common problems of large
grownup teeth not fitting properly in a child’s tiny mouth and why visiting an
orthodontist at Age 7 can save your child from dental problems occurring in the
future. Dr. Reza talked about letting your newly independent child brush their
own teeth while always keeping a close eye. He discussed proper brushing
techniques, how to avoid cavities, and the importance of dental sealants. Dr.
Legler went over why it is so important to see an orthodontist at Age 7 not
just for the esthetics of your child’s smile but the confidence and joy it
brings them at this young age.
No parent loves to see their little
baby grow up, lose their adorable baby fat, find their independence, and no
longer see them as their shining light in the universe. However, a parent can
only pretend for so long that their child will stay a little munchkin forever.
It is imperative to address a child’s growth and development and take proper
measures to ensure their health now and in the future. This is a team effort
and Dr. Legler and Dr. Chelsea are here to work with you and your child and
provide their knowledge and support during this scary and exciting milestone.
What Happens at Age 7?
Dr. Chelsea Garcia:
The American Association of
Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and I recommend that patients develop a dental home
with a Pediatric Dentist as early as age 1. A Dental Home enhances the dental
professional’s ability to provide optimal oral health care for successful
preventive care and treatment as part of an overall oral health care foundation
for life. At the age of 7, it is crucial for patients to have a dental home to
guide them not only for caries (decay) prevention and gingival health, but for evaluation
of growth and development. At age 7, most patients are transitioning into the “mixed
dentition” stage, with their baby teeth starting to loosen and their permanent
teeth beginning to erupt. At that time especially, we want to perfect oral hygiene
habits at home and schedule regular dental exams to evaluate dental problems.
Every patient is unique and has
individual treatment needs at different points in their development. At age 7,
common treatment completed at Seaside Smiles includes preventative measures
such as, cleanings, exams, X-Rays, oral hygiene instruction, sealants, and
fluoride treatment. As well as restorative treatment including, fillings,
crowns, nerve treatments, extractions, space maintainers, habit appliances, and
frenectomies. We use space maintainers to uphold space for developing permanent
teeth after early loss of primary teeth due to cavities or crowding as well as,
to maximize space during permanent teeth eruption in patients with severe
crowding. We also use habit appliances to break bad habits like thumb and
blanket sucking, that alter the developing dentition. At Seaside Smiles we try
to make dental visits enjoyable for kids. When introducing them to new things
or doing treatment that can be scary or stressful, we use fun and friendly
terms like “Mr. Thirsty”, “Mr. Whistle”, “sleepy jelly”, and “sleepy juice”. We
“count teeth”, “make teeth dance for the tooth fairy”, “clean out sugar bugs”,
and place “princess” and “superhero” filings to help ease children’s fears and
anxieties while at our office. We also take pride in our "No Cavity Club" patients and honor them with a certificate at each “cavity free” visit!
As far as home care, each patient
is unique. During our recall consultations at Seaside Smile, we discuss
important oral hygiene techniques and tips specific to each patient. We also discuss with the parents if their
child is able and ready to begin brushing and flossing on their own or, if they
need continued help/supervision with their daily dental routine. At age 7, we
always emphasize brushing 2 times per day for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste,
flossing nightly, and then tailor other recommendations as needed for each
patient. Prevention is key for good oral health and we try to stress that to
each of our Seaside Smiler families.
On top of providing these services
at our office, we coordinate with orthodontists like Dr. Legler at Legler
Orthodontics to determine orthodontic needs for patients. The American
Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends a consult with an orthodontist for
your child by Age 7. During biannual exams at Seaside Smiles, I screen patients
for orthodontic treatment due to crossbites, crowding, severe overjet and
overbite, impacted permanent teeth, etc. and coordinate treatment with Dr.
Legler. At Legler Orthodontics, Dr. Legler creates patient specific treatment
plans to help manage the developing dentition and strives to perfect smiles in
the permanent dentition.
Dr. Legler
Thank you, Dr. Chelsea, for sharing
your thoughts and expertise on the importance of evaluating your child’s dental
growth and development at age 7. I first want to stress how critical it is for
a parent to bring their child to a dentist that not only has a comfortable and
welcoming environment so they are not intimidated, but also reiterate that the
dentist needs to be able to detect early warning signs at age 7 in the
developing mouth. These can be problems with tooth size, jaw size or jaw
length, all of which should be very evident.
On a positive note, of all of the 7
year olds we see at Legler Orthodontics, only about 50% require treatment.
However, it is still beneficial to schedule an orthodontic evaluation even if
your pediatric dentist does not find any early warning signs of growth and
development problems. For the 50% of patients that are not ready to start their
orthodontic treatment, at Legler Orthodontics we give the parent an idea of
future orthodontic needs and then see their child on a recall program until they
are ready around the age of 11 or 12. Usually the reason for the other half of the 7
year olds that require treatment, fall into about three different categories.
Dental Problems:
Where the size of the teeth do not
match the size of the jaws. Some kids may require early extraction of the
primary (baby) teeth and space maintainers or expanders.
Effects of Bad Oral Habits:
When a child sucks their thumb or
thrusts their tongue, the front teeth are not able to erupt fully and they have
what we call an open bite. In other cases, the child’s jaw can be too narrow.
For these types of cases we not only use braces but, we also use appliances to
help fully stop their thumb sucking habit and tongue thrust. We basically
realign the jaws or the arches so that the child can grow and develop more
normally.
Skeletal Problems:
This occurs when one jaw grows too
much or too little. For instance, an overbite which is the protrusion of the
upper teeth or an underbite where the lower jaw has grown too much and the
upper jaw has not grown enough. These types of cases require a two-phase
treatment, where some treatment at the ages of 7-9, the first phase, may
require braces, appliances, or space maintainers. We can not only make more
room for the teeth to erupt but, we can also modify the growth of the size of jaws
so they fit together. As a result, when your child proceeds through their
adolescent growth spurt, their growth is more normal. Our ultimate goal at
Legler Orthodontics is to minimize the need for extraction of permanent teeth,
gum tissue grafts, and in severe cases jaw surgery to move a jaw forward or
back. Any improvement we can make on these issues we feel is very valuable.
Thank you for joining us this
summer for our Summer of 7 Series! We hope to have been of help in informing
parents on the importance of evaluating their child’s dental growth and
development at Age 7. If you have any additional questions please visit our
website www.bracesatlegler.com and
call our office to set your child up for a complimentary consultation. Legler
Orthodontics Makes You Smile!
Welcome to the magic age of 7,
where a child starts to gain independence, form opinions, asks questions,
master basic skills, looks, talks, and acts older, and all the while still sees
their parent as the shining light in the universe. The growth and development
of a child during this transitional age is crucial for both their future physical
and mental health. We know the many stresses of “proper parenting” can be
extremely overwhelming as you raise your growing child but, we are here to take
some of this stress away and inform you on what to expect in the mouth of your
7-year-old and the proper measures that need to be taken to maintain a healthy
and beautiful smile for your child. Dr. Legler from Legler Orthodontics and Dr.
Reza from Ardalan Pediatric Dentistry in Port St. Lucie have teamed up in part
1 of this series to touch on the importance of Age 7.
What Happens at Age 7?
Dr. Reza:
“Hey everyone! Dr. Reza here from
Ardalan Pediatric Dentistry. I wanted to take talk about one of my FAVORITE
group of kids in the office… the 7-year old’s! There is a ton of action going
on at this age and I wanted to go over a few things that you should expect to
see and experience in the mouth of your 7- year old child.”
“To start, at Age 7, parents should
expect their child’s mouth to be in the process of a transitional phase. This
is the age where they start to lose their front teeth and new, rather large
grownup teeth are coming in to replace them. Now, I know what you are thinking…
there is NO WAY in the world that these big teeth are going to fit in the tiny mouth
of my child, and you know something; sometimes and in many cases, you are
absolutely correct. Although these very large teeth are coming into your
child’s mouth, the width of these teeth never change and stay the same as they
grow into adulthood. So, really big grown up teeth coming into a kid’s little
mouth is not always the best combination. Age 7 is the perfect time to start
evaluating your child’s dental growth and development.”
“In addition to the incisors (front
teeth) coming in, patients are also typically getting their first permanent molars.
I encourage parents to help with brushing to make sure that their child is able
to get the toothbrush all the way in the back to take care of the permanent
molars. I know, your child is this newly independent kid that can do everything
on their own but, while we encourage kids to take an active role in their oral
hygiene, they still need help from mom and dad. Let your kids brush their own
teeth, just remember to go behind them and give it a little check to make sure
they are doing a good job. As soon these molars are fully erupted, I also
recommend placing dental sealants on their teeth. Dental sealants are a plastic
coating that protects the chewing surfaces of the back teeth which are the most
common areas for kids to get dental decay. Sealants are a great way to reduce
the risk of getting cavities and help to give your child a healthy smile.”
“With the permanent incisors and
molars growing to replace smaller baby teeth, Age 7 is a crucial time to visit
a dentist that specializes in dealing with the irregularities and correction of
teeth. Therefore, I encourage parents to take their child in for an orthodontic
evaluation. Some children will benefit from early orthodontic intervention in
order to help guide their teeth and maximize their growth.” Below, Dr. Legler
explains the importance of bringing your child to Legler Orthodontics for a
complimentary evaluation.
Dr. Legler:
Thank you Dr. Reza for being a part
of our Summer of 7 Series. To recap what Dr. Reza mentioned, Age 7 is an
important age in dental development because permanent incisors and molars are
erupting. When your child is evaluated at their first orthodontic evaluation,
we can measure space requirements for unerupted teeth and how the bite fits
together with the width and length of the jaws. These are all important
determinants of whether your child is going to grow normally and have a good
bite and nice looking smile, or there are going to be problems that need to be
addressed at some point between the ages of 7 to 13.
On a positive note, if your child
does require braces at Age 7, they are usually excited to get them. At Legler
Orthodontics, we have colors for braces and have different designs for
retainers. This makes it fun for our younger patients and they also tend to feel
older and special. Another important benefit that you might not realize of Age
7 treatment is that it greatly improves your child’s self-esteem. Often times, kids
are upset by the way their teeth look or the way their teeth protrude and are
more susceptible to bullying and being picked on by their classmates. By
correcting these imperfections and improving their smile, they gain self-esteem
which can have a lasting effect on their personality.
Not all patients we see require
treatment at Age 7. For these patients, we place them on our recall schedule and
see them periodically to determine the best time to start their treatment.
While they’re on recall, we enlist them in our Surf Bucks Surf Club program so
they can feel free to participate in our monthly contests and play the awesome
games that we have online.
Another important thing that I have grown to
learn is that when patients start dental visits at a young age in a fun,
comfortable environment, they make excellent Orthodontic patients and have less
dental phobias or anxieties.
In conclusion, great teamwork is so
important in the dental care of your child.
Dr. Legler, Dr. Ardalan in Port St. Lucie, and Dr. Garcia in Vero Beach
who you will meet in Part 2, are committed to providing the best dental care
for your child. We all agree that a
comfortable and even “fun” office, staff that are gentle and trustworthy, and
knowledgeable and experienced doctors, leave your child with a perfect smile
inside and out!
Patients and parents often worry
about what to do when running into an orthodontic problem and can’t immediately
visit Dr. Legler. If it’s the weekend, your vacay, or you just can’t fit the
time in to see him, don’t stress! We have a solution! Contact sports, outdoor
play, hard or sticky food are just a few examples that can cause an orthodontic
emergency. These emergencies often include broken brackets and wires poking,
all of which can be easily taken care of.
First you will need these common
household items, tweezers, toenail or fingernail clippers, and if you choose to
be fancy, our deluxe item, mini pliers. If you don’t have these laying around
the house, you can find them at either your local pharmacy or grocery store,
all for under $6! You will also need dental wax which you received in your
braces start kit but is also available for purchase at your local pharmacy.
1st Scenario
A loose band/ring around the molar
is flopping around your mouth.
This is mainly caused by chewing
something hard or sticky.
Go to the wire where it attaches to the last bracket
Take
your toenail/fingernail clipper or mini pliers and snip it as close to the
bracket as possible
Make
sure you remove the band and snipped wire from the mouth
Place
a small glob of wax over any areas that are sharp
2nd Scenario
A dislodged bracket.
This can occur when you bite
something hard or get hit in the mouth with a ball or elbow from playing sports. Let’s say you have
2 brackets that have become loose or dislodged and the wire is connected to the tooth in front, you can
use either the toenail/fingernail clipper or the mini pliers to snip the wire.
Go
to the point right where it’s attached to the next bracket
Keep
a steady hand and snip it
Remove
the piece that is loose
Remember
to gather any little pieces that may have fallen in the mouth
Cover
the area that you snipped with wax
3rd Scenario
If you have either a few braces on
the front or bottom teeth and a bracket comes loose with the wire poking out.
You can just slide the wire right
through the tubes in the braces.
Take
your tweezers
Grab
the wire where it is accessible and begin to pull the wire through the brackets
Slowing
keep pulling the wire until it slides all the way through
If
any brackets come off, we will replace them once you are back in the office
Watch
this video below for a step by step visual:
Comment
below for any additional questions or concerns!
Invisalign is a huge hit with
patients at Legler Orthodontics. Patients of all ages are requesting Invisalign
at record numbers. Whether you’re an adult seeking a smile transformation, a
teen concerned about wearing brackets and wires, or a parent researching
treatment options for your child, Invisalign clear aligners use the most
advanced technology to uniquely design a treatment plan for each patient to
reveal their best smile. If you are considering Invisalign, and want to know
more about the treatment process, you are in the right place! Just when you
think Invisalign’s benefits couldn’t sound any more convenient and comfortable,
the iTero Element Digital Scanner was introduced and has taken Invisalign
treatment to the next level.
Before a patient receives their
clear aligners, Dr. Legler must make a replica of your mouth to create the
digital model. Dr. Legler can then move your teeth to the correct smile and bite
relationship. Here at Legler Orthodontics, we use the iTero Element Digital
Scanner. However, other Invisalign provider offices remain stuck in the stone
age and take goopy impressions. Wondering what the process for both is like?
Dr. Legler has provided an example of each to show you the significant difference
between the two.
The impression technique is bulky,
awkward, messy, time consuming (about 30 minutes), inaccurate and retakes are
often necessary. After the impression is taken, it is mailed to Invisalign and
takes about a week or two to receive the digital model. Here is an example of
the process:
Look at the goop! Ew!
With the iTero Scanner, an orthodontic assistant uses a wand that is moved around your mouth recording the teeth and
bite. This feels like a video camera and does not use x-rays. No bad taste,
offensive goops, glues, powder, or any other foreign materials invading your
mouth. Just 6 short minutes and you are done!
To analyze the two options, we made
a video showing you a side by side comparison with an Invisalign patient’s
thoughts on both.
The iTero Element Digital Scanner
enables Dr. Legler to take a 3D digital scan of your teeth and bite and
transmit the file wirelessly for processing within 15 minutes, not 2 weeks.
Invisalign cases that start with an iTero scan have 7 times fewer aligner fit
issues and 10 times fewer rejections than those started with traditional
impressions.
The iTero Element Digital scanner
is extremely accurate so your aligners fit more comfortably and move your teeth
and bite to the precise location as determined by Dr. Legler. He feels that his
ability to successfully treat so many patients with Invisalign who previously were told by other providers that they were not candidates, is due in part to
this exciting technology. Thank you iTero!
For more information, check out these sites below:
Thinking about getting Invisalign
or braces? Are you worried about pain and discomfort? Going through orthodontic
treatment is a process that provides a lifetime of benefits however, requires
not only patience, but a little effort too. But, not to worry, discomfort is minimal and disappears before you would even know it, you just need to put in a little extra effort!
At Legler Orthodontics we
know that nothing feels better than an ice-cold smoothie to ease any type of mouth or throat tenderness. We have researched and tasted several different smoothies that not only feel refreshing and cool for your mouth and throat but also, promote healthy teeth, gums, and an overall well-being for your body. These smoothies will definitely put a smile on your face!
Before
we share these recipes, we want to stress that not all smoothies are created
equally. It is very easy to overload a smoothie with sugar and other unhealthy
ingredients without even realizing. While it may taste delicious, smoothies
like this can contribute to tooth decay, cavities, gum disease, and an array of
other problems. Therefore, you make a smoothie to relieve soreness to then
create other issues that can easily be avoided. If you keep sugars and acids to
a minimum and include other ingredients that are good for mouth health, you are
in business! Some of these ingredients include:
Low Sugar Fruits- They add sweetness to smoothies without going
overboard. Berries, apples, pears, and bananas are always great options.
Yogurt with Little Sugar- teeth are essentially minerals so, the
calcium and phosphates in yogurt help rebuild teeth and strengthen them.
Tea- Polyphenols found in tea are good at controlling plaque and
bacteria.
Coconut Oil- Potent antibacterial properties are found in coconut
oil and as a result help to prevent cavities and other infections.
Ghee- This ingredient is a butter that is high in vitamins that
helps strengthen and re-mineralize teeth.
Overall,
smoothies help soreness, promote teeth and mouth health, and fill an empty
belly with nutrients and of course deliciousness. Here are some recipes that
are yum yum yummy and extremely healthy:
Healthy Mouth Smoothie
½ cup green tea
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp ghee
1 TBL of coconut oil
Banana, strawberries, raspberries,
and blackberries
A
smile is much more than just a word, a smile is much more than just a reaction,
a smile is a glimpse into a person’s soul, a smile brings joy
to the people around you, and most importantly, a smile is the universal
language of kindness. At Legler Orthodontics we understand the importance of a
smile. We have seen what a transformed smile can do to a person’s confidence, self-esteem, and the power it holds to positively impact almost any
situation. We believe that this orthodontic practice does much more than just
straighten teeth. We believe Legler Orthodontics can change a person’s life and
set them on the path to success.
With
that being said, we wanted to send out a message that our practice caters to people
of all ages and provides the highest level of orthodontic care in a pleasant,
friendly and fun environment. We want people to know that we constantly strive
to brighten our patient’s days and always have them leave with a smile on their
face. So, when we decided to begin this project of sending out a meaningful
message to people unaware of Legler Orthodontics, we immediately thought to
feature our wonderful patients to convey this message. But, how could we
choose? Legler Orthodontics has so many influential patients; the options were
endless. Then, suddenly four patients came to mind. Ron, Diana, Emmy and Stiles
Dichter, a picture-perfect family all in orthodontic treatment. How could we
possibly get any luckier? With Ron (dad) and Diana (mom) in Invisalign, Emmy
(daughter) in braces and Stiles (son) about to start orthodontic treatment we
couldn’t think of a better family to spread the word.
With
a fun idea in mind, The Dichters said yes to our project and we were absolutely
thrilled! Not only are they a successful, upstanding and respected family, they are talented beyond belief and radiate nothing but positivity. To feature
their musical talents while still sending out our message, we did what Legler
Ortho does best and filmed an “over the top” tongue and cheek music video channeling the
musical of the year, La La Land. The
Dichters sang an adorable parody of the song “Come On Get Happy” by the
Partridge Family with our willing staff as their back up dancers. This music
video is the perfect example of how we like to have fun with our patients.
This
music video shows how Legler Orthodontics is a happy, entertaining practice,
filled with incredible patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. The Dichters sing
their hearts out and our staff will make you giggle. This short musical shows
that a beautiful smile brings confidence and Legler Smile will last you a lifetime. We hope you enjoy The
Dichters in La La Legerland... they deserve an Oscar too! And as always, our purpose, Legler Orthodontics
Makes You Smile!
One Wednesday
April 21, 2017 in Vero Beach, FL locals gathered at the beach to watch the
largest loggerhead sea turtle to ever be rehabilitated by Sea World, released
back into the ocean. Nine months prior to Bertha’s release, this 350 pound
turtle was found lethargic and covered in algae at the Tracking Station Park in
Vero Beach last August. When she arrived
at Sea World’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Program the rescue team found a
significant parasite problem in her blood work and many injuries to her front
flippers. Bertha was treated with anti-biotics and anti-parasite medication to
clear her system. Bertha spent 8 months being nursed back to health at the
rehabilitation center and at a young 20 years of age, she will thankfully be
able to live the rest of her long life in the ocean where she belongs! This
incredible success story has filled our hearts with joy but has opened our eyes
to the dangers our precious sea turtles face every day of their lives.
Worldwide, 6
of 7 sea turtle species are classified as endangered due to human actions and
lifestyles according to a non-profit organization SEE Turtles. Some of the
largest threats these turtles face are oil spills, habitat loss due to human developments,
entanglement in marine debris, and trash pollution floating around the ocean.
Poor fishing practices are also a huge threat to sea turtles and one of these
includes a daunting term called bycatch; when fishing gear captures sea turtles
by accident. In 2010, a study by Duke University reported data on marine turtle
bycatch for the past 18 years. The university found that approximately 85,000
sea turtles were reported as captured. This study however only took data from a
mere 1% of the total fishing fleets around the world. Most likely, the numbers of
sea turtles captured from over the 18 years are in the MILLIONS. This heart wrenching
study only covers a small percentage of what these poor creatures face daily.
Turtles also tend to mistake plastic trash for the food they eat. When ingested,
the plastic can block the pathway to their stomachs and starve them, release
poisonous toxins, and it can also puncture their intestinal systems all
resulting in death. We could go on for days telling you everything these
turtles endure but instead, it’s time to learn how we can help save these
gentle animals.
Sea turtles
are important to the oceans ecosystem. They maintain marine habitats, help
cycle nutrients and are part of a well- balanced food web and we as human
beings, have the ability to change and improve their lives. Here is how YOU can
HELP!
1.Contribute to conservation
organizations and rehabilitation centers.
a.These programs need your financial
support and depend on donors to fund their incredible cause.
2.Make responsible consumer decisions.
a.Know where your seafood was obtained
and how it was caught.
a.Reduce your consumption (purchase
products with less packaging).
b.Reuse what you can and recycle what
you can.
c.A plastic water bottle is used for 5
minutes and stays on this Earth for another 500 years! One average, our oceans
are littered with 47,000 pieces of plastic per square mile. Please people drink
from canteens and not plastic bottles!
4.Be a responsible boater
a.Avoid seagrass beds and be aware of
your speed.
b.Always looks for floating sea turtles
(they cannot dive down to escape an oncoming boat).
c.“Slow and steady wins the race!”
5.Dispose of fishing line properly
a.Pick up fishing line if you see it.
b.Do NOT throw away fishing line in the
garbage, place it in the recycling bin instead.
6.Help stop unregulated coastal
development and non-sustainable agricultural practices.
a.Sign petitions and encourage
legislators to pass and enforce appropriate laws and regulations.
Take action to help save the sea
turtles! We have only one ocean and one planet…it’s about time to start taking
care of it!
Every year in April, Earth Day is
celebrated globally to raise environmental awareness and inspire individuals to
take action in defense of environmental protection. The Earth is our most
precious asset and Legler Orthodontics believes it is imperative to take care
of it! While there are thousands of different ways to help protect our planet,
we hope to educate and motivate the people of our community on an issue we find
concerning.
For
the first time in United States history, the bumble bee species has officially
been declared ENDANGERED. Over the past two decades, the United States once
thriving bee population has plunged nearly 90 %. Speaking of statistics,
according to USA Today, 90 % of our food supply is based on nearly 100
different crop species out of which, 70% require bees for pollination. In
simpler terms, bumblebees are considered one of the most important species
because 1/3 of crops worldwide need pollination. To put this in perspective,
Rebecca Riley of the Natural Resources Defense Council stated that “One of out
of every 3 bites of food you eat has been helped along in some way by bees.” Although
scientists don’t know the specific reason for the decline in the bee’s
population, they suspect loss of habitat, diseases, parasites, pesticides and
climate change pose most serious threats.
However, don’t
fret! It is not too late to help these incredible mini-workers and we can make
a difference. Here are 10 ways to take action and save the bees!
1.Plant bee-friendly flowers and herbs in your
garden or backyard.
a.Always avoid chemically treating your flowers.
b.Plant plenty of the same type of bloom, bees
LOVE a high volume of plants to forage.
2.Weeds are a GOOD thing!
a.Wildflowers (many classify as weeds) are some of
the most important food sources for bees.
3.NEVER use chemicals or pesticides to treat your
lawn or garden.
a.This causes damage to the honeybee system and is
one of the major causes of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder).
4.Purchase LOCAL RAW honey
a.Raw means NO chemicals.
b.At the grocery store always read the labels and
try to support local.
c.A great place to purchase raw local honey is at
your farmer’s market
5.Bees get thirsty too!
a.Put a small basin of water like a bird feeder
outside of your home so our precious bees can quench their thirst.
6.Buy LOCAL ORGANIC food from a farmer that you
know.
a.A huge challenge for bee keepers is to keep
their bees in an area where there is no chemicals. Local organically grown food
is chemical FREE.
7.Learn to be an “at home” bee keeper with
sustainable practices.
a.Educate yourself on natural approaches in your
community.
8.Bees are NOT out there to sting you!
a.Honeybees are vegetarians and are not interested in
stinging humans.
b.These little workers are only there to forage
pollen and nectar from flowers up to 3 miles, to and from their hive.
c.Keep out of their way!
9.Share these solutions with others in your
community!
Throughout
the Month of April, Legler Orthodontics will hand out Wildflower Seed baggies
to our patients interested in helping save the bees. We encourage everyone to
post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter planting their seeds, the growth of the
Wildflowers and the arrival of the bees. Happy Earth Day 2017!
Here is a video at the Bee Ring in Vero Beach Florida. To find out more check out their site at http://www.beeringhoney.com/
