It was certainly an exciting season to be a proud fan of our Denver Broncos! Our beloved quarterback and future hall of famer, Peyton Manning, battled serious injuries and doubts about his on-the-field abilities. However, we at Cool Mountain Kids never doubted "The Sheriff," and we are so proud he played his final game wearing the blue and orange of our Broncos. Thank you, Peyton, for your years of leadership. Thank you for helping our boys hoist the Lombardi trophy. Thank you for modeling fatherhood by bringing your young son into post-game conferences and showing us that a real man is above all a family man! May your ride into the sunset be smooth and sweet. We won't forget you!

We are proud members of Broncos Country, and the first Broncos playoff game is only a day away! While we cheer on our favorite team, we want to remind our awesome patients and families of the importance of wearing a well-fitting mouthguard while playing sports. A custom mouthguard is the absolute best option to ensure dental safety. If your child plays sports, give us a call today (550-1010.) We can make them an affordable and well-fitting custom mouthguard that will help ensure a lifetime of beautiful smiles! GO BRONCOS!!!

Star Wars Episode VII, "The Force Awakens," opens December 18th but we are too excited to wait that long to celebrate! Between now and December 1st, check out our Facebook page and like/share our Star Wars prize post. The lucky winner will receive some super fun Star Wars swag, including a Yoda pillowtime pal, a 12-inch Kylo Ren action figure, a fleece blanket, a "Darth Tator" Mr. Potato Head, a Star Wars Monopoly board game, travel and water bottles, a "Goodnight Darth Vader" bedtime book, Star Wars toothbrush/toothpaste, and 4 movies passes to Carmike Cinemas!!! Good luck, and "May the Force be with you!"

Fall is in the air, and some of our favorite sports are about to overlap for a very short period of time. Baseball is ending, football has begun, and hockey is in training. As an office, we also care about our youth athletes, so we have a very EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: If your child is an athlete in school districts 11, 20, or 49, we are offering FREE CUSTOM ATHLETIC MOUTHGUARDS! This offer ends December 1st, so give us a call at (719) 550-1010 today to get your cool kiddo on the schedule for this amazing free offer!

This weekend our office had the privilege of having a booth at the annual Black Forest Festival in the Black Forest region just Northeast of Colorado Springs. Though the community is small, this annual event draws thousands from around the region. Highlights include a parade, petting zoo, live music, great food, and local artists selling their goods. This year Gov. Hickenlooper was also present to help dedicate the memorial to the Black Forest fire that occurred in June 2013. This wildfire burned nearly 500 homes and took the lives of two individuals.
The Black Forest is very special to Dr. Derek and his family. Dr. Derek's wife grew-up in the forest.  One year before the fire, they moved to the area with the hopes of starting their family in this unique and special community. When the fire broke out, 2/3 of their immediate neighbors lost their home. Dr. Derek's home was narrowly spared, but he and his wife were forced to live in a hotel for three weeks as the area was largely uninhabitable due to downed utilities, etc.  Less than 8 weeks after the fire, Dr. Derek and his wife welcomed their newborn son into the world!
Two years have passed since that catastrophe, and the region will never be the same. The once thick forest is still scarred with remnants of some burned houses and foundations, and large patches of trees are still in need of being clear cut. It is encouraging, however, to see the new homes being constructed and hope again being restored. This community is extremely resilient, and the impact of such a natural disaster has only made it's citizens that much stronger.