The Friday Pfister Fix

Sending you into your weekend with positive vibes.

Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

The Human Constant

Throughout our lives, we are constantly aware of the reality that change is ever-present and, along with death and taxes, not much else is constant in our lives or world… except a mother’s love. Moms, this one’s for you!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Comfort of Spring

As we turn the corner from Winter to Spring, many of us have our special Spring places we like to visit. For me, it’s a professional one — the Moyers Symposium held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In this #fridaypfisterfix, I tell you all about this past conference (and the emerging developments in Orthodontics)…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Souls and Sunrises

Sunrises and Easter - I find each brimming with possibilities and new hope that today, tomorrow, and all the next days hold the potential to be great. In this week’s #fridaypfisterfix, I share a message of hope with all my readers…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

The Beauty Behind Nature’s Delicate Creations

For all you orchid addicts out there, there's still time to catch this year's 17th annual Cleveland Botanical Garden orchid festival — "Orchids Forever." In fact, I was so wowed by the experience that I wrote about it in this week's #fridaypfisterfix…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Creative Changes in Medina Cuisine

Sometimes I think I missed my calling as a food critic! As you head into your weekend, check out this week’s #fridaypfisterfix to see where I’ve been “brunching” lately. You might just want to hit this Medina gem this weekend…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Start Low and Go Slow

We’re nearly two weeks into the new year. So how are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? For some of us who hope to stay active, it can be hard getting out in the cold winter months. If your New Year’s resolutions have already fallen by the wayside, do not despair. In this week’s #fridaypfisterfix, I have some gems to help you get back on track and stack the odds in your favor!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Celebration of Hope

Being a student of biology and watching my staff get all giddy over another staff person becoming a grandma, a thought came to me. Isn’t it interesting how excited we get about birth? And then it dawned on me — this is exactly what Christmas is all about…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Changing Trays, Changing Futures

Hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season! While I’ve been enjoying time with family, I’ve also been hard-at-work with continuing education. In fact, the week before Thanksgiving, I attended my first in-person convention in 2 years (thanks to COVID) — an Invisalign® summit entitled Transformation. If you’ve been considering Invisalign treatment, check out what I learned…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

A Cornucopia of Blessings

This #fridaypfisterfix comes to you on a Wednesday because, well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving! My wife and I will be hosting both sides of our family this year. And I’ve got some pointers in this post for those who are blessed enough (and bold enough) to host…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

The Spell of a Seaport Town

I may be a bit late to the party here, as my latest blog post is a reflection on Halloween happenings… but, as my readers know, I love to travel and recommend “must-sees”, some local and some further out. In this #fridaypfisterfix, let me take you on an adventure to Salem, Mass., where my wife, son, and I spent this year’s Halloween…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

The Winds of Évoluer

Wow! What an interesting 2+ years it’s been for the #fridaypfisterfix - a way to connect with my patients and readers. Thanks to all of those who have stuck with me all this time! In this, my 100th blog entry, I talk about how the changing of the leaves in Fall has me reflecting on some changes we never saw coming over the past couple years…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Autumn Leaves me Smiling

So much to talk about in this week’s #fridaypfisterfix. Our local football teams are doing great, the Cleveland Guardians are in the playoffs, and (here comes the nerd in me) it’s Orthodontic Awareness Month! It’s no wonder that Autumn “leaves” me smiling!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Caring Souls

Participating in Race with Grace this past Sunday reminded me how truly kind and compassionate people can be. If you watch too much evening news… or read too many tabloids… or if you travel by phone or laptop on any of the social media highways… you may get a very twisted and tainted view of mankind. But believe me, there is more good in humanity than bad. And in this week’s #fridaypfisterfix, I use 2 seemingly dissimilar events to make my case.

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

GPS for Y-O-U

In the last #fridaypfisterfix, I wrote about the adolescent brain and how decisions are driven by emotion. (I was inspired to write this article after witnessing patients move on to college or trade schools and grapple with life decisions.) In this follow-up post (Part 2), I discuss the 5 qualities we can model for our youth in helping them navigate their life journeys. If you’re a parent of a teen or young adult, you don’t want to miss this one!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Decisions, Decisions

For some of our 18-year-old patients, the end of summer marks a transition of some kind — maybe to college, maybe starting a new job, you name it! Adolescents have served as my core patient population for the past 30+ years. So I have come to care deeply about their various milestones. For all you parents out there of adolescents and/or graduating seniors, you don’t want to miss this #fridaypfisterfix about the adolescent brain (and how decisions are made).

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Summer Getaways, Ohio Style

It’s still summer folks! Let’s not rush it out the door. Still plenty of time for a stay-cation. In this week's #fridaypfisterfix, let me take you on a quick tour of scenic Ohio and some suggestions offered by parents in the office for getaways less than a tank of gas away…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Rainbow in the Dark

We’ve had a lot of family get-togethers this summer, and one request continues to come up repeatedly, “Uncle Chuck, when can we build a fire?!” It got me scheming on this week’s blog. Is it just my own family’s obsession with fire? Or is the desire to gather around a fire more widespread, primal, and deeply rooted? Check out this week’s #fridaypfisterfix to see what I learned!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Reflecting on the Virtues that Make Us Strong

As we celebrate with family and friends this Fourth of July, let us take a moment to reflect on the fundamental beliefs that our Forefathers laid down for the foundation of this great country…

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

Did You Like Your Eulogy?

My wife and I have experienced quite a bit of loss this past year (with both of us losing our Moms). So, going into this Father’s Day, it has me reflecting (more than ever) about living life to the fullest. In this week’s #fridaypfisterfix, I challenge all my readers (and especially you Dads out there) to think about what you need to do to maximize your time here on earth!

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Chris Benninger Chris Benninger

One Small Step

I had the pleasure of watching my son walk across the stage this past weekend in his graduation from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. And since we’re in the heart of graduation season, I thought this week’s #fridaypfisterfix would be the perfect time to congratulate all the wonderful graduates of Medina County who weathered some very interesting years in their pursuit of a degree…

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