APPLE VALLEY, MN – Brite Smiles Dental Care (http://www.britesmilesdentalcare.com), in Apple Valley, is recommending and sharing information about the new First Kiss® apple.

With fall just around the corner and healthy teeth and gums at the forefront of the staff at Brite Smiles Dental Care, they are recommending University of Minnesota’s (UMN) new apple called First Kiss®, which will be ready to harvest in mid-to-late August.

First Kiss dates back to the late 1990s when UMN’s apple breeders, David Bedford and Jim Luby, set out to breed an apple with the taste and texture of a Honeycrisp, but would be ready to harvest by Labor Day weekend. To accomplish this they crossed Honeycrisp with an early ripening variety from the University of Arkansas known as “AA44.” After years of rigorous trials at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Horticultural Research Center, First Kiss emerged.

“With First Kiss, we got the best of both worlds,” explained David Bedford. “Its crisp texture and spritely flavor make it an excellent choice for fresh eating. Its early harvest date means Minnesota apple lovers can enjoy their favorite Minnesota grown fruit sooner than ever.”

“We’re excited for Minnesotans to taste First Kiss this fall,” said Jim Luby. “Through two decades of evaluating hundreds of crosses and thousands of trees, First Kiss distinguished itself throughout our research and trials as a superior, early fall apple.”

Brite Smiles Dental Care founder Dr. Dennis Simmons graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 1976, receiving the Class Honor in prosthetics – dentures partial and full. Since then, he has participated in over 3,000 hours of continuing education courses, focusing primarily on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, dental implants and implant-supported restorations, orthodontics, extractions, crown/bridge, root canals, bite and TMJ disorders and sleep apnea. For his studies, he has been honored with the status of “Diplomate” from the International Congress of Oral Implantology and the International Osseous (bone) Integration Society. For more information on dental services from Brite Smiles Dental Care, visit http://britesmilesdentalcare.com, or call 952-891-8484.