Every year, orthodontist Dr. Aejaaz A. Issa asks his referring dentists to take the challenge of decorating a pumpkin for a patient at Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest. This year’s event was called Ai Funny Fall Faces 2017.

Every year, the dentist offices respond with even more creative pumpkin designs than the year before.

This year was no exception with 50 decorated pumpkins returning to Ai Orthodontics for a judging contest in the office, on social media and with a number of local judges.

Judges this year included: Iffat Lalji; Dr. Aejaaz A. Issa, Ai Orthodontics; Brent Labenberg, president, Emmaus Borough Council; Kristen Leipert, Let’s Play Books; Ann Lalik, arts coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley; Sharon Hyndman, Dan Schantz Greenhouse; Meghan Reed, Emmaus Main Street Manager and AVP East Penn and Western Lehigh Chambers, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce; Teri Sorg-McManamon, Emmaus Arts Commission; Karen Hobson, Ai Orthodontics community relations; Lisa Kappes, assistant executive director, Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley and Muhaddasa Lalji Issa.

Winners include: First Place: Dr. Timothy Wright Family Dentistry with “Haunted Forest,” Second Place: Eric J. Marsh, DMD and Michele A. Pisano-Marsh, DMD Dentistry with “Pua & Hei Hei,” Third Place: Lehigh Valley Endodontics with “Jack” and Fourth sPlace: Mary Cresseveur-Reed with “Kakamora King.”

2017 Funny Fall Faces” Facebook winners are: First Place: Dr. Marsha Gordon and Associates with “Leo the Lion,” Second Place: Mountainville Dental with “Oscar the Grouch,” Third Place: Parkland Dental Center, PC with “Disney’s Perfect Pumpkin,” Fourth Place: Dr. Sophia Kladias with “Bumble” The Abominable Snowmonster and Fifth Place: Quakertown Family Dental Center with “Fla-making me Happy.”

After the judging, all pumpkins are taken to Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest to bring a smile to patients’ faces. And that is why these dentist offices participate.

Editor’s Note: Additional pumpkin photos can be found at www.thelehighvalleypress.com.