Aberdeen Smiles - April 2021

Aberdeen Smiles - April 2021

April 2021

605-277-9049 ABERDEENSMILES.COM

Hi, everyone. My name is Tina, and I’m a dental assistant here at Aberdeen Smiles. I don’t always love talking about myself, but it’s been so nice to meet you over the past few months that I wanted to tell everyone a little bit more about me and my background. If you’ve had dental work done recently, we may have already chatted chairside. In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about my job. I love interacting with patients, and I don’t take it for granted because before I was a dental assistant, I was a pharmacy technician for five years. That is quite different from what I’m doing now. I joke that my job was to decipher doctors’ handwriting and translate it to English. While there were aspects of the job I liked, the pharmacy I worked at was extremely busy, and it eventually took a toll on me. Ready to shift gears in my career, I still wasn’t sure what the future held for me. That’s when a family member (who happens to be a dentist) told me that I should consider working as a dental assistant. Though they thought I’d be great in the role, I have to admit that I was hesitant at first. I hadn’t been to school or had training, so I wasn’t sure if I’d like the work. Here in South Dakota, school isn’t required for dental assisting, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to apply for a position and see what happened. As luck would have it, I got a call back on my application almost immediately! After a few interviews with another dental office, I got hired and shipped off to Iowa for 10 weeks of training. Actually, I traveled back and forth between Iowa and Aberdeen because I have three boys at home to take care of too. That was a bit of a hectic time, but very soon after starting the training, it became clear that this would be a good fit for me. Your Smiles Make Me Smile Meet Dental Assistant Tina

Tina and her family

Over the course of that 10 weeks, I got to work with many patients. There was one memorable person in particular who I actually got to see several times throughout the process. It felt really great to watch them transform from feeling shy and uncomfortable (and not smiling a lot) to being comfortable with me and with their smile. They were happier and more confident as my work with them continued, and that experience made me realize that working in this field was the right move for me. Six years later, I’m still loving getting to make a difference in my patients’ lives every day, and I really enjoy interacting with people instead of doctors’ handwriting! I rejoined the Aberdeen team last June, though I’d worked here a few years ago as well. It’s a great place to work because I know everyone else cares about our patients as much as I do. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family. I have three boys ages 20, 18, and 16. My two teenagers go to Aberdeen Central High School and my oldest is studying aviation at Lake Area Tech. All of my boys are great athletes, so it’s fun to attend their games and cheer them on. I’m also planning a wedding right now! My fiance and I just celebrated our two-year anniversary, and we’ll be getting married in September, outside at Lake Mina. As you can imagine, we’re very busy getting things ready for that, but of course, we’re also really excited. Thanks for taking the time to read more about me, my family, and my path to dentistry. I hope to see you soon!

–Tina Hopfinger

Tina and her fiance

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Is Your Daughter a ‘VSCO Girl’?

10 SIGNS TO LOOK FOR THIS SPRING Is your daughter obsessed with scrunchies? Does she love posting on TikTok? Has it been more than six months since you’ve seen her without her Hydro Flask? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you just might be living with a VSCO Girl. What is a VSCO Girl? The term VSCO Girl first appeared in Urban Dictionary in July of 2019, and it’s been in the news ever since. The word VSCO (pronounced “vis-co”) comes from the name of a popular editing app for photographers. Like Instagram, VSCO offers filters and other features to enhance photographs. These “looks” are so distinctive that teens and 20-somethings who used the filters became known online as “VSCO Girls.” From there, a simple obsession with an app spiraled into an entire identity based on the vibes that the filters gave off. Self-identified “VSCO Girls’’ are eco-friendly, laid-back, and feminine in a cutesy, Lisa Frank kind of way. Look up #VSCOgirl, and you’ll find more than a million videos of people either mocking or displaying VSCO Girl traits. Even two years in, #VSCOcam is one of the top 100 hashtags on Instagram. How can you spot the signs? If you want to know whether your daughter fits the VSCO trend, you’re in luck: There are dozens of visible markers to look for. According to Teen Vogue, a “VSCO Girl Starter Kit” includes pastel clothes (specifically scrunchies, T-shirt

dresses, Crocs, and high-waisted shorts), Vans shoes, lip gloss, Hydro Flasks, reusable straws, canvas tote bags, Birkenstocks, disposable or instant cameras, strands of twinkle lights, and an obsession with curling hair and eyelashes. On their own, these are all innocuous traits, but together they scream “VSCO Girl.” Now what? There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a “VSCO Girl.” If your daughter identifies as one, the only thing that might be worth worrying about is how much time she spends on Instagram or TikTok. So instead of quashing her aesthetic, try using your newfound knowledge to bond a little. If you take her scrunchie shopping or share an article about saving the sea turtles, you just might win the title of “cool parent.”

ARE THEY REALLY SAFE? The Truth About Essential Oils

How are essential oils misused? When it comes to essential oils, there are two big mistakes people might make: They either overuse essential oils with their children or they apply them the wrong way. When essential oils are concerned, proper application and amount can make a life-or-death difference. Nutmeg oil, for example, tastes delicious in food but can cause hallucinations and even comas when mishandled, and eucalyptus oil, which can soothe a cough, can also cause seizures if ingested. Another example is sage oil; it has beneficial applications, but even small amounts can make a child very ill. How can you use oils safely? If you use essential oils or oil-based products, it’s vital that you follow the instructions that come with them and keep bottles of pure oil locked away from your kids and pets. When you’re using oils topically, dilute them with a barrier substance like a non-essential oil, lotion, or aloe jelly; and when you’re inhaling them, use a waterless or water-based diffuser. Finally, when in doubt, do your research! The American Botanical Council’s HerbalGram journal, AromaWeb.com, and >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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