Anderson Dental Care - May 2022

Anderson Dental Care - May 2022

BRUSH - UP

ANDERSON DENTAL CARE Nathan Brooks, DDS, Inc.

7525 STATE RD., STE. A, CINCINNATI, OH 45255 | 513-438-8152 | WWW.ATOWNDENTAL.COM | MAY 2022

ARE WE THERE YET? MAKING THE DRIVE PART OF OUR VACATION As we approach summer, many families plan their next family road trip. My family loves to go on road trips, and we’ve shared quite a few adventures together. We often drive to our destinations; although flying is usually faster, flying with car seats and luggage for our large family is challenging, and finding a rental car for seven people is difficult. We’ve found it’s much easier to drive for our trips, so we try to incorporate the drive as part of our vacation. I enjoyed road trips from a young age. Several summers, I traveled with my grandparents to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. We would drive for hours from Indiana for our trip. The anticipation made our times on the road exciting. My siblings and I would look forward to riding our bikes at the beach, which got us through our long drive. My wife Jessica’s family would drive everywhere because they rarely lived near extended family, and it was expensive to fly for visits with six kids. Once, her family drove from Illinois to Washington state to surprise her grandparents for Christmas. Jessica doesn’t remember the drive being all that exciting aside from winter storms along the way, but to keep them entertained, her parents gave snacks they wouldn’t typically eat, sang songs, and had spelling competitions. Now, when our family takes road trips, we try to make the drive a part of our vacation experience. Sometimes when we’re traveling, it will take hours or even days to reach our destination. So, we strive to make the drive as exciting as possible for our children. If there is anything interesting along our drive, and if we have time, we’ll stop and sightsee. This gives us a chance to walk around and stretch our legs. Jessica has created a “grab-and-go” bin we keep stocked with activities kids can do during the drive. Our kids don’t get to play with these activities regularly, so they are always excited when we go on road trips because they know the activities bin will come along. The bin holds things like road trip bingo, magnet boards, and various coloring supplies. We have movie screens in our car, but only use them when we really need to. We don’t want our kids to miss out on the beautiful scenery! If we do watch a movie, and my wife and I see something like a sunset, mountains, or the

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world’s biggest rocking chair, we’ll pause the movie and tell the kids to look outside. We also play classic road trip games like “A-B-C” (spotting letters of the alphabet in order on road signs we pass) and trying to find license plates from all 50 states. We sing rounds or songs like “Down By the Bay” so we can laugh at the rhymes we each come up with. Road tripping with children can be intimidating, but also a joy even with its challenges. Our biggest tip: don’t give all the activities out at once or too soon! We don’t give our kids anything to do until our first bathroom break. Then we will provide them with something to play with. When we give them a toy or activity, we let them play with it for as long as possible until they are bored with it before switching it up. This extends the life of our snacks and activities and keeps the kids occupied longer without constant requests for the next activity. Last month, our family drove to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. It’s about 10 hours without stops. The scenery through the Great Smoky Mountains is beautiful, and we had a great time! On the way there, we broke the drive into two days, but on the way back our kids did great driving the entire distance in a single day using these tricks. I cherish our road tripping family vacations and hope my kids will remember them fondly too. I’m looking forward to our next road trip together!

If you’re planning on taking a road trip this year, I hope you and your family have happy and safe travels.

–Dr. Nathan Brooks

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Yes, Oral pH Matters What Is a Root Canal Infection? BE AWARE OF CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS The second week of May is Root Canal Awareness Week. In our office, we see and diagnose root canal issues regularly and work with a specialist to help you get the best treatment, so we thought it would be helpful to share some information about root canals. WHAT IS A ROOT CANAL? A root canal, also known as endodontic therapy or treatment, is a procedure used to repair and save decaying or infected teeth when the infection has penetrated the root of the tooth. During this procedure, the nerve and pulp of your tooth are removed, and the inside is cleaned and sealed. The tooth needs to be cleaned out because if the tooth’s nerves or pulp is damaged, bacteria can begin to multiply in the pulp chamber. This bacteria can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An infection in the root of the tooth can also lead to other issues such as swelling in your face, neck, and head, plus bone loss at the root, and drainage problems. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A ROOT CANAL INFECTION? • Tooth Pain: If your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold foods and drinks, or if there is sharp pain when biting or putting your teeth together, you should have it checked. • Gum Sensitivity and Swelling: Your tooth could be infected if your gums are swollen for an extended period of time. • Bad Breath: Infections can cause a foul order, and if there is an infection in your mouth, your breath may be bad. • Discoloration: Your teeth can turn gray, blue, or dark yellow if there is limited blood flow to your teeth. WHAT CAUSES ROOT INFECTIONS? Reasons for needing a root canal vary, but almost all start the same way — with an injured tooth. Whether it’s a cracked or chipped tooth, fractured tooth root, or damaged tooth pulp, it can lead to root canal failure if these injuries are not treated. However, the No. 1 cause of root canal infection is tooth decay. You can develop tooth decay by not brushing your teeth well, drinking sugary drinks, and frequent snacking. If tooth decay is not treated, it can lead to severe toothache, infections, and tooth loss. If you have or are feeling any of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have a root canal procedure. Instead, something else may be going on that needs to be examined. If you have any questions or concerns, allow us to help! We’ll be happy to examine your teeth any time you need it to diagnose the issue and best course of treatment. The worst thing you can do is nothing at all, so make an appointment if you experience any of these symptoms.

IT’S TIME TO READ OR REREAD THIS CLASSIC A TIMELESS AND INFLUENTIAL BOOK “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie has stood the test of time. Published in 1936, this book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Relating to the key relationships of humans, the book embodies self-improvement, communication, relationship building, and compassion. Every working professional or individual rubbing elbows in their social group needs it in their toolbox! If you haven’t already experienced the influential and game-changing words of Dale Carnegie, it’s time to pick up a copy. If you’ve already read it, it’s time to give it another read to review and remember because there is still much value to unfold. Embedded within each page of this easy-to-read book are recommendations for creating, building upon, and improving successful and positive relationships within your life, whether it be with friends, family members, coworkers, network professionals, or supervisors. Written and published more than 85 years ago, its life lessons and thought-provoking suggestions still apply today because, while technology, education, and infrastructure have all advanced, our basic human tendencies and the way we interact remain the same. “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you,” Dale Carnegie states. In “How to Win Friends & Influence People,” he explores the importance of putting the needs, interests, and values of others before your own and how to handle situations for the best possible outcome. It takes a deep dive into getting to know yourself before learning how to bond with others on a personal and/or professional level. This book, a brilliant study on human nature, will have you wondering why you didn’t read it sooner while reflecting on situations and interactions you could have handled differently. But most importantly, Carnegie’s pointers are sure to provide amazing insights while you learn to get along with just about anyone.

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PICKING THE PERFECT SOUVENIR

A way to preserve or share a piece of your trip is to bring home a souvenir, but choosing a souvenir isn’t always a stress-free experience. How do you pick the perfect souvenir and not just the first thing you see in a tourist shop? Here are some tips for picking a truly meaningful gift for yourself or your loved ones. WHO ARE YOU BUYING FOR? What are your recipient’s interests, or what do they spend the most time doing? If you’re buying for yourself and enjoy coffee, you might buy a local coffee blend to enjoy from home. However, if your recipient doesn’t enjoy coffee or rarely drinks it, that type of gift might not mean much to them. IS IT LEGAL TO BRING HOME? Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, there are many regulations that affect which souvenirs you can bring home. Even if you find the item in a tourist shop, that doesn’t mean it’ll be allowed into the country or even onto the plane. And the TSA does take this seriously. In 2012, two tourists were detained at the U.S. border for trying to bring home chocolate Kinder eggs — a specific kind that are illegal in the U.S. due to the potentially hazardous small toys inside. PURCHASE A HANDICRAFT. Handicrafts — items created by local artisans — are awesome souvenirs! But make sure you buy where artisans actually sell their own goods, such

as an open-air market. Unfortunately, while some popular tourist shops may sell “locally made goods,” many souvenirs intended for tourists are actually made by cheap manufacturers in other countries. KEEP SOMETHING FROM THE ADVENTURE. Bringing a glass bottle to take home some sand is a popular way of creating your own souvenir from a beach vacation. But you can do this with almost any item! Whether it’s stones, ticket stubs from favorite shows and activities, or a handmade item from a class, make sure to look out for souvenirs that’ll remind you of great memories and experiences.

We hope these tips will help you make the best choice. Bon voyage!

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH RAINBOW FRITTATA

YOUR MONTHLY NEED-TO-KNOW

HOW MANY SHIPWRECKS ARE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR? The United Nations estimates that over 3 million shipwrecks are now on the ocean floor. Divers and treasure hunters are interested in these accidents because they want to discover how they got there. Most shipwrecks were either lost at sea, destroyed, or deliberately sunk. HOW CAN A BILL VETOED BY THE PRESIDENT BE OVERTURNED? If a president vetoes a bill, legislators must alter the information in the bill to be more acceptable for the president’s conditions. In addition, Congress can override a veto by having the House and Senate vote on the bill. If it’s passed by two-thirds of the vote, the bill will be implemented. CAN A LOBSTER LIVE FOREVER? Some say yes! We aren’t sure where this myth originated, but the truth is no, they are not immortal. However, they live exceptionally long lives. We know of one female lobster that reached 72 years old! (The average lifespan of a male is 31 years and a female, 54 years.) As long as they don’t have any diseases, are not attacked, or not taken to a place that sells lobsters, they get to enjoy long lives.

INGREDIENTS

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Nonstick cooking spray

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Basil, thyme, salt, and pepper, to taste 1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced Cherry tomatoes, halved Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

1/4 cup sweet potato, diced 1/4 cup yellow pepper, diced 1/4 cup broccoli, chopped

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8 eggs

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a cast-iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. 2. In the skillet over medium heat, cook sweet potatoes, yellow pepper, and broccoli until soft. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. 4. Pour egg mixture into skillet with vegetables. Don’t stir but instead use a spatula to lift the edges of the egg mixture until it is evenly distributed. 5. Transfer mixture to oven. Bake for 5 minutes or until the dish sets. 6. Top with avocado and tomatoes. Drizzle Sriracha on top (if desired).

Inspired by EatingWell.com

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513-438-8152 WWW.ATOWNDENTAL.COM

ANDERSON DENTAL CARE Nathan Brooks, DDS, Inc.

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

7525 STATE RD., STE. A, CINCINNATI, OH 45255

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Traveling With Happy Kids in the Car

This Book Has Stood the Test of Time

It’s Root Canal Awareness Week!

Hate Souvenir Shopping? Let’s Make It Easy

Your Monthly Need-To-Know

Mother’s Day Brunch Rainbow Frittata

The Simple Tooth

THE SIMPLE TOOTH 3 Historical Events That Happened in May

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING OPENED On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building in New York opened its doors to the public. It’s one of the most distinctive and famous buildings in the United States, and millions of people travel to New York each year to see it. In the 1920s and 1930s, there was fierce competition to win the title of the tallest building in the world. The Empire State Building won the title with a height of 1,250 feet. Despite its popularity, it was heavily affected by the Great Depression when it first opened. The majority of the offices remained unrented, which coined the nickname “The Empty State Building.” It took 20 years for the building to become profitable.

FIRST SOLO FLIGHT BY A WOMAN Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic Ocean on May 20, 1932. This was the first solo flight ever by a woman, and she was also the only person since Charles Lindbergh to fly nonstop alone across the Atlantic. This trip made Earhart a worldwide sensation and proved that she could hang with her male counterparts. She flew the red Lockheed Vega and began her journey at Harbor Grace in Canada. Then, 15 hours later, she landed in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Did you know any of these historical facts? Share your important May facts with us next time you’re in the office!

It’s a new month, which means it’s time to learn some facts about May! May is a month full of amazing history that you might not have heard about. Here are some of our favorites. BLUE JEANS WERE INVENTED Do you know the jean brand Levi’s? This brand is named after Levi Strauss, who was one of the creators of blue jeans. On May 20, 1873, Strauss and Jacob Davis received a U.S. Patent on the process of putting rivets on men’s work pants. Strauss sold blue denim work pants to local workers, and one of his customers was Davis, who was a tailor. They quickly became friends and created a wholesale business called Strauss & Co. They created their idea because many customers complained about their pants tearing. This was when Davis had the idea of using rivets to reinforce the pockets and seams of the pants.

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