Auburn Dental Center - April 2020

Auburn Dental Center - April 2020

402-274-5110 www.auburndentalcenter.com

Keeping Pace

APRIL 2020

ENJOYING THE EASTER HOLIDAY

From Easter Egg Hunts to Family Dinners

Apart from candy and money, we’d also get a small gift from the Easter Bunny. I remember one year, when I was around 9, I found my basket, and sitting inside was a portable camera. In today’s age, a portable camera might not cause the same reaction as it did back then. Cameras are almost a rare commodity because our phones have replaced them, but 50 years ago, it was very different. I was really excited to have that camera, and it lasted me a good while before it ran out of juice. These were nice family traditions to have while growing up, and I always looked forward to them as a kid. Then, when I had kids of my own, I wanted to share that experience with them. Although my wife and I didn’t hide money or gifts in the eggs or baskets, we’d fill them with candy and set them around the house for our daughters to find. We did have to be pretty careful about hiding them, though. If we hid them too well, the girls wouldn’t be able to find them, and we’d be finding eggs in random spots throughout the following year. We always made sure to use easier hiding spots around the house so we wouldn’t open a drawer to find a bright yellow plastic egg that’d been sitting there for a few months. This year, I’m looking forward to another awesome Easter spent with family, and I hope that you and yours have an enjoyable holiday too — however you celebrate. Happy Easter! -Dr. Steven Schulte

Easter has always been a holiday I’ve really enjoyed. I grew up with a few traditions that my family celebrated year after year, and I continued some of these when I had kids of my own. For my household, Easter is about getting together with family and enjoying each other’s company, taking part in a few hunts, and getting the chance to eat a fantastic lunch. Having the family come to my home, or going to visit someone else’s, is always exciting for me. I love being in the comforts of family and having the chance to catch up with the people I might not have seen for a while. I felt this way growing up too. When I was a kid, we would usually go over to my grandmother’s pretty early in the day. She would have spent the previous day — or a few minutes before we arrived — out in her yard, hiding some plastic eggs for us kids to find. They’d have some money in them, like a dime or quarter, but I always hoped I’d be lucky enough to find the one or two eggs she’d put a dollar in. After

“THESE WERE

we were done egg hunting, we’d have the chance to look for our Easter baskets that were usually inside, and once we found them, we’d load up on candy. Those hunts were always a lot of fun. Afterward, we’d stay for the whole day, more family would show up, and we’d all sit down for a huge ham lunch.

NICE FAMILY TRADITIONS TO HAVE WHILE GROWING UP, AND I ALWAYS

LOOKED FORWARD TO THEM AS A KID.”

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Helping Your Child Overcome Anxiety It’s hard to imagine kids as anything but carefree, happy, and eager to explore the world around them. However, children experience stress just like adults do, which can severely impact their typically cheerful dispositions. Since April is National Stress Awareness Month, now is an opportune time to familiarize yourself with tools and information that can help you alleviate your child’s stress. Any number of everyday factors can lead to stress, and stress can plague anyone who feels overwhelmed. Toddlers and young children going to day care or school for the first time may experience separation anxiety due to being apart from their parents. Older kids and teenagers may feel mounting social and academic pressure. Even something as simple as overhearing loved ones arguing or seeing a sad news report can add to a child’s stress levels. When a kid is stressed, they will exhibit odd behavior and even undergo physical changes. Depending on your child’s age, watch for mood swings, changes in sleep patterns, headaches, trouble focusing, or withdrawal from the people around them. According to KidsHealth.org, younger children may also pick up habits like twirling their hair or sucking their thumb, while older kids may start to bully others, lie, or rebel. According to KidsHealth.org, good nutrition, proper rest, and healthy attention are great ways to help kids manage their stress. Set time aside each day to talk and spend time with your children; talking about worries will reduce or relieve anxieties. If you know about an upcoming stressful situation, like a school exam or a health checkup, prepare your child by studying with them or talking to them about what to expect. THE AGE OF STRESS WHAT ARE THEIR STRESSORS? HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD IS STRESSED? CAN I HELP REDUCE THEIR STRESS?

Get the Smile You Deserve We all know that smiles are important, which is why advancements in dental technology have gone to such great lengths to make perfect smiles a possibility. Through these advancements, our dentists at Auburn Dental Center can provide patients with the services they deserve, such as tooth- colored restorations. Fillings, inlays, and onlays are important for our teeth. Whether teeth are decaying, cracked, or sporting heavy wear, restorations improve teeth function and boost overall oral health. While restorations are crucial, the last thing anyone wants is for them to be visible every time they smile. No one wants to have a gold or silver filling that stands out against the natural color of their teeth, especially for the front teeth. If this describes your situation, you may feel reluctant to smile or be self- conscious about your fillings, but luckily, dental technology has a solution: tooth-colored restorations. At our office, we want to boost your confidence and encourage you to show off your smile with fillings that blend in with your teeth so perfectly that you can hardly tell they’re even there. The materials we use for our natural-looking restorations are composite resin or porcelain, which mimic your actual tooth’s sturdiness in regard to wear and functionality. Additionally, these materials don’t react to temperature changes and are more durable than their metal counterparts. If you are suffering from a cracked or fractured tooth, want to replace metal fillings, or want to conserve the natural structure of a tooth, then you can benefit from tooth-colored restorations. WITH TOOTH-COLORED RESTORATIONS

Don’t stop here. For more tools and information regarding stress reduction in children, visit KidsHealth.org or contact your doctor.

You shouldn’t have to settle with a restorative treatment that makes you uncomfortable with your smile. Your perfect smile is waiting for you, and our team can help. To learn more

about our tooth-color restorative treatments, give our office a call at 402-274-5110. We can answer any questions you may have and schedule your appointment today.

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MEET STACY BENHAM Following Her Passion and Raising Her Family in Auburn, Nebraska

it was pretty cool,” she remembers, “but we waited a few years before we became credentialed for it, just until they got through the first kinks. Once we started working with it, though, it was incredible.” Her No. 1 goal with her patients is to help them understand the importance of their bite, and Invisalign helps her do just that. “We’ve had hundreds of patients who’ve used Invisalign, and the improvements have really been life-changing.” Working with the public is something Stacy really enjoys. She wants her patients to find their full potential in their smile. She says, “Seeing them walk away feeling really good about the work they’ve had done is remarkable. If I can help people throughout the day do that, both through my services as a certified dental assistant and through Invisalign, it means enough to me. I’m happy to have been someone who helped them through that process.”

our office was hiring nearly 19 years ago, she jumped at the chance. Stacy credits Auburn Dental Center for not only letting her settle down and start raising her family but also for allowing her to pursue her interests. Even as a young girl, Stacy was fascinated with dentistry. “I’ve always been the type of person who wanted to know how things worked. Growing up, I would have to go to the dentist to have fillings done and such, and I always wanted to know what was going on. I remember when I had my wisdom teeth taken out, I was awake through the whole process ‘cause I wanted to know what was going on.” Working for a pediatric dentist throughout college solidified her choice to pursue a career in the dental field. She recalls, “Of course, I liked it and stuck with it.”

We are so thankful for all our patients like you who continue to support us and trust us to provide optimum care for you and your family. When you share that trust with family members, friends, and acquaintances, it means so much to all of us on the Auburn Dental Center team. We appreciate all our new patients who have joined us recently and want to thank you for referring them to us. If you know anyone who is looking for dental services, don’t hesitate to send them to our website at AuburnDentalCenter.com or give them our office number, 402- 274-5110. We are ready to help them achieve their perfect and healthy smile they want. ThankYou! Stacy Benham grew up in southeast Nebraska, and no matter where life took her, she considers the area home. “I always knew I wanted to get married, have kids, and raise them around this area,” she says. “I absolutely love it here.” When Stacy caught wind that

One of the areas Stacy is very interested in is Invisalign. “When it first came out, I thought

When you’re craving takeout but want to keep your dinner healthy and refreshing, reach for this comforting, flavorful recipe instead of the phone. Sesame ZUCCHINI NOODLES

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1. If you have a spiralizer, use it to cut zucchini into noodles. Otherwise, use a peeler. Salt zucchini. Allow zucchini to “sweat” out water for 1 hour, wrap in a paper towel, and squeeze the water out. 2. In a food processor, blend dates with almond butter and aminos until smooth. 3. Add sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and vinegar and pulse until sauce is smooth. 4. In a pan, sauté zucchini noodles until heated and slightly softened. 5. Toss zucchini noodles with prepared sauce and top with scallions and almonds.

• 4 medium zucchini • Salt, to taste • 3 medjool dates, pitted and softened in warm water for 5 minutes • 3 1/2 tbsp creamy, unsweetened almond butter

• 3 tbsp coconut aminos • 3 tbsp pure sesame oil • 3/4 tsp fresh ginger, grated • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 3 scallions, thinly sliced • 1/4 cup chopped almonds

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Inspired by PaleoRunningMomma.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

402-274-5110 WWW.AUBURNDENTALCENTER.COM

Inside This Issue

2326 DAHLKE AVE. AUBURN, NE 68305

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The Family Tradition of Hiding Easter Eggs Helping Your Child Manage Stress Never Feel Self-Conscious About Your Smile

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Meet the Auburn Team! Sesame Zucchini Noodles Eco-Friendly Diets

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SAVE THE PLANET

The Top 3 Ways to Eat Eco-Friendly

Eat Plant-Based Diets The main goal of a plant-based diet is to replace animal products as the centerpiece of the meal. At least three-fourths of your meal should be vegetarian, but you don’t necessarily need to cut meat out altogether. For example, eating a Mediterranean diet can be very sustainable. Red meat is rare, and there’s a strong focus on legumes and vegetables. Adopt Meatless Mondays or Mornings If you’re not ready to commit to a plant-based diet, going vegetarian one day a week can be a great option. Adopting a plant-based diet one day a week or eliminating meat from one meal a day is a great way to reduce meat consumption. Go Flexitarian If you want to eat more vegetarian meals but find animal products are too hard to give up, going flexitarian is a good compromise. A flexitarian eats mainly plant-based dishes but also includes a modest amount of poultry, fish, milk, and eggs with a limited amount of red meat. If you’re able to dedicate even just one week to trying a plant- based diet, it can help you get a feel for if you’re capable of making the switch. You may even realize that it’s not hard to change your diet, and you might find it fun to try a whole different range of flavors through vegetarian food as you “reinvent” your favorite meaty dishes.

Can your diet save the planet?

WITH YOUR PLATE

It can be difficult to see the connection between your plate and the planet, but scientists say that eating less red meat and processed foods can greatly reduce your environmental impact. About 25% of climate change today is fueled by agriculture and factory farming, particularly the large quantities of the greenhouse gas methane that cows produce. This means that the fewer animal products you consume, the more sustainable your diet will be. Producing and packaging beef is 100 times more emissions-intensive than producing legumes. While a lack of protein is a common concern about plant-based diets, many dietary experts say that plant-based diets can meet nutritional needs. Also, proteins aren’t the only nutrient your body needs, and dozens of vegetables and starches can offer a combination of proteins that are as complete and healthy as beef or chicken.

With April being Keep America Beautiful month, here are some eco-friendly diet adjustments anyone can make to help preserve the planet.

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