Calapooia Family Dental - August 2020

Calapooia Family Dental - August 2020

When the Tooth Fairy Visits CELEBRATING A CHILDHOOD MILESTONE WITH A FUN TRADITION

Brian R. Summers DMD, PhD Patrick V. Hagerty, DMD

Calapooia Courier August 2020

A s a dentist, I can’t let August go by without mentioning National Tooth fairy Day, which we will “celebrate” on Aug. 22. It’s one of those quirky, made-up holidays that really doesn’t hold much significance, but as a parent, this holiday elicits fun memories of when Norah lost her first tooth and Eldon became excited to lose his first tooth as well.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a dentist or if my children just have no fear, but they love losing teeth. When Norah first had a wiggly tooth, she watched a video of her cousin’s tooth popping out with the string-on-the- doorknob trick. Immediately she wanted to try it. I asked if she was sure, and her excited response told me all I needed to know. So, I looped a piece of string around her wiggly tooth and the other end around the doorknob on a door in our house. I prepped Norah for the impact and quickly slammed the door.

Eldon has wanted to join in on the fun for a while now, too. He sees that sissy is getting money for the teeth she’s losing, and now he believes it’s time for his teeth to come out! At 2 years old, he’s not ready for that yet. Still, that doesn’t stop him from saying, “Pull tooth?” I’m not sure whether it’s the money, a visit from a magical fairy, or the excitement of growing up that makes my kids so excited to lose their teeth, but I know not every kid is that way. Some may fear losing their teeth because of the discomfort it can create. Parents often have questions about their children’s loose teeth, and the best advice I can give is to just let the tooth wiggle its way out naturally. Some pushing on it each day is fine, but if there is too much pushing or pulling, pieces of the baby tooth can break off in the gums. This is like having a sliver in your gums. If the tooth is becoming painful or getting in the way, then it needs to be removed. However, most baby teeth will work their way out naturally, so just encourage your kiddo along. It’s a fun milestone when your child loses that first tooth, and however the tooth fairy chooses to celebrate, it will be something many kids remember as they grow older. Just be patient with baby teeth. The laughter and smiles from your kids when they find the buried treasure under their pillow the next morning are worth the wait.

But the string just fell off the tooth.

Another failed attempt later, I cinched the string onto the tooth tightly. I quickly slammed the door again, and the tooth popped right out! Of course, there was blood — as is common when a tooth falls out — but Norah was excited. The tooth fairy was making her first visit to our household that night! Norah had been told stories of the tooth fairy her whole life, and she was giddy as she climbed into bed that night and fell asleep. The next morning, the tooth fairy had left a gold dollar coin under her pillow! (Inflation must have affected the tooth fairy’s rates, because she only ever left me a quarter.) We told Norah the coin was only worth $1, but all Norah saw was that the tooth fairy had just left her a gold coin. Since then, every tooth she has lost has been just as exciting as she waits for the gold coins the tooth fairy leaves in our house. She’s since lost six teeth, and we’re currently working on number seven.

-Dr. Brian Summers

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Food for Thought

WHY OUR DENTAL ASSISTANT LOVES LIVING AND WORKING IN ALBANY Phoebe Todd: Helping Her Hometown

One of the world’s greatest chefs can’t be found in a restaurant. Instead, she serves fellow nuns and occasional visitors in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Korea. THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF ZEN BUDDHIST CHEF JEONG KWAN To fully describe the incredible success of Jeong Kwan, you must first consider a factor that Western cuisine has ignored for millennia. While most people would assume Korean food is all about its famed barbecue, another pillar of the culture goes largely unacknowledged: Korean temple cuisine, which originated in the country’s Buddhist monasteries. A philosophy of Zen Buddhism is to not crave food and satisfy yourself only enough to be prepared for meditation, so you might think that flavor would be of little consequence in a monastery’s kitchen. However, you’d be wrong. The West’s perception of Korean temple cuisine was challenged shortly after Eric Ripert visited Kwan’s monastery and experienced her cooking during a trip to Korea. Ripert invited Kwan to New York City to prepare food in a private room at Le Bernardin, where she sent global shockwaves through the entire fine cuisine community. New York Times writer Jeff Gordinier described her plates as “so elegant, they could’ve slipped into a tasting menu at Benu or Blanca” and her flavors as “assertive,” all while being vegan. More and more critics realized that Kwan’s combination of foraging, fermenting, dehydrating, and cooking by season was not a modern practice. In fact, Zen Buddhist monks like Kwan mastered cooking in this tradition hundreds of years ago. “With food, we can share and communicate our emotions. It’s that mindset of sharing that is really what you’re eating,” Kwan says at the start of her titular episode of Netflix’s documentary series “Chef’s Table.” She continues, “There is no difference between cooking and pursuing Buddha’s way.” Whether for enlightenment or simply connecting with friends and family, sharing home-cooked meals can be an emotionally restorative experience as much as it is nourishing. This month, indulge in something special and homemade or try your hand at Korean temple cuisine by Googling some of Jeong Kwan’s recipes.

Phoebe Todd always knew she wanted to go into the medical field, but traditional medicine, like nursing, didn’t appeal to her. As a lifelong resident of Albany, Phoebe planned to attend Linn-Benton Community College, and when searching for the right field, she found the dental assistant program and signed up. Today, she’s glad she did. Phoebe has been with our team at Calapooia Family Dental for the past year, serving as a certified dental assistant with additional training to help with complex procedures and treatments. For Phoebe, the decision to go into dental assisting has continued to pay dividends. “I love the interactions with the patients. I love how personal it can be. I love the staff [at Calapooia Family Dental]. I love that they get to know patients, and the patients get to know them,” Phoebe said. “I think it’s very cool that we help patients with special needs, too. We’re the only clinic in Oregon that does that!” Phoebe has helped Dr. Brian Summers at sedation dentistry appointments at local hospitals, often serving those with special needs or complications that make it difficult for them to receive standard dental care. “I just enjoy knowing and being able to help people that get turned away from other dentists because they don’t want to deal with it or the challenge,” Phoebe says. Phoebe may only be one year into her tenure with Calapooia Family Dental, but she already knows this is a place where she can see herself for the long term. Phoebe is a West Albany High School graduate, met her boyfriend in town, and frequently goes fishing or on walks. She has thought about going back to school to become a dental hygienist, but for now, dental assisting is right where she wants to be.

“I love being a dental assistant,” Phoebe says. “I love it here, so I just intend to be here as long as I can. Some of the patients even know me!”

And if you don’t know Phoebe, we highly recommend getting to know her. We’re proud to work with a passionate local every day. Thank you for all the work you do, Phoebe!

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Flossing Is Fun! HELP YOUR KIDS’ ORAL HYGIENE WITH THESE EASY TIPS

one. Use stickers to reward your kids every day that they choose to floss. After a certain amount of stickers, they win a prize or a special treat. (Just make sure it’s teeth-friendly!) You can also find different flavors of floss, bright colors, or picks that can be their own special tool for flossing. Other ideas include incorporating flossing into storytime or playing your favorite tunes as you jam out and floss it out!

Flossing is the gold standard for fighting tooth decay and stimulating good gum health, yet it’s such an easy task for many of us to forget. It takes so little time that many of us crawl into bed or go about our morning without ever realizing we forgot to floss. If you’re a parent, you can instill a flossing habit in your children at an early age so flossing becomes a natural part of their daily routines. Try these tricks to make flossing an activity they love. You Should Floss Like it or not, you have habits that are similar to your parents’, and someday, your kids are going to follow suit. Start these lessons early with simple tasks like flossing. The more you floss and do so in front of your children, the more common flossing becomes for your child. You can even set up your teeth routine together, so everyone in the family is flossing. Make Flossing Fun We admit it; flossing isn’t the riveting activity we make it out to be. But you can make flossing fun for your little

Find Cool Tools Colorful floss holders, specialty colored picks, and even containers with kid-sized flossers are the perfect way to

make flossing seem less like a boring grown-up thing and more like something kids want to do. Plus, these tools are designed to make flossing easier. With easy-to-hold grips, children with fine-motor- skill issues or who are younger can floss without any trouble. Flossing doesn’t have to be a hassle, and our team at Calapooia Family Dental can help you make it fun for the whole family. Learn tooth tips and more online at CalapooiaFamilyDental.com.

Restaurant-Style Fettuccine Alfredo INGREDIENTS

SUDOKU

• Salt • 2 tbsp butter • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1 large egg yolk • 1 lb fresh fettuccine

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste • Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste • 1 lemon wedge

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of generously salted water to a boil. 2. In a large, deep skillet, while the water heats, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and sizzling (about 2 minutes). 3. In a bowl, whisk heavy cream and egg yolk until blended and pour into garlic butter. 4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir until hot, not boiling. Keep warm on low heat.

5. In the large pot, cook pasta until al dente. (The pasta will float once it’s done.) Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Pour hot pasta into cream mixture and toss to coat on low heat. 6. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. If the sauce is absorbed too much, toss with extra pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Inspired by The New York Times

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Brian R. Summers DMD, PhD Patrick V. Hagerty, DMD

1070 24th Ave SW Albany, OR 97321 541-926-3689 CalapooiaFamilyDental.com

Inside this Issue 1 2

The Tooth Fairy Is Making Frequent Visits to the Summers’ House! The Story of Zen Buddhist Chef Jeong Kwan Meet Our Homegrown Dental Assistant, Phoebe Todd! Make Flossing Fun for Your Kids and Protect Their Teeth Sudoku Restaurant-Style Fettuccine Alfredo Celebrate National Chefs Appreciation Week

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NATIONAL CHEFS APPRECIATION WEEK Celebrates Those Who Bring Communities Together

Restaurants have had an especially tough time staying afloat during the pandemic. Most eateries had to discontinue dine-in service, and those that couldn’t adapt to offering takeout or delivery may still be questioning whether they’ll ever be able to open their doors again. During the pandemic, it became clear to many of us just how important a role our favorite restaurants play in providing not just tasty chow, but also a sense of comfort and community. Celebrating National Chefs Appreciation Week is a great way to let the chefs who run those eateries know just how much they mean to us.

for the art and dedication chefs bring to their craft every day. Several restaurants across the country celebrate with special events and menus, and patrons flock to their favorite places for great food and company and to support the chefs who bring their communities together.

picking up curbside from your favorite places. Whether dining in or carrying out, remember to tip well! You can also post about your favorite dishes on social media or leave a glowing review for your favorite eatery on Google or Yelp. The beauty of this holiday is that celebrating includes doing activities you probably already do, so it’s easy to participate. Chefs play a significant role in the evolution of culture, protection of tradition, and construction of community. Their food

How can I celebrate?

Now that many restaurants are opening back up for service

at a limited capacity, it’s possible to dine in and further support the chefs who make the food you love. But, if you’re still not comfortable eating at a restaurant, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate. Continue having food delivered or

brings us together, fills our stomachs, and brightens our moods. We may not have fully recognized all they do for us until recently, but now that we have, we can truly celebrate Chefs Appreciation Week to the fullest.

What is it?

Since the holiday’s inception in 2013, it has most commonly occurred during the third week of August; this year, it’s August 16–22. Restaurants, patrons, and home cooks alike can show appreciation

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