Dr. Kourosh Maddahi - August 2020

Dr. Kourosh Maddahi - August 2020

An t i - Ag i ng DENTISTRY MONTHLY NEWS

AUGUST 2020

Confidence in All

HOW A SMILE YOU LOVE CAN TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

For younger people in school or entering the workforce, confidence plays a huge role in their daily lives. If they aren’t confident in their smile, they may not smile as often as they would like. They may even suppress a smile to avoid showing the world their teeth. In certain situations, not smiling can be seen as off-putting. Others in the social situation may wonder why the person isn’t smiling. Are they unhappy? Is something wrong? In a job interview, for example, the interviewer may see the lack of a smile as a lack of interest. They may pass over the candidate for another person who did smile because it can be expected for us to smile in certain situations. These kinds of things happen every day, in both personal and professional settings. Since humans are naturally so expressive, our smiles play a huge role in that expression. In recent months, one thing I’ve noticed is that fewer people are having this conversation with me. People are actually less worried about their smile as they return to school or start a new job. The reason? Masks!

Social media is a huge part of young peoples’ lives. They want to show off their latest hairstyle, streetwear, vacation, or ride — you name it. It’s how they connect with friends and with the world, and they want to look good doing it. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed the trend grow. This year, it’s grown even more. Young people ask me how I can transform their smile. They don’t like the way they look on Instagram. The answer, of course, varies from person to person. Sometimes, it’s a matter of correcting their alignment, but other times it can be more involved, and they may need their alignment corrected along with veneers. No matter the situation, it comes back to one big issue: confidence. Everyone wants to be confident in whatever they do, whether it’s confidence in the classroom, the workplace, among friends, or online. A smile is one way people can show the world their confidence. Unfortunately, when a person’s own smile doesn’t bring them joy, it can sometimes be hard for them to show the world that they are confident.

If you stop short of showing the world your smile, give us a call. You never have to let a dental issue take control of your life. There are options and a newfound level of confidence is a lot closer than you think!

The masks designed to slow the spread of disease have a social side-effect — you can’t see the wearer’s smile. Consequently, people aren’t as concerned with the overall look of their smile when it comes to in-person social gatherings. However, there is still one area of their life where it does continue to matter: social media. While many people wear masks while engaging in day-to-day activities, they still want to showcase themselves on social media as they are — without masks. They want to look good on Instagram.

-Dr. Maddahi

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ALL ABOUT COLLAGEN The Protein That Holds Us Together

Even if you have heard of collagen, chances are you don’t know much about what it does for the human body. Collagen makes up a third of the body’s proteins. In some ways, it is the glue that holds our bodies together (the first part of “collagen” comes from the Greek word “kolla,” meaning “glue”). Getting your body to produce more collagen can have amazing health benefits, particularly for those who are aging and noticing more wrinkles.

longer. Collagen begins in the body as procollagen, which is created when two amino acids, glycine and proline, combine. Vitamin C aids this process, so any foods with high concentrations of these nutrients help your body produce more collagen. Egg whites are a great source of proline, along with foods like asparagus, cabbage, and dairy products. Additionally, pork skin,

There are around 16 types of collagen proteins in the body, but type 1 collagen makes up

roughly 90% of a person’s collagen count. Type 1 collagen gives structure to our tendons, bones, connective tissues, and skin. When we’re younger, our bodies produce enough collagen to keep our skin tight and strong. However, as we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, which contributes to thinner skin and wrinkles.

chicken skin, and gelatin all have high levels of glycine. If you want to get your vitamin C levels up, citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries are tasty choices. Watch out for foods and habits that can damage your collagen production, like eating lots of refined sugar, exposing your skin to too much sunshine, and smoking.

Fortunately, there are certain foods and nutrients you can consume to boost your collagen production and keep your skin smoother and stronger for

By adopting habits and diets that enhance collagen production, you can keep yourself looking younger and feeling better, even as you get older.

Oral Health and Whole-Body Health

The Link Between Worlds

Good oral health habits are an important part of good whole-body health. The two are linked and can work together in harmony or they can result in harm. The mouth is the gateway to the body. It’s how we nourish ourselves, but it can be an entry point for disease. An infection in the mouth, for example, can cause other problems within the body. Oral infection and inflammation can be a sign that the immune system is fighting a disease. If the infection is allowed to spread, it can cause other serious health problems.

Why is it that so many people with diabetes or heart disease also have periodontitis? Some of the biggest reasons are shared risk factors. People who eat a poor diet and get limited physical activity are at risk to develop both gum disease and heart disease. For example, a diet rich in sugar and carbohydrates has a greater potential to promote the development of tooth decay and gum disease, while also causing detriment to the body. Additionally, there are other risk factors as well. Many people have developed habits that harm different biomes in the body. Overuse of antibacterial toothpastes and mouthwashes can harm the biome in the mouth — killing good bacteria — which can lead to an increase of decay

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an early sign of a health imbalance. It has been linked to detrimental conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Research has shown that a majority of people with heart disease also have gum disease — one study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that number to be quite significant, around 91%.

and infection-causing bacteria. This is why it’s important to understand more about the products we use to clean our mouths. On top of that, it’s vital to eat foods that promote a healthy mouth and body. These are foods low in sugar and simple carbohydrates, yet high in vitamins and lean proteins. It’s also beneficial to maintain regular daily activity. This helps keep inflammation down and keeps your immune system healthy.

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Simple Changes to Double Your Instagram Engagement

Be More Social Interact regularly with both your followers and the people you hope will become followers. Look for accounts with people who may like what you post and interact with them, Social media consultant Louise Myers recommends the 5/3/1 rule: Like five posts, comment on three posts, and you should earn one new follower. #Smile For Real The hashtag #smile appears on over 395 million different posts on Instagram. It’s one of the most commonly used tags on the platform. The tag may feel frivolous — another tag in a list of tags in a caption —but it highlights how important a smile is to us! If you post many selfies, make sure your smile presents your best self. Our brains can very quickly distinguish between a real smile and a fake one, and we don’t like fake smiles. We interpret fake smiles as being deceitful and are less likely to engage with that person — or in this case, that post. If you aren’t sincerely smiling in your selfies (because you’re self-conscious about your teeth), do something about it. Look into how whitening, implants, or orthodontics can help boost your confidence and your social media engagement. Refer a friend, get a brighter smile! That’s right, every time you refer a friend to Dr. Maddahi, you get one FREE teeth cleaning!

For years now, social media has been ingrained into our lives. In the age of social distancing, social media has become a very important tool for staying connected. Instagram in particular has seen an uptick in daily users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use this time to step up your social media game and boost engagement on all of your posts. Find the Best Time to Post You know how to post consistently — now learn to post with strategy. Time your posts for when your audience is most active. Generally, posts that go up on weekdays get the most engagement. As a rule of thumb, aim for lunch breaks (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) and when people get off work (4–6 p.m.). But remember that every audience is different. Check your analytics to learn when your target followers are most active. Use Geotagging Sharing photos from a popular location? Turn on geotagging. Posts with a location get 79% more engagement compared to posts that don’t include a location. This applies to Instagram stories as well as individual posts. Users looking for that geotag will quickly find your posts.

World’s Best Vegan Chimichurri

This tasty sauce originated in Latin America and is easy to make: It has just eight ingredients and takes only five minutes to whip up. The flavors in the recipe are flexible, so you can experiment with different herbs and spices. Then, pour over rice or your favorite grilled foods and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS •

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1/2 cup oil (extra-virgin olive oil recommended) 1/4 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar recommended) 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

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2 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt (Himalayan pink salt recommended) 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Cayenne pepper, to taste

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DIRECTIONS 1.

In a bowl, add all ingredients except cayenne and whisk until well mixed. If desired, add cayenne pepper a little at a time until you reach your preferred level of spiciness. 2. Serve immediately or, for an even better taste and texture, refrigerate for 1–2 days. 3. Youmay increase the batch size, but keep the ratio of oil and vinegar the same—2-to-1. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. Inspired by Simple Vegan

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Don’t Let Dental Issues Control Your Life and Confidence

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The Protein That Holds Us Together

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Living Your Best With Good Oral Health and Whole-Body Health

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Step Up Your Instagram Game

World’s Best Vegan Chimichurri

Why We Still Need Travel Agencies

They can lower costs. Enlisting the help of a travel agency isn’t as expensive as the average customer might think. Travel advisors receive a small commission from airlines and hotels when they book your trip, which allows them to keep your travel costs down. Every agency charges different fees based on the package you purchase, but on average, you can expect to pay around $75 per traveling person for an agent to book your trip. With all the added experiences and deals they can find, this cost easily pays for itself and then some. They simplify the complicated process. The No. 1 reason people use a travel agency is because planning a trip can be overwhelming. You have to research the location, book flights, plan ground transportation, secure lodging, discover activities, and find restaurants. If you don’t travel often or are going to a destination you’re unfamiliar with, then tackling everything yourself leaves room for mistakes, stress, and disappointment. A travel advisor makes the entire process as simple as possible so you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Get the Most Out of Your Trip With the Expert Advice of a Travel Agent

They give expert advice. If you want to get the most out of your trip, then you should talk to someone who knows exactly how to give you that. Travel advisors undergo training and gain experience with different policies, customs, and travel regulations to get you where you want to go. They will be your go-to experts for what you should do when you get to your destination, especially if you’re traveling to a foreign country or overseas.

Once upon a time, you couldn’t plan a vacation without using a travel agent. They would book your flights and hotels, provide information about local activities, and point you to the best sites to see. But with the advent of the internet, it seemed travel agencies would become obsolete. However, these services are actually far from disappearing: Nearly 20% of travelers still use an agency. Because the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people travel for the foreseeable future, travel advisors, as they’re now called, are more valuable than ever.

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