Dr. Kourosh Maddahi - June 2020

Dr. Kourosh Maddahi - June 2020

An t i - Ag i ng DENTISTRY MONTHLY NEWS

YOUR SAFETY MEANS EVERYTHING Coming Together Again JUNE 2020

Our community has been through a lot over the last few months. We’ve all had many questions and wondered what was going to happen next. Businesses limited their hours or closed their doors. It seemed that the world had slowed down to a crawl. It’s safe to say that many of us are looking forward to returning to our normal habits and established routines. That said, as things start to return to normal, many things will be different. There will be changes in and around our community. Some of them will be small, such as people being encouraged to wear face masks for the foreseeable future. Others will be bigger, such as more major events being pushed into next year. One thing that isn’t changing, however, is our commitment to your health and safety. Infection control, for example, has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have noticed this — how clean and tidy everything is — during your visits to our office. It’s something we take great pride in. Our infection control process is designed to ensure that every time you, or any of our patients, receive care, you remain safe and comfortable.

sure that our infection control procedures are current and based on the best available information —mixed with common sense. You may see some changes at your next appointment that we’ve made with these guidelines in mind. Again, these changes are designed to best protect our patients and staff. For example, we will ask you some screening questions before you come to the office for your next appointment. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office to make sure nothing has changed in the meantime. We will also ask you to use hand sanitizer, which we’ll provide, when you enter the office. You will find some in the reception area and other places in the office for your use as needed. You’ll see that we’ll no longer have magazines and so forth in our waiting room, as those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Appointments will be made in a way that allows for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you will be offered fewer

options for scheduling your appointment. We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we’re taking to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 310.888.7797 or visit our website at DrMaddahi.com. From all of us here, we hope you and your family are safe and healthy. Thank you for being our patient —we value the trust and loyalty you have given us. See you again soon!

This month, I wanted to share our infection control procedures. These aren’t something we often talk about because they generally happen behind the scenes. We take several steps to keep every single patient and staff member as safe as possible. To do this, we follow infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In order to follow the recommendations of these agencies, we stay up to date on new rulings, guidance, and best practices they issue. We do this to make

-Dr. Maddahi

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THE BEST WAYS TO HELP LOCAL NONPROFITS IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Volunteer In a time of social distancing, volunteering may be discouraged, but nonprofits still need volunteers to operate. The good news is that many nonprofits need volunteers for positions that maintain social distance, such as driving. Food banks and kitchens need drivers to pick up donations or ingredients fromdonors and to deliver food to people in need, such as the elderly or those with disabilities. Advocate Even if you don’t have time or resources to give, you can become an advocate for

Over the past several months, families, businesses, and nonprofits have had to navigate life in this challenging “new normal,” and it can be hard to support your favorite nonprofits when times are tough. Here are a fewways you can help these important entities, even when you don’t have resources to spare right now. Donate While many people donate generously during the holiday season, remember that nonprofits need donations throughout the year, and different nonprofits need different

things. A monetary donation can often go a long way, but never feel obligated to give money, especially when your budget may be tight. Instead, consider cleaning out your closet. What clothes, shoes, or other accessories can you part with? What about dishware or small appliances? When you clean out your home and donate unused items, you benefit those in the community who need themmost.

important causes around your community. While it might not seem like much, sharing information about local nonprofits on social media canmake a genuine difference. Nonprofits need exposure, which is greatly boosted through community support. Sharing useful information about nonprofits —or sharing their posts — increases their visibility somore people will take action.

Tech for Your Teeth

Take Your Family’s Dental Experience to the Next Level!

If you think that taking care of your teeth begins and ends with dental appointments and brushing twice a day, think again! Thanks to innovations in technology, high-tech tools can help you and your family take your dental hygiene to the next level and even stay in touch with your dentist from your couch. With just a few taps on your smartphone screen, you can have these resources at your fingertips. There’s an App forThat Considering you already have apps for news, music, games, and podcasts, it’s no surprise there are apps out there for your teeth, too. If

similar, but it’s even more kid-friendly! Using the app, your little ones can brush along with an animated friend and even see themselves on screen. BoneBox and Dental Dictionary are great resources for adults to learn more about their teeth. While BoneBox offers detailed 3D models of the mouth complete with information about every single tooth, Dental Dictionary defines tricky dental terms and helps you understand and pronounce them. You’ll never leave the dentist feeling overwhelmed again! Try Out Teledentistry

you want to make brushing a bit more fun or learn more about what’s going on in your mouth, try downloading some of these favorites: Brush DJ, Brush Up, BoneBox, or Dental Dictionary. Brush DJ is a great tool to help the whole family stay on track with brushing, flossing, using mouthwash, and scheduling dental appointments. Push notifications remind you when it’s time to clean your teeth, and the app is packed with two-minute soundtracks that you can play to ensure you’re brushing long enough. Brush Up is

Depending on your dentist, you might be able to try out another high-tech innovation: teledentistry. This is the practice of keeping in touch with your dentist virtually! Obviously, it’s not possible to get a cleaning or root canal from your couch, but thanks to information-sharing technology and tools like video calls, dentists have started diagnosing, consulting, and even treating people from a distance for safety and convenience. To find out if your dentist is embracing teledentistry, give them a call today and ask about their options.

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Are You Having a Dental Emergency?

Tips for Navigating Urgent Oral Care

Dental problems come in all shapes and sizes. Some problems are small, like having a mild toothache or being overdue for an annual cleaning. Other problems, however, are more severe and require immediate treatment as opposed to a scheduled appointment. No one should take a dental emergency lightly, so it’s important to take the proper steps so you can receive necessary treatment. What is an emergency? Before rushing to your dentist, it’s important to know how to define a dental emergency in the first place. The American Dental Association states, “Dental emergencies are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding [and] alleviate severe pain or infection.” What conditions need emergency treatment? Several situations constitute a dental emergency. Here are some common examples.

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Loss, breaks, or irritation of temporary restorations

This is not an exhaustive list, so for more information on other conditions that fall under emergency care and resources for finding an emergency dentist, visit MouthHealthy.org. What is the next step? If you experience any of the symptoms of a dental emergency, then contact your dentist or emergency facility as soon as possible. When a dental emergency takes place outside of your dentist’s regular office hours, you should go to an emergency dental facility or the emergency room. What measures prevent emergencies? Maintaining oral hygiene and having routine checkups with your dentist are the best ways to prevent severe problems. Your dentist can spot early signs of gumdisease, infection, and decay as well as ensure that your crowns and fillings are secure. If possible, reach out to your dentist to schedule an appointment and, in the meantime, continue brushing and flossing twice a day. 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!

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A tooth fracture that causes pain or soft tissue damage

Biopsy of abnormal tissue

Pericoronitis or third-molar pain Severe pain frompulpal inflammation

Fig Caprese Salad

It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s the embodiment of summer!

INGREDIENTS •

Call us today at 888.310.6771 to get started and to start earning your free cleaning!

8 oz buffalo mozzarella or fresh mozzarella 8 oz ripe fresh figs, quartered lengthwise

roughly chopped

• •

Flaked sea salt, to taste

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Coarse ground black pepper, to taste

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Handful of basil leaves,

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Olive oil, to taste

DIRECTIONS 1. Tear mozzarella into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a platter.

2.

Place quartered figs, flesh up, aroundmozzarella.

3.

Sprinkle basil leaves over top.

4.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Inspired by BonAppetit.com

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INSIDE 436 N. Roxbury Dr. #202 Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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Coming Together Again Safely

Help Local Nonprofits in Challenging Times

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Tech for Your Teeth

When Does a Toothache Become an Emergency?

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Fig Caprese Salad

Celebrate This Refreshing Beverage

Although Belchynden is given credit for serving the first official iced tea, it is referenced many times throughout history before that fateful world’s fair. Historical evidence suggests that iced tea was served and consumed in the Southern states as early as the 1870s. However, a lack of refrigeration technology at that time made these chilled drinks a luxury. The Health Benefits These days, most bottled iced teas are made with sugary syrups and branded as sweet tea. While sweet tea is tasty, the unsweetened version is not only refreshing but also healthier because it has fewer calories and provides more nutrients. If you want a more traditional taste of unsweetened iced tea, then try making your own! One simple recipe is to take 1 ounce of your favorite tea and steep it in 1 gallon of water overnight in the fridge. In the morning, remove the leaves and pour yourself a glass!

Enjoy a Cool Drink This June Let’s Celebrate National Iced Tea Month!

The best thing to have on a hot summer day is a cold beverage, and nothing is more refreshing than a glass of iced tea. Since June is National Iced Tea Month, get out your tall glasses and ice cubes and let’s celebrate tea! The First Iced Brew In 1904, a heat wave struck St. Louis during the city’s first world’s fair. Richard Belchynden, a merchant attending the fair, was offering the

attendees small samples of his tea. However, due to the hot weather, fairgoers didn’t want to drink the heated beverage. Undeterred, Belchynden, who had traveled a long way to attend the fair, decided to switch tactics — if the public wanted a chilled beverage, then he would oblige. He added ice to the steeped tea, and soon, the grateful guests had a new beverage: iced tea.

Now you can celebrate National Iced Tea Month with your very own brew!

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