Elkins Dental - April 2022

Elkins Dental - April 2022

APRIL 2022

FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE

ELKINSDENTAL.COM

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MAY HAPPEN Take the Risk or Lose the Chance

I’m a firm believer that every step we take leads to a big change in our lives. Whether it’s leaving home to attend college or simply heading out into the world, we are greeted with many chances and opportunities. But to have gotten to that point, we must take several leaps of faith as well. April 23 is National Take a Chance Day. It’s a day dedicated to momentarily reflecting on the many chances we have taken in our lives, and it encourages us to keep seizing the opportunities that come our way. For me, joining the military and leaving the military after my many years of service, was taking a chance. Then, leaving the dental practice where I worked — to open my own practice — was taking a big chance. The endeavor my wife is now on (to join the nursing force) is a huge change. The big steps in our lives all require taking a chance and while they may be terrifying in the moment, sometimes the bigger and scarier the chance, the greater the reward when all is said and done. After all, if you don’t take some of those chances and push yourself to make it to the next step in life, it’s not much of a life if you aren’t seizing some of those drastic opportunities.

Aside from marrying my wife and having our children, opening the practice was the biggest chance I had ever taken in my life. Within the first year of Elkins Dental being open, many months were spent in the“red”— it wasn’t generating any revenue. In fact, I lost money. As the year went on, the decision I'd made seemed even more intimidating, but I plugged through it, and it wound up paying off in the end. Now, we have a practice that all of us are proud of and enjoy coming to every day. Sometimes the bigger and scarier the chance, the greater the reward. Just this past December, Elkins Dental celebrated 10 years in business. I still have some patients who have been with me since the beginning, and I’m super grateful for them. They took a chance with me, and I’m thrilled that they have trusted me and remained loyal for 10 years. I wish all of you will have a fabulous Easter. As my children get older, our Easter changes a bit. We have a 7-year-old in the home, so our older kids still help us to keep the magic and fun alive. Easter, however, is now a much different holiday than it was when I was a child. I grew up in South Carolina, as my dad was in the military, and my parents used to hide the eggs and treats in the backyard the night before. Well, come morning, sometimes, slugs — yes, slugs! — would be on the eggs. Now, we tend to hide the eggs in our house, where it’s plenty fun enough! –Dr. El kins

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EGG-SPLORE DIFFERENT WAYS TO CELEBRATE EASTER Fun Holiday Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy

Easter is approaching, and there are tons of activities you and your family can do to celebrate the holiday. These activities will let your children or grandchildren unlock their imaginations, all from the comfort of your own home.

children laughing in no time.You first spin the wheel to see how many eggs you will crack over your head or someone else’s. Some of these eggs are filled with water, which are the eggs you don’t want. Try your luck with this fun-filled game.

KiwiCo Eggsperiments Cost: $26.95 KiwiCo.com

Easter Cookie Kit Cost: $29.99 ThePopcornFactory.com

These experiments bundle creativity, science, and education in one fun, family-friendly package! Instead of having your kids decorate eggs with paint, you can use this kit to conduct scientific experiments.Your child will be able to color eggs and create crystalized shells by using chemistry, physics, and biology.

Did somebody say cookies?Yes, we did! With this cookie kit, you and your kids will be creating edible bunnies, flowers, and eggs! The kit provides all the ingredients you need to bake delicious cookies, which is a perfect time to teach your child about the fundamentals of baking while having fun at the same time. This activity satisfies your creative needs and your cravings for a sweet treat. The traditional activities around Easter are fun, and now you have even more options to choose from — but these items will go fast so pick one up ASAP. These activities are enjoyable for the entire family, and you can create memories that will last a lifetime. Happy Easter!

Egged On Cost: $24.50 Amazon.com

You’ve heard of casino roulette, but have you heard of egg roulette? Well, now you have with Egged On, a Hasbro board game that will have you and your

The Truth About Tooth Sensitivity A Word From Cheyenne

Have you ever taken a bite of ice cream and instantly found your tongue pressing up against your teeth because you felt a quick jab of pain?

But don’t worry! Sensitive teeth can be treated. Depending on the cause of the sensitivity, your dentist may suggest one of the following: • Desensitizing toothpaste to block the transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the tooth nerve

Sensitive teeth can occur for a variety of reasons, including tooth decay, cavities, worn fillings, fractured teeth, gum disease, exposed tooth root, and worn tooth enamel. Our teeth have a layer of enamel to protect the crown of your tooth, which is all of the tooth that is visible above your gums.Your tooth under your gums contains the root of your tooth and that is protected by cementum. Beneath both enamel and cementum is dentin, which is much less dense than both enamel and cementum and has small hollow tubules. When enamel is lost, hot and cold sensations are then able to reach the nerves and cells within your tooth. When your gums recede, you may become particularly sensitive.

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Fluoride gel to strengthen tooth enamel

• A crown, inlay, or bonding to correct tooth decay or a flaw

• Surgical gum graft to protect the root and reduce sensitivity

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Root canal in the case of severe sensitivity

As always, proper oral care and hygiene is the secret to preventing painful and sensitive teeth. If you have any worries or concerns in your mouth, be sure to get in to see your dental team as soon as possible!

–Cheyenne, RDH

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PECAN CREAM PIE This creamy pecan pie tastes like a dream and is simple enough for even a novice baker.

Ingredients

MOUNTAIN RANGES Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, we don’t have to go far to find mountaintop winter activities. If skiing or tubing is your idea of winter fun, Bogus Basin is just a short drive away, and heading to McCall makes a fun weekend getaway. ... AND RIVERS Not only are we surrounded by the Payette and Boise rivers, Idaho is also home to the deepest gorge in North America: Hells Canyon. Take that, Arizona!

GOOD CHEER Beer lovers, rejoice! Idaho is the world’s largest hop producer, and more and more people are taking advantage of our agricultural bounty by opening breweries in the Treasure Valley. Share a few of these treasures with visiting family members and their only question will be “How did we not come here sooner?”

Out-of-town relatives who are visiting for the holidays might wonder what makes Emmett so special. But we already know the Treasure Valley is full of gems — and we don’t just mean the rocks. Here are some additional reasons Emmett and The Gem State are great. WE’VE GOT SUNSHINE On average, we have 210 sunny days per year. Compare that to 144 rainy days in Portland and we can feel pretty happy about all our free vitamin D. Directions • 1 9-i ch uncooked pie crust • 1 cup heavy whipping cream • 1/4 cup powdered sugar • 2 8-oz bars of cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, divided

1. Cook pie crust according to package instructions. 2. In a small bowl, combine heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat for several minutes with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. 3. In a separate larger bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Beat together until combined and creamy.

4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and stir together until combined. Stir in 1 cup of chopped pecans. 5. With a spatula, spread mixture into the baked and cooled pie crust.

Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top of the pie. 6. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Inspired by TogetherAsFamily.com

JOKES DAD

Whenever the cashier at the grocery store asks my dad if he would like the milk in a bag, he replies, ‘No, just leave it in the carton!'

Don’t trust atoms. They make up everything!

DID YOU KNOW?

Tooth Fun

Bumblebee Bats Facts According to the book of Guinness World Records, the bumblebee bat is the smallest mammal in the world, weighing less than 2 grams (usually between 0.05–0.07 ounces). They are only about 1.14–1.29 inches long with a wingspan of 5.1–5.7 inches. The bumblebee bat is also sometimes referred to as Kitti’s hog-nosed bat.

Your Teeth Formed in the Womb

They live in limestone caves along the Khwae Noi River in Thailand. Reddish-brown or gray in color, they have very distinctive pig-like snouts and feed on insects — mainly flies and ants.

Did you know that your teeth began forming before birth?

Even though they won’t be visible at birth, around 6 weeks of pregnancy, children’s primary teeth begin forming beneath the gums and even start mineralizing. This process helps to build the inner tooth (known as dentin) and the hard exterior of the tooth, (known as enamel), which forms at 3–4 months of pregnancy. After birth, when a baby is between the ages of 6–12 months old, their baby teeth, which formed in the womb, usually break through the gums.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. National Take a Chance Day 2. Try Your Luck With This Eggtastic Game!

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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Pecan

The Ketchup Pill Craze

Cream Pie

Tooth Facts

1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617

A Word From Cheyenne

Did You Know?

Happy Easter From Elkins Dental!

208-369-4532 · ElkinsDental.com

NOT JUST A CONDIMENT Ketchup Once Cured All

If you have a belly ache, one of the last things you’re likely to reach for is the ketchup bottle. But did you know that ketchup was once utilized as a cure for indigestion? In 1834, Dr. John Cook Bennett came up with a recipe for tomato ketchup that he advertised as a cure for indigestion, jaundice, diarrhea, and rheumatism, according to his research. The ketchup was even packed into pills and his research made its way into well-respected American newspapers. Before this, many Americans were under the impression that tomatoes were poisonous and avoided them like the plague. According to the Smithsonian magazine, in the 1700s, Europeans thought tomatoes were poisonous apples. Entrepreneur Alexander Miles discovered Bennett’s research and partnered with Bennett, calling the ketchup pill“extract of tomato.”The craze over the ketchup pills grew, and many other entrepreneurs began creating their own versions of the“extract of tomato”pills. Some versions didn’t contain any tomatoes at all and, instead,

were filled with laxatives. Americans began believing these ketchup pills were the key to ultimate health. Scientists then began to look into Bennett’s research claims, and just when wild claims surfaced that the pills could even cure scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, and broken bones, the claims were dispelled and the ketchup pill craze died down by 1850. Modern research today shows that tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which is linked to reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. They also are abundant sources of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. While Bennett’s research was exponentially exaggerated, we can say it wasn’t completely inaccurate. Today, Heinz, the leader in the ketchup industry, sells 11 billion single-serve packets and over 650 million bottles annually.

So, would you like a ketchup pill with those fries?

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