Elkins Dental - December 2021

Elkins Dental - December 2021

FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE

ELKINSDENTAL.COM DECEMBER 2021

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR A Season of Love and Laughter

In the Elkins family, we always kick off our holiday season Thanksgiving Day. Our Thanksgiving celebration is fun, exciting, and full of gratitude, family time, and delicious food. All of our local family gathers (including my brother, his family, and my parents — and anyone who comes to visit from out of town), and we enjoy the day together. Immediately following the meal, while we are digesting and slipping away into a food coma from the tryptophan in the turkey, we all sit down together and watch the movie“Elf.”It’s surely one of the best ways to get us in the Christmas spirit. When Christmas Eve rolls around, we gather with our family and sing some Christmas songs and enjoy a Christmas meal together. It’s usually smaller and more intimate than Thanksgiving, but nonetheless a grand time. We have ham, some delicious side dishes, and fun desserts. Ever since I was little, I remember my mom making“alligator rolls.”It’s a mix of crushed graham crackers, melted butterscotch chips, and marshmallows all rolled into a log and hardened in the refrigerator. It looks even weirder than it sounds, but it tastes amazing!

pile of gifts. On Christmas Eve, he would send them all to bed, and once Santa came and delivered all the gifts, he would go to their rooms. Nobody had fallen asleep yet because they knew what was coming. He’d excitedly exclaim for them to go open their presents. When I grew up, my family just loved dragging out the Christmas present opening process. My mom would

number all of the presents. This way, nobody could scope out their presents. My mom was in charge of the numbered gifts and had a list of which numbers belonged to each person. Everyone would take turns opening the gifts while we all watched. I remember truly enjoying watching the happiness radiate on everyone’s faces as they opened up something they wanted or didn't know that they wanted. For some families, it takes only five minutes to open all of their gifts because everyone just dives right in, but, growing up, I enjoyed the slow process so much that I adopted that tradition and now in my family, we take hours opening presents. And we still enjoy my mom’s alligator rolls (the dessert-like cookie that I wrote about earlier). As many of you know, I’m a big fan of Super Mario — and I’m proud to announce that I just finished another Mario stained glass piece (I have two others in the office). In January 2020, I began working on this one, but I got sidetracked a few times with some other projects. If anyone is interested in getting a close look at the details I worked into the glass, stop by the office and take a look!

“I remember truly enjoying watching the happiness radiate on everyone’s faces as they opened up something they wanted or didn't know that they wanted.”

My mom and my daughter, Evie, both play the cello. If we are lucky, they’ll serenade us with some Christmas tunes. The holidays are a fabulous time to bond with family and friends while catching up and spending quality time together. Different families have their own way of opening up Christmas gifts. When my wife grew up, her dad always got so excited that he couldn't wait until Christmas morning for the kids to dive into their

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

–Dr. El kins

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a real tree in the house, hanging the lights can be one of the most frustrating parts of the tree-decorating process.

The true problem is probably that you’ve been hanging your beaded garland incorrectly.

Get on the right track by setting yourself up for success. Instead of shoving your lights in a box or bag at the end of the season, wrap them around the outside of the box or around a clothing hanger instead. Getting your lights hung properly around the tree can be a pain, too. This year, try hanging them vertically on your tree, from base to top and back again, until the tree is covered. It’s easier to do and helps camouflage the cord.

You may think there can’t be too many ways to drape beads over branches, but draping itself is the entirely wrong approach. Instead of simply wrapping the beads around the tree and hoping they fall into place, you should attach ornament hooks to the garland along the string. Use the hooks to gracefully hang your garland from the branches and marvel at the simplicity. When your Christmas tree goes up this year, these tips should make the experience faster, easier, and more joyful.You can now use all that time you would have spent wrapping garland to wrap presents instead.

BEADED GARLAND

Beaded garland always looks so much better in the store than it does on your own tree. No matter how much you fiddle with it, it just doesn’t lay right or have the even, dramatic swoops you see in display windows.

6 Ways to Stay Cavity-Free for the Holidays A Word From Cheyenne

THINK TWICE ABOUT HARD CANDIES.

This holiday season is a great time to indulge in your favorite sweets and treats. After all, the cookies, peppermint bark, caramel popcorn, and candy canes are tough to resist. However, if you aren’t careful, those tasty treats can compromise your oral health. But don’t worry because there are a few ways to maintain your smile while still snacking on your favorite goodies.

Hard candies have a high sugar content, but when you chew on them, you run the added risk of chipping or cracking your teeth. If your favorite happens to be a candy cane, be sure to suck on it rather than chewing! STARCHY GOODIES CAN BE SNEAKY, TOO. Yummy food with a high starch content, such as cake or chips, are notorious for getting trapped in your teeth. Be sure to brush and floss well after eating them.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TIMING.

Of course, when in moderation, it’s okay to have sweets here and there. But did you know that certain times are better than others to enjoy a tasty treat? Eating sweets with a meal or shortly thereafter is the best time because when you eat a meal, your mouth produces more saliva, which helps tame the acids that bacteria in your mouth produce when you consume sugar.

TRY TO LIMIT STICKY TREATS.

YOU CAN STILL INDULGE!

If it's sticky, it’s better to be picky. Sticky sweets, even dried cranberries, tend to stay on your teeth longer, so be sure to rinse with water right after eating, then brush your teeth.

So, what are some better options? There are many nutritious and tasty snack choices, like nuts and cheese, that can satisfy your appetite, but if you’re looking for something sweet, chocolate generally washes off teeth the easiest!

BE SMART WITH ALCOHOL.

Keep in mind that alcohol quickly dries out your mouth, and many drinks can be very acidic and harmful to your enamel. Make sure to limit your intake and drink water along with it!

–Cheyenne, RDH

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CRISPY FISH WITH BROWN BUTTER SAUCE Want to enjoy the decadence of the holiday season without adding too much to your waistline? Swap red meat for fish and serve this delicious, easy dish.

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?” • 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, chopped • 2 tsp lemon juice • Lemon wedges, for garnish

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 tbsp olive oil • 4 5-oz Chilean sea bass or salmon fillets, skin-on • Salt and pepper, to taste • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. In an unheated skillet, add oil. Season fish with salt and pepper, then add to skillet (skin-down). 2. Heat the skillet to medium and cook for 4 minutes. With a spatula, press each fillet down, rotating between fillets every few seconds. When the skin begins to crisp, stop pressing and cook 8–10 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute. Remove the fish. JOKES DAD

3. Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add the but er and hazelnuts. Heat, s r ing continuously, u til butter foams and browns. Remove from heat. 4. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Pour over fish, garnish, and serve with salad.

Inspired by BonAppetit.com

How much did Santa pay for his sleigh? Nothing. It was on the house.

Where is Santa’s favorite place to deliver presents? Idaho-ho-ho.

DID YOU KNOW?

Facts Tooth Fun

Winter Solstice Facts

Did you know that the winter solstice will take place on Dec. 21, 2021, and is technically the shortest day of the year? It occurs on the day when the North Pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. However, once we reach the winter solstice, our days start to get longer again with more daylight.

The first official day of winter is actually marked by this day.

When you look in the mirror and smile really big, only about two thirds of your actual teeth are visible. The rest of each tooth is hidden beneath your gums, which is why gum care is extremely important! The crown of your tooth is the name for the part that is visible. The root of your tooth is the portion that lies underneath your gums, and the roots actually lie within your jaw bones. Each and every tooth has a very unique shape that allows them to do the job they need to. There’s More Below the Surface

The winter solstice takes place once a year in the Northern Hemisphere and once a year in the Southern Hemisphere, and for us, it always falls on either Dec. 21 or 22. When one hemisphere is undergoing the winter solstice, the other is experiencing the summer solstice.

How cool!

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2. Make Decorating Your Christmas

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

3.

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Crispy Fish With Brown

Make

Decorating Your Christmas Tree Less Stressful

Tree Less Stressful (Continued From Page 4)

Butter Sauce

1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617

Tooth Facts

Did You Know?

A Word From Cheyenne

Happy Holidays From Elkins Dental!

Happy Hol idays

208-369-4532 ElkinsDental.com

MERRY AND BRIGHT Cut the Stress From Decorating the Christmas Tree

Decorating your Christmas tree should be fun, but the process often turns into anything but. Between finding decorations, untangling lights, and trying to get the tree picture-perfect, the happy event can quickly become stressful. Even if you love decorating the tree, you can likely make the experience (and the end product) even better. Here are the most common sources of frustration and how to fix them with minimal fuss.

BARE SPOTS

Whether your tree is natural or artificial, you need to fluff the branches. However, as important as this step is, you don’t need to spend more than 10 minutes on it because let’s face it: There are some bare spots no amount of fluffing will fix. Luckily, tinsel garland hides a wide variety of flaws and might be the easiest solution. If you don’t care for tinsel, tying large gift bows to the tree is festive and covers a lot of space.You can also buy fake twigs that have berries, look like real tree branches, or are covered in glitter.

Stick them in the bare spots to fill out your tree, then save them for the next year.

LIGHTS

If you use an artificial Christmas tree, we strongly recommend buying one that is pre-lit. If your holiday just doesn’t feel complete without

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