Elkins Dental - July 2020

Elkins Dental - July 2020

FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE

ELKINSDENTAL.COM JULY 2020

CALM IS CONTAGIOUS

How Keeping My Cool Helps Others Do the Same

O ne of the sayings around our office is “calm is contagious.” Do you ever notice how when one person loses their cool over, say, a burned lasagna, everyone else starts getting more worked up over it? But if one person stays calm and looks for solutions, how to move past it, or even finds the humor in the situation, it usually helps everyone else do the same.

My time in the Navy definitely helped me learn how to respond to situations that are stressful or uncomfortable. When I was practicing mass casualty drills, as one of the medical officers in charge, I had to be on top of things and know how to direct everyone properly to save lives. After that, most other situations don’t feel worth losing my cool over. Having six kids has also helped me learn to let go of what doesn’t matter. Plus, when I stay calm, it helps my kids keep a level head and see things for what they are rather than losing their cool the minute something doesn’t go as planned. Beth and I are usually on the same page in setting this example for our kids. She’s become even calmer since she started studying to become a nurse, a profession where students learn to be calm in every situation. I try to keep calm for my family and for my team. On the busiest, fullest days at the office, if I stay calm, it helps others find their calm, too. Freaking out or shouting doesn’t help the situation at all. Nothing gets solved by getting more worked up over a problem. It only adds more stress to everyone else and makes me more stressed, and that’s not what we’re going for. I want our office and my home to be a place where people can work, visit, live, and feel relaxed and at ease. Since I work in a profession where patients might already be coming in with some anxiety, it’s especially important for me and my team to provide them with as calm of an environment as possible. I try to remember that in any situation life throws at me, the one thing under my control is how I respond. When I’m having a stressful day or something doesn’t go my way, it’s easy to take it out on someone else. But taking the easy route isn’t going to make me feel better, and it’s not going to solve any problems. I’m not perfect (maybe I fooled you?) and I can’t say I’ve always reacted properly in every situation, but I always try to remember that the way I respond, even to the most stressful situation, is something I get to choose.There’s a lot of power in that choice.

KEEP CALM AND FLOSS ON

–Dr. Elkins

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH GREAT FRIENDS How to Plan the Perfect Adventure Together

CHOOSETHE LOCATIONWISELY Keep in mind that not everyone can ski a double black diamond trail or construct a shelter from twigs. People are willing to try new things, but everyone has limits. Talk together about what everyone is looking for in this outdoor adventure, then choose a destination that makes sense. Some people might have to make compromises, but keep in mind that the real goal of the trip is to enjoy time with friends in the great outdoors. Keeping activities within a realm that the entire group is comfortable with will make things much more enjoyable for all. ESTABLISH ROLES Even if your friends have never been camping, skiing, or kayaking, it doesn’t mean they’re not capable of pitching in on trips that feature those activities. Try splitting up tasks according to what each person in the group is good at or eager to take on. You can also establish a rotating schedule so that no single person ends up doing the same tasks for the entire duration of the trip. It’s best to determine this information beforehand so that everyone feels and acts useful the moment the trip starts. This is a great way to avoid frustration and anger, which can creep into communal events of any kind.

Whether it’s camping, backpacking, or taking a daytrip to the lake, any outdoor adventure is made that much better by having a plan. Planning a solo trip may feel easy, but planning a trip with a group of your best friends can be a little trickier. It takes extra coordination to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and no one feels like they’d have been better off staying home. PLAN YOUR PLANNING With the trip on the horizon, it’s tempting to create a group text or chat and start tossing around ideas. Do your best to resist this impulse! Friends are fun, which means entertaining website links, silly YouTube videos, and mountains of emojis will make their way into the conversation, leaving any planning that might get done lost in the shuffle. Instead, get your planning done by using an app that is meant for it, like Roadtrippers. You can even utilize a program like Google Docs to keep everyone on the same page.

CleanWith Kalie

Busting 3 Common Dental Myths

brush too hard, you risk eroding the enamel that protects your teeth. It can also cause your gums to recede. Using a softer brush is beneficial, too. People often reach for a firmer-bristled toothbrush thinking it’s going to do a better job. We always recommend soft-bristle toothbrushes because they prevent abrasion.The gentler you are when you brush, the better you’ll be to your teeth. Myth: If my gums bleed when I floss, I should probably leave them alone. Busted! When our gums bleed, it’s because of inflammation. Inflammation happens because bacteria and plaque accumulate between your teeth. If you stop flossing, you’re going to make the inflammation worse. Your gums will only get healthier if you regularly brush and floss. After about two weeks of a regular routine, you should start to see your gums healing up and looking healthier. If you have questions about any of these myths, please reach out! I’m always happy to answer your dental hygiene questions!

Like the most popular urban legends, myths about our teeth and how we keep them healthy and clean seem to get told again and

again until they become commonly held beliefs. So this month, I wanted to debunk some of the common myths around dental care and give you the inside scoop on how you can best take care of your oral health. Myth: Flossing is no longer necessary. Busted! A few patients have asked me about this, so I wanted to address it right off the bat. Recently, the recommendation to floss daily was removed from government dietary guidelines because of a lack of strong evidence linking flossing to the prevention of tooth decay. Here’s the truth: You can’t clean between your teeth without flossing. If you don’t floss, you’re missing a lot of surface area on your teeth and allowing bacteria and plaque to settle.We can always tell when patients haven’t been flossing because of the inflammation, buildup, and cavities that start to show up between teeth. Myth:The harder I brush my teeth, the cleaner they’ll be! Busted! Brushing too hard can do more damage than good. When you

-Kalie and Caryn –Kalie

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THE BEST GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES

Ingredients

Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com

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?” red onion, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and yellow squash are great on the grill) • 5 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

• 1 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning • 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced • 2 lbs assorted vegetables, trimmed a alved (asparagus, mushrooms,

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!

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. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. 2. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place in a large bowl. Top with lemon juice and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. JOKES DAD "I don't trust stairs. They're always up to something." "I used to hate facial hair ... but then it grew on me."

3. Prepare the grill at medium-high heat. 4. Grill vegetables in batches, cooking 3–5 minutes on each side until browned and tender. (Carrots will cook longer, 6–9 minutes per side.) 5. Rem ve from the grill, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

"How do you get a squirrel to like you? Act like a nut." "How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together."

DID YOU KNOW?

INTERNATIONAL JOKE DAY

July 1 of every year is International Joke Day, and we wanted to get in on the spirit. We may be getting a little corny here, but please take stalk of these jokes and let us know if we tickle your funny bone. Did you hear they recruited the dentist for the next “Mission Impossible” movie? Yeah, they wanted him because he’s really good at extraction.

Laughter is the fireworks of the soul. - josh billings

Where did the dentist go on vacation? She took her whole family to Timbuktooth. Dentists are really good at surfing — they always know just how to Crest the wave. Did you hear the one about the gal who forgot to floss her teeth for a whole year? What was her name again? Oh, right, Hally Tosis. What did the dentist say to the queen of England? “Well, ma’am, that’s one crown I won’t be putting in anyone's mouth.”

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. Dr. Elkins on Finding Calm 2. Tips for Planning Trips With Friends

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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The Secret to Delicious

Inside the Biggest Escape Attempt of WWII

Grilled Veggies

1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617

Clean With Kalie

Did You Know?

Happy 4th of July from Elkins Dental

208-369-4532 Elkinsdental.com

‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’ The Daring True Story of an Allied Getaway During WWII What do Steve “The King of Cool”

conditions. And in the spring of 1943, he initiated a plan to get himself and 200 of his fellow prisoners out of the camp. During the next year, over 600 prisoners helped with the effort of digging tunnels underneath Stalag Luft III.They had to be deep enough that the microphones couldn’t detect them and long enough to reach outside of the camp’s walls. On a chilly night in 1944 — a year after the endeavor began — one tunnel was finally ready, and the prisoners began their exit. In all, 76 Allied men managed to escape from Stalag Luft III. While freedom was short-lived for some, the escapees were successful in redirecting Nazi efforts from the front lines. And as veteran Jack Lyon said of the escape, “It did do a lot for morale, particularly for those prisoners who’d been there for a long time.They felt they were able to contribute something, even if they weren’t able to get out.” For the rest of the story, you’ll have to watch the movie or read the book. You can watch “The Great Escape” on Amazon Prime, and you can find Brickhill’s daring tale at most book retailers.

McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner have in common? They all starred in the 1963 World War II classic “The Great Escape.”

What makes the movie amazing to watch isn’t just that it’s full of legendary stars like McQueen and Garner or the fact that the action sequences were filmed using practical stunts, not special effects. What makes it truly incredible is that this story actually happened. Based on WWII veteran Paul Brickhill’s book, “The Great Escape” depicts a group of Allied officers as they attempt to escape from Stalag Luft III, one of the most heavily reinforced prison camps under German watch. Loose sand, raised prison housing, and seismographic microphones were all meant to deter prisoners from digging their way out. But one prisoner wasn’t discouraged. Squadron Leader Roger Bushell saw these factors as obstacles to overcome rather than inescapable

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