Flax Dental - December 2020

Flax Dental - December 2020

404-255-9080 | www.flaxdental.com

December 2020

The Ghosts of Cosmetic Dentistry A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Our Field

Veneers. In the early ‘80s, right as I graduated dental school, veneers had just become the cutting edge solution. In many ways, I was lucky to graduate when I did, because I got to see the evolution of veneers. Porcelain veneers, for example, really do “wow” people with how more natural and durable they are. And while bonding has vastly improved, nothing beats the veneer in terms of durability. The Present: “Thank goodness we can treat tooth loss right away.” We’ve come a long way since George Washington’s time, when dentures were made from gold, lead, ivory, and even other human teeth. See, losing teeth used to force patients to wait until they could get dentures to have a full smile again. This could mean they’d have to lose more teeth or be faced with even more destructive situations before receiving their dentures. Today, people can get implants, which can be the difference between missing a leg or wearing an Olympic prosthetic. In fact, at Flax Dental, we’ve created an implant treatment program — Teeth in a Day — which allows you to have beautiful teeth in a very short amount of time. You wouldn’t need to wait weeks or months to have a beautiful, white smile. We’ll remove any infection, build back strength in your jaw, and put in teeth the same day. No need for a bad tooth “wig” to finish your new smile, although our final steps may be 6–12 months later. There’s another important breakthrough that we’ve come to in the present day and are continuously learning more about: We absolutely cannot underestimate the importance of the mouth- body connection. Research has shown that there’s a bidirectional connection between your oral health and your body’s overall health. Having good oral health can help improve your health, and similarly, other aspects of your health can seriously affect your teeth, such as being overweight. It might surprise you, but it’s quite common for dentists to be able to diagnose or suspect conditions like diabetes

When you think about it, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was pretty lucky. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future would actually be useful personal tools to determine where we are in our lives and how we affect others. It’s not impossible for us to have that experience when it comes to our oral health, either. When it comes to your oral health, you already have a ghost of the past, present, and future to consult with: your dentist. Ultimately, when I look at your teeth, I’m not only informed by the present issues at hand. I consider the root causes to your past and future problems, using what I know about past, present, and future solutions to those problems, as well. Thus, in the spirit of holiday tales, I started to think about what the ghosts of cosmetic dentistry past, present, and future would tell us. The Past: “Glue wasn’t the way to go.” In the ‘50s and ‘60s, if you wanted to make your teeth whiter, it’d have to be done with acrylic facings, which are essentially paper- thin shells you’d “glue” to your teeth, and it wasn’t very durable. It took until the late ‘60s for dentistry to invent bonding, a method of applying tooth-colored resin over your teeth to improve its appearance. It was all the rage! Unfortunately, after a few years, they also found out that their early (vintage) bonding materials weren’t real reliable, and it’d still catch your stains. What now?

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15 — even 20 — years off of their appearance by helping them get a whiter, healthier, and more comfortable smile. So, where do we go from here?

The truth is that the ghost of “cosmetic dentistry’s future” lives with us now.

With digital technology, we can do CAD scans in the office to create new teeth, place implants, and create more predictability in your plan. Artificial intelligence can even streamline much of the technical work without sacrificing accuracy, especially with how customized each and every patients’ treatment plan is. The moral of this holiday story is that, no matter what happens in the future, there is never one cookie-cutter way to treat you or anyone we see. It’s customized. Every patient has diverse bodily and oral health needs to put their smile in tip-top shape, inside and out. That’s why, the more we grow, the more I can assure you that our human touch will always be there. That’s why, the more we grow, the more I can assure you that our human touch

and oral cancer. From tracing the bacteria of gum disease to chronic diseases like heart disease and even Alzheimer’s, there’s no doubt that you can avoid long-term health risks by having excellent oral hygiene habits. If you’d like to learn more about the mouth-body connection and our implant procedures, I highly recommend Chapters 8 and 9 of my book, “A Smile Is Always in Style.” The Future: “I’m already here.” Cosmetic dentistry has evolved from toothpicks to lightsabers these past few decades. Every day, we treat patients where we’ve taken

will always be there. (Even a Hugh-man touch, if you will.) We can’t wait to serve you in 2021. Happy holidays from the Flax Dental team!

A Loving Georgian Couple Is Reunited — Changing the World By Warming Our Hearts —Hugh Flax

Good News The

However, it did mean that he was forced to be admitted into a hospital — and, eventually, into the same facility as his wife. The following 14 days of being quarantined were agonizing for him, however. Staff prepared frequent calls throughout the day for the couple, and afterward, he’d be seen hurrying to the door to catch a glimpse of her. “You see, without her,” he tells FOX 5, “nothing matters. When you’ve been with somebody that long …” His voice trailed off. Once the 14 days were done, however, the staff prepared a special surprise. The staff wrote on their Facebook page, “We set up a private meeting for them in our garden. He told us that he wanted to sneak up behind her and surprise her. We got everything set up for them and backed away to enjoy it from a distance.” That’s just what they did. They pulled her wheelchair into the garden and she covered her eyes — but as soon as she felt a hand on her shoulder, she knew who it was. After 90 days of separation, fear, and uncertainty, the happy couple is back together. It sounds like they’re in amazing care, too. Thank you, Florence Hand Home, for sharing this incredible story!

Need a boost? Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny amount of extra hope for us to have a better day or take care of ourselves and others, too. That’s some of the best change in the world that anyone can hope to make, and that’s exactly the feeling we got at Flax Dental after reading this touching story from LaGrange, Georgia. A few years ago, one elderly couple was forced to make a difficult decision. The wife needed to go into the Florence Hand Home (a nursing home) while the husband lived in their house. Although the names are withheld by the home’s staff for privacy reasons, the couple’s pandemic story quickly became viral on Facebook. See, despite living at home, pre-pandemic, he would visit her every morning “like clockwork,” helping her with makeup, putting on jewelry, combing her hair, saying doting words, and making her feel beautiful inside and out. Then, they’d take walks, greet old friends, and find new ones. The couple had been inseparable since meeting in 1954, and it felt like nothing could stand between them, not even health complications. Then, the pandemic happened, and all nursing homes were put on severe, strict lockdowns. The change of routine was “devastating” for them, FOX 5 reported. And the husband’s health began to decline.

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Meet Chelsea! Staff Spotlight:

Our Best Patients Refer Our Best Patients “I’ve had the privilege of being a Dr. Flax dental patient for 15-plus years. Prior to my experience with Flax Dental, I had somewhat of a dental phobia due to painful procedures done in my earlier years. Since I’ve been seeing Dr. Flax and his incredible staff, I’ve completely overcome my fear of dentistry. Flax Dental always uses the latest dentistry technologies available, creates a proactive long-term dental plan, and makes patient comfort a top priority. I feel fortunate to have such an amazing dentist and am thankful to be able to entrust my smile and dental health to Dr. Flax and his consistently competent, friendly, and wonderful staff. I highly recommend Flax Dental to everyone. They’re the best!” —Dacus Stewart

A Hygienist With an Artistic Eye

When you meet Chelsea Getchell, you might be struck by her bubbly personality and strong passion for dentistry — but you might not have guessed that her great scientific and technical skills are matched by amazing artistic skills, as well.

Chelsea attended East Tennessee State University with a full ride into their fine arts program. The university is famous for its bluegrass. However, Chelsea was a painter and focused on visual arts. So, what led her to dentistry? While she loved the arts, she also had the potential to do something in the medical field. Chelsea enjoyed math, science, statistics, and anything with facts or details just as much as she enjoyed creating an oil painting. However, many professions in the medical field wouldn’t leave much room for Chelsea to paint. Ultimately, she discovered that dentistry helped her achieve the work-life balance that she’d always wanted. “[The medical field] was always my calling, but I had to find the right calling,” Chelsea told us recently. “Being a hygienist was that calling.” She’s always been interested in cosmetic dentistry, because she feels like she gets to exercise her artistic side through her work. One aspect that surprised her, however — since starting her work at Flax Dental last year — is how far above and beyond Dr. Flax will go to train and educate the staff, as well as the outstanding care he gives his patients. She said she’s never seen an office so inundated with technology and in tune with patients’ needs. “I’ve never been trained this vigorously!” she exclaimed appreciatively. When Chelsea isn’t working in the office, she still gets plenty of time to enjoy painting, whether it’s oil or digital, and she even dabbles in pottery. Chelsea also reads and writes in Mandarin and is always looking for ways to travel to practice speaking the language. “It was hard [learning to speak it] in the mountains of Tennessee!” She believes she might travel to New York in the future to explore their Chinatown and see if she can get into better practice with the language there. With how incredibly intellectual and creative she is, we have no doubt that Chelsea will find it a breeze. Thank you for all of your brilliant work!

Russian

Tea Cakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (plus extra for rolling cookies)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. Using a mixer, cream butter in a large mixing bowl. 3. Add the vanilla, then gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. 4. Sift flower, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture, then add nuts and mix well. 5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On an ungreased baking sheet, place tea cakes 2 inches apart. 6. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. 7. Let cool slightly, then remove cakes from the baking sheet and roll in powdered sugar. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. 8. Before serving, roll cookies in powdered sugar again.

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

5673 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. Ste. 430, Atlanta, GA 30342 404-255-9080 www.flaxdental.com

Want a Brighter, More Confident Smile? Don’t Know Where to Start? Send in Your Pictures and Have a Personalized Zoom Call With Dr. Flax With a FREE Virtual Smile Consultation! Visit: www.flaxdental.com/smile

Inside

Remember: Whether you have dental insurance benefits remaining, or leftover funds in your flexible spending account (FSA) or healthcare saving account (HSA), nearly all plans won’t allow you to roll them over to the following year. Schedule an appointment at Flax Dental today.

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The Ghosts of Cosmetic Dentistry

Good News in Georgia!

Meet Chelsea!

Russian Tea Cakes

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3 Bad Oral Health Habits to Stop Immediately

3 Oral Health Habits That Harm Your Teeth

And How to Kick Them

The Solution: The good news is that most people quit biting their nails after age 30, but don’t rely on your age to kick this habit. Try applying bitter-tasting polish or chewing sugar-free gum to deter you from nail-biting. Or if your nail-biting is stress-induced, try meditating to reduce your stress. Chewing on Ice: It’s a mindless habit, really. At the end of our glass of water — or tooth-decaying sugary soda — we chomp on the ice at the bottom of the glass. But the combination of the hard ice and cold temperature can create small cracks along your tooth’s enamel, which increases the likelihood that your tooth will crack or chip. The Solution: If you’re chewing as a way to occupy your mind, swap the ice with sugar-free gum! If you really want that ice-cold kick, drink cold water through a straw or suck on an ice cube instead. Struggling with one of these habits? Let our team know at your next appointment! We can help you find solutions and develop good oral habits.

We all have quirky habits. Most are benign, but some can be harmful. If you chronically bite your nails, chew ice, or use your teeth as a tool — three common bad oral habits — try these solutions to protect your teeth from potential damage and pain. Teeth as Tools : Our pearly whites are perfect for grinding our food and helping us speak, but that’s about as far as their usability as tools goes. Opening ketchup packages with your teeth or placing a few screws in your mouth as you hang a photo can be handy, but doing so could crack or damage your teeth. The Solution: Use actual tools! Open your condiment packets and other tricky containers with scissors. When doing home projects, use a tool belt or ask someone to hold your screws so you don’t choke or damage your teeth. Biting Your Nails: If this nervous habit is one of your vices, you’re not alone. About 20%–30% of the population succumbs to nail-biting, nearly half of whom are teenagers. Biting your nails can chip or crack your teeth, and the nail pieces can get stuck in your gum line and potentially cause infection.

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