Flax Dental - November 2020

Flax Dental - November 2020

404-255-9080 | www.flaxdental.com

November 2020

How to Change the Narratives of Our Lives When Things Aren’t Going Our Way, We Can Still Hit ‘Reset’

As soon as I finished dental school and residency in the mid ‘80s, I felt a certain sense of doom, or maybe deep-set fear. I had worked hard to skip a year of college so I could start dental school early, but, after doing all that work, I still worried about my future in dentistry. University is an artificial experience, no matter how rigorous it is. And even though I worked while attending dental school, my blood would run cold when I realized that successes were starting to become more difficult to achieve, and real life is simply not constructed the same way as a classroom. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what I needed, but I ended up turning to exactly what I should have: personal development tools. I started reading all kinds of books about mindset and success. I also listened to tapes (the podcasts before podcasts) and generally soaked up wisdom about overcoming personal fears and harsh realities of life. “Gratitude will always smooth out the rough edges of our experiences by showing us that the rarest things in life (like family, love, and a self-commitment to a better life) already surround us.” But, I was picky — I didn’t want advice on success from a person who wasn’t successful. After listening to many different stories, I started to learn that truly successful, high-achieving people don’t just hop on a ride and sail effortlessly to their achievements. Every single day, they are accountable for the narratives they really tell themselves. They are incredibly smart, but they aren’t supercomputers or aliens. Successful people are normal people who know how to focus their attention and personal narrative in a positive direction.

Daily routines have a way of making all of our pain relative — felt deeply, even if the pain is minor. For example, if we have a very good life, we might be set off when the smallest thing goes wrong, even if it’s unimportant compared to the big picture. However, gratitude reminds us: Hey, don’t spend energy thinking about the driver who cut you off. Instead, think about your family or how incredible your life is already. That one guy’s carelessness shouldn’t ruin your day. Not even for a minute. Gratitude is truly more powerful than we give it credit for. I’ve had people say to me that I had a negative view on where the dentistry field was going as a whole, but my faith in dentistry completely changed when I found a cause that I was passionate for — giving people the ability to change their lives with beautiful smiles. These days, I spend ten minutes at the start and end of my day reflecting on what I’m grateful for. Gratitude is something you have to build on every day for it to feel integrated into your world view. It really helps energize me because, often, I can skip the tiredness and bitterness that’s easy for any of us to fall into by recounting the graces I’ve learned over and over again. Unfortunately, 2020 has caused many people to be fearful. Now that it’s November, it’s as good a time as any to embrace gratitude a little more into our daily lives. Despite being in times of incredible destruction, thankfulness can still leave a powerful impression on the stories we tell ourselves about our world and our own lives. We might not realize it right away, but gratitude will always smooth out the rough edges of our experiences by showing us that the rarest things in life (like family, love, and a self- commitment to a better life) surround us every day.

Have a great Thanksgiving — not just on the holiday.

How? In many cases, gratitude.

—Hugh Flax

This is a lesson we often hear our entire lives, starting with childhood. Being grateful is one of the toughest lessons to learn because it can take effort.

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Meditation Alternatives For People Who Don’t Like to Meditate

Meditation is lauded for its health benefits and is often suggested as an effective way to clear the mind, organize thoughts, and reduce stress. Realistically, however, it’s not for everyone. In fact, some people don’t experience any benefits at all from meditating.

Exercising outdoors or in nature — especially in new places — enhances these benefits. Because your surroundings are going to be unfamiliar, your mind is more focused, which can help if you’re searching for clarity.

Stay mentally engaged . Many people achieve clarity, focus, and stress reduction through

In a recent study published inNew Scientist about the effectiveness of meditation, researchers confirmed that some people do not benefit from meditation and that about 8% of people who try meditation experience an “unwanted effect,” such as an increase in anxiety. If you’re not interested in meditation, or it just doesn’t work for you, here are some alternative ways to clear your mind and reduce stress.

simple but engaging tasks, such as immersing themselves in an adult coloring book, doing brain teasers, or assembling LEGO sets, which proves they can be effective therapeutic tools or alternatives to meditation. The LEGO Company has actually been developing more products for adults with this sort of research in mind.

But why LEGO products specifically? In addition to being objects you touch and push together, LEGO products come with clear, step-by-step instructions, which make them easy to put together and allow you to focus more on the task at hand. Even if you don’t complete the piece in one sitting, working on a project a few minutes a day can be a beneficial way to find a little clarity.

Get serious about physical activity. Aerobic exercises — like walking, jogging, running, cycling, and swimming — are great for clearing your mind and getting your body moving. Really, any exercise that gets the heart pumping and increases your respiratory rate will do. Research supports that aerobic exercise is a great alternative to meditation that yields many of the same benefits.

Why You Might Be Brushing Regularly

But Still Struggling With a Bad Bite

• Biological Problems Stomach disorders or low pH (in the mouth) can also cause issues. • Genetics Someone’s genes can also be the cause of a bad bite. After a baby is born, their body begins adapting to the environment. Sometimes, feedback mechanisms and your body’s micro-decisions impact teeth in a negative way. If you have a bad bite, you may experience more friction — or teeth movement — than you should. Signs of a bad bite also include chipped or cracked teeth, tooth sensitivity, cavities, excessive wear, sore jaw muscles, gum recession, a history of multiple crowns and/or root canals, and trouble chewing certain foods such as steak or bagels. We’ve also heard patients tell us they “don’t know how their bite is supposed to fit together,” and that’s definitely the biggest flag to a bad bite. If you’re worried about your bite, don’t hesitate to call Dr. Flax and set up an appointment to improve your daily comfort and teeth health today. You can also read more about your bite and many other dental topics in Dr. Flax’s book, “A Smile is Always In Style: How To Look Great And Feel Amazing.”

You care about your teeth; that’s why you enjoy seeing your expert team at Flax Dental. But having a bad bite doesn’t necessarily mean that you take poor care of your teeth. In fact, you might be excellent at brushing, flossing, and rinsing — yet still have a bad bite. How is that possible? Your bite is the architecture of your teeth, and its structural soundness can be affected by multiple factors. • External Factors Maybe you clench or grind your teeth when you process events in your life (or are overstimulated by social media or the news). • Problems Sleeping If a patient has problems breathing when they sleep, it’s caused by a collapsing airway. This can trigger clenched teeth throughout the night. You might not know that you have this problem unless someone listens to your breathing while you sleep. If you wake up with a sore jaw, it’s more than possible you’re having sleep and breathing problems. • Bad Habits Chewing your nails or biting a pencil can also affect your bite. • Social Habits Doing illegal drugs or having eating disorders (like bulimia) can wreak havoc on teeth and ruin an otherwise good bite.

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Meet Faith! Staff Spotlight:

Our Best Patients Refer Our Best Patients “I had an amazing experience at Flax Dental this morning. The ambiance is excellent, and the service from the staff was also amazing. Never had a filling before but heard about others’ bad experiences. I had the most amazing experience getting my filling done by Dr. Flax. I didn’t have to get numb, and there was absolutely no pain felt.” —Bunmi Adetunji

She Can Do It All — So We’re Lucky She’s With Us!

As a hygienist who’s been part of our team for nearly eight years, Faith Holman knows almost all of our patients — and you love her just as much as we do. So, it’ll come as no surprise that her journey speaks a lot to the dedicated, considerate type of person she is! Faith knew that she always loved interacting with and helping people. Originally, she planned on being a nurse but discovered that dentistry was an even better fit for her. Man, are we (and the hundreds patients she’s treated) glad that she did. There’s something you should know about Faith: She’s supremely reliable and very detail-oriented (which gels well with Dr. Flax’s detail-oriented approach to cosmetic dentistry). Before Flax Dental, she was a hygienist for over 10 years. She’s had diverse experiences within dentistry — mainly periodontology and pediatric dentistry — so we asked if anything about cosmetic dentistry has surprised her. Faith said she was surprised by the focus on function and the numerous mouth-body health considerations that Dr. Flax made. “It’s something I learned in school but continued in-depth here,” she told us. From sight function to balance, there are multiple regular tests that Faith does to inform herself and the team on the best course of action that will keep patients healthy for a lifetime. It’s one of the things she loves most about working at Flax Dental. She says there’s such a high level of care here that it’s like a boutique practice. “We can pamper our patients and focus on their utmost care,” Faith beamed. “I really have a lot more time to connect with patients and give them specialized care.” Besides dentistry, Faith has a huge passion for living life. As a Jehovah’s Witness, she loves to teach others about the Bible and volunteer with her congregation. She loves to exercise, hike, and cook delicious vegetarian food (Indian curries are a favorite). She loves to travel with her husband Henry, and she especially adores visiting islands. One of her favorite things about traveling is being immersed in new cultures and cuisine. Costa Rica is one of her favorite countries that she’s visited, but she plans on visiting every spot on the globe.

Zesty

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Skip the can-shaped cranberry sauce this year and bring a jar of homemade sauce to Thanksgiving instead. This easy recipe can be made ahead of the big event and keeps for 10 days in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed • 1/2 cup water • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar • 12 oz fresh cranberries • 2 tsp orange zest • Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the orange juice, water, and sugar to a boil. Add other ingredients, then bring mixture back to boiling. 2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook gently for 10–12 minutes, until the cranberries burst.

3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

If anyone can do it, it’s certainly Faith. Thank you for everything you do for our team!

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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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How to Change the Narratives of Our Lives

Clear Your Mind in a Different Way

Why You Might Be Brushing Regularly But Still Struggling With A Bad Bite

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Meet Faith!

Zesty Orange Cranberry Sauce

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Top 5 Healthy Life Hacks to Have an Awesome Morning

to Have an Awesome Morning Getting your day started with coffee isn’t always enough. Sometimes, you need to give yourself an extra boost, especially when you have little energy or trouble focusing. For an awesome start to your day, here are five tips to get you going right off the bat. Wake up 5 minutes early. What’s the power of five minutes? It can be more than you think. Spend this time doing simple breathing exercises or a quick meditation so you can get focused for the rest of the day. If that’s not your style, you can prepare a quick to-do list for your day ahead. Either way, it’s always nice to have a little extra time for yourself without losing too much sleep. Start with green tea, then coffee. A cup of coffee at 7 a.m. can leave you burned out by 10 a.m. Try swapping it with green tea for a more gentle wake-up call. After that, you can brew your favorite coffee to keep you going strong. This practice also might help you consume less caffeine overall! Take a quick morning walk — and have your meetings on the go. Morning meetings can make us want to fall asleep again. Don’t spend all of them sitting down if you don’t have to! Not only will Top 5 Healthy Life Hacks

morning walks help you wake up, but they can also add some extra physical activity to your day.

Write in your journal. Who says you have to journal at the end of the day when you’re tired and ready to sleep? You can journal in the morning about what happened yesterday and the things you’re looking forward to that day. Journaling can remind you of your daily goals and motivate you to stick to your commitments. Pack your lunch (or snacks!). Staying on track with your goals starts with having the energy to do them. Plan a healthy balance of fats, vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. This can be as simple as assembling dips, carrots, wraps, and salads each morning.

It’s time to try these tactics to jump-start your day!

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