Flax Dental - October 2021

Flax Dental - October 2021

404-255-9080 | www.flaxdental.com

October 2021

HowDoWe Face Our Fears? A Halloween Special

That was far from the truth. As I’ve connected with many graduates from that time and over

Halloween is all about horror films and fear, but what are we really scared of in life? How do we face our fears, especially when those fears are being brought on by others? At a crucial time in my career, I had a lot of hands-on experience with this. You may be surprised to hear that, in fact, intimidation is a common tactic in dental school. At least, it was in mine! Today, more medical and dental schools are professional and treat students in a kind manner. However, in my day, it was actually normal for our teachers to approach our education like a boot camp. That might sound a little exaggerated, but they didn’t give us that impression at first, of course. During our initial orientation, they played one of the most famous sketches from “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Dentist,” with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. A nervous dentist, fresh out of dental school, meets with his first patient and tries to talk the patient out of the chair before eventually putting Novocaine in himself by accident. It’s hilarious and made me think, “Wow, these guys must be pretty cool.” Whether you’ve seen a new movie recently or a long time ago, we’d love to hear about the scariest movie you’ve ever seen! Tell us on Facebook and you can win a $100 gift card to Amazon. Respond by Oct. 10, 2021, and submit your story to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/FlaxDental. Congratulations to last month's winner, Allison Steele

the years, I learned my perspective on that school was shared by hundreds. Our teachers used emotionally and mentally manipulative tactics, just to see how much it’d take to get under your skin. At one point, I had a teacher who refused, on personal principle, to give any male student an A in her class. It was easy for her to play mind games to convince you that you didn’t deserve an A for any reason. Many of my peers were understandably disheartened by this treatment. Of course, I was greatly bothered at first as well, but ultimately, I took it as a personal challenge. I knew that nothing was going to stop me from becoming a dentist, not even her. It put a chip on my shoulder and made me work even harder. I wanted to make it impossible for her not to give me an A — and I did. That experience really made a difference for me, moving forward. Whether it’s in the personal or professional arena, I try to ask myself the same question: What do I need to overcome this fear or challenge? It takes the emotion out of your fears and forces you to assess it on face value. Even if there are

real-life voices saying you can’t succeed, fear can be treated like an unwelcome houseguest — and by reasoning with it. I really believe you can climb hurdles you never thought possible.

—Hugh Flax

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Self-Help Books Can’t Do It All

How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You

world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off. More Comfort With Uncertainty Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. Greater Happiness Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!

Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful.

This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them.

Less Stress and Better Sleep When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the

Good News The

How Do You Create a Good Bite?

teeth when you move your lower jaw forward or to the side to limit friction and muscle tension while chewing. 3. Eliminate fremitus or mobility of guiding teeth. The equilibration procedure we utilize uses the Kois Deprogrammer to calibrate the muscles of your jaws, head, and neck to work in symphony with your teeth in a very well- orchestrated way. To do this, we start with a deprogrammer, a removable appliance that is worn for at least a week. That time frame allows your jaws to relax and get into a comfortable position following aligner treatment. Then, special paper is inserted into your mouth while you bite down to show contact points, areas of friction, or places where there is the potential for chipping, excessive wear, or micromovement.

From there, minimal adjustments are made to achieve the three goals and to polish out the unevenness of your bite while preserving as much tooth structure as possible. Re-mineralizing treatment helps reseal the teeth after polishing for comfort and health. Added benefits of equilibration include reduced tooth sensitivity, since the teeth fit together better post-treatment. It can also help reduce head and neck pain, because wearing the appliance helps to calm the nerve pathways between the head, jaws, and neck, which tests have shown are interconnected. Adjusting a bite with the Kois Deprogrammer can be complicated and sometimes takes more than one visit. But it’s a technology that allows you to participate more in your treatment. It permits us to verify your input and see what areas in your mouth we need to adjust. Again, the goal is to make only minimal adjustments to preserve tooth structure while balancing your bite. If you want to learn more, take a peek at Dr. Flax’s book, “A Smile Is Always in Style” or give us a call!

2 404-255-9080 | www.flaxdental.com 2. Have your front teeth help guide and disclude (separate) the back Equilibration is a process of calibrating your bite so your teeth uniformly contact when your jaws are at rest. It is a gentle procedure that allows your lower teeth to contact your upper teeth very evenly all the way around your mouth. The three goals of equilibration include: 1. Create equal bilateral bite contacts of the posterior teeth when the muscles are relaxed and the jaw joints are in their proper positions. One of the big complaints that lets us know someone has a bite issue is that they just “don’t know how their bite is supposed to fit together.” While aligning the teeth can give you a beautiful-looking smile, often what’s needed to correct the bite is a procedure known as equilibration .

Our Best Patients Refer Our Best Patients “Excellent care and attention to clients. No waiting and they are always cognizant of your own schedule. Chelsea is always interested in your oral health and overall well-being.” —Darrett A.

Employee Spotlight

Actress, Writer, Patient Care Extraordinaire

Meet Tiffany, Our Patient Coordinator

Tiffany Juarez always wanted to be part of the dental field. Not only did the field offer flexible hours for a creative person like herself, but also it offered the opportunity to connect in meaningful ways with patients.

But Tiffany didn’t want to work just anywhere. She wanted to work for the best.

“I wanted to be in the elite,” she laughed during our interview. No wonder she stumbled onto Dr. Flax’s name during her research! Now that she works here, she understands why there are so many stellar reviews about Dr. Flax’s care. “My history of administrative and customer service work definitely helped me land my job at Flax Dental [in January 2021.]” As a patient coordinator today, her expertise is put to good use. She helps coordinate with patients, hygienists, and dental assistants to schedule treatment plans, even when there are emergencies. Behind the scenes, Tiffany does a lot for our patients as well, such as receiving and tracking lab cases. In her mind, “the biggest part of my job would be delivering the ultimate client experience to each of my patients.” It might surprise you that Tiffany wasn’t always behind the front desk — she also went to dental assisting school herself! In fact, she was originally a dental assistant at our practice. Long after school and her transition behind the desk, however, she’s never stopped learning new things about oral health. Tiffany said her biggest surprise about oral health came when she arrived at Flax Dental. “I was really surprised how something small could turn into a VERY big problem. If someone needs a filling but puts it off for a year, we might need to replace the whole tooth when we could’ve given a simple filling the year prior.” She’s not only an expert at the technical and logistical aspects of the office — Tiffany is also incredibly creative and passionate about writing short films and acting! “I love anything involving a camera. Mostly being in front of it, but I love the behind-the- scenes work, too.” She’s a huge film buff, and although she’ll happily list off a bunch of directors she loves, Quentin Tarantino will always be one of the greats and one of her favorites.

Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup

This healthy, savory soup is the perfect lunch for a cool fall day.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper, to taste • 4 cups chicken broth • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tsp Italian seasoning • 3 cups kale, chopped • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 4 Italian chicken

sausages, sliced to bite- size pieces

• 6 cloves garlic • 1 onion, chopped • 6–7 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Directions

vegetables, sausage, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes. 4. Open the pot and add the kale. Cook another 20 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often, then remove from the pot and set aside. 2. Add garlic and onion to the pot. Sauté 4–5 minutes. Add squash, salt, and pepper. Sauté 8 minutes.

stir to combine. Cook 10 more minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Thank you so much for everything you do, Tiffany! We appreciate your diverse talents and hard work so much!

3. In a slow cooker, combine sautéed

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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.beautifulsmileforyou.net

Inside

Remember: Whether you have dental insurance benefits remaining, or leftover funds in your flexible spending account (FSA) or health care 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 Do We Face Our Fears?

The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction

How Do You Create a Good Bite?

Meet Tiffany, Our Patient Coordinator

Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup

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Haunted Destinations to Visit This October

3 Haunted Spots Every Ghost Believer Will Love Ghosts Across America

Stay a while at Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona. Guests at Hotel Monte Vista have often enjoyed long stays at the downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, hotel, but not everyone leaves. Constructed in 1927, the hotel is host to a number of reported ghosts. The most well-known is an elderly

October is one of the best months for travel in the U.S. With mild temperatures and gorgeous, colorful leaves everywhere, there’s no better time for a cross-country road trip. Add some Halloween flair to your October vacation with these three ghostly attractions.

woman who would spend hours rocking in the chair in her room. Today, her chair can be found moving on its own. Another popular visitor is the ghost of a bellboy who knocks on doors and announces that room service has arrived — only, no one's there.

Visit the most haunted town in the U.S. — Waynesville, Ohio. Sure, New Orleans may have a spooky past, but it doesn’t compare to Waynesville. Many residents and visitors think this Ohio town is rife with ghosts. You may hear cries to “hurry up” at The Hammel House Inn, where many

Is there a monster in Pine Barrens, New Jersey? This one’s for those who love mysterious creatures. Pine Barrens is a mass of forested land that spreads across seven counties in New Jersey — and its most famous resident isn’t human. The Jersey Devil has a long, storied history and is said to be a combination of many animals: Its body is shaped like a kangaroo with wings. It has the head of a dog but the face of a horse. The creature is believed to have had a sickly start to life in 1735 and has stayed to haunt the forest’s inhabitants and even those who visit the area today.

tunnels for the underground railroad came through, or you could see the apparition of a businessman from the 1800s who “never checked out.” Other sources report hauntings at the town’s historical society, Museum at the Friends Home, including a little girl who moves toys and sits on the porch. The society leans into the local fascination and hosts regular walking ghost tours and ghost hunting classes.

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