Anderson Dental Care - January 2021

Anderson Dental Care - January 2021

BRUSH - UP

ANDERSON DENTAL CARE Nathan Brooks, DDS, Inc.

7525 STATE RD., STE. A, CINCINNATI, OH 45255 | 513-438-8152 | WWW.ATOWNDENTAL.COM | JANUARY 2021

SMALL STEPS TO BIG GOALS A FORMULA FOR MAKING PROGRESS IN THE NEW YEAR

Happy New Year, friends. I hope you’re feeling the refreshment and renewal that accompanies the new year. We may still have the pandemic and political issues, which no vaccine or politician can solve immediately, but many things are still within our control. That’s what I’m trying to focus on in 2021. This year, I’m trying to improve by adjusting some habits and creating a few new ones. For me, it can be hard to focus on things within my control, like habits, when it feels like any effort I make is too small and doesn’t make a difference. But recently, I enjoyed a book that changed my perspective about the importance of doing small things. The book is “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” by BJ Fogg. According to Fogg, the formula behind every habit is simple: Motivation + Ability + Prompt = Habit. First, you need motivation to establish your new habit. Second, you need the ability to perform the habit. Third, you need a prompt that reminds you to do the habit. A prompt can be any time, event, or cue. For example: taking a shower. Maybe you are in the habit of taking a shower daily at 7 a.m. Cleanliness is your motivation; you have the ability and supplies to take a shower; and your prompt is the fact that it’s 7 a.m., which tells you it’s time to jump in the shower. Now, applying that to create a new habit may seem tricky, but I’ve tried it and it works! In our family of seven, I recently used this formula to figure out how to solve a common problem: so many dirty dishes in the sink. I don’t mind cleaning dishes, but the accumulation is a real issue at the end of the day. I’m a pretty fast eater, and I realized I could change my “prompt” for washing dishes. Instead of waiting for everyone to finish eating, I could start washing dishes right after I finished eating. I’m first to finish, so I clear my plate and get started on dishes already in the sink. I’m still near the table, so I can interact with the family and keep up conversations. Everyone else finishes and brings me their dishes, which I’m then ready to wash right away. It’s been about eight weeks, and this has now become a pretty solid habit.

The impact of doing dishes right after dinner may seem small, and as a stand-alone activity, it is. But the snowball effect is where the impact really happens. Doing dishes every night prompts the rest of the family to clear the table, sweep the floor, wipe down counters, etc. (not perfectly, but progress is progress). That sets up our kitchen for a seamless morning: We have clean dishes to eat a good breakfast instead of grabbing something packaged, which leads to more energy and so on. Again, it’s not perfect, but the little steps we take daily add up to a lifetime of progress and truly great things. So, what goals do you have? What habits do you want to change or create? I invite you to join me in thinking about it, and then start with one small step you can implement using this formula. Invite your family to join you. The great thing about goal setting is that it’s not a purely adult activity. We’re helping our kids set their own goals and create strategies to achieve them. It’s an important life skill, helping us control our own progress and happiness even when many things are out of our control.

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One of your New Year’s resolutions may be finally getting the dental treatment you need. One of the most common dental treatments you may encounter is a dental crown. This may sound scary, but crowns are a far more likable dental solution than you may think. When you think about the word “crown,” chances are that you think of the ornament a king will place on his head. A dental crown is similar to that, albeit less ornamental. The crown is placed over the surface of a patient’s tooth to cover it up for various reasons. Most commonly, a patient has significant decay or cracks in a tooth too extensive to fill with standard fillings, so the decay is removed and a crown is placed over the tooth to build its structure back up to normal. A patient who has had root canal therapy to remove infection from a tooth root also often requires a dental crown placed over the affected tooth. Some people may be unhappy with the appearance of their teeth, so dental crowns can be a cosmetic improvement to cover misshapen or discolored teeth, restoring their appearance and improving their smile. Filling open spaces left by missing teeth is another reason for dental crowns. WHAT IS A DENTAL CROWN, EXACTLY? DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK - FIND OUT HERE!

When it’s gray and chilly outside, it may be tempting to just stay cozy inside until winter is over. But the reality is, if we deprive ourselves of time outside, we do ourselves a big disservice both mentally and physically. Staying indoors all day affects energy and mood, which makes it hard to get anything done, so here are four easy tips to make it easier to get a little fresh air. 1. Make it a priority. Getting outside means making the conscious effort to do so. If you want to reap its benefits, you have to decide to make it a priority in your day-to-day schedule. If you make the act important to you, you have more motivation to actually do it. 2. Use mornings effectively. Waking up and getting the day started can be hard. But studies have shown that natural light helps decrease your melatonin production, which means you feel ready to face the day sooner. So, set yourself a second alarm to head outside and take a quick walk around the block just after waking. Don’t even wash your face or grab coffee. Just get out there. 3. Take your work outside. If you’re working from home, take some work outdoors. Phone and virtual meetings are a great outdoor option, especially if you’ll just be an active listener and aren’t required to do any work simultaneously. Attach a note to your meeting reminders to get yourself set up outside five minutes before you start. 4. Create a schedule. It might feel strange to set reminders throughout the day to step outside, but you easily get wrapped up in activities and overlook breaks, and these reminders are exactly what you need. Start with 10-minute blocks three times a day. If you stick to them, soon you won’t need a schedule to get outside anymore. Try using the formula in Dr. Brooks’ cover article to make getting outside daily a habit. Even when it’s cold, bundling up and taking 5–10 minutes outside can do wonders for your mood and energy for hours! 4 TIPS TO MAKE GETTING OUTSIDE EASIER LET THAT FRESH AIR FUEL YOU

Overall, the dental crown’s main use is to restore a tooth’s appearance, utility, and strength. In other words, it can

be categorized as both cosmetic and restorative as it can achieve various goals.

Many different types of dental crowns are available. While they aim to achieve similar goals, the crowns can be made from different materials. In our office, we almost always use Zirconia. It’s one of the strongest materials we have to mimic natural tooth enamel, and it

can be color-matched to one’s teeth. It doesn’t break or fracture, so the only way a Zirconia crown will fail is if it gets decay around it. With proper maintenance, a Zirconia crown can last a lifetime. Dental crowns are a worthwhile investment in your oral health. If you have questions about dental crowns or think you might need one, don’t hesitate to call our office. We’ll be happy to walk you through any questions or concerns you may have.

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SOUP’S ON!

PERFECT YOUR SOUP RECIPE WITH THESE 3 TIPS

SIMMER TO BLEND FLAVORS. Simmering is the key to a great soup. Once all your ingredients are in the pot, reduce the heat to a low simmer. This allows the flavors to play together without overcooking. If a soup is boiled for too long, the vegetables, meats, and/or pasta can become mushy and underwhelming.

Soup is perfect for sick days and alongside grilled cheese, and Grandma always seemed to have a recipe to make everything better. For as simple and comforting as soup can be, re-creating those memories from your stovetop includes a few tedious steps. Become a soup master with this go-to guide to winter’s favorite dish.

MIND YOUR PEAS AND CARROTS. The magic of a hearty minestrone or old-fashioned chicken noodle soup comes from the flavors of vegetables to create the perfect blend of comfort and taste. However, overcooking or undercooking vegetables can ruin this delicate balance. So, consider the vegetables you want in your soup and plan accordingly. Start by chopping vegetables into bite-size pieces that will easily fit on a spoon. No one wants a spoonful of soup that’s just carrots after all! Then, add vegetables to your soup based on cooking time and flavoring. Carrots, onions, and celery should “sweat” in the

SEASON GRADUALLY — BUT GENEROUSLY. No one enjoys a bland soup, but too much seasoning can overpower the natural flavors of your ingredients. Add your seasoning to

vegetables as they sauté in the pot before adding the stock. Then, add the stock and the remainder of your ingredients. Only add more seasoning as the soup simmers and do a taste test. Add a bit of salt and pepper until it’s perfect! If you over-salt, don’t panic. Adding more stock, potatoes, noodles, or cream can fix your soup in a pinch.

pot with oil and seasoning before you add the broth to capture the fullest flavor of these ingredients. Potatoes and other root vegetables can be added in the boiling phase, while leafy greens only need minutes in the pot toward the end to capture their full flavor.

Bonus Tip: Always serve your soup with bread, toast, or crackers. It’s the perfect vehicle to soak up all the flavors!

YOUR MONTHLY NEED-TO-KNOW!

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS •

8 chicken thighs or drumsticks, lightly salted

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1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks

WE KNOW WHAT THE MOON SMELLS LIKE. Although astronauts can’t take off their helmets to smell the open air on the moon, they have taken plenty of samples from its surface. From the smell of lunar dust, experts believe the moon smells like spent gunpowder. THE LIFESPAN OF A CASH BILL DIRECTLY RELATES TO ITS VALUE. A $1 bill lasts about 18 months; $5 bill, two years; $10 bill, three years; $20 bill, four years; and $50 and $100 bills, nine years. If you have a worn- out bill, it can be replaced by your bank and taken out of circulation. WE CAN’T TICKLE OURSELVES BECAUSE OUR BRAIN CAN PREDICT THE SENSATION AND CANCEL IT OUT. When we try to tickle ourselves, our cerebellum will cancel the response to certain brain areas — however, our brain can’t predict the movement of other people. Therefore, it can’t cancel the tickling sensation when other people try it on us.

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1 tbsp olive oil

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2 garlic cloves, sliced

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1 tbsp all-purpose flour

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14 oz chicken stock

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1 onion, finely sliced

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1 sprig rosemary

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2 celery sticks, thickly sliced

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Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

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2 carrots, thickly sliced

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1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

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1 leek, thickly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large frying pan, heat oil and fry salted chicken on high until brown. 2. Transfer chicken to the slow cooker. Add flour and stir. 3. In the frying pan on high heat, fry the onion, celery, carrots, leeks, and potatoes until lightly browned. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

4. Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker and add the stock, rosemary, and lemon zest. 5. Cook on high for 2.5–3 hours or until chicken is tender. 6. Check seasoning and add lemon juice to taste. Top with parsley before serving.

Inspired by GoodHousekeeping.com

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513-438-8152 WWW.ATOWNDENTAL.COM

ANDERSON DENTAL CARE Nathan Brooks, DDS, Inc.

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

7525 STATE RD., STE. A, CINCINNATI, OH 45255

3 Steps to Perfect, Comforting Soup INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 2 3 3 4 Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole What’s Happening, Cincinnati? Give Yourself the Boost of Getting Outside What Is a Dental Crown, Exactly? Small Steps to Big Goals

WHAT’S HAPPENING, CINCINNATI? CATCH THE RECENT GOOD NEWS HERE!

We used to have a bimonthly article called “What’s Happening in [month], Cincinnati?” and it featured local events. However, with the pandemic still going on, our team at Anderson Dental Care wanted to use this feature instead to share local, wonderful feel-good stories that happened right here in Cincinnati! We think you’ll love these stories as much as we do. CINCINNATI DANCE STUDIO IS HELPING CHANGE THE HIP-HOP SCENE Elementz is a hip-hop educational organization that’s long been a catalyst of change for Cincinnati’s inner-city youth, providing classes and equipment to learn music and dance. Participants have typically been male despite being open to everyone. “Anybody who’s ever paid attention to hip-hop [will notice] it’s very male dominated,” said Chenelle Jones, the co-founder of Over-The-

Rhine’s Elementz dance studio. Jones had reaped the benefits of Elementz’s program herself despite having mostly male peers. Her co-founder, Anaya McNair, also attended classes with her, and they both decided to become instructors. Now, they’ve opened up a fresh new dance studio to empower girls to dance and “morph the face of hip-hop” with a unique mission: make girls feel less alone in the hip-hop world. PARENTS DONATE TO MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION TO HONOR THEIR DAUGHTER’S DEATH Dani Brosious was 27 years old and newly married when she went on a jog through Spring Grove Cemetery with her mother and a family friend — when, suddenly, lightning struck the group. Only Dani’s mother, Mary Kelsey, survived.

Devastated by the sudden deaths, Mary recalled Dani’s belief in wishes. Whether she pointed it out verbally or screenshot the time on her phone, Dani never failed to make a wish whenever the clock struck 11:11. To keep Dani’s memory alive, Mary and Dave Kelsey (Dani’s father) started a campaign to donate $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They raised $45,000. “A lot of the people who donated, we don’t even know who they are,” Dave said. “So, I assume it’s someone Dani knows, and that, to me, is just so heartwarming that somebody remembers her or thinks so much of her to donate a monetary amount to a cause they think is good.” We’re constantly amazed by the big, warm hearts in our own communities. Do you have a good news story to share? We’d love to hear it! Thanks so much, and have a beautiful January!

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