Briarfield Dental - June 2018

Briarfield Dental - June 2018

June 2018

The Most Important Lesson Dad Taught Me About Golf MEMORIES ON THE FAIRWAY

The first time I beat my dad in a round of golf, we were on vacation in Colorado. When it came to golf, my brothers and I always had a friendly competition with our dad — because he would never let us win, no matter how young we were. For years, after every game was over and he claimed victory yet again, he’d joke around, making us shake his hand while he said, “Good job,” or “Nice try!” I’ll never forget the day the tables finally turned. I had Dad beat when we went into the last hole. He hit the shot, and it flew into the woods, bounced off a tree, and landed back on the fairway. It came down to a 40-foot putt that I’d seen him make many times before. But victory was ultimately mine, and I beat him by a stroke. I rubbed it in a little and made him shake my hand. He smiled and took it well. He had known the day was coming. “Golfing will always remind me of my dad because he’s the one who got my brother and me into the sport.” The loss may have been a little easier on my dad because my older brother beat me to the punch years before! My brother was a pretty good golfer in his younger days, and it made for hot competition between him and my dad. Once my brother reached the peak of his golfing skills, he usually beat my dad more often than not.

Golfing will always remind me of my dad because he’s the one who got my brothers and me into the sport. We’ve been golfing our whole lives. Dad was a high school teacher and coach, and though basketball was his love, he made a point to teach my brothers and me how to play golf, too. He told us, “There’s going to come a time when you can’t run the bases or move up and down the court like you’d like to, but you can always get out there to golf and get competitive with the handicap.” Dad played golf long after he could no longer hustle on the basketball court. In fact, he bought a new set of clubs soon after he turned 80. Dad taught us about form and strategy, but the most import thing he taught me about golf is that 50 percent of the game is a mental exercise. Great golfers have the right frame of mind to handle anything that happens on the course. They know what they’re capable of. If they hit a bad shot, they’re able to shrug

it off and move on without letting the mistake psych them out and ruin their game.

If you want to be better at golf, get into the right state of mind. Accept that you’re not going to be Tiger Woods, and don’t try to compete with the pros. Instead, find what you are capable of and compete with yourself. Focus on trying to break 100, 90, or whatever your personal best might be. Half the fun of golf is doing more than what you were capable of last year. For a while, it felt like the last winter would never end. My clubs were still in the basement until almost the end of April! But the weather has finally cleared up, and I’m looking forward to spending time in the sun and working on my handicap. My dad gave me the tools to enjoy this game for the rest of my life, and I’ll remember him each time I grab my clubs and head to the course. –Dr. Stuckey

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Road Trips Don’t Have to Be Painful Try Games, Audiobooks, and Podcasts to Pass the Time

Summer is right around the corner, which means you’ll soon pile the whole family into the car, ready to brave the road for a vacation. Everyone knows that riding in the car for hours can be torture. But with a little creativity, you can turn the worst part of a long trip into a fun event. Pack a Travel Game When the excitement of the family vacation starts to wear off, keep the peace and entertain your kids with a travel game. Many board game manufacturers offer travel-sized versions that are easy to pack and play

starts by saying, “fortunately,” and mentioning something good about the road trip or the destination. The next person (moving clockwise) then follows by saying something “unfortunate” about the previous person’s statement. Take turns with every passenger in the car. If someone stumbles, they get a strike; three strikes and you’re out. The last passenger standing wins. Play an Audiobook or Podcast We get it. Sometimes passengers don’t want to play games. Occasionally, they’d rather relax or take a nap. However, your listening material doesn’t have to be limited to Dad’s favorite music. Instead,

in the car. Before your next road trip, consider purchasing digital Yahtzee, which packs all the fun of the classic game without the dice, or IQ Fit, a logic game with over 100 challenges. Both games cost around $10 and can provide hours of entertainment. Include the Whole Family Once the travel games no longer pique anyone’s interest, try an activity that can be fun for the whole family: a traditional road trip game. If you have a car full of storytellers, try “Fortunately, Unfortunately.” The rules are simple. The first person

consider listening to a family-friendly audiobook or podcast, which can make the longest and most boring parts of your trip an entertaining or educational experience. Almost any popular book is available in audio form, but it can be hard to find an enjoyable podcast. “Transistor” is a science-focused podcast that explores subjects kids and adults will find fascinating. Or if you’re looking for something fictional, try “Storynory,” in which the narrator tells fairy tales and legends from all over the globe.

Do You Have the Time? Renee Foels on Life and Scheduling the Office

managing the schedule for an eye doctor. Making the leap into dentistry is a big change of pace.

busy, participating in travel baseball, soccer, house baseball, and wrestling. To top it all off, Renee just celebrated the birth of her second grandchild to her stepdaughter. “My kids are my life, and my life is pretty busy. But hey, if I can schedule my life, I can schedule things here!” Most people can relate to having a hectic schedule, but Renee is great at keeping things in order, and she always has time to help patients. “If you ever have questions about anything, just ask! Everyone at the office is more than willing to take the time to go through how a procedure works, explain benefits, go through the scheduling process, clarify why you need treatment at a certain time, or answer any other questions. We’re here to help you!”

“I’m learning a lot,” Renee says. “Before, when I was just a patient, I didn’t know anything about dentistry! Now I’m learning about what goes into every procedure and why treatments are done a certain way. I’m fortunate to have a team that’s willing to teach me so much. The people I work with are amazing; they really know their stuff. And Dr. Stuckey is so friendly and down-to-earth. The office is a fun place to be.” In addition to learning quickly, Renee is great at keeping all our calendars in order. Her skill as a master scheduler comes from her years of experience in the field and her talent of organizing her own family. A mother of two boys and stepmother of two daughters, Renee does her fair share of running around. Her eldest son recently turned 16, and he’s testing for his black belt and performing with the select-performance choir at school. Renee’s 10-year-old son is also

What makes someone a master scheduling coordinator? Is it professional experience? The ability to organize a busy personal life? A great attitude? It’s hard to say, but fortunately, we have someone at Briarfield Dental who is all of the above! Renee Foels joined our team back in October of 2017 after being our patient for quite some time. Before she started scheduling checkups and appointments for us, Renee spent 16 years

Well said, Renee. Thanks for all the work you do to make sure Briarfield Dental runs smoothly.

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Don’t Let Stress Scare You Away From the Dentist

No one likes going to the dentist — after all, the thought of someone else snooping around in your mouth isn’t pleasant. It’s pretty common to feel stressed at the dentist’s office, but for some people, that stress can escalate to a phobia. Dental anxiety can cause a host of dental problems. Many people who struggle with this anxiety will only visit the dentist when they absolutely need to. But rushing to the dentist due to an emergency only makes the patient’s anxiety worse. Emergency experiences are never pleasant and can add more stress to a trying situation. If someone is already nervous about going to the dentist, making an appointment for something far worse than a simple cleaning isn’t the solution. Their opinion of dentists is only going to worsen in situations like this, creating an unpleasant case for the patient and dentist. Managing your dental anxiety isn’t easy, but it can be done, and you don’t have to rely on sedatives to make it through an appointment, either. An easy way to minimize anxiety is to show up to your appointment on time — never early. Although this strategy might

seem too simple to work, it minimizes the time you spend in the waiting room. The longer a patient sits, the more time they have to mull over any previous bad experiences, imagine things that could go wrong, or anticipate the expected discomfort. Communicate your anxiety to your dentist. Getting to know your dentist and their process can lower stress levels and uncertainty, and your dentist may have suggestions on how to make you comfortable once they know how nervous you are. Talking through the procedure beforehand and afterward will help you understand what to expect and what’s already happened. Dental anxiety can make the dentist’s office seem like the worst place in the world. At Briarfield Dental, we want you to have the best experience possible. That’s one of the reasons why we created the Briarfield Dental Comfort Menu. From TVs above your dental chair to hot face towels, neck pillows, and even lip balm, we’ve got you covered! We do what we can to help you feel relaxed and comfortable during your visit. The next time you’re in the office, be sure to ask about the Comfort Menu!

Laugh Corner

Dr. Stuckey’s Playlist

Something for the Summer

Now that we’re finally getting to enjoy the sun and warm weather again, I wanted to pick a playlist that captures the uplifting feeling of summer fun. O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) was the best choice! They were very popular in Columbus at Ohio State University and played venues for years while they were getting their start. This is a rock band fromMaryland who is known for their outdoor summer concert tours. I’ve seen them twice in concert, at BGSU and again at DTE Music Theater. Once, our son Kevin gave us tickets for Mother’s Day, so we were able to see O.A.R. with him and his girlfriend, Kaity. On that occasion, it rained during part of the concert, but the show went on, and we had a great time. We had on plastic ponchos and blankets, and the band played such a great show that a little rain couldn’t ruin the fun.

Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Richard On, and Benj Gershman, the original members of O.A.R., went to high school together in Rockville, Maryland. They formed the band in 1996 and released their first album, “The Wanderer,” a year later. This album is pretty good, but the band really came together in 2000 when saxophonist Jerry DePizzo joined the lineup. After DePizzo came along, O.A.R. released my favorite album from them, “Risen,” which features my favorite of their songs, “Someone in the Road,” “Hey Girl,” and “She Gone.” I really enjoy their music. They have a smooth, optimistic sound that makes O.A.R. the perfect soundtrack for a bright summer’s day when you’re driving down the road toward some exciting destination.

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Dr. Stuckey Goes “Clubbing”

How to Make Your Road Trip a Breeze Making Time With Renee Don’t Be Scared Off by Dental Anxiety Dr. Stuckey’s Playlist

3 Fathers Who Risked It All for Their Kids

3 Awesome Dads

Fathers Who Put Their Lives on the Line for Their Kids

Greg Alexander battled a bear for his son’s life. While camping in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg Alexander was startled awake at dawn by the screams of his 16-year-old son, Gabriel. He rushed out of his hammock to see a black bear dragging his son away by the head. Without hesitation, he kicked the

Artur Magomedov saved his daughters from ISIS. Artur Magomedov was devastated to discover that his wife had taken his 3- and 10-year-old daughters from their home in Dagestan under the cover of night, flown to Turkey, and crossed into Syria to join ISIS. But he resolved to get his kids back. After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived in Tabqa to embrace his two daughters. To leave the caliphate — under penalty of death — they hitched a ride to the border one night and crawled along a railway line until they were within 70 meters of the border. Then they ran under fire from Turkish border guards until they could scramble into tall grasses. After some help from the Russian consulate in Istanbul, they made it back home, together again and safe.

This Father’s Day, thousands of dads will receive a “No. 1 Dad” mug to sip coffee out of at the office. But the following dads took that “No. 1” to a new level. Brian Munn gave his son a liver transplant.

When doctors discovered that baby Caleb Munn had a rare disease called biliary atresia, they told his parents that he was unlikely to survive past age 2 without a liver transplant. Luckily, his father was a perfect match, and he eagerly donated part of his

beast in the side, and when that didn’t work, he leapt onto its back and started punching it in the face. When the bear finally released Gabriel, Greg threw rocks until it fled. His son was hurt but made a full

liver in March of 2015 to save his son’s life.

recovery in the hospital over the coming weeks.

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Published by The Newsletter Pro · www.thenewsletterpro.com