Robinson Dental - April 2021

Robinson Dental - April 2021

Dental Digest WAYLAND •899 Reno Drive •Wayland, MI •49348 •269-509-4155

COOPERSVILLE •502 W. Randall St. •Coopersville, MI •49404•616-384-4129

APR 2021

MEET CHERI, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF ROBINSON DENTAL AT WAYLAND My Family Away From Home

I knew I wanted to get into health care when I started going to the dentist with my kids. My 9-year-old daughter had developed an extreme fear of the dentist due to a bad dental experience when she was young. Meanwhile, my 3-year- old son jumped on the dental chair and couldn’t wait to get going. It took many years of our dentist working with my daughter to convince her that going into the dental chair was okay, and it wasn’t until she was 13 that she got her first cleaning. I was so touched by how kind the staff members were to my daughter that I started thinking I wanted to do that for others. I’m grateful I had that experience as a mother because it started my passion for dentistry. I was excited when I realized I could combine that with another lifelong passion of mine, helping the community. After graduating from the dental hygiene program at 37, I externed and was hired into a county dental clinic. The clinic was in a very small and crowded basement, but the patient- focused nature of the clinic absolutely drew me in. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I worked in public health for around 12 years.

I’m so happy to say I made the right choice by joining Robinson Dental! Dr. Scott and Dr. Beth’s vision for Robinson — including free dental days, our holiday radio event for the local children’s hospital, benefits for veterans, and our varied community fundraising events — has genuinely amazed me. At our practice, I feel surrounded by people who are just as passionate about helping families as I am. Something that truly sets the Robinson Dental team apart is the sense of inclusion. We hope our patients feel like family as soon as they walk into our office. Many people feel alone when they experience fear at a dentist office, and a good portion of our patients are a bit afraid at first. Our team members have become experts in making people feel at home in their own way. We try to make our waiting room as comfortable as possible with coffee, hot cocoa, and a fireplace — the atmosphere is awesome. Our office is family-friendly. We even have a family suite with a couch, TV, and games for the kids to play while their family members are getting care! Robinson Dental is a wonderful place to be a team member. Not only is our leadership kind and thoughtful, but they also listen to feedback and take our suggestions into consideration. That’s a blessing for me because I always have a ton of ideas! My current role at Robinson allows me to continue to care for patients as a hygienist while supporting staff and promoting staff/leadership communication. My experience with Robinson Dental is tremendously rewarding for me personally. Being part of Robinson Dental is like being part of a huge family. I am grateful for the last two years and look forward to many more. If you catch me in our location, don’t be shy to say hi! We could talk about pit bulls, music, or art. I’m an artist outside of work, and I’m looking forward to having painting circles again once we can all gather. Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll see you around!

“Something that truly sets the Robinson Dental team apart is the sense of inclusion. We hope our patients feel like family as soon they walk into our office.”

I found Robinson Dental by chance about two years ago. Because I love to keep myself busy, I took up a sub position with Robinson on a day that I was off from my work in public health. I was stoked when Robinson offered me a full-time job! I had to think it through, though, because leaving public health was a tough decision for me. My passion is to help the community, and I’ll be honest: If the Robinson team wasn’t as dedicated to the community as they are, I wouldn’t have left my job in public health. Robinson cares about community, and it shows.

–Cheri Williams

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3 Safe April Fools’ Pranks Your Kids Will Love DITCH THE DANGER AND PLAN FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN

Every year, a prankster makes headlines on April Fools’ Day for taking their joke too far. In 2001, a DJ in England famously broadcast that he’d spotted a replica of the Titanic floating off the coast. Hundreds of people scrambled to the spot, and their combined weight actually caused a cliff to collapse into the ocean! Luckily no one was hurt, but a Montana man who played a different joke years later wasn’t so lucky. He donned a Sasquatch outfit and leaped from the forest to scare travelers. Unfortunately, he traumatized two teens so much that they lost control of their car and ran him over.

baffle your toddler (or even your 10-year-old), make a batch of jello and let it set in a juice glass. When they try to drink it later, enjoy the hilarity that ensues.

2. Rocks — It’s What’s for Dinner! If you want to confuse and horrify your kids, scatter chocolate rock candy (treats that look like real rocks) in the backyard before dinner. Then, when it’s time to eat, head outside and chow down on a handful of “rocks.” Your kids’ faces will be priceless! (Visit Nuts.com to score this candy for $8.99 per pound.)

3. Stinky Caramel ‘Apples’ Everyone loves caramel apples, but caramel-covered onions … not so much. This April Fools’ Day, swap the tasty fruit for its smelly vegetable counterpart and watch as everyone in the house falls for your trick! These are just a few pranks you can have up your sleeve for April Fools’ — or any day of the week. For even more hilarious ideas, check out the book “Pranklopedia: The Funniest, Grossest, Craziest, Not- Mean Pranks on the Planet!” from your local library.

If you’re a prankster, you can probably understand what drove the radio DJ and Sasquatch to their doom. It’s easy to go down the April Fools’ rabbit hole and plan a prank that’s too elaborate for adults, let alone your kids. But don’t worry — the internet is full of funny ways to introduce your little ones to the holiday safely. Instead of concocting a potentially harmful prank, try one of these harmless jokes instead, courtesy of Parenting magazine.

1. The Undrinkable Juice You know what looks a lot like grape juice? Grape jello! To

You’ll Want to Brush After Eating These

5 UNEXPECTED FOODS THAT CAUSE TROUBLE FOR YOUR TEETH

We’ve all been exhausted after a long day of school or work (or both!), gotten ready for bed, and decided to treat ourselves to a little snack. It might be tempting to skip brushing your teeth again, but please don’t — especially after eating these foods!

No. 1: Citrus Fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes can be great for tasty snacks or juices. In addition, they have several health benefits, including all the vitamin C they pack. The citric acid in these fruits, however, wears away your tooth enamel, which makes your teeth more vulnerable to decay. If you have any sores in your mouth, the acidity can irritate them and slow healing. No. 2: Dried Fruits Whether in trail mix or a standalone treat, dried fruit is a healthy alternative for snackers. However, dried varieties of many fruits such as prunes, raisins, or apricots are very sticky. They can get caught in your teeth and will cling to crevices

between teeth and gums, leaving behind high levels of damaging sugar.

a quick snack throughout the day. Chips are loaded with starch, and their crunchy nature means that starch can get trapped just about everywhere in your teeth. No. 5: Sour Candies All varieties of candy and chocolate can be bad news for your teeth, but sour candies may be the worst. They typically have more acids and sugars than normal candy and have the same negative impact as dried fruit. If you have to satisfy your sweet tooth, reach for something easier to wash away or plan to brush quickly.

No. 3: Bread Bread is another starchy food choice, so be mindful when you’re walking the bakery section of the grocery store. Much like potato chips, the starch from bread breaks down into sugars that can lead to cavities. If you’re shopping for bread, less refined varieties like whole wheat have less added sugar, but you’ll still want to brush your teeth after eating them. No. 4: Potato Chips Another common cavity culprit! Many people love grabbing a bag of their favorite chips for

We hope this list helps you eat and brush smarter! Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next month!

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WORD SEARCH

From Facebook to YouTube, there’s been a lot of social media hype about charcoal for the past decade as an exciting, new way to clean your teeth. There’s been charcoal toothbrushes, charcoal toothpaste, charcoal powder (which you apply and scrub against your teeth), and even charcoal gum. At first, that excited us! We want to see more effective, healthy dental products become trendy on the market. However, charcoal’s seeming effectiveness comes with a major drawback — it’s highly abrasive against your enamel, which can have long-term consequences. In 2019, a study conducted by the British Dental Journal found that charcoal provides little to no protection against tooth decay. Activated charcoal toothpaste can be so abrasive that it’ll remove the enamel on your teeth and cause them to become more sensitive and yellow with prolonged use. In the U.S., most dental health professionals recommend having your teeth professionally whitened at places that use FDA- approved products and procedures. Charcoal simply cannot remove intrinsic stains (stains below the surface), and it does not contain fluoride, which studies show is the most effective protection against tooth decay. Also, charcoal can negatively impact dental restorations, such as veneers, dental implants, bridges, crowns, and white fillings. So, if you’re looking for an effective product to keep your teeth white, skip charcoal. Some experts say that finely grounded and controlled amounts of activated charcoal can be safe to use in specifically formulated products, sparingly. However, most of what you’ll find in the supermarket won’t be fine enough to protect your teeth. IS CHARCOAL TRULY TEETH-FRIENDLY? The Science Says … Not Really

ARBOR ARIES

CHOCOLATE DAISY DIAMOND ENVIRONMENT

GARDEN KITE RAINBOW SHOWERS

BASEBALL CHERRIES

Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner

Inspired by TheSpruceEats.com

You’ve probably heard of a one-pot meal, but how about a one-pan meal? This easy sheet pan dinner comes together in just 30 minutes without dirtying many dishes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks • 1 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp pepper

• 2 tbsp canola oil • 1 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 tbsp honey • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. On a large baking sheet, combine chicken, sweet potatoes, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. 3. Bake for 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper. 4. Remove pan from oven and use a spatula to flip the chicken and potatoes, then add broccoli florets. 5. Drizzle sauce evenly over top and return to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F and vegetables are fork-tender.

That’s all from us — stay smiling, everyone!

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502 W. Randall St. Coopersville, MI 49404 RobinsonDental.org

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Inside THIS ISSUE Meet Cheri, Clinical Director of Robinson Dental at Wayland

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3 Safe April Fools’ Pranks Your Kids Will Love You’ll Want to Brush After Eating This

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Is Charcoal Truly Teeth-Friendly? Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner

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A Tail That Inspired Thousands

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Winter the dolphin was only 2 years old when rescuers found her with a crab trap line wrapped so tightly around her tail it was cutting off the circulation to her flukes. Unfortunately, this led to the eventual loss of her tail. In most cases, dolphins can’t survive without their flukes. When Winter first arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, her caregivers worried about her overall health. The infection that had taken over her tail due to loss of circulation was spreading, and if it reached her spinal cord, they knew she would die. Fortunately, her spinal cord remained untouched. Winter adapted to her situation, but then a new problem arose. Without flukes, Winter began moving her body side to side to swim, which caused scoliosis in her spine. However, an expert created a custom prosthetic tail for her, enabling her to swim normally again without impacting her spine. Since then, Winter has thrived! The story of what Winter went through, her struggle to recover, and how she fought to live has inspired thousands of people. Children and adults who have lost their limbs or were born with disabilities travel from around the world to meet her. She encourages people to keep fighting, and many feel that if Winter could overcome her obstacles, they can, too. There was even a film made about her called “Dolphin Tale.” In fact, many of the scenes from the movie were shot at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Winter starred as herself. The film captures her triumphant story and chronicles how she inspires people around the world. To learn more about Winter, read inspirational stories, or donate to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, visit CMAquarium.org. And, of course, “Dolphin Tale” is a great film for your next movie night!

Winter the Dolphin A Tail That Inspired Thousands

Photo: Clearwater Marine Aquarium

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