Sabal Dental Harlingen July 2018

Sabal Dental Harlingen July 2018

July 2018

321 S. 13th St., Ste. 101, Harlingen, TX 78550 |

www.SabalDental.com

(956) 428-5300

|

Journey to Dentistry Where Do You Call Home?

I traveled all over the country on my path to becoming a dentist. I’m originally from Southern California, and my family still lives on the West Coast. When it came time for me to choose a college, I hopped on a plane to attend the University of Hawaii, where I pursued my biology degree. Like most college students, I didn’t yet know what I was going to do with my degree. Fortunately, I would attend a lecture taught

“Patients would come into the office scared and miserable and leave happy and full of relief.”

by a local dentist who spoke about her experiences. She said the biggest reason she liked dentistry is because she was able to help people who were in pain feel better right away, and help people who didn’t like something about their appearance fix it in as little as one appointment. I found that job description very appealing, and I spent the next year shadowing another dentist at their office. During that year, I discovered the lecturer hadn’t been all talk. A dentist really did get to help people quickly. I really liked that instant gratification element you don’t see in many other areas of medicine. Patients would come into the office scared and miserable and leave happy and full of relief. The dentist I shadowed genuinely enjoyed helping their patients and got to meet a lot of people every day. Being a dentist checked off a lot of boxes for what I wanted to do with my life. I made the leap and enrolled in the dentistry program at the University of Iowa. Moving from the warm beaches of Hawaii to chilly Iowa was a bit of a shock, especially when winter came and I experienced snow for the first time in years, but I had a great time. After graduating from dental school, I made a stop in Colorado for a few months to help a friend who was just starting her own practice. Then, tired of snowy winters, I made my way down to Uvalde, Texas, where I went into

the public health sector. During my three years there, I learned a lot about what it means to be a good dentist from my mentor. After my time in public health came to an end, I moved to San Antonio, where I met my husband. We got married, and just over a year later, he was transferred for work. I practiced in Brownsville for about four years before we finally found our way to Harlingen. Of all the places I’ve lived, Harlingen is one of my favorites. Yes, Hawaii had tropical beaches, but you really can’t beat the small-town feel of Harlingen. It’s a family town where you have the opportunity to get to know everyone. That’s something I really wanted for my three girls. My step- daughters are 14 and 12 and my youngest is 2, and I can see how Harlingen will be a great place for them to grow up. I’ve had the pleasure of practicing my skill in a lot of places. I look forward to meeting all of my new patients and to supporting the Harlingen community as your new dentist! – Dr. Diana Cabrera

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Learning That Doesn’t Feel Like School MENTALLY STIMULATING ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER

Every summer, parents across the country have to deal with the

process of making the solution will teach ratios, and finding creative ways to blow bubbles fosters problem-solving skills and creative thinking. For Teenagers: Family Dinner Party

same delicate problem. They want to make sure their kids continue to learn without feeling like they’re being

Cooking teaches so many important skills: math, science, nutrition, concentration, cultural understanding, following directions, creativity, time management, and more. Even better, it doesn’t feel like learning; it feels like fun. Encourage your older children to take the reins for preparing regular meals throughout the summer. You can pick guiding themes, like “a trip to Mexico” or “pasta party,” but let them choose the recipes and prep the meals on their own. For the Entire Family: An Educational Field Trip Field trips always inspire excitement in students, and you’ll find the same goes for your family members. You can tailor your destination to the interests of your kids for maximum engagement. If you have a family of art lovers, head to a museum for some inspiration and discussion. Kids who prefer the outdoors will enjoy a nature walk or hike. You can bring along a field guide to identify flora and fauna. These trips may not pack the thrill of a water park, but they’re fun in an entirely different way.

assigned tasks. After all, summer homework is every child’s worst nightmare. Luckily, you don’t have to rely on math problems and book reports to keep your child’s development from taking a two-month vacation. Here are a few mentally stimulating activities that are as educational as they are fun. For Little Ones: Homemade Bubbles Bubbles fascinate young children, so why not spend a day making your own solution and experimenting with different types of bubbles? The formula is simple: 1 part dish soap (Dawn or Joy work best) to 10 parts water. Optionally, you can also include 1/4 part glycerin. The

Our Patients Say It Best ............................... “Entire staff is amazing — so friendly and helpful. Everyone has a great attitude and wonderful sense of humor that puts you at ease even in the most

“This place is pretty awesome. I never wait for more than 10 minutes. The dentist and staff are great and don’t give me any problems. I highly recommend them.” –Jordan D. “Best dental office! I was extremely happy with the service both of my sons received at Sabal Dental! The entire staff was friendly and professional. I would highly recommend Sabal Dental!” –Shannon H.

difficult times.” –Caroline R. “The staff are always courteous, patient, and helpful. I am visually impaired and hard of hearing — the staff always make each visit easy for me. The dentist is professional and takes the time to truly listen to any concerns or issues I have.” –Joseph M.

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DO MUMMIES WEAR BRACES? A Brief History of Orthodontics

Braces are a part of many people’s lives. You’d be hard- pressed to find someone who didn’t wear braces in high school, and it’s likely you have a friend or sibling who spent a few years with metal strapped to their teeth. People have been striving for a perfect smile for a long time. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence that many ancient civilizations used some form of braces. Several ancient Egyptian mummies have been discovered with bands of catgut wrapped around their teeth, and across the Mediterranean, the Etruscans often buried their dead with gold bands around their pearly whites. These braces were part of burial rituals, meant to keep a person’s teeth in place after they died. Though philosophers of the time, including Hippocrates and Aristotle, would write about methods for straightening teeth while patients were still alive, braces wouldn’t really get their start until after the Dark Ages. In 1728, French dentist Pierre Fauchard published “The Surgeon Dentist.” One of the treatments was the bandeau, a

horseshoe-shaped piece of metal that could expand the arch of a patient’s mouth. If this sounds painful, that’s because historians believe the bandeau was actually a torture device. Fortunately, Christophe-François Delabarre came along in 1819 to invent the wire crib, which signaled the beginning of modern orthodontics. Braces would change rapidly over the next hundred years as dentists learned more about teeth. For a long time, most braces were made of gold, platinum, silver, or gum rubber, though some orthodontists relied on ivory, brass, and even wood. Stainless steel wouldn’t become the norm until the 1950s. Then, in the 1970s, with the introduction of dental adhesives, orthodontists no longer needed to wrap wires around each individual tooth, and braces as we know them came to be. Today, traditional metal braces have been joined by ceramic braces, lingual braces, and plastic aligners like Invisalign. Patients have plenty of options in their search for the perfect smile!

Have a Laugh

Watermelon Salad

This simple, delicious salad is the perfect summer refresher. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a dish that will inspire rave reviews at your next summer cookout.

Ingredients • 8 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper • 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn • Salt to taste

Directions 1. In a large mixing or salad bowl, toss watermelon with lime juice and cayenne pepper.

Enjoy!

2. Gently fold in mint leaves. 3. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Inspired by Food & Wine magazine

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Inside This Issue

Dr. Diana Cabrera Arrives Page 1 Summer-Worthy Learning Opportunities Page 2 Our Patients Say It Best Page 2 Who Wore the First Braces? Page 3 Watermelon Salad Page 3 6 Dog Mayors From Around the US Page 4

WHEN POLITICS GOES TO THE DOGS 6 Dog Mayors From Around the US

Brynneth Pawltro, Lucy Lou, Junior Cochran, and Goofy Borneman These

Most towns and cities around the country play it safe: They elect humans to hold political office. But a few towns decided to do something a little different. They threw political formality to the wind and elected dogs to office. Here are a few popular pups from around the country. Duke This Great Pyrenees became one of the most popular pups to hold elected office. He first ran for mayor in 2014 in Cormorant Township, Minnesota, and won by a landslide. He’s been in the mayoral race every year since then — and he’s won every time! Today, Duke is still in office, where he never misses a photo-op or a pat on the head. Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller This golden retriever was first elected to office in 2012 in Idyllwild, California. His election was part of an initiative put together by an organization called Animal Rescue Friends, or ARF. As part of the election, area residents could nominate their cat or dog for mayor. During the inaugural event, 14 dogs and two cats ran for mayor, with Max leading the pack. Max was elected to a second term in 2013, but soon passed away after a battle with cancer. Thankfully, his successor was quickly appointed: Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II.

four dogs all hail from Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Back in 1998, the people of Rabbit Hash decided to elect a dog mayor. That year, Goofy

Borneman, a mixed breed, became the first in what would become a continuing tradition. He held the office until 2001, when he passed away at age 16. In 2004, Junior Cochran, a black Labrador, took on the role of mayor, but his term was plagued by scandal after he spent too much time hanging around the town’s general store — and Health and Safety was called. Then, he too died in office in 2008. Later that year, Lucy Lou, a border collie, was elected into office and became the town’s first female mayor. The good news is she saw her term through to the end, but she didn’t run for a second term. Instead, pitbull Brynneth Pawltro, or Brynn as his friends call him, ran and won. Today, you’ll find Brynn roaming Rabbit Hash, staying carefully out of Health and Safety’s way.

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