Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center - February 2021

Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center - February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

LONGVIEW TYLER

444 Forest Square Suite E Longview, TX 75605

2124 South Donnybrooke Ave. Tyler, TX 75701

903-704-0154

903-251-2858

www.texassedationdental.com

WE REALLY DO LOVE TO SEE YOUR SMILE!

F ebruary can be a tricky month in East Texas. Some years we might have gotten some really beautiful weather and warm temperatures to accompany it. And some years, well, not so much. But that’s okay because no matter what the weather does, February is always home to at least one good thing: Valentine’s Day. Your valentine might be a loved one, a good friend, or a family member who needs cheering up. But for Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center, our wonderful patients are what matters to us — and that’s why we want you to be our Valentine this year! You don’t get into the dental field without caring about people. It’s good work, true, but it’s also hard work. The technical skills aren’t always easy to pick up, and most positions in the field require formal training and certification — up to years of dental school and a doctorate for our dentists! And as you may know, for many people, a trip to the dentist isn’t their idea of a good time. It’s necessary, but many of the people who come into our clinic — especially if we haven’t seen them before — are nervous or even scared, often the result of a bad experience with a dentist in their past. If you don’t care about making them comfortable and showing them that they can expect different treatment at your practice, then you won’t go far in dentistry. It’s just that simple. We strive every day, with every patient, to go above and beyond what’s expected. We talked just last month about our 3D printing technology for dental implants and even dentures. But even our name hints at going the extra mile: Sedation dentistry is a wonderful option, and like 3D printing, it’s changing the way we care for patients. If a person needs dental work but has a lot of anxiety about getting into the chair, it’s possible they haven’t seen a dentist in a long while. That means even more work, of course, which sounds even scarier, and pretty soon, they’re in a feedback loop of fear. Sedation dentistry cuts through that noise and lets people get the work they need done while they’re This Valentine’s Day, Patients Are What Matters

pleasantly sedated. No pain, no noise, no bad

memories after. As a bonus, we can do more work, which is great if the person hasn’t seen a dentist in a while! It’s the treatment we’d use for our own family, and that is the standard of care that we hold ourselves to: Would we be comfortable having our family come here for dental work? We treat family that way out of love, and love is the foundation of treating patients as well. We’re here to make friends and create a big family of our own around this practice. It just seems right that we know everyone’s name, and when patients come in with pictures of their grandkids or their new dog, we consider that the biggest compliment of all because that means they’re treating us like family, too. Can you imagine a better group of valentines than our patients? I sure can’t. This office is here to make people’s lives better, one tooth at a time. It might not be a traditional gift, but we’ve already got plenty of roses around, and it’ll last longer, too! Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us to you. Thank you for being part of the Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center family and for trusting us, in many cases, with your own family. You’re the reason for everything we do, and that will never change.

-Dr. Travis Kendall

LONGVIEW - 903-704-0154 | TYLER - 903-251-2858

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LOVE BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND LIFESPAN

It doesn’t take a scientist to tell us that a healthy, loving relationship can lessen our stress — but did you know it also boosts our immune system’s response and could help us live longer? Multiple studies have shown that couples in happy, loving marriages tend to have lower blood pressure. Marriage itself isn’t the key to a healthier life — the love is, researchers find. How do researchers define a loving relationship? To put it simply, it depends on each couple’s opinion. Married couples with a high quality (aka loving) relationship showed significantly lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure than singles. However, happily married couples and singles had lower blood pressure than people in low quality marriages. Which means, at least in terms of your health, it’s much better to be single than unhappily married.

How does it help your blood pressure exactly? Well, when positive events occur, the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin interact with your dopamine reward system. Vasopressin in particular helps control blood pressure. Of course, getting into a new relationship can be a little stressful! Cortisol, the stress hormone, initially rises when you fall in love. However, it quickly drops in a long- term, stable relationship. Those low cortisol levels sustained for a long period of time contribute to many health benefits. But how does it improve your immune system? That’s a bit of a mystery to researchers. So far, women in love have shown changes in their gene regulation of immune cells compared to women not in love. Some theorize that this is in order to prepare for pregnancy. Unfortunately, we still don’t have conclusive research on

whether men in love better fight flu and other viruses, too.

High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” since it has no symptoms, but it will steadily degrade your health over time, significantly increasing your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease. And while love is certainly not the only way to lower blood pressure, it’s comforting to know our loved ones can boost our health for a longer, happier life.

SILVER AND GOLD AND GLASS AND PLASTIC AND ...

The Many Choices in Dental Fillings

Dental fillings have been around for thousands of years, and in that time, many materials have been used to do the job. Today, there are a variety of choices with different strengths and weaknesses. So how do you choose? We’re going to give you some information on the most common ones, and if you want to discuss further or ask more questions, you can give us a call! Silver and gold — who doesn’t love those? Well, perhaps people who want a subtle dental filling. Gold stands out in the mouth, it’s true. It’s also pretty spendy and can require more visits than other types of fillings. Silver, while less expensive, is almost as noticeable. Silver fillings, known as amalgam, are silver in color and contain mercury — which is why we do not offer them in our practice. That said, both precious metals have great durability — they tend not to stain, they cannot corrode, and it’s not uncommon to see them last over 15 years.

More modern materials include composite fillings, which are pretty easy to match to the rest of your teeth. They take a while to put in, however, and unfortunately, they don’t usually last as long as gold or silver fillings do. Composite fillings can also rival the price of silver, although they’re cheaper than other options, like ceramic — which many consider to be the top-line choice. Ceramic fillings are expensive, no doubt. But they match your teeth color, they’re resistant to staining, and they tend to last a long, long time. Rounding out the choices, we have glass-acrylic fillings, which may be better for children or parts of the mouth that are not visible because of their low durability and short lifespan. To chat about what fillings we offer at Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center or learn more about any of these materials, give us a call at 903-704-0154!

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LONGVIEW - 903-704-0154

NO FEAR — SEDATION IS HERE!

STRAWBERRY KISSED ALMONDBUTTERMUFFINS

Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com

INGREDIENTS

•

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed 3/4 cup natural creamy almond butter (can substitute creamy peanut butter) 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey) 2 large eggs

• • • • •

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup oat flour

•

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup strawberry fruit spread, divided (we recommend Bonne Maman INTENSE)

• •

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 3. In a large bowl, mix bananas, almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. 4. Stir in oat flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth. 5. Evenly divide batter into liners. Add 1 tsp strawberry fruit spread to the top of each muffin. 6. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the spread into the batter. 7. Bake for 22–27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 8. Transfer muffins to wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Many folks read “Sedation” in our name and wonder what it’s all about — and that’s understandable. We’re a dental office, but we’re not like the dentists that many patients grew up with, and often that’s a good thing. There’s no way around it: Many people are scared of the dentist. Sometimes, those experiences keep them from coming in. But sedation dentistry is really changing the game. The fact is, Dr. Kendall wasn’t a big fan of the dentist as a kid, either. That’s why he now practices sedation dentistry. It took a lot of work — more than just becoming a dentist, which is already a lot — but he knew how important a good dentist is when it comes to people’s health. He knew that in order to be the best dentist for all patients, sedation would be a wonderful tool to have. With sedation dentistry, you’ll be so comfortable that you may sleep through the whole procedure. You come, we make sure you are relaxed, and once you’re comfortably sedated, we can take care of your teeth. It’s great for people who are scared of the dentist. It helps them keep comfortable and keep coming in for routine work and maintenance. But if you need more work than usual, it’s a real benefit. Sedation will spare you from sitting through a long procedure, and we can get more work done while you’re sedated than we could otherwise! That said, it is a new concept for many people, and we love to help folks understand exactly what sedation dentistry is and how it can help. Call us at 903-704-0154 to talk about sedation dentistry and get answers to all of your questions! Why Sedation Is Changing the Way Dentistry Works

AQUARIUS BLACK HISTORY CANDY CUPID GROUNDHOG

HEART LINCOLN MLK JR PENNSYLVANIA PHIL

PRESIDENTS DAY VALENTINE WINTER

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LONGVIEW - 903-704-0154 TYLER - 903-251-2858 WWW.TEXASSEDATIONDENTAL.COM

444 FOREST SQUARE, SUITE E LONGVIEW, TX 75605

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1

LoveYour Smile

2

High Quality Relationships Lower Blood Pressure How Are Silver, Gold, and Plastic Alike? Sleeping on the Job! Strawberry Kissed Almond Butter Muffins

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AMonth of Love and Support

SHARE THE LOVE THIS MONTH

A Daily Journal Entry February and March are usually when

Every Valentine’s Day, people want to find the best ways to show their partner or even a close friend how much they care. It is easy to get sucked into thinking you have to give them the most expensive or elaborate present you can find, but sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the simplest. Here are four easy ways to show your loved ones how much you care this February. A Text a Day Knowing someone has your back throughout the year, no matter how difficult things can get, is a great source of support and love. In addition to the usual communication you share with your loved one, add in a supportive text each day, whether it’s simply letting them know you’re thinking of them or wishing them luck on a presentation or interview. The best part about these texts is that they can be sent year-round. A Morning Message Board Whiteboards are fun to draw on and make great calendars, but they can also be used to share heartfelt messages with your roommates or spouse. Writing positive messages like, “I hope you have a wonderful day!” or “You matter!” can make all the difference. Waking up to a loving note from someone they care about could mean the world to them and shift their entire mood for the day.

New Year’s resolutions

begin to falter. To encourage yourself and your loved one,

consider starting a daily journal. Leave a journal where you both have access to it and write positive messages inside for the other person. This acknowledgment of hard work is exactly what you both need to continue pursuing your goals this year. Random Gifts You don’t have to wait for a birthday, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day to give your loved one a gift. Buying small gifts lets your friend or spouse know you’ve been thinking about them. Whether it’s a treat they enjoy, a book, or even a small gift card, these thoughtful gestures are sure to make them smile.

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LONGVIEW - 903-704-0154 | TYLER - 903-251-2858