Roach Family Dentistry Spring 2019

Your Smile News

Spring 2019

From Roach Family Dentistry & Associates

Hey there! How is life treating you? I’m looking forward to sharing some of the fun things going on in my life with you. It’s great that we get to catch up in this way, isn’t it? It’s been an exciting couple of months around the office. In case you missed our Facebook videos, we drew the winner of our referral contest! We were so excited to present our winner, Rachel Vaught, with her prizes! After I drew her name, Lorraine and a couple of our staff members actually went to Rachel’s work and surprised her with the good news. (You can see the video on Facebook; it’s pretty great!) We couldn’t have picked a more deserving recipient. Rachel is a great patient who has referred many of her friends and family members to us, and we were overjoyed to present her with the luggage set and Southwest gift card. Happy travels, Rachel! We can’t wait to see where your trip takes you. We also got a new piece of equipment that’s going to be awesome for you and your teeth! It’s called a Cone Beam CT, and this scanner gives us a 3D view of your teeth and mouth. You can read more about it and see what all the fuss is about inside the newsletter. Travels, Trip Winners, and Big Fish WHAT’S HAPPENING?

The Roach Family on Vacation

On one of our days, my son and I went deep- sea fishing with our family friends who were also on the island. Between all of us, we only caught one fish, and I was the one who caught it! Imagine that! It was a 2 1/2-foot barracuda — not exactly a delicacy, but I had fun catching it nonetheless. One fish is better than zero, and it made for a fun excursion. We returned from our island vacation feeling both relaxed and happy to be back home. Mary Kate would have loved to join us in Mexico, but her college’s spring break was a few weeks after our trip, so the timing didn’t align for this one. Fortunately, we got to spend a couple of days with her during her spring break. She spent the first few days of the break in South Carolina with her friends and then came home to see us. We were glad to have her home for a bit. We’ve missed her! Well, I think I’ve caught you up on what’s been happening around here! Thanks for letting me share these updates with you. It’s my pleasure treating you and bringing you the best dental care in Nashville. Thanks for being such a great patient!

Last month, my son, David, and my wife, Linda, and I returned relaxed and recharged after our spring break trip to Mexico. Isla Mujeres proved to be a beautiful oasis. It’s a quiet island that’s still untouched by the high rises, the Hiltons, and the Hyatts that many other resort towns are marked by. We felt at peace there. The food was great, including the delicious, fresh seafood. We soaked up the 80-degree weather and enjoyed days on the small beach by our resort. The colors of the water were spectacular: dark blue patches among the clear, turquoise sea.

Until next time,

–Dr. Roach

It’s the Big One!

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Seeing gorgeous dresses, fancy suits, corsages, and boutonnieres pop up in advertisements can only mean one thing: Prom season is here! This time of year, teens are busy choosing the perfect dress or suit to wear, finding a date, making dinner reservations, and preparing for an evening of fun and dance. During this exciting time, give your teens a little encouragement and guidance to ensure they have a safe and memorable evening. CREATE A PLAN Create a plan for prom night, and make sure everyone knows what it is. Your teen should know and communicate with you what time the dance starts, what time it ends, if they’re going anywhere after, and when they’ll be coming home. 4 Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Prom Safety

PHONES Make sure your teen’s phone is completely charged in case they need to reach out to you sometime during the night. Encourage your teen to check in once every few hours, and establish an emergency code to use if they find themselves in trouble. DRIVING You and your teen should also have a plan about the modes of transportation, who’s driving, and how many people your teen is going with. Trusting the driver is important. If you’re hesitant about letting your child be driven to prom, find another way. If your teen is driving the family car, confirm that they will be the only person driving the vehicle.

DRESS SAFETY Make sure your teen is dressed comfortably and

appropriately to ensure they have a fun night without any accidents. Encourage them to wear comfortable shoes that they can walk and dance in without pain. High heels

What You Need to Know About Prevention and Testing Oral Cancer 101

can create swelling, bruises, lesions, speckled patches, and face sores. These symptoms can additionally lead to difficulty speaking, swallowing, and ear pain. While cancer can affect anyone, there are some demographics that have a higher chance of getting an oral cancer diagnosis. Men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as women, with men over 50 being the most vulnerable. PREVENTION Your habits play a critical role in preventing cancer. Tobacco and alcohol use increase your chances of developing oral cancer, but your diet and exposure to the sun can also put you at risk. According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, 1 in 4 people diagnosed with oral cancer are not tobacco users and only drink occasionally. Abstaining from excessive alcohol and tobacco usage is a great way to lower your risk, but also keeping your sun exposure and diet in check gives you the best chance of preventing oral cancer altogether. SCREENINGS The best way to monitor your oral cancer risk is by attending regular dental appointments, where screenings are the norm. Dental experts are trained to screen for oral cancer, and they will often feel around the neck and throat for concerning signs. Some experts also use a VELscope exam, which uses fluorescent lighting to highlight any abnormalities in the mouth. Many of these tests are noninvasive and can be performed quickly at a dental clinic. If dental experts find evidence of oral cancer during an exam, they can refer patients to clinics for further testing.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate, and oral cancer is no different. In fact, many well-known people throughout history, including U.S. presidents Grover Cleveland and Ulysses S. Grant, Sigmund Freud, Babe Ruth, Lana Turner, and Rod Stewart, have suffered from oral cancer. Overall, 53,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral cancer each year, according to research by the Oral Cancer Foundation. You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to learn about the details, prevention efforts, and tests for this debilitating disease. Prepare yourself by checking out the points below. DETAILS Oral cancer can appear as an abnormality on your lips, tongue, cheeks, mouth, sinuses, or throat. This life-threatening disease

You can learn more about oral cancer, prevention, treatments, and screenings online at OralCancerFoundation.org.

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DAVID ROACH FROM THE DESK OF

Recently, we brought a new piece of equipment to the office that we’re pretty excited about. It’s called a Dental Cone Beam CT, and this specialized X-ray is helping us do our jobs better and more efficiently. It’s also improving our patient experience by providing more customized care and a more inclusive treatment plan. These game-changing factors make it official: We love what this piece of equipment brings to our practice. The cone beam’s state-of-the-art technology allows us to see potential issues that we wouldn’t be able to distinguish otherwise. With the CT (computerized tomography) scan the cone beam uses, we can get 3D images of the mouth. Once we’ve scanned a patient’s mouth, we can splice these images, create cross sections, and focus in on specific areas to discover what’s going on deep inside the mouth. The cone beam gives us a better look at a patient’s teeth, soft tissue, nerve pathways, and bone. These in-depth images help us better plan for implants and root canal procedures because we can see the location of a patient’s canals and the insides of the roots much more clearly. Can you see why the other doctors and I just love it? It’s fairly easy and quick to use, and we’re excited about what it means for our practice. This is what we get excited about in the dental world! After it was installed, we spent two days training with the company who makes the cone beam, taking images and learning how to use it properly. We became proficient as a team at conducting these scans and are ready to put it to use for our patients. I’m excited to bring the best in dental technology to you for the benefit of your dental health. We look forward to providing you with even better care with this exciting, new equipment! GOING 3D WITH SOME GAME- CHANGING TECHNOLOGY

are fashionable, but they shouldn’t wear heels so high that they may fall and hurt themselves. Whatever your teen decides to wear should be comfortable and hemmed to the appropriate length based on their height.

By keeping these safety measures in mind, your teen will have a wonderful and safe evening!

We want to send farewell wishes and congratulations to Dr. Zhang! She’ll be getting married on June 22 and moving to Seattle with her husband, where he’ll be starting his residency! We’ll miss her around the office, but we’re so happy for her and wish her the best of luck on her next adventure!

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Roach Family Dentistry & Associates 3824 Bedford Ave. Nashville, TN 37215

615-499-5615 GreenHillsDentist.net

INSIDE Travels, Trip Winners, and Big Fish Page 1 Prom Safety Tips Page 2 Oral Cancer 101 Page 2 From the Desk of David Roach Page 3 Teacher Appreciation Week Is Here! Page 4

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Learning to Be Grateful SOME WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN APPRECIATE THEIR TEACHERS

A HOMEMADE MEAL Making a homemade meal (or dessert) shows teachers that you went the extra mile to appreciate their hard work. You could make a favorite dish of yours or try to find a new recipe online. Either way, encourage your child to help you with the process so that the meal is truly a gift from both of you. DONATING SCHOOL SUPPLIES Many teachers use their own money to buy school supplies for their classroom. This is just one of the ways teachers go above and beyond on a daily basis, and buying some extra school supplies can help ease that cost. Take your child shopping with you and help them pick out supplies that you know their teacher will appreciate. Your children spend several hours a day with their teachers, so fostering relationships with them is vital. Use this day to help your children understand the importance of teachers, to teach them the power of gratitude, and to encourage them to show respect for everyone who helps them in life.

Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 6–10 this year, and there are plenty of ways students of all ages can thank their educators for everything they do. Being a teacher isn’t an easy job, and the people who make it their profession are passionate about helping kids learn. Depending on how old your child is, they may need a parent’s help in showing their appreciation. Here are a few ways parents and children can appreciate teachers together.

THANK-YOU NOTES This gesture is simple and sweet and can be very

thoughtful. Telling a teacher what makes them outstanding can often be just as valuable as a gift. Help your child write

an appreciative note and then write one yourself. Teachers often have to maintain the happiness of students, administrators, and parents. Your card could relieve some of the stress of that balancing act and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts.

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