Robinson Dental - October 2020

Robinson Dental - October 2020

WAYLAND • 899 Reno Drive • Wayland, MI • 49348 269-509-4155 — COOPERSVILLE • 502 W. Randall St. • Coopersville, MI • 49404 • 616-384-4129

Why I’m Grateful This Year Dental Digest PA IGE , OUR MARKET ING D I RECTOR , SAYS GOODBYE TO OUR ROB INSON DENTAL FAMI LY

OCT 2020

Hi everyone! Paige here. I’ve shared a little bit about myself through a past newsletter on the valuable lessons I’ve learned through softball, but I’m writing this month’s newsletter to talk about something else: deep gratitude. As the marketing director at Robinson Dental, I’ve been so privileged to work with amazing people with incredible values. While I help organize our community engagement campaigns, my work is truly a small part of the achievements that our team accomplishes every single day. And, to be honest, I have a deep understanding of our team’s expertise and finesse at Robinson Dental, not only from a marketing standpoint but also a dental one. My background is actually in dental assisting. When I was 18, I went to Australia and had just studied how to do dental assistance before I was introduced to a medicalship, which gave free dental care to people in Papua New Guinea (PNG). If you’re familiar with the culture in PNG, you know that it’s very complex, with over 800 languages spoken. Over 87% of people live in villages, so access to health care is challenging. And, in addition to PNG’s diversity of languages, an adult literacy rate of 58% doesn’t make spreading health information any easier. I was overwhelmed by this opportunity at first because I had just learned to do dental assistance, but I agreed to go for two months. That two months turned into a year and a half. I loved it — it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say it changed my life. After dental assisting, eventually, I led the dental clinic that operated there. We were in good company with other primary health care clinics, and I made a tremendous amount of friends and memories. Eventually, I came back to the States and wanted to stay in the dental field. That’s when I found Robinson Dental. That experience taught me the importance of dental care and the importance of a supportive team. I was terrified at the prospect of running the clinic in PNG — in fact, I don’t know if I would’ve ever thought I could do it. Yet, I had people who never failed to support me and express their belief that I could handle it. I have that same type of support at Robinson Dental, even though my position is different than what I started out doing. While transitioning from dental assistant to marketing director, I found that Scott and Beth had a lot of belief in me for this position, and it’s allowed me to try new things and be creative. It’s very encouraging to experience that type of

trust from others; it’s helped me feel even more confident and eager when organizing our community campaigns and events.

Thank you, Robinson Dental, for all of your support and love toward our community events! The quality of our team’s care and passion for our fellow humans makes me very proud and grateful to have worked here. Although I’m leaving Robinson Dental to continue my journey in higher education, I couldn’t be more grateful for my time here. And thank YOU, readers, for showing such love for our events as well. You may have noticed that our team couldn’t do Free Dental Day this year, which is why we transformed it into the “Pay What You Can” campaign last month. Our team’s ability to adapt and help others on the fly is something I’ll miss working with so much! Nobody should go without the dental care they need, especially when it plays such a key role in our health. If you’d like to learn more about what we’re doing for the community and ways you can help, don’t hesitate to give the team a call. Or if you’d like to pay what you can on your first visit, Robinson Dental is always happy to help you out! Have a beautiful October, everyone.

616-384-4129 –Paige Ratliff

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Enter Our Christmas Cash Giveaway and Win $2,000

We are SOOO excited about our $2,000 Robinson Dental Christmas Cash Giveaway!

How do I enter the contest, you may ask?

1. Come to our office, take a selfie, and tag us on Facebook.

2. DONATE (this is in all CAPS because it’s our favorite one) to our favorite monthly cause — the more often you donate, the more entries you receive. For October, our cause is Fight Breast Cancer (I don’t think this needs an explanation — most people know someone who’s been affected by this dreaded disease). Also, and this is the FUN part, for every friend you send our way in October, we’ll make a donation to Spectrum Health’s Betty Ford Breast Care Services Fund . Who knows, we might even have some fun prizes if you wear pink into the office!

Can Flossing Be Life-Changing?

You often hear just how important it is to floss, but the truth is that flossing can be beneficial to more than just your oral hygiene. It can help fight against chronic diseases like diabetes. You might be thinking, “Wait a second. What does my oral health have to do with diabetes?” Let’s break down the science for a moment. There can be more than 500 species of bacteria in plaque; while some of those are good for your mouth, some of them are very bad. Combined with food debris, water, and other components, plaque will build up on your teeth and can cause infection and inflammation in your gums. That inflammation increases the demand on your immune system, and over time, it can cause a severe gum disease called periodontitis, which can destroy your gums and teeth. Periodontitis has been linked to many chronic diseases. In fact, if you have periodontitis, you’re 40% more likely to have chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even osteoporosis and obesity. However, in the case of diabetes, the relationship is rather strong. Inflammation that starts in your mouth may weaken your body’s ability to control blood sugar. Pamela McClain, DDS, president of the American Academy of Periodontology says, “Periodontal disease further complicates diabetes because the inflammation impairs the body’s ability to utilize insulin,” which is the hormone that regulates

your blood sugar by converting sugar into energy.

Without flossing, tooth decay and gum disease, such as periodontitis, can develop where there’s lasting plaque buildup on your teeth and along the

gumline, especially in places where brushing can’t reach. The good news is that in some cases, the relationship between oral health and chronic disease is a two-way street. Keeping your oral health under control, for example, makes it easier to manage diabetes. At Robinson Dental, our fight for your overall health doesn’t start and end with the mouth-body connection. It starts with human connection. Every October for Breast Cancer Awareness, our staff Pinks Out, and this month, we’re giving away $1,000 to a local breast cancer group to ensure our community knows they’re not alone in their fight for better health tomorrow. Show your support by wearing pink to your next appointment!

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Oct. 5 is World Teachers Day, and we can’t let it pass by without recognizing the exciting, grueling, meaningful, and draining work that our teachers do every single day. It’s been especially challenging for teachers to continue to engage their students from afar, but many have taken on the challenge with grace and deserve recognition. You might be racking your brain to figure out how to show your appreciation for teachers from afar, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our Core Values 3 Ways to Celebrate Teachers From Afar

To all the patients who referred us this month or donated to our quarterly charity, you are now eligible for the iPad giveaway drawing! THANK YOU!

Cynthia A Miles A Freda A Easton B Kelly B Erik B Sierra B

Michele D Melanie E Dana G Emily G John G Tammy H Kyla H Clinton H

Krystal M Megan O Kay P Steven P Tammy P

Jr, Jeffery S Lena S Ashley S Rachelle S Susan S Jody S Teresa T Sharla V Heidi V Hannah V Rose W Tabitha W Anthony Z

Danielle P Kathryn P Greg P III, Robert R Adam R Mark R Sara R Stephanie R Jennifer R Beth R Jeff S

Michael B Tiffanie B Jennifer C Nickalaus C Ethan C Steven C Kirk C Timothy C Lorna D

James H Kathy H Maria J Mackenzie K Marcie K Jodi M Kasey M Niesha M

Make a donation at AdoptAClassroom.org.

This is a fantastic site to use to make a difference in local classrooms. Just search by teacher, location, or school to find the project or

educator you’d like to support! In these times, teachers can use all the help they can get to provide the tools they need to teach and their students need to learn.

Classic Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkins aren’t just for pie — they make delicious soup, too! This fall, try your hand at this healthy soup recipe and warm up with a bowl.

Make a class video.

Take a little initiative to contact other parents and string together a video of messages and/or pictures for your child’s teacher! Each parent can contribute by telling — or having their child tell — a story about a positive experience they had with the teacher. Throw it all together with an easy video editing program like Adobe Spark and you’ll be sure to make your teacher’s whole year.

INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 shallots, diced •

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2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/4 cups pumpkin purée (homemade or canned) 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup canned light coconut milk

Give the teacher a shoutout on your school’s social media page.

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Connect with other parents and staff and show appreciation for your amazing teacher online! Not only will they appreciate the gesture, but you may also inspire other parents, students, and teachers to jump on your post to express the same admiration and appreciation. You can also text, email, or message the teacher directly, of course, to share all of your thanks personally. There’s nothing better for a teacher than to feel like their work is making a real impact. If you believe that they have, there’s no better reason to reach out to them and send a quick, sincere thank-you. From everyone at Robinson Dental, thank you teachers for being such troopers throughout the pandemic! Your contributions to American households in these crazy times will be always remembered.

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté olive oil, shallots, and garlic for 2–3 minutes. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

3. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée. Pour the blended soup back into the pan. 4. Cook over medium-low heat

for 5–10 minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired, then serve!

Inspired by MinimalistBaker.com

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

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Inside THIS ISSUE Paige Says Goodbye To Our Robinson Dental Family You Could Win $2,000 Can Flossing Be Life-Changing? 3 Ways to Celebrate Teachers From Afar Classic Pumpkin Soup

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How Teams Are Engaging Fans During the Pandemic

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HOW SPORTS TEAMS ARE ENGAGING FANS DURING THE PANDEMIC Hang On to Your Seat

Esports Take the Hockey Season off Ice When the National Hockey League’s season was abruptly suspended, fans were left without any games to look forward to — at least, any live

Despite COVID-19’s continual presence in our country, many sports organizations are finding ways to adapt their seasons to the ever-changing circumstances. As many teams try to play out their seasons as normally as they can, they are also adapting to not having their fans there to cheer them on. So, some team members, teams, and entire sports organizations are getting creative. Here’s a look at some of the most noteworthy ways sports teams and players have connected with their fans so far. Cut Me Out for the Ballgame When the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team learned their fans wouldn’t be joining them at the stadium this year, they made sure fans wouldn’t be cut out of the

games. Soon after the season was suspended, the marketing staff of the New Jersey Devils came up with a plan. They prepared 20 simulations every game night against would-have-been opponents using EA Sports’ NHL ‘20. They even got the Devils’ radio announcer Matt Loughlin to voice the play-by-play for the simulations to give them an air of authenticity. It might not be as good as the real thing, but one game drew over 60,000 views.

TikTok Trick Shots Even in the midst of the pandemic, the social media following for some sports teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers, has grown. This is due, in large part, to some players’ abilities to meet their young fans where they are. While quarantined at home, 76ers star player Matisse Thybulle began posting trick shots with pingpong balls on TikTok — some of which garnered over a million views. This is just one example of how some players are continuing to foster a personal connection with their fans even off the court.

fun completely. For just $50, Brewers fans could have a 2-foot-tall cardboard cutout of themselves placed in the Uecker “Last Row” in the highest level of seating in Miller Park. It was a great way for fans to be with the team in spirit, and all the money from the cutouts went to the Brewers Community Foundation.

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