SABAL December 2017

December 2017

1406 Hwy 35 N, Suite C., Rockport, TX 78382 |

www.SabalDental.com

361-729-1333

|

New Town, New Traditions What Does a Rockport Christmas Look Like?

When my family decided to move to Rockport, we knew there would be a lot of changes. We anticipated the adjustments that come with a new house, new jobs, new friends, and a great new community. What we didn’t anticipate was a hurricane sweeping through during our first summer here. Watching a natural disaster on television doesn’t prepare you to see that kind of destruction devastate a town you love so much. But we also never anticipated the amazing surge of support we saw among the people of Rockport and the surrounding area. I was incredibly moved to see how a community can come together in the face of tragedy and rebuild. There is certainly a lot of work still ahead, but I know now, more than ever, that we made the right choice in deciding to call Rockport our new home. We are excited to celebrate our first Christmas in this wonderful town. My husband and I make sure to focus on why we celebrate Christmas and teach our sons about the birth of Jesus. We take our boys to church regularly, and at bedtime, we read from a children’s Bible storybook. Throughout the year, we’ll read about the story of the Nativity, and at Christmas, I take out a special toy Nativity set the boys can play with to feel more connected to this beautiful story. We’re teaching our sons Christmas as a birthday celebration for Jesus, and because of that, Santa isn’t a big deal in our house. That’s not to say we completely reject some of the commercialized aspects of Christmas. We love to put up our tree, drive around to see Christmas lights, and make ornaments while watching Christmas movies as a family. My boys like “Elf” and “The Santa Clause,” and I look forward to binging on the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movies. When Christmas Eve

rolls around, we’re likely to be snuggled up peacefully in our beds. Being in a new town means our Christmas will be different than in years past, and I’m looking forward to exploring some fresh traditions! The Rockport Tropical Christmas Festival in early December caught my attention when I first heard about it. I know this has been a Rockport tradition for years and it was wonderful to know, despite the devastation we faced just weeks ago, that it would continue. It’s been a difficult few months, but I’m encouraged by the perseverance and spirit of this community. Whatever the holiday holds, I’m happy to be celebrating in Rockport. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy happiness and good health in the new year.

–Dr. Valerie Sperry

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Santa Tracking GOES HIGH-TECH

It’s almost Christmas, and if you have small kids, you know what that means: prepping for the arrival of a jolly man in a red

to “learn the Santa lingo from around the world.”

When the eve of the big day finally comes, Google promises a showcase of Santa’s “dashboard, the technology that powers his sleigh during his around- the-world journey.” Featuring “the latest and greatest … in sleigh engineering,” the app displays a Google Maps window that tracks each of Santa’s stops, gives status updates from Old Saint Nick, and tells kids how far he is from their city. It’s a colorful, fun adventure for the whole family. Of course, Google’s not the only kid on the Santa- tracking block. There’s also NORAD Tracks Santa , operated by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the same organization that tracks nuclear missiles for the government. Similar to Google, noradsanta.org includes a variety of fun games and activities leading up to Christmas. But unlike Google, NORAD has a dedicated Santa-tracking app for your phone, where you can see a 3-D view of Santa’s location during his trip. The app also features videos, so you and your little ones can see clips of Santa flying around major landmarks and world cities. Just don’t stay up too late watching them. You don’t want Santa to skip over your house!

suit and his confusingly named reindeer. Some of us may remember spending Christmas Eve curled on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa as radio reports tracked Santa’s trip around the globe. But these days, kiddos have gotten a little more high-tech in their search for up-to-date, GPS-driven Kringle updates. First, there’s the Google Santa Tracker (santatracker. google.com), a full-fledged holiday hub for your browser powered by Google Maps, including, of course, an up-to-the-minute GPS tracker for the big man. The application arrived in 2004, and it’s been updated every year since. During the countdown to Christmas, there’s a colorfully animated advent calendar of sorts, where buildings around Santa’s village “thaw out” and reveal a host of fun games and activities. There’s even a section titled “Santa Tracker for Educators,” which includes kid-friendly coding games, information on international holiday traditions, and a translation app

Testimonials..........................................

“I had my first visit at this office in Rockport. The reception area was welcoming and pretty. The assistant who helped me was very friendly and took good care of me. The doctor was so friendly, polite, and compassionate. She spoke in understandable terms and was very caring. I was glad I chose this office and these people. Thank you.” –Marianne W.

“Dr. Sperry and her entire office are very kind and caring. I would recommend them to anyone wanting a good, caring, and professional dentist. I really liked and appreciated Dr. Garcia, and I feel the same about Dr. Sperry.” –Linda M.

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2 Harmful Habits That Lead to Broken Teeth

is on this list of culprits — its dense sugars love to cling to your teeth. To combat this, make small changes to lower your sugar intake. Replace your daily soda with a cup of tea or sparkling water. Another beneficial change is switching from dried fruits to fresh ones. Sugar aside, you may have another addiction that harms your teeth. Are you a serial fingernail or ice chewer? Both can lead to cracked and broken teeth. If you aren’t looking to drop a vacation’s worth of dough on your dental visits, consider quitting — and quick. The Academy of General Dentistry estimates habitual nail biters will spend up to $4,000 more in dental bills over their lifetime. Carry a pack of baby carrots to munch when you’re tempted to reach for your fingernails. You can also place a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you reach for a nail to nibble. Each painful snap can serve as a reminder to stop your destructive habit. Talk with your dentist about other ways to strengthen your teeth and prevent breakage. After all, you want to spend your holidays in the easy chair, not the dentist’s! Finding a replacement routine for detrimental chewing habits is key to kicking the habit for good.

Do you know when most dental emergencies happen? I’ll give you a hint: “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus.” That’s right — holiday season. Why is this? Well, the abundance of hard candy and popcorn between October and January wreaks havoc on your teeth. Often, when a broken tooth reaches emergency status, it’s actually already cracked. At that point, all it takes is a piece of hard food for it to reach breaking point. Fortunately, there are simple ways to improve your tooth health and prevent cracks during the holiday season. First, stop overindulging in sugary foods! Sugar breaks down your enamel, so the more you eat, the weaker your teeth become. Plaque builds up in your mouth whenever you consume food. The bacteria that make up plaque love sugar, and when they consume it, they produce a certain type of acid. This acid wears away healthy tooth enamel and eventually breaks down teeth. Even worse, if you already have a crack (even one you can’t see or feel), sticky, sugary foods will further irritate the area. And though it might seem like a healthy alternative, dried fruit

HOLIDAY STAR COOKIES

Have a Laugh

Looking for something a little lighter to eat during the holiday season? Try these paleo-friendly star cookies! Ingredients • 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)

• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted • 5 tablespoons agave nectar or honey • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt • ¼ teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions 1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 2. In a small bowl, mix coconut oil, agave, and vanilla. 3. Mix wet ingredients into dry. 4. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until ¼ inch thick.

5. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 6. Remove top piece of parchment paper and dust dough with almond flour. 7. Cut out cookies with a small star cutter.

Recipe inspired by elanaspantry.com/star-cookies.

Sabal General Dentistry • 361-729-1333 • 3

Hours: M–F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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1406 Hwy 35 N, Suite C. Rockport, TX 78382 361-729-1333 www.SabalDental.com

Inside This Issue

A Sperry Family Christmas Page 1 Where’s Santa? Page 2 Patient Testimonials Page 2 2 Harmful Habits That Lead to Broken Teeth Page 3 Holiday Star Cookies Page 3 Step Aside, Balto Page 4

TOGO THE SLED DOG SAVES AN ALASKAN TOWN participated in the relay, but most historians agree one hero stood out above the rest: Togo, lead dog of renown musher Leonhard Seppala, who crossed the longest and most dangerous leg of the relay. Togo’s 91-mile race crossed the frozen Norton Sound, where unstable ice could break apart and claim the lives of a musher and their dogs. But this route saved a day of travel, and Seppala and Togo carried on. In a whiteout blizzard, with temperatures at -85 F and winds up to 65 mph, Togo’s incredible stamina and ability to sense danger led his team to safety. Thanks to their bravery, the serum arrived in Nome in 5½ days. The official death toll for Nome and the surrounding Native Alaskan encampments was less than 100 — far below the 100,000 predicted. Today, a statue of Balto, the lead dog of the relay’s last leg, stands in Central Park, New York City, though it’s worth mentioning the award on the statue was not actually given to Balto, but to Togo. As Seppala said himself, “I never had a better dog than Togo. His stamina, loyalty, and intelligence could not be improved upon. Togo was the best dog that ever traveled the Alaska trail.”

In the winter of 1924–25, the Alaskan town of Nome suffered a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Facing an epidemic, with no medicine on hand, the entire population of Nome and the surrounding areas could’ve been wiped out. The doctor sent a plea to the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, D.C., for help. Due to the harsh Alaskan winter, ships couldn’t reach the Nome port, and it was too dangerous for planes. Sled dogs were the only method of transportation available. They decided to send a shipment of serum by train to Nenana, Alaska. The serum was then transported to Nome by sled dog. The fastest trip from Nenana to Nome was nine days. Due to the brutal conditions, the serum could only last six days before it would expire. What followed was the Great Race of Mercy — a desperate relay to deliver the serum 700 miles across northern Alaska. Twenty mushers and 150 sled dogs

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