Sabal Dental - Rockport - January 2021

Sabal Dental - Rockport - January 2021

1406 Hwy 35 N, Suite C, Rockport, TX 78382 | www.SabalDental.com | 361-729-1333 | January 2021

Family Fun and Finding Resilience

Text The Unexpected Gifts of 2020

Of course, these each came with their challenges, but I also noticed, for example, that I began to engage with my kids’ schooling in new ways. Stepping back, I realized that they were undergoing such a unique — and to me and other adults, foreign — experience! Sure, living during a pandemic is new for all of us, but my boys and their classmates are doing it during such a formative time in their lives, and many of them have understandable anxiety about what’s going on. We’ve done our best to make sure our kids feel safe and protected, including turning off the grim news and organizing fun activities. All things considered, I think they adjusted remarkably well. When times get hard or spirits get low, we remind them that we’re all in this together. We’re resilient and will get through this as a family, first and foremost, but also as a community and a nation. Of course, we’ve come up with ways to incentivize and reward their schoolwork to help keep them motivated, too. The promise of a new toy has proven an effective technique! And we’ve certainly had the opportunity to put our toys and games to use! Since we live on the coast, we typically spend a lot of time at the pool and local beaches, but since both have been closed, we’ve gotten creative with activities at home. We had some great days playing with the Slip ’N Slide and jumping on the trampoline while the sprinkler ran underneath. Not quite the beach, but a

The start of a new year is traditionally the time to take stock and press the reset button on our lives. As we leave 2020 behind and welcome 2021, many of us are feeling relieved to move on from unforeseen challenges and ready for a fresh start. I’m feeling hopeful that things will turn around in 2021, but I’ve also been reflecting on the unexpected gifts of the strange year that was 2020. More than anything, I feel a great appreciation for the chance I had to slow down and spend more time with my family. As the pandemic took hold in Texas, so many things changed. We, like many others, started cooking more meals at home, had to adjust to bouts of virtual learning for our boys, and got used to spending more time together and at home instead of going out or socializing in large groups. “More than anything, I feel a great appreciation for the chance I had to slow down and spend more time with my family.”

great way to cool down and for our boys to get some energy out!

We’ve also been doing a lot of family bike rides and neighborhood walks, including walking our new puppy, Leo! In October, I told you about our two-dog pack, and I’m sad to say that we had to put Molly down. She had a great 15 years, and we will miss her so much. We’re really a two-dog family though, so we recently welcomed Leo, another Boston terrier, into our home. He’s been loving all the attention and playtime with the boys, and the feeling is mutual. As I said in October, pets are such great companions, and this counts double during hard times. They bring so much joy to our lives, and Leo is certainly no exception. If you find your thoughts naturally drifting to the year that was and what’s to come, take a moment to acknowledge the past year’s hardships but also ask yourself what unexpected goodness arose from the year too. And congrats! We all made it through.

–Dr. Valerie Sperry

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Get More Bang for Your Buck

4 ITEMS WORTH A LITTLE EXTRA

discomfort and other problems. Regardless, the overall cost

Not all goods are created equal. Going cheap can seem appealing (who doesn’t like to save money?), but when you use up products more quickly than expected or they just cause a hassle, you haven’t really saved. Some things are worth spending a little extra on. Here are four such everyday items. BATTERIES Discount and dollar store batteries are often made with low-quality materials and don’t hold their charge as well. Plus, because they’re made with cheaper materials, there’s a greater chance they will leak and

savings of buying low-quality TP will be negligible because you’ll end up using more to make up for the lack of ply. PLASTIC WRAP There are many brands of plastic wrap on the market, but several are more trouble than they’re worth. Plastic wrap is most often used to cover and save food, which means its seal or cling is of the utmost importance. Sadly, budget brands don’t have the same cling

technology as name brands. While you may feel like you’re saving money by buying cheaper plastic wrap, it’s likely to leave you frustrated and with food that is only partially covered. SHOES Cheap footwear can lead to all kinds of problems. For one, cheap shoes are more likely to fall apart sooner than shoes from reliable brands, and that alone can break anyone’s budget. Worse yet, cheap shoes rarely provide the necessary foot support, which can lead to serious musculoskeletal issues, including knee problems. These may require professional intervention to fix, so take your time and spend the necessary money to get good shoes that fit properly.

damage the device they’re powering. Brand-name batteries use high-quality materials and hold a much better charge, so you will use fewer batteries and they are less likely to leak. Pro Tip: If you don’t plan on using a battery-powered device for an extended period of time, always remove the batteries before storing it. TOILET PAPER We’ve all experienced the disappointment of cheap, one-ply toilet paper. This subpar paper is less absorbent and more prone to tearing than its higher-quality counterpart. Furthermore, low-quality TP can irritate your skin, causing

What Our Patients Are Saying ...

“I have never had more confidence in a dentist. They are so professional and hands down the best experience ever. She is definitely highly qualified and very capable.” – Diane H. “The employees are so sweet. They go above and beyond to help you with appointments and insurance. I really like Dr. Sperry — she is a great dentist and does beautiful work.” – Babs M.

“Dr. Sperry is such a great dentist and such a caring person. She is so great with my kids — they literally LOVE going to the dentist!” – Rachel A.

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Don’t Try This at Home!

result, people do serious damage to their teeth. Filing wears down enamel and can even damage the dentine layer under the enamel, leading to painful sensitivity and infection. TEETH WHITENING WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Teething whitening is a very common procedure that can be done at home or at the office when using approved products and following instructions. However, TikTok users are applying hydrogen peroxide directly to their gum tissue, which can do serious damage. Hydrogen peroxide destroys living cells, which can include the cells in gum tissue, and damages enamel. While most stores sell highly diluted hydrogen peroxide, TikTok users are buying higher concentrations online. Do not do this! Always consult your dentist before whitening your teeth. REMOVING PLAQUE AND TARTAR BUILDUP Dental scrapers are readily available online and at the supermarket, but they should not be used at home. In recent months, TikTok users have been showing viewers how to use these tools at home to scrape away the buildup that can accumulate around the gum line and between teeth. Without proper training, doing this at home can result in injury or damage to teeth and gums. The bottom line is that, in a vast majority of cases, people can simply avoid plaque and tartar buildup by brushing and flossing their teeth twice a day and visiting their dentist every six months. It doesn’t get any easier — or safer — than that.

3 Dangerous Dental ‘Hacks’ on TikTok

TikTok, the popular smartphone app for making short videos, has become life-hack central. You can find all kinds of videos showing you how to make your life a little easier, including

clever makeup and fitness tutorials. However, there are also life hacks that are downright dangerous, especially when it comes to dental care. If you want whiter teeth, buildup removed, or chips fixed, talk to your dentist and see what options are available for you — and don’t try these methods at home!

TOOTH FILING On its own, that sounds downright horrifying, but some TikTok users have created videos showing people how to “repair” chipped or broken teeth at home. The videos feature teens using nail files on their teeth, though some have used metal

files, which is even worse. Many of these videos are not faked and have spawned copycats that further spread misinformation. As a

Have a Laugh!

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

Ingredients • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce • 2 tsp light brown sugar • 1 tsp sesame oil • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes • 1 lb lean ground beef • 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp gochujang sauce, or more if desired • 3 cups cooked brown rice • 1 small cucumber, sliced • 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus more for topping • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. 2. Spray a deep, nonstick skillet with cooking oil and place over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. 3. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the meat and cook for 1 minute. 4. Pour sauce over the beef, then cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. 5. Divide rice evenly into four serving bowls. Top each with scant 2/3 cup beef, cucumber slices, sesame seeds, scallions, and gochujang, to taste.

Inspired by SkinnyTaste.com

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

The Unexpected Gifts of 2020 Page 1 4 Items Worth Spending Extra On Page 2 Our Clients Say It Best Page 2 3 Dangerous Dental ‘Hacks’ on TikTok Page 3 Korean Beef Rice Bowls Page 3 The First Dog to Win a Nobel Peace Prize Page 4 Inside This Issue

THE FIRST DOG TO WIN A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Foxtrot’s Heroics With the World Food Programme

Foxtrot himself became part of the effort to combat world hunger during a WFP beach cleanup in his home country. Workers found him as a 4-week- old pup, and after failing to locate his owners, took him in as one of their own. For the past two years, Foxtrot has helped however he can to further the WFP’s efforts to end hunger in Bangladesh. This usually includes accompanying his humans while they work, wearing an adorable custom-made WFP cape, and taking to Instagram to raise awareness about how anyone can join in the WFP’s mission. After learning that he and his humans had won the Nobel Peace Prize, Foxtrot didn’t waste the opportunity to share his excitement with his followers. “Woweee,” the pup said. “I … think it would be even more amazing if we didn’t need any peace prizes because peace was the status quo in our world.” If Foxtrot and his humans keep up the good work that won them the Nobel Peace Prize, it seems like that status quo could be within reach.

Just this past October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to what can only be described as one the world’s goodest boys — a dog named Foxtrot, known also to his Instagram followers (of which there are nearly 7,000) as humanitarian_pup. While Foxtrot wasn’t responsible for improvements to auction theory (like Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson, who won the Nobel Prize for economics) or for a standout career in writing poetry (like Louise Glück, who won the Nobel Prize for literature), this incredible canine shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the World Food Programme (WFP) for their work in combating world hunger. As the organization’s official mascot, Foxtrot shared in the win with the thousands of other WFP workers worldwide. Foxtrot lives in Bangladesh (one of the most densely populated countries in the world) at a WFP outpost that works to supply one of the world’s largest refugee camps. According to an NPR article that spotlighted Foxtrot and the efforts made by his WFP humans, they worked not only to get food to refugees but also to flatten hillsides to make room for shelters for Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.

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