Signature Smiles - July 2021

Signature Smiles - July 2021

3,917 Lives Changed Through Sedation 1,459 5-Star Reviews, and Counting 152 Years of Combined Experience

The Home of Anxiety-Free Dentistry

MEET OUR NEW DENTIST! DR. ALHMOUD JOINS THE TEAM

JULY 2021

Hello, everyone! I’m honored to join the Signature Smiles team, and it has been a pleasure getting to know the patients, doctors, and staff at this practice. The doctors have asked me to formally introduce myself this month, so here’s just a snippet of who I am. Like the dentists at Signature Smiles, my journey to this practice began in Jordan. That’s where I was born and raised, and I graduated from the Jordan University of Science and Technology (even the same school as the dentists!). I stayed in Jordan for another three years after that with an internship at a local hospital and worked in private practice. In 2015, I began my dental training at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in California, where I was part of its international dental program. During my two years there, I was honored to receive an award for bridge and crown work. The university only gives one of these awards to a student every year, and it cemented my dedication to bridges and crowns. These devices can be life changing. A damaged, decaying tooth or a gap in your smile can be a detriment to your health, happiness, and confidence. With a simple procedure, we can give you your smile back, allowing your mouth to work properly and improve your well-being. To this day, I remain most passionate about crowns and bridges. After graduating from Loma Linda in 2017, I accepted an offer at a Fort Wayne, Indiana, practice. I learned a lot in my three years at that practice, but it was a corporate

practice. I was interested in finding my niche at a family owned practice that focused on its community. In 2021, I reached out to Dr. Omar Salameh, expressing my interest in joining the team. Dr. Salameh suggested I come observe the practice, so I could get a feel for what the environment was like. I’m so glad I did! I discovered a practice that was organized and full of people who were dedicated to helping people. The focus was on the patient and providing a clean, safe environment for all people. I found that I shared similar practicing philosophies with Dr. Salameh and the other dentists. Plus, with roots in Jordan like my own, I knew I would be coming to a practice that felt like home. What’s more kismet is that I have friends and family right here in Ohio, too. My sister and her three children still live in Jordan, and my parents split their time between staying in the U.S. and Jordan. When I’m not practicing, I love watching and playing soccer. I’m a big Cristiano Ronaldo fan, and my favorite team is Real Madrid CF. Although, I also enjoy basketball, and I’m a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers! I just really like LeBron James. (Sorry, Ohio!) It truly is an honor to join the Signature Smiles team. I feel as though I have found a home here with this community and practice, and I cannot wait to continue helping our patients. –Dr. Alhmoud

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Eat Less Meat Without Going Meatless 3 CELEBRITY CHEFS PROVE IT’S POSSIBLE AND DELICIOUS

America is the land of the free and home of one of the world’s highest per capita meat-consuming cultures. While veganism and plant- based diets seem to be trending among celebrities from Beyonce to Bill Clinton, most Americans are not ready to relinquish their burgers and bacon entirely. A recent Gallup poll found that the percentage of Americans who identify as vegetarian or vegan has barely shifted in the last 20 years, holding steady at 5% and 3%, respectively. But two trends are starting to converge, making flexitarian diets — ones with plant-based and meatless meals — more appealing: The concern over high carbon emissions tied to meat production and the increased availability of plant-based meatless but meat-like options. Add that to the evidence of the negative health effects of consuming too much red meat, and shifting to a flexitarian diet starts to make a lot of sense. Who better to lead this shift in American eating habits than well- known chefs? These three celebrity chefs are proving that eating less meat doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor. GORDON RAMSAY Ramsay has made jabs at the animal rights organization PETA and other characteristically brash comments against vegetarianism in

the past, but after judging on Vegan Celebrity MasterChef in 2018, Ramsay says he lost weight by eating five small flexitarian meals a day. He’s also started experimenting with plant-centric dishes like beet wellington, subbing the earthy root vegetable for traditional red meat. JAMIE OLIVER It’ll come as less of a surprise that Oliver has gone flexitarian and started incorporating more meatless meals into his diet. Oliver’s 2010 show “Food Revolution” took a peek behind American school lunches and sought to bring healthier fare to kids around the country. Oliver has since released a meat-free cookbook and says eating less meat has improved his sleep and is better for the planet. MARTHA STEWART Known for her cooking as well as her crafting, Stewart has been championing plant-based meals since 2013 when her vegetarian cookbook “Meatless” was published. Last year, she joined forces with the innovative plant-based meat substitute company Beyond Meat to help launch their new breakfast sausage line. surgery or had their braces removed. When dentists discovered their patients were returning for check-up appointments with whiter teeth, they realized that these products could be beneficial in other ways! As a dental hygienist and subscriber to whitening her teeth for the past 35 years, Wendi has developed a few pro tips and tricks to get the best possible results. 1. START AT THE DENTAL PRACTICE! If you’re nervous about whitening on your own, start with an in-office whitening procedure. The process takes about one hour, and it can be a great learning opportunity for future whitening treatments. 2. AVOID DARK DRINKS FOR FOUR DAYS. This is a kicker for coffee lovers. When whitening treatment is applied to teeth, it opens the pores of the enamel, allowing the whitener to reach the tooth’s dentin and extract the color. However, unlike your face, your teeth’s pores don’t close up immediately. They take their time. So, if you want your whiter teeth to last, you must avoid drinking dark liquids for at least four days after applying your treatment to allow your pores time to close.

YOU DESERVE TO LOVE YOUR SMILE 2 Pro Tips for Teeth Whitening Magic!

This month, we asked one of our Signature Smiles hygienists, Wendi, what patients can do to improve the look of their smile and boost their confidence. Here’s her answer: teeth whitening! “I feel that whitening your teeth is one of the best things you can do for your face,” Wendi says, adding that it’s a powerful, simple way to improve your look and build confidence. The first question that many people ask is if teeth whitening is safe. We’ve all heard the horror stories of products that strip the enamel or degrade the integrity of our oral health. However, Wendi explains that whether you opt for at-home or in-house treatment, the products used to whiten teeth are usually very safe. In fact, she points out that teeth whitening didn’t even begin as a cosmetic fix! The products used in whitening gels, strips, and compounds were originally given to patients who completed gum

Teeth whitening is nothing to be ashamed of; it’s no different than shaving your beard or trimming your hair! It’s a safe, effective way to improve your style and confidence. For more details on whitening and our in-office options, please contact us today! – Wendi Dopkosky, RDH

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Escape to Paradise

Of course, being with Grandma Julie and Grandma Joyce was exciting for the kids. As Katie explains, they were able to spend some quality grandma-grandchild time together while Katie and Vince sneaked away for a date night. Katie was happy that the kids had that quality time with their grandmas. All told, their week in Florida went by too fast, but it was a fun little adventure for the family’s first outing together. KATIE’S FAMILY EXPLORES FLORIDA!

with DVD players and road games. Meanwhile, Katie told Vince that if they ever go to Florida again, it was going to be “airplane or bust!” Once in Florida, Katie and her family lived like the locals do. They spent their mornings by the beach and their afternoons at the pool. In the evening, they went to dinner to enjoy some local seafood. Through it all, Katie says it was a relaxing, easygoing trip. The crystal-clear blue waters of Anna Maria Island also provided the perfect opportunity for snorkeling. The kids loved dunking their heads in the water to see all the little fish swimming by, and they even had a chance to meet some of the wildlife on the sand! On their last day of vacation, the family was shifting through the sand to look for seashells when they came across tiny crabs. Katie says the kids were too afraid to touch them, but that discovery has become one of her favorite parts of the trip.

We’re like one big family here at Signature Smiles, but we love to hear about the adventures our team’s actual families go on together. (We also love to live vicariously through them!) This month, we heard a great story from Katie, whose family took their first vacation together down to Florida! Katie, her fiancé Vince, their two children, Grandma Joyce, and Grandma Julie all loaded up in the van and made the 20-hour journey to Anna Maria Island in Florida this June! The kids, Katie explained, really had no concept of the 20-hour trek because they were set

And thanks for making us jealous, Katie!

Mexican Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS • 4 cups of fresh corn, cut from 5 cobs • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped • 1/2 red onion, diced • 6 green onions, chopped • 1 jalapeno, diced • 1/2 avocado, cubed • 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice • 1/2 tsp ground cumin • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS 1. In a cast-iron skillet

over medium-high heat, add oil and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes or until corn starts to char. 2. Add the corn to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and stir together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. 3. The salad pairs well with grilled entrees and can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• 2 tbsp sour cream • 2 tbsp mayonnaise

We guarantee an anxiety‑free experience—always!

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped • 1/2 cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled

Inspired by JoCooks.com

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

9519 State Route 14 Streetsboro, OH 44241 330-423-6779

Also Serving Elyria! Elyria, OH 44035 440-281-8031

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Get to Know Dr. Alhmoud — Our New Dentist!

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Celebrity Chefs Prove Flexitarianism Is Delicious

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A Dental Hygienist’s 2 Pro Tips for Teeth Whitening

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Katie’s Family Takes Their First Family Vacation!

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Mexican Corn Salad

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An Olympic Medal — For Arts

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From 1912–1952, the Olympics awarded medals for arts and sculpture, though most people do not remember this. In 2012, the first book in English on the topic was published, “The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions” by Richard Stanton. Stanton dug through decades-old, crumbling files that were packed away in Switzerland in order to uncover the origin of this forgotten Olympic tradition. Apparently, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Games, saw art competitions as integral to his vision of the Olympics. Stanton told Smithsonian Magazine of Coubertin, “He was raised and educated classically, and he was particularly impressed with the idea of what it meant to be a true Olympian — someone who was not only athletic, but skilled in music and literature.” Coubertin thought that without the arts, it couldn’t be a true Olympic event. However, Coubertin had no luck convincing local organizers from Athens, St. Louis, or Paris that art competitions were necessary. At the 1912 Stockholm Games, Coubertin finally secured the Olympic fine art competitions. There were categories for architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature, but every work had to somehow be inspired by sports.

Judges didn’t have to award gold medals if they were disappointed by all the submissions, but 1912 was a success. With 33 artists in participation, a gold medal was awarded in every category. (Coubertin even won for his poem, “Ode to Sport”! He disguised it with a pseudonym.)

As the Olympics exploded into a beloved international event, the fine arts competitions rarely caught people’s attention. Not all categories won gold medals, if any at all. There were significant winners, however. John

Russell Pope (the architect of the Jefferson Memorial) won a silver at the 1932 Los Angeles Games for his design of the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, constructed at Yale University. Other famous participants include Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, American illustrator Percy Crosby, Irish author Oliver St. John Gogarty, and Dutch painter Isaac Israëls. Even if the art competitions are not a part of the games anymore, they are fascinating to learn about! We’ll definitely think about them the next time the Olympics (finally) roll around.

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