Oral and Dental Care Articles & News |Oral Hygiene, Dental Health Information and Resources | Colgate®

Happy Friday to all! I thought that for the first post of the new year, I would give everyone a chance to learn something new. Many of us deal with dry mouth but may not know causes or the affects it can have on other health factors. I found this article about xerostomia (dry mouth) and I thought it was interesting so I am sharing it with you! I hope you can learn something and possibly benefit from your new found knowledge. Happy reading!


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-Trisha

Always remember: Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Here's to 2012!

As we near the end of yet another year, I look to the words of others for guidance for the new year.  Here is a "gem" I found from Mark Twain:

New Year's Day:  Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.  Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.  ~Mark Twain
Well, if that isn't just the truth.  I find that anymore, I won't even propose a resolution for the new year, for if I do, I am sure to fail at it.  More often that not, the resolutions we make are more about the champagne we are drinking than the reality we will have to deal on January 2!  That being said, I have found that setting small goals throughout the year works much better for me, and if I set those goals when I am not "under the influence" I have a much better success rates! 

Here at Austin Bluffs Dental, we are excited for the New Year.  We plan on carrying on our resolution to provide our patients with the best possible dental experience by continuing to attend education courses and keeping up-to-date with all the latest and greatest technology.  Thank you to all of our patients for a wonderful 2011, and as we transition to 2012, please know that we are here for you! 

I hope everyone has a very happy New Year!

-Trisha

Always remember:  Keep your teeth healthy, and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Merry Christmas!!

Well it is here, Christmas is only two days away and I think I am just about as ready as I can be!  I have wrapped the gifts, hung the stockings, decorated the tree and gained 5 lbs from all the wonderful goodies we have received here in the office!  So, yes, I would say I am officially ready for Christmas!  I did want to thank all of our awesome patients and all of the fantastic offices we work with for the many delicious treats you brought to us, we have enjoyed them all. 
 
I did scan the Internet to find a few good holiday jokes, so I hope you can get a good chuckle with these!

What did the dog breeder get when he crossed a Irish Setter with a Pointer?
           A PointSetter!

Why are Dasher and Dancer always taking coffee breaks?
          Because they are Santa's star bucks!

What do you call an elf who has just won the lottery?
          Welfy!

What do the elves sing to Santa after he finishes his rounds on Christmas Eve?
          Freeze a jolly good fellow!

What is a snowman's favorite food?
          Burrrr_itos!

LOL!!

FYI:  Our office will be closing early today, December 23, and we will open again on Wednesday December 28, 2011.  I want to wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday!  Merry Christmas to all!

Trisha

Always remember, keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)



 

Recipe Alert! Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies

Here is a recipe I found on one of my favorite food blogs; smitten kitchen.  If you ever have a chance to get on the smitten kitchen food blog, you will not be disappointed.  She has several recipes that you will not see anywhere else and many of them are really simple.  This recipe sounded yummy and doesn't involve much, so I figured I would post it here. 

Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup (Grade B works best for this recipe)

1 large egg yolk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Keep the mixer running and add egg yolk.  Once that is incorporated slowly pour in the maple syrup.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, nutmeg and salt).  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.  The dough will be loose.  Gather the dough together and wrap tightly with a piece of plastic wrap.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator anywhere from 2 hours to 4 days.  Dough should be firm. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out dough on a floured surface (quarter to half the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough in the fridge until ready to use) to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes.

Arrange cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-11 minutes.  Cookies will be golden at the edges when they are ready to come out of the oven.  Transfer to cooling racks and cool.  Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze them until you are ready for them! 

( smittenkitchen.com/2011/12/nutmeg-maple-butter-cookies)

Enjoy!

Trisha

Always remember; keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

December is here!

I have such a hard time believing that we are now into December and that the holidays are coming at us like a freight train, but my 5 year old son keeps me in check!  Everyday he gives me the countdown to Christmas, last night I heard, "24 days until Christmas mom!"  (like I need the reminder!)  It's not that I don't love the holiday season and all that it represents, but I am just not ready!  Is anyone else with me on this?  I don't know how it happens, but with every passing year time moves faster and faster!  I am ready for a slow down, "mommy needs a time out," but I doubt I'll get it.  Here's to wishful thinking!  I want to wish all of our patients a little slow down!  Let's all take a "time out" and be thankful for what we have right in front of us!

-Trisha

Always remember; keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;) 

New technology for oral cancer screening is here!

We are excited to announce that we now have a new "tool" in our arsenal to help us screen for oral cancer.  We attended a continuing education seminar in Denver, Co last Thursday and Friday and part of the focus of that seminar was on oral cancer screening.  We have always preformed oral cancer screenings in our office, but we now have a velscope.  A velscope "is the most powerful FDA approved oral screening tool for assisting in the discovery and detection of oral cancers.  The velscope works by emitting non-harmful blue light allowing the doctor to see areas of concern that are otherwise undetectable with the naked eye.  The velscope is NOT a diagnostic test.  It is, however, a visualization tool that will help the dentist and hygienist to identify a wide range of unhealthy tissue in the mouth including oral pre-cancer and cancer." (Velscope.com)  If the doctor does see something of concern he will then schedule the patient for diagnosis.  For more information you can go to Velscope.com. 

We will begin to use the velscope routinely at your regular check-ups, so if you need another reason to get in for your check-up, there you have it.  Our patient's health is extremely important to us, and this is why we have decided to bring this new technology into our office. 

-Trisha

Always remember, keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)

Quote of the Week!

I was driving to work yesterday and I was reflecting on the seminar our office attended on Friday November 4th (which, by the way, was AWESOME!  If you ever get a chance to hear David Weber speak, don't miss it!), and I pulled up behind a truck with "the best" bumper sticker for the mood I was in.  The bumper sticker read:

  If it's petty, don't sweat it

        and         
  If it's sweaty don't pet it!

Now isn't that the honest truth!  The tough part is not sweating the small stuff, boy can that one be tricky!  Well here's to trying! 

Trisha

Always remember, keep your teeth healthy, and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)