March/APril 2020
The Undisputed Tooth
610-868-7601 | www.drpetrillo.com
The Importance of Vitamins for Your Teeth Nutrition in Dentistry
As we wrote in our last newsletter, our preventive appointments with our hygienists, Sharon, Leah, and new addition Nicole, are so full of gathering metrics for health, health history, medications, and various other checkpoints that nutrition rarely gets a mention. My sister, who is also a dentist, is an avid reader and student of nutrition. She’s been my mentor for many of my vitamin and supplement choices going back almost 12 years. She and I subscribe to Life Extension Magazine and to Dr. Sherry Rogers’ newsletters found online at Prestige Publishing. It’s sometimes overwhelming to follow all the great advice and information
about the plethora of vitamins and supplements available, but it enables me to make better choices for my health. I have saved many of Dr. Rogers’ newsletters because there is so much information that one read is not enough! When it comes to nutrition and dentistry, your approach will depend on what you are trying to control. Dry mouth and periodontal disease can cause bad breath, and having a history of many cavities can be attributed to poor dietary habits. We can make some suggestions for all of these issues. Building good bone strength in your jaw and tooth arches is important to keeping teeth and gums healthy.
Volumes have been written on the efficacy of vitamin supplements in regard to healing inflamed tissues in the mouth. Vitamin D is on top of the list when it comes to healing from implant surgery. Vitamin D has been found to stimulate bone formation and, as a result, augment the contact between the surface of the titanium implants and bone. Daily supplementation of vitamin D has changed and can be 2,000–4,000 international units depending on your blood serum levels and your doctor’s recommendation. There is also a relationship between vitamin D and periodontal disease, since vitamin D has a protective role in healing bone. Unless you’re eating all organic fruits and vegetables, diet alone is not going to provide enough nutrients to help you reach effective levels. Should you decide to stay with diet only, my best advice is to consume dark green leafy vegetables and fruits and vegetables of all colors and to rotate your diet for best effects.
Covid-19 Corner
We genuinely hope that all our dental families are able to stay safe and healthy through these unprecedented times. To help settle your minds, we are taking calls for emergencies despite being closed. If you are not sure if you’re experiencing an emergency, please call us and let us help you. Simply dial 610-868- 7601 and press 1 to reach Linda. She can contact any of the dentists and get your questions answered. We recommend that you let us know about any concerns you may have. For those patients in the middle of treatment, we will be prioritizing your care when we are able to continue with nonemergency treatment. We also know that our patients in invisible braces are anxious to move their treatment along —so are we! We can contact Invisalign to remake your current trays at no charge if they start to wear through. Just let us know your needs. To assist patients with questions or concerns, Kim has been coming in on Mondays and answering voice messages that patients are leaving, and Chrissy has been helping with the emergency patients. Otherwise, we are closed. Our administrative team and dentists are working behind the scenes to get ready to reopen the office. We hope that we will be able to open soon so we can see you again and help you with your dental needs. Thank you for your patience during this global crisis.
Continued on page 2 ...
610-868-7601 1 www.drpetrillo.com
... Continued from cover
There is also a lot written about coenzyme Q10. It relates to properties in controlling inflammation. If you have red, puffy, inflamed, or bleeding gums, call us for an appointment because that’s not normal. But coenzyme Q10 at 50–100 milligrams, along with other therapies in tandem, may help. It can cause insomnia if taken close to bedtime, so
you figure out what is best to eat, you must also consider what you drink. Stay away from sugary drinks and stick with filtered water, which is the healthiest choice. Limit your snacks and choose them wisely. Good snacks include vegetables, bean dips, bits of cheese, and fruit. Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm than lots of snacks throughout the day because more saliva is released during a meal and washes out the food from the mouth, lessening the effects of acids that harm teeth and cause cavities.
There are basically seven vitamins and minerals your teeth need: calcium, vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins K, C, and A. Many of these work synergistically, like how vitamin D helps calcium uptake. Vitamin C can strengthen the gums and soft tissue and protect against gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Many people take a daily dose to prevent colds and amp up vitamin C before air travel. Vitamin A helps prevent dry mouth.
It’s easier than ever to maintain optimum dental health in our current generation. I hope this information helped you.
the best time to take it is morning or afternoon. It can also interact with common medications, such as blood thinners, antidepressants, and chemotherapy drugs, so it is best to check with your doctors. If you’re looking to reduce cavities, research what foods are best at ChooseMyPlate.gov. It has an interesting app that you can download. Once
Dr. Mike Petrillo
LEARN TO BREATHE BETTER Holistic Methods for Taming Seasonal Allergies
The season of sniffles and sneezes is upon us, but you don’t have to let your allergies stop you from enjoying gorgeous blooms and fresh spring breezes. Try these natural solutions to help combat your allergies and breathe a little easier this spring — though if your allergies are persistent, seek professional medical help. Eat Them Away Food is often overlooked as a method to fight your allergies, but make no mistake: The nutrients in some foods can do wonders for your body! Use this to your advantage by choosing ingredients proven to fight the sniffles. Raw, local honey has the ability to soothe scratchy throats, which protects the airway passage from further damage. ( Warning : Children under the age of 1 should never consume honey.) Also on the sweeter side, the naturally occurring enzyme in pineapple, bromelain, has been shown to ease inflammation and swelling, while quercetin, found in tea, red wine, and apples, can act as a natural antihistamine. If you’re looking for something more savory, spicy foods can light a fire under your mucus, break it up, and clear your nasal passages.
Poke Them Away Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment method that pinpoints specific pathways crucial to the flow of energy throughout the body and reopens them through strategic needle placements. While studies have yet to prove that acupuncture can serve as a stand-alone treatment for allergies, it has been shown to aid in symptom management. Acupuncture can also decrease pain and release built-up pressure caused by congestion. Drain Them Away Have you ever just wanted to open your nose and flush out all of your congestion? With a neti pot, you can! Simply create your own saltwater solution with filtered water — do not try this with unfiltered water, as deadly organisms can enter your body this way — and 1 teaspoon of salt. Some experts even suggest adding a pinch of baking soda to the mixture to soothe the bite of the salt. Next, pour the solution into the pot. Tilt your head to one side over a sink, pour the mixture from the pot into one of your nostrils, and let it drain out the other side. Repeat on the opposite nostril and feel the relief!
www.drpetrillo.com 2
PATIENT SPOTLIGHT Basketball Coach Lorie Khalil
For Lorie Khalil, sports are not just activities — they define who she is. “I’ve played sports my entire life,” Lorie says. She has participated in field hockey, basketball, and track, among others. For the past 15 years, Lorie coached college basketball, a sport she played through college. “When I graduated, I started coaching basketball immediately.” Today, Lorie is the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Penn State. Lorie is a local to our area, but before she started coaching at Penn State, and even before she came to Lehigh Valley, she was the head coach for the women’s basketball team at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. While there, she brought the Arcadia University women’s basketball program into the MAC’s Commonwealth Conference, which is one of the country’s most competitive conferences for women’s basketball. From 2011–2014, Lorie worked to improve the school ’s program by leading the team to its best record in nearly eight years. After leaving Arcadia University, Lorie joined the Penn State Lehigh Valley women’s basketball program and brought the team immediate improvement. With the same enthusiasm she has shown in bringing her teams to victory, she is equally passionate about the
community. Each of her teams have been involved in a variety of community events, such as “Day for David” and services for the Ronald McDonald House, Hackettstown Halloween Parade, and the Centenary Women’s Center Breast Cancer Run. When Lorie came to Lehigh Valley, she not only wanted to continue her passion in coaching, but she also wanted to find a dentist she could trust. After doing some research, she found Lehigh Valley Smile Designs and decided to schedule an appointment. “When I actually met them, everyone was freaking awesome,” she says. “Kim and Jen at the front desk are amazing, and everyone is super friendly. They’re always asking how I am and are really pleasant people to talk to.” “When I first came in, I had a lot of cavities, and I needed a lot of dental work. I met Dr. Petrillo, some of his associates, and Sharon, one of the hygienists. They all came up with a dental plan for me to get my teeth back into shape and executed that plan, but I never felt lost. Everyone walked me through the process step by step.” Lorie has been with us ever since and is proud to say, “I haven’t had another cavity.”
ORANGE GLAZED SALMON Inspired by RealFoodWithJessica.com
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1.
Heat oven to 425 F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
•
2 salmon fillets (10 oz total)
2. Salt each fillet with 1/2 tsp salt. Bake for 6–8 minutes. 3. In a saucepan, combine ghee and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. 4. Add rosemary, zest, and juice. Cook for another 3 minutes. 5. Stir in tapioca starch until lumps disappear and mixture thickens. 6. Plate salmon and top with orange sauce.
• • • •
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• •
Zest from 1 orange
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
WELCOME TO THE WORLD, LILA ANN POSIVAK! BORN SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 5 POUNDS, 6 OUNCES.
•
1 tsp tapioca starch
3
610-868-7601
return service requested
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
610-868-7601 www.drpetrillo.com
2019 Industrial Drive Bethlehem, PA 18017
Dr. Mike Petrillo, DMD
Dr. Bernhard E. Kabitzke, DMD
Dr. Patrick A. Petrillo, DDS
Inside This Issue
PAGE 1
Nutrition in Dentistry
PAGE 2
Fight the Sneeze With These Holistic Remedies
PAGE 3
Meet Our Wonderful Patients
PAGE 3
Orange Glazed Salmon
PAGE 4
Laughter Yoga’s Rise as a Global Health Movement
LAUGH WITH ME!
A Lighthearted Approach to Decreasing Stress
We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine, and it turns out that
overall health and well-being. He began to put the research into practice by telling jokes to his patients, and after seeing the positive effects, he took his material to a local park. Parkgoers, who were initially skeptical, joined in on the practice, and the first laughter yoga club was born. The laughter meetup had everyone in high spirits — until the group ran out of jokes. Unsure of what to do next, Kataria found another medical book suggesting the group didn’t need jokes to laugh. Fake laughter is just as beneficial as the real thing because the body can’t tell the difference between the two.
breathing techniques with facilitated laughter to create the form of laughter yoga that is practiced worldwide today. If you’re interested in trying laughter yoga for yourself, then you’re in luck. Laughter yoga clubs exist across the United States and the world. Videos on YouTube can teach the basics, but check for clubs in your area that hold virtual classes. Just think about the last time you found yourself in a fit of giggles with a group of friends or during a comedy show. Didn’t it feel great? Rather than wait for a silly situation to trigger laughter, use laughter yoga to promote laughter and alleviate stress on any day at any time.
human physiology supports this claim. When we laugh, our body releases a flood of feel-good chemicals and neurotransmitters. Our blood flow increases, and our production of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, decreases. Oh, and laughing also burns calories! The feel-good, endorphin-inducing benefits of laughter are exactly what prompted Dr. Madan Kataria to develop laughter yoga in 1995. Laughter yoga incorporates breathing, stretching, clapping, and of course, laughing.
Kataria developed the initial idea after coming across research into the benefits of laughter on
Collaborating with this wife, Madhuri, Kataria combined common yoga warmups and
www.drpetrillo.com 4
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter