Westchester Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Implantology - March 2020
2975 Westchester Avenue, Suite G02, Purchase, NY 10577
• www.oralsurgeryofwestchester.com
What’s the Best Way to Enjoy a Book? READING VS. AUDIOBOOKS
By reading, we can gain knowledge, better ourselves, and explore different worlds, which can be both eye-opening and relaxing. “
When the stars align, something amazing can happen: I get time to read a book. These rare instances usually fall on the weekend when I have the day away from work. As a parent and a business owner who runs two office locations, my book reading time is limited. I really have to look for opportunities to read. Mostly, these rare moments come after I’ve finally finished helping my kids with their homework and put them to bed. When I go to bed myself, I might have a little time to read, but I usually only get two pages in before I fall asleep. This is why I’m such a fan of audiobooks. When I’m in my car, working out at the gym, or on a run, I’m usually listening to an audiobook. I’m able to keep enjoying books even when I don’t have time to sit down and read. There’s some disagreement as to whether listening to audiobooks counts as reading. I think it does, and there’s some quality science to back it up. In 2019, researchers from the Gallant Lab at UC Berkeley published the results of a study about how our brains process written versus spoken words in The Journal of Neuroscience. The researchers found that the same cognitive and emotional areas of the participants’ brains were engaged, regardless of the medium being tested. Basically, if you like reading physical books, that’s great. And if you like listening to audiobooks, that’s also great. The important thing is to enjoy books.
“Shōgun” is one of my favorite books, and I’ve read or listened to all of Tom Clancy’s novels. Many of Clancy’s books were made into movies and TV shows. For the most part, these adaptations are pretty good, but trust me, the books are better. More recently, I finished the memoir “Shoe Dog” by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. This was a pretty interesting read that chronicled the history of Nike from its early struggles to its eventual success as one of the world’s biggest brands. One of the best books I’ve ever read is “Steve Jobs” byWalter Isaacson. This biography was written at the request of Jobs himself, but he asked for no control over the book beyond the cover. I recommend everyone read this book. Although Jobs might not have been the nicest guy, “Steve Jobs” captures a lot of the business magnate’s life and shows that by having a vision you believe in, you can make anything happen.
That’s the truly amazing thing about books. Few of us will ever have the opportunity to sit down and talk to someone like Steve Jobs, but many people like Jobs are the subject of excellent books. By reading, we can gain knowledge, better ourselves, and explore different worlds, which can be both eye-opening and relaxing. Read Across America Day is celebrated at the beginning of March each year. This is a great time to evaluate our reading habits and pick up something great to read next. And if you don’t have time to sit down with a book? That’s okay. Audiobooks are always a great option.
–Dr. Harrison Linsky
I love history, historical fiction, biographies, and good spy novels. James Clavell’s
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Westchester Office • 914-251-0313
IS EMAIL CLUTTER DRAGGINGYOU DOWN? Improve Productivity by Cleaning Up Your Inbox
1. Sweep away the junk. Begin by going through your emails from oldest to newest and deleting anything you know you won’t need. When you see an email you want to delete, search to find others from that sender — it’s likely there are multiple you can trash right away. 2. Categorize necessary messages. Create folders to organize the remaining emails. You might use a time-based system, like “First Quarter of 2020,” or descriptive names, like “Receipts” and “Current Projects.” Choose a system that works for your personal preferences. 3. Respond to urgent emails. Have unanswered emails that can’t be filed away? Use the two-minute rule: Immediately respond to anything that will take less than two
Do you cringe every time you open your email, preparing yourself for a barrage of unanswered messages? If so, then it’s time to take tidying up your inbox more seriously because poor organization results in far worse problems than simply missing out on happy hours with coworkers. According to psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne, mental and physical clutter can impede productivity. It may also have long-term effects on our ability to process information. One University of Toronto researcher has even found evidence that mental clutter may worsen age- related memory loss. Since most people can cite their digital inbox as a source of stress, starting there is a big step toward organizing your mind and your life. Plus, you can declutter it in just one hour by following these steps. When a town owned by a massive company starts to suffer from a strange health condition, there’s a pretty good chance that the company is responsible. This was the suspicion in the early 18th century, when the children of Bauxite, Arkansas, began developing mysterious brown stains on their teeth. Bauxite was owned by the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), and citizens feared that aluminum in the water was causing the discoloration. Doctors, public health officials, and members of the media flocked to Bauxite, eager to get the scoop. Faced with a publicity crisis, ALCOA’s chief chemist, H. V. Churchill, ordered an assistant to run tests on samples of Bauxite’s water. The assistant came because with surprising results: Bauxite’s water had naturally high levels of fluoride. “Whoever heard of fluorides in water?” Churchill scoffed. He accused his assistant of contaminating the samples and ordered more
minutes to answer. For the ones that need more effort, put them on your to-do list and schedule a time on your calendar to respond. 4. Maintain a healthy email habit. Now that your inbox is in a manageable state, develop habits to keep it that way. Check your inbox when you get to work and follow the steps above. Once a week, set
aside a few minutes to sort through and organize anything you missed. The more time you devote to decluttering your email first thing, the more time you’ll have to accomplish bigger and more important goals.
‘WHOEVER HEARD OF FLUORIDES IN WATER?’
How an Aluminum Company Helped Fluoridate Drinking Water
tests. When the second test also came back with high levels of fluoride, Churchill began to rethink his opinion. This wasn’t the first time unexplained brown stains had appeared on people’s teeth. The phenomenon occurred in places as far away as Durango, Mexico, and Naples, Italy. In the United States, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Oakley, Idaho also reported cases of the mysterious dental discoloration.
the course of his research, McKay noted that while the brown teeth looked unhealthy, they actually had more resistance to cavities. McKay was among those to visit Bauxite, and though he tested the water himself, he found nothing unusual. It wasn’t until the more sophisticated tests could be performed that the presence of fluoride was detected. discovery. McKay quickly sent Churchill water samples from Colorado Springs and Oakley and determined that both locations also had high levels of fluoride. Additional research determined that lower levels of fluoride could be added to drinking water, providing cavity- resistance without staining teeth. This would lead to Grand Rapids, Michigan, being the first town to have fluoride added to their water supply in 1945. All the while, the bigwigs at ALCOA breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing about McKay’s work, Churchill wrote to the dentist about the fluoride
A dentist named Dr. Frederick McKay spent 30 years trying to solve the mystery of the stains. In
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Preoperative anxiety is incredibly common among patients seeking treatment in every field of medicine. Even common operations a surgeon may consider to be “mundane” can be a great source of anxiety to patients. The most common reason patients report for having these fears is the unknown. For this reason, additional education about the surgery is often recommended to help patients overcome their anxiety. One strategy involves showing patients videos about the surgical procedure. However, recent research published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery found that this approach might actually increase patient anxiety. The study in question involved 113 patients who had been scheduled for third molar surgery. All patients were admitted for the removal of impacted third molars and randomly divided into two groups. The control group only received verbal information about the surgery while the study group received verbal information in addition to viewing a video about the surgery online. Patient anxiety level was assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale, Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Despite being more informed about the procedure, results showed that immediately after the consent process, the study group had higher anxiety scores than the control group (P < .05). It’s important to note that the patients watched the informational videos “in an uncontrolled situation from websites.” After surgery, the anxiety levels in both groups decreased. Researchers did not find significant differences in the VAS scores based on gender or education level. They also reported observing no correlation “between age and the other variables.” Researchers concluded that the verbal and written consent format resulted in the lowest and most manageable levels of anxiety. However, before physicians completely disregard informational videos for combating perioperative anxiety, the researchers noted that “further studies are needed to clarify whether the use of video consent with different formats, such as animation, would be more effective in managing anxiety when applied carefully and under the control of a clinician.” Videos could still be an effective way to help patients manage their anxiety before their surgery, but physicians need to first consider the best methods for presenting these videos.
Do Informational Videos Increase Preoperative Anxiety in Patients?
Have a Laugh
Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS
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1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
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1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
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2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, sliced 2 pints cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup olive oil, divided
5 sprigs thyme
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400 F.
In the same pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and cook onion, pepper, garlic, and thyme for 8–10 minutes. Add half the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in original eggplant and zucchini mixture and top with remaining tomatoes. Do not stir. Transfer pot to oven and bake mixture for 15–20 minutes. Remove pot from oven and remove thyme bundle before serving.
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In a colander, toss eggplant, zucchini, and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes and pat dry. In an ovenproof pot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Add half of eggplant mixture, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pot. Tie thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine.
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Westchester Office • 914-251-0313
2975 Westchester Avenue Suite G02 Purchase, NY 10577
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
914-251-0313 www.oralsurgeryofwestchester.com
INSIDE This Issue
PG 1
Reading vs. Audiobooks
PG 2
Productivity Lagging? Check Your Inbox!
The Mystery of the Colorado Brown Stain
PG 3
Combating Preoperative Anxiety in Patients
Ratatouille
PG 4
Stay Stateside With These Little- Known St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations
CelebrateWith These Little-Known Festivities
There’s no place quite like Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. What was once a purely religious holiday to honor the legend of St. Patrick chasing all the snakes out of the country has turned into a global celebration. But if a trip to Ireland isn’t in the budget, check out these three little-known stateside destinations that are just as festive. Short and Sweet in Arkansas Thanks to the clever thinking of some Irish friends meeting for a pint at a bar on one of the shortest streets in the world, Bridge Street in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the First Ever 17th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade will travel 98 feet once again this year. Don’t assume the turnout isn’t robust just because the distance is staggeringly low. The parade lasts for hours, drawing thousands of people to watch celebrities, musicians, bands, floats, and Miss Arkansas glide by. The event also features a Blarney stone kissing contest and a parade king and queen. A Little Luck in America’s Heartland O’Neill, Nebraska, is home to the world’s largest shamrock and more unique St. Patrick’s Day traditions. This Irish community doubles down on its heritage every March with a traditional parade, music, and Irish dancing. But the town also hosts a popular dodgeball tournament and donkey basketball. What could be better than pummeling your opponents in dodgeball and outpacing the competition while riding
a donkey in the school gymnasium? Perhaps enjoying a pint or two with your teammates afterward. And O’Neill is just the spot to do it.
Ohio’s Little Piece of Ireland You may not be able to fly to Ireland, but you can visit a little piece of it right in the U.S. Head to Dublin, Ohio, this St. Patrick’s Day for a traditional celebration sure to put a wee bit o’ pep in your step. Partake in a traditional Irish breakfast or enjoy a parade complete with bagpipers and Irish dancers. Boasting one of the largest celebrations in the U.S., Dublin is an affordable alternative for those looking to celebrate the Irish way.
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