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May 2021
1115 Mt. Aetna Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 • www.hagerstownsmiles.com • 240-329-4725
Putting You in Control Director of First Impressions Katie Talks Comfort and Care
Trust-building usually starts over the phone, and when new patients arrive, I almost always take them on a quick office tour. I want them to see what things are like here, meet a few of our team members, and become a little more familiar with the space. After all, it’s their space, too! The same goes for any paperwork they might need to fill out. And something else I love doing is sharing our Comfort Menu with new patients, which they usually haven’t seen at other practices. Stress balls, ear plugs, bottles of water, blankets — all of these and more are available to help people deal with any anxiety they might be feeling. Like I said, it’s a process. The foundation of that process, though, is that whenever a patient needs to stop a procedure — whatever’s going on — all they have to do is raise their hand. No guilt trip or ignoring your pain at this practice. It’s as simple as that. Otherwise … well, that’s how people have bad experiences. And that isn’t okay — especially when, in addition to the trauma itself, it keeps them away from the dentist for years at a time. After a while, their fear is compounded by the prospect of needing a lot more work done than usual, which means even more time at the dentist. For those patients, I’m really glad the doctors and team at Hagerstown Smiles have so much experience in sedation dentistry. It allows us to do a lot more work in one session than before, clearing up everything at once if we can. And since you’re sedated, you’ll never be afraid in the moment. I doubt anybody would hold still long enough for me to explain all of this when they ask why I’ve worked here for eight years. But this letter is the answer I would give if they did! I love my job, my office, and my team. I love that I get to make people feel better. And just as I see people come in after a bad time at the dentist in the past, I am also regularly reminded how close our patients are to us here. It seems like every week, someone comes in with pictures of their grandkids or a wedding announcement for their children. When that happens, it doesn’t feel like a job I’ve had for a long time. It feels like a family I’d never want to leave. –Katie Martinez
This month’s cover letter comes from Hagerstown Smiles’ Director of First Impressions, Katie Martinez. She shares some of the things she’s learned in her years of working with patients — especially the most anxious ones. When people ask why I’ve stayed with the same dental practice for eight years, I understand what’s usually behind that question. You see, as Director of First Impressions, I’m almost always the first person new patients talk to at Hagerstown Smiles Dental Care. And, unfortunately, too many of those new patients are coming to us because they had a bad dental experience in the past. Often, the people who ask me about my time here share that same bad history, and they can’t imagine how anyone could work for a dental practice for that long because they can’t imagine anyone ever having a good experience at the dentist. You might know a few people like that yourself. You might even have been one of those people before you found us. Because so many have had bad experiences, I get a lot of joy helping people overcome their fears, especially when I know we’ve earned their real trust. It can’t be faked. It has to be won, over time, until patients realize they really are in control at our office.
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NATIONAL STRESS LEVEL —AND BRUXISM— SKYROCKET HOW CAN I STOP GRINDING MY TEETH?
Are you stressed out?
fixable to an extent — not only can we show you ways to de-stress and calm down before bed, but we can also set you up with a comfortable, protective nightguard that you wear while you sleep every night. It’s not bulky, and there’s no chance of swallowing it or something else happening. Another simple technique that may help? Just stopping a few times every day to make sure you’re not clenching your jaw unconsciously. It’s easy to do! Bruxism can lead to a host of health problems, all of which are painful and costly to fix. Broken or prematurely worn teeth are one possible result; damage to fillings, crowns, and other dental work is another. To help address this crisis, Hagerstown Smiles Dental Care is offering $75 off all custom nightguards. To see if you’re grinding your teeth and learn about how custom nightguards can help while you sleep, contact us at 240-329-4724.
For some, that may seem like a funny question. It’s been a difficult past 12 months; we’ve had a pandemic, one political crisis after another, financial insecurity, and no clue how everything is going to end up. Of course we’re stressed out, you might be thinking. But you might not be thinking about the toll stress can take on your teeth … We’re talking about bruxism, of course — teeth grinding, specifically at night. The idea of someone grinding their teeth during stress or emotional upset is almost ubiquitous today. But that common image is rooted in real science, and dentists all over the country are reporting the same thing: a serious rise in the number of teeth-grinding patients they’re seeing every month. It’s something we’ve noticed as well, and it seems to be a nationwide phenomenon.
Stress has a lot of different effects on the body, but grinding your teeth while you sleep is a very common one. It’s also, thankfully,
$75 OFF CUSTOM NIGHT GUARD
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Dehydration is a big problem. Many people don’t drink enough water each day — some reports show that 75% of adults in the United States don’t drink enough water, and over a quarter are dehydrated. Though those statistics aren’t widely agreed upon, it’s obvious that most people need more fluids. Even if it feels like you’re drinking a lot of water, remember that water leaves your body every time you sweat, go to the bathroom, and even breathe. Not keeping up with proper water intake can lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can cause health problems and impact your brain, heart, skin, and other organs, which can lead to headaches, confusion, fatigue, and gastrointestinal distress. We all know the solution to dehydration is to drink more water, but exactly how much water do we need each day? The amount will differ depending on the person, but one simple way to approximate your necessary daily intake is by dividing your body weight in half and drinking that much water (in fluid ounces) each day. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds, you’d need to drink 87.5 fluid ounces — over half a gallon — of water per day. AND AVOID DEHYDRATION AN EASY WAY TO DRINK MORE WATER
That might seem like a lot of liquid, but you can easily drink it without trying too hard. All you have to do is be proactive: Start keeping water any place you frequent during the day. Keep a bottle in your car, at your desk, by your favorite chair, near your workout equipment, etc. Having water easily available in the places you spend the most time each day helps increase your chances of actually drinking it. An alternative approach is to purchase a giant jug that can hold all the water you need to drink in a day. Seeing it all in one place might be intimidating at first, but this method makes things very simple. Keep the jug close, and your water intake will likely increase without too much additional effort. And if you’re just not motivated to drink plain water, you can always add sugar-free flavoring or lemon to make it more enticing.
QUARTERLY WINNERS FOR OUR "NO CAVITY CLUB" PAIGE SONIFRANK AND JACOB SCHAUT
GREENGODDESS SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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1. In a large, high-powered
1 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
blender, add in all ingredients.
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2. Blend on high for 1–2 minutes, or until all ingredients are well combined.
1 organic apple, peeled and chopped
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1 medium frozen banana
PATIENT OF THE MONTH WINNERS: DECEMBER: TINA MARTIN JANUARY: ELLIE HARTINGS
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1 1/2 cups fresh organic spinach
3. If necessary, add in more almond milk to thin the smoothie.
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1 tbsp chia seeds
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1/2 medium avocado
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
www.hagerstownsmiles.com 1115 Mt. Aetna Rd. Hagerstown, MD 21740 Call Now! 240-329-4725
INSIDE Putting You in Control page 1
Grinding Skyrockets With Stress page 2
How to Easily Increase Your Water Intake page 3
Green Goddess Smoothie page 3
3 Irish Travel Destinations for Your Bucket List page 4
3 IRISH TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR YOUR BUCKET LIST
DON’T MISS THESE HISTORIC SPOTS!
Traveling to Ireland might not be an option for you right now, but like a leprechaun hoarding gold, you can still fill up your bucket list with all of the pubs, rolling hills, and lucky sites you’d love to see. This month when you’re planning your trip to Dublin, Galway, or Cork, add these spots to your itinerary. THE OLDEST BAR IN THE WORLD – ATHLONE, COUNTY WESTMEATH When Sean’s Bar closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire country of Ireland groaned. The pub is famous for its Irish whiskey, music, and history, which stretches back to 900 A.D., far enough to earn it the title of “Oldest Bar in the World.” As of this writing, Sean’s is slated to reopen when it’s safe again, and considering it has already survived the bubonic plague and the Spanish flu, odds are good that it will make it through this, too! Soon, you’ll be able to raise a glass in the same rooms where the noblemen of nearby Athlone Castle shared drinks in the 12th century. Find more historical tidbits at SeansBar.ie.
leave Ireland without visiting Leap Castle. This 16th-century haunt was built by the fierce O’Bannon clan, who famously ordered two brothers to throw themselves off a rocky cliff as a test of strength. The survivor was named clan chief, and later Leap Castle was built on that very site
— beginning its long and bloody history. Read more about its haunted priest’s house, murder hole room, and bloody chapel at LeapCastle.net and meet the many ghosts that haunt its halls.
A FAMOUS SMUGGLERS’ SHORTCUT – NEWCASTLE, COUNTY DOWN
Get ready to tie up your hiking boots! This roughly 2-mile hike, called Hare’s Gap, is one of the most famous and beautiful routes in Ireland. When you climb through this pass in the Mourne Mountains, you’ll be rewarded with views of glacial cliffs, boulder fields, and ancient- looking stone walls. Legend has it that the pass was part of the Brandy Pad smuggling route, used to ferry goods like soap, leather, spices, and coffee.
IRELAND’S SPOOKIEST CASTLE – COOLDERRY, COUNTY OFFALY If you’re a fan of thrillers and true crime podcasts, you won’t want to
Safe travels, and ádh mór (good luck)!
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