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February 2018
We Learn the Most When Things Go Wrong A GOLD MEDAL IN FAILURE
My dad was a teacher and a high school basketball coach, so I grew up in an athletic atmosphere. You might have noticed my athletic exploits didn’t extend into adulthood — unless the Stuckey Open at our annual family reunion counts. However, I hold sports in high regard. Every sport encourages a drive for excellence in athletes, increasing their determination to succeed while demanding a lot of dedication. Few places can you see this more clearly than at the Olympics. This month, the Olympic Winter Games take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. This international event tends to come with political drama, but in the spirit of the original Olympics in ancient Greece, once an athlete steps out to compete, it doesn’t matter where they are from — all that matters is how well they perform. One thing that really throws me for a loop is when you realize how young many of these athletes are. Some of them aren’t even in their 20s yet, but they have committed their entire young life to their sport and now find themselves on the global stage.
their dreams and bring home gold. But we all know not every athlete will be able to do that. There are times when an unexpected misstep throws off a routine they have nailed perfectly in the past, or something goes wrong in the beginning and they aren’t able to correct their course. Maybe they perform perfectly, but it’s just not good enough for the competition. That’s how life is in general. We aim for greatness, but things don’t always work out the way we want them to. There are moments in life when, even though we give our best effort, things don’t turn out the way we want them to. We can try our best and still fail. These moments are rough, but they are incredibly important. How we handle failure is something that will define us most as a person. I can’t imagine what an athlete feels when they come home empty-handed after reaching the Winter Olympics. I’ve skied once in my life, and while on the mountain, I learned how to
fall down really well. However, I can relate to feeling frustrated when things don’t go as planned. In the dental field, I can perform a procedure flawlessly a thousand times, and then one day, it goes less than great. There are complications, and it can be discouraging as a professional, but I don’t give up. I fix the problem and learn from what went wrong so I can be a better dentist in the future. When it comes to the Olympics, if a figure skater doesn’t get enough rotations in their triple axel, or a downhill skier crosses the finish line a half-second too late, no one can say they failed. They made it to the Olympics! There’s success in that accomplishment alone. The best athletes are the ones who, when they don’t make it onto the podium, look four years ahead and say, “I will be there next time.” We can all learn something from that mentality. – Dr. Stuckey
“How we handle failure is something that will define us most as a person.”
Reaching the Olympics is something young athletes across the world strive for. Here, they have the opportunity to achieve
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Office Update
Toy Drive After work on December 15, our entire team delivered 70 toys to Lucas County Children Services. We are so lucky to have such kind and generous patients. Thank you to everyone who donated toys. For each donation, we entered everyone into a drawing. We gave away a Waterpik Water Flosser. Congratulations on your new Waterpik, Ron Lukasik!
Referral Contest The winner of our referral contest is Tracey McNeal! On January 5, we drew her name, and she won four tickets to the Jeff Dunham show on January 25 and limousine service for the evening. She works close by, so we surprised her at work with the news. Tracey was so very excited! A big thank you to everyone who referred family and friends!
Adventure With a Smile For seven years, I worked as a hairdresser. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the creativity the job offered, but after almost a decade, I was ready for a change. I wanted to do something in the medical field, where I could really help people and make a difference. capital — Nashville, Tennessee — with my sister, my boyfriend, and a group of wonderful friends. Where in the World Is Stacey Konwinski?
In addition to being a music fan, I’m also very health conscious. I love to stay active and work out. This April, I’ll be running a half marathon. Plus, I love to travel. The world is a big, beautiful place, and I want to see as much of it as possible. This month, I’m excited to be leaving the United States for the first time as I take a trip down to Mexico. I’m sure to take a lot of pictures, so feel free to ask about my trip the next time you come into the office. I’ll be happy to share some stories. If I am perfectly honest, I’m always happy to talk to our patients. For the last 3 1/2 years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know each patient a bit better and help achieve better dental health. The office feels like a second home sometimes. Wherever my travels may take me, I’m happy to know my friends at Briarfield will be here to welcome me back!
Dentistry sparked my interest, and I am so glad I decided to pursue it. Being a dental assistant at Briarfield Dental Care is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. I have some truly awesome coworkers who am I happy to see every day. Plus, the work environment is great. It can get a little crazy at times, and there’s a lot of hard work to be done, but I’m also free to be myself. Like Dr. Stuckey, I have a great love of music. You can find a bit of everything on my playlist, and I’ve been lucky enough to see a number of incredible performers live, including Elton John, Tom Petty, and Garth Brooks. Above all else, my heart belongs to country music. Last August, I made a pilgrimage down to the country music
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Stop the Recession! You’re admiring your bright smile when you notice you can see more of that tooth than you used to. Wow, it really doesn’t feel good when you touch that spot! It’s painful, really, and very uncomfortable. What the heck? You’ve been When we talk about gum recession, we don’t mean that gum tissue disappears. Instead, the tissue pulls away from your tooth. Your gum tissue is there to protect your teeth, and when something’s not quite right in other parts of your mouth, the sensitive tissue draws back.
Why Your Gums Are Pulling Back
If your problem is clenching or grinding, you might be suffering from sleep apnea. The clenching is in response to your body’s struggle to get enough oxygen as you sleep. A simple sleep study might be able to diagnose sleep disruptions, and it may lead you to not only healthier gums, but a better night’s sleep. Your dentist may even be able to fit you for a dental appliance as an alternative to a bulky sleep apnea mask. Depending on the severity of recession, there are a range of treatment plans available to you, from an intensive cleaning of the area to more extensive surgical options that a gum specialist, or periodontist, may perform.
brushing, flossing, and practicing the same oral hygiene you’ve known since childhood, and suddenly, your gums, which are usually there to protect your teeth, have moved! If you’ve experienced this phenomenon, you might be suffering from gum recession, and the underlying causes can sneak in even after proper care. The hard part is, some of us don’t have control over it. About 30 percent of people are predisposed to gum recession thanks to
Your daytime habits are a factor in your gum’s health. Smoking and other tobacco use can lead to a host of dental issues, including gum recession. Misaligned teeth can also force your gums to pull away. If that’s the issue, it may be time to talk to an orthodontist. Sometimes, your nighttime habits are the cause. Clenching and grinding at night — or, in dental terminology, bruxism— puts extra pressure on your jaw and teeth that can lead to gum recession. If you’ve woken up with a headache or your partner has complained about how noisy you are at night, it’s possible you’re grinding or clenching your teeth.
genetics. Ouch. The good news is, there are lifestyle changes you can make to protect the precious tissue that covers your teeth. With some work, you can reclaim control of your gum health.
Whatever the cause of your gum recession, talk with your dentist to find the best option for you.
Laugh Corner
Dr. Stuckey’s Playlist
Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend: Dire Straits
I can clearly remember the first time I heard the band Dire Straits. It was back during my days in dental school, working away in the lab. Their song “Sultans of Swing” came on the radio, and I instantly fell in love with their jazzy blend of blues and rock. That weekend, I made a trip out to School Kids Records in Columbus to buy their album on vinyl. and guitar, and their friends John Illsley playing bass and Pick Withers on drums and percussion. They started out under the name Café Racers, but would later adopt the title Dire Straits at the suggestion of a fellow musician. When their first demo tape, which features “Sultans of Swing,” was rejected by The British band formed in 1977, with brothers Mark and David Knopfler on vocals
MCA in Soho, they went to DJ Charlie Gillett of BBC Radio London for advice. Gillett loved their sound so much, he played “Sultans of Swing” on his show. Within two months, Dire Straits would sign their first label and explode into one of the biggest bands in the world. Dire Straits would have a number of internationally successful songs, including “Money for Nothing,” which was the first video to be played on MTV in Britain. Personally, I’ve always preferred the more folksy songs, like “Expresso Love” and “Romeo and Juliet,” both of which are found on my favorite Dire Straits album, “Making Movies.” There’s something incredibly unique about the group’s sound. When one of their songs starts to play, you know right away it’s them.
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Life’s Best Lessons
Spotlight on Stacey
Are Your Gums Pulling Back? Dr. Stuckey’s Playlist
Cook Your Way to Better Grades
Education in the Kitchen What Your Child Can Learn From Baking
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you’re probably wracking your brain for the perfect recipe to bake for your loved one. There’s nothing wrong with store- bought chocolate, but there’s no topping the personal touch of some homemade baked goods. If you have kids, baking alongside them can be just as rewarding as enjoying the fruits of your labor. As an added bonus, baking is a hands-on opportunity where your child can learn all sorts of important concepts. Here is a short list of some of the educational lessons hiding in your kitchen.
division practice. With older kids, practice unit conversions by asking, for example, how many pints are in half a gallon. Following Directions Not unlike computer science, baking requires a strict order of operations. The wet and dry ingredients often need to be mixed separately and then folded together. It only takes one deviation from the instructions for a pastry to go from delicious to disgusting. Spending time in the kitchen, then, is a great way for kids to learn the importance of reading directions carefully and comprehending what they’ve just read. Cultural Understanding Cuisine is a fundamental part of every culture. Introducing your child to dishes from around the world will expand their horizons. Want your child to be a less picky eater? Involving them in the cooking process
is the surest way to get them excited about trying new flavors and ingredients. Nutrition Now, you might not think that baking cookies will encourage greater nutritional awareness, but hear us out. Sugar is often buried within packaged foods. When you bake something at home, a child gets to see, firsthand, just how much sugar goes into certain sweets. Meanwhile, cooking savory dishes also allows them to learn what constitutes a balanced, healthy diet.
Math Baking is a numbers game. Just take a
look at any recipe, and you’ll recognize the importance of math in building a beautiful cake. Having children measure out ingredients helps them learn about fractions and ratios. You can also test your kids by doubling or halving a recipe for multiplication and
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