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FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE
ELKINSDENTAL.COM JANUARY 2023
LAUGHTER IS MEDICINE The Importance of a Good Laugh
It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine and form of therapy. It’s even referred to as a mental vacation, and it’s true — laughing helps you forget your worries and put your stress away for a few moments. On Jan. 24, we celebrate Global Belly Laugh Day, dedicated to laughing with others and making light of situations. After all, it’s good for your health. I always find time to laugh at silly jokes, funny experiences, and hilarious memories with my family, children, and friends. In fact, there are two childhood stories in particular my friends and I still look back on and laugh about. When I was a young and dumb teenager around 14 or 15, I had about five friends at my house. The houses were well spaced out, so the neighbors were a few acres away. We decided to visit a friend who lived about a mile down the road, and because none of us drove yet, we began to walk. Along the way, when we saw a car coming from behind us, someone yelled,“Hide!”for no reason, and all of my friends dashed for the bushes on one side of the road. Thinking I was clever and different, I decided to hide under the car in the driveway of a nearby house.
remained an awkward situation that we love to look back on and laugh about today. Another thing we still find ourselves giggling about is a story that we made up. Our friend, Darren, was in a terrible car accident (he’s okay now, I promise) and broke both arms. He still has some horrible scars on one of his arms, and back in high school, everyone loved to
ask how he got them. Once he got tired of answering this question, so our group of friends came
up with a story to tell everyone: One night, we got really drunk (we didn’t even drink) and tattooed a naked lady on Darren’s arm. When his mom saw it the next morning, she cut it out with a knife! If people didn’t believe this story, we’d tell them to ask another member of our friend group. Like clockwork, someone else would tell the same story — it was great. Today, we still laugh about Darren’s“naked lady tattoo”and how gullible some people are — they thought we were crazy! What funny stories and silly memories do you look back on that still give you a good laugh to this day?
Laughing helps you forget your worries and put your stress away for a few moments.
Well, it was just my luck that the car belonged to the family we randomly decided to hide from. So, there I was, hiding under a car when the vehicle we'd darted from parked in front of me, lighting me with its headlights. Embarrassed, I crawled out from beneath the car, and my friends emerged from the bushes. The people never got out of their vehicle or said anything, and it always
–Dr. Elkins
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VIDEO GAMES FOR GROWING MINDS They’re Not Just for Entertainment
They learn how to problem-solve. Most video games feature puzzles and situations that require critical thinking to overcome. Players must often try different approaches to solve a puzzle before moving on to the next part of their game. They’re learning how to make their own decisions to accomplish goals.“The Legend of Zelda” games excel in this area. Video games spark creativity. It’s essential that children have a creative outlet to focus on as they grow up. While some kids get this from writing stories or drawing, others can showcase their creativity and grow their skills by playing video games. Take “Minecraft” for example. “Minecraft”gives kids an opportunity to create their own world. They can build castles, create roller coasters, and do just
Video games often get a bad rap. Many view them as time-wasters with nothing beneficial to offer, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many benefits can be gained from playing video games, especially for children. Although positives exist, pay attention to what you buy or rent for kids, as benefits vary depending on the type and age appropriateness of the games. Also, limit the time your kids spend playing video games, as too much screen time can be detrimental to their behavior and attention span. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests allotting 30–60 minutes daily on school days and two hours or less on non-school days. If they stay within this range, you’ll quickly notice your children gaining some of the following benefits from playing video games.
about anything they put their mind to, thus enhancing their creative skills. Kids can improve relationship-building and leadership skills. Some games require kids to play on teams. Consequently, they can make new friends and bond over similar interests. Additionally, when kids play together, they have a chance to practice their leadership skills and lead their team to victory. Sports games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) like“World of Warcraft” are great for teaching these skills. Be cautious if your kid is playing online with others, though. There’s no telling whom
they’re playing with, so make sure they’re an appropriate age before introducing online multiplayer games.
Exploring the Benefits of Saliva Did you know that, on average, you swallow saliva, commonly referred A Word From Cheyenne & Ashlee
to as“spit,”580 times each day? Swallowing is involuntary, and you don’t even notice you’re doing it until you think about it! While we each produce different amounts of“spit,”humans produce anywhere from 2-4 pints of saliva daily. Saliva, the substance we swallow so many times a day, plays a vital role in helping us maintain pristine oral health — it acts just like the bloodstream in our body, but instead, it’s for our mouths. Saliva assists in building and maintaining the health of both hard and soft tissues. Because saliva shares many properties with blood, it’s a great indicator of potential health problems in other areas of your body. Researchers have used saliva to diagnose oral cancers, viral hepatitis, gum disease, and breast cancer. Those with reduced saliva flow can experience oral complications such as infections, tooth decay, and cavities. The best way to increase saliva flow is via chewing because it compresses the salivary glands that secrete saliva.
Saliva secretion brings several benefits:
• It moistens and breaks down food to make it easier to swallow and enhances the ability to taste. • It washes away food particles and debris in our teeth and gums. • It provides high levels of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions to strengthen and support your teeth. • It provides disease-fighting substances to prevent cavities, decay, and infections.
–Cheyenne & Ashlee Registered Dental Hygienists
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND WHITE BEAN STEW Inspired by EatingWell.com
Ingredients
•
4 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
MOUNTAIN RANGES Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, we don’t have to go far to find mountaintop winter activities. If skiing or tubing is your idea of winter fun, Bogus Basin is just a short drive away, and heading to McCall makes a fun weekend getaway. ... AND RIVERS Not only are we surrounded by the Payette and Boise rivers, Idaho is also home to the deepest gorge in North America: Hells Canyon. Take that, Arizona! • 4 cups chopped kale • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground pepper • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1/4 cup parsley leaves
GOOD CHEER Beer lovers, rejoice! Idaho is the world’s largest hop producer, and more and more people are taking advantage of our agricultural bounty by opening breweries in the Treasure Valley. Share a few of these treasures with visiting family members and their only question will be “How did we not come here sooner?”
Out-of-town relatives who are visiting for the holidays might wonder what makes Emmett so special. But we already know the Treasure Valley is full of gems — and we don’t just mean the rocks. Here are some additional reasons Emmett and The Gem State are great. WE’VE GOT SUNSHINE On average, we have 210 sunny days per year. Compare that to 144 rainy days in Portland and we can feel pretty happy about all our free vitamin D. Directions • • 6 cups chicken broth 1 cup chopped yellow onion • • 1 cup sliced carrots 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary • • 1 4-oz Parmesan cheese rind 2 1-lb bone-in chicken breasts
1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine beans, broth, onion, carrots, rosemary, and Parmesan rind. Top with chicken. Cover and cook on low until the beans and vegetables are tender, about 7–8 hours. 2. Remove chicken from slow cooker. On a clean cutting board, let the chicken rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Shred the chicken and discard bones. 3. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in kale. Cover and cook on high until kale is tender, 20–30 minutes. 4. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Discard the Parmesan rind. Serve the stew drizzled with oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
JOKES DAD
Where do you find Google during January? The Winternet.
What happened to the woman who stole a calendar on New Year’s Day? She got 12 months!
Facts Tooth Fun
DID YOU KNOW?
Each morning when you wake up, you brush your teeth. Every night before bed, you brush your teeth. Of course, you may brush in between these essential times here and there, but here’s something to remember: If you brush your teeth for the recommended two minutes, twice a day, every day, for the rest of your life (which hopefully you do — and if you don’t, now is the time to start!), you’ll spend between 70–80 days of your life brushing your teeth and keeping them healthy.That’s more than two months of your life! 2 Months of Essential Dental Care
Quitters Day
Did you know research shows that most people give up on their New Year's resolutions by the second Friday of January? This year, Quitters Day is on Jan. 13 — Friday the 13th! The day is recognized in an effort to encourage all people to keep their NewYear's resolutions. Some of the best ways to set goals — that you won’t abandon — include keeping your aspirations specific and achievable, and holding yourself accountable throughout the year. This means checking in with yourself regularly. Write your goals down and stick with them. Don’t let Quitters Day call you out!
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. Global Belly Laugh Day 2. What Our Kids Can Learn From Video Games
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
3. Slow Cooker Chicken and White Bean Stew
4.
The Furry
Saviors of Bangladesh
1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617
A Word From Cheyenne and Ashlee
Tooth Facts
Did You Know?
Happy New Year From Elkins Dental!
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THE FURRY FRIENDS OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY How Bangladeshis Use Otters to Harness Their Catch
If you wander down a riverbank in southwest Bangladesh, you might happen upon a squealing, squeaking crate of river otters. The otters
pounds of fish per excursion thanks to their otter helpers. Locals breed otters specifically for this purpose, raising them just like Westerners raise dogs and cats. This otter-human partnership is an important part of Bangladeshi culture. The fish the otters bring in sustain their owners through lean times and help them survive periods of famine. However, according to the BBC, the tradition is slowly fading away. Rivers in the region are drying up, pollution is surging, native fish are disappearing, and families are getting out of the otter business. One third-generation fisherman told Roads & Kingdoms that as of 2015, only 12 families in Gopra Village, where he lives, continue to fish with otters. That’s a tiny fraction of the 100 families that fished when his father ran their family business. However, he told the reporter he“will continue to work with otters as long as there are fish to catch.” To learn more about this fascinating human-animal partnership and see a video of the otters in action, head toYouTube and search“Bangladesh otter fishing.”
aren’t in danger. In fact, they’re the pampered helpers of the region's fishermen and women, who’ve trained them to herd fish. Yes, that’s right — just as we use herding dogs to corral sheep and cows into pens, people who fish in Bangladesh use otters to drive fish, crabs, and prawns into their nets. The practice dates back hundreds of years — and it’s impressive to watch. First, in the dead of night, the Bangladeshi anglers load crates of otters onto their boats and head out to fish. Each otter wears a small rope harness and leash attached to a wooden pole. As soon as the boat reaches the fishing area, the fishermen release the otters. They dive into the water and paddle furiously after schools of fish, encouraging them to swim into their owners’nets. According to the publication Roads & Kingdoms, Bangladeshi fishers can catch more than 20
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