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5,395 Lives Changed Through Sedation 1,966 5-Star Reviews and Counting 90 Years of Combined Experience
The Home of Anxiety-Free Dentistry
Therese, Our Star Hygienist, Marks 5 Years With Signature Smiles!
NOV/DEC 2023
At Signature Smiles, our team is our family, and we love nothing more than to watch them learn, grow, and evolve over the years with us. This year, Therese, our amazing Streetsboro hygienist, celebrated FIVE years with us. So, to honor her hard work and dedication to our patients and practice, we sent her on a trip to Hocking Hills with her family! It turns out that it was actually her family’s first time at Hocking Hills, so they were incredibly excited to go. She and her family had a beautiful cabin to themselves and a whole weekend to just relax and kick back, enjoy nature, and enjoy their time together. “We got very grounded, found lots of little creatures, did some rock
hunting, explored Old Man’s Cave, and really just took in the beauty. I suggest everyone go to Hocking Hills if they haven’t been!” she told us afterward. When we asked Therese what her favorite part of the trip was, she said, without a doubt, Old Man’s Cave was the coolest. They hiked to its opening and said it was just a breathtaking place that made them feel like they were in a fairy tale. It was so stunning that Therese said it was hard to believe it existed in real life, let alone Ohio!
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A DOG’S INTUITION: HOW BABU SAVED HER HUMAN FROM A TSUNAMI
The tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011 was unimaginable; the natural disaster killed nearly 20,000 people in minutes. But amid the chaos, there was at least one tiny miracle: an 11-year-old Shih Tzu named Babu. Tami Akanuma, an 83-year-old woman living in the coastal city of Miyako, had her typical morning interrupted by a 9.0 earthquake that shook her house roughly 200 yards from the coast. When it stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief, but Babu became extremely agitated. The small dog began frantically pacing around the living room, moaning, and jumping at the door. Though it was early for Babu’s morning walk, Akanuma decided to appease her.
Akanuma did not dismiss the dog’s instincts. Babu tugged urgently at her leash, running as far as she could before turning to her owner. Akanuma said Babu seemed to be encouraging her to move faster, and the dog ran ahead every time Akanuma caught up. Akanuma later estimated they walked more than half a mile in a few minutes. Only moments after the duo finally reached the top of the hill, they watched an enormous wave wash over their home. The house was destroyed, but Akanuma and Babu escaped with their lives. How did Babu do it? People have long suspected that animals can predict natural disasters, but the truth is elusive. Scientists agree that animals aren’t psychic but disagree on whether something else might be at play. Some attribute the supposed phenomenon to the “psychological focusing effect,” or a human tendency to emphasize one detail in our memories while discarding others. But others point to dogs’ heightened senses of hearing and smell, suggesting animals may be able to detect small atmospheric changes that humans can’t. No matter the explanation, Akanuma credited her dog with saving her life, and the two gratefully celebrated Babu’s 12th birthday from an evacuation shelter only weeks later.
Sources differ on what happened next. Some say officials broadcast a tsunami warning, and Akanuma
realized she must evacuate, while others state she knew nothing of the impending disaster. But everyone agrees that Babu jumped into action. She instantly headed for a large hill near Akanuma’s home — the opposite
direction of the pair’s usual walk.
The Real Tooth: BUSTING THE MYTH ABOUT BACK TEETH REMOVAL MYTH: REMOVING BACK TEETH IS NOT A BIG DEAL. Fact: It’s complicated. When we see patients, especially younger patients, with a damaged back tooth, they often decide to have the tooth removed rather than repaired or restored because they don’t think removing a back tooth (a premolar or molar) is a big deal. After all, you cannot see these teeth when you smile, and people often value appearance over function. In the short term, removing a back tooth is not a major issue. However, in the long term, you can face serious consequences, including the need to remove more teeth, ongoing pain, and continued costs.
the “complete” side. This will require treatment to fix, which may include the removal of more teeth.
Drifting Once a tooth is removed, the adjacent teeth will try to close the gap because our teeth are always in dynamic movement and only stop moving when they meet with another tooth. This will cause a major collapse in your bite, which could be very hard to recover from over the years, and it can end up causing you to lose more teeth. We see older patients who have had several teeth removed because they overloaded their healthy teeth in their youth. It can be traced to the removal of that first tooth because they thought it wasn’t a big deal. In the end, a tooth removal can leave you with more problems than when you started, including a large bill. If you experience tooth decay or damage, it’s important to explore other options in order to save your existing teeth. Removing a tooth should be the last option.
When you have a back tooth removed, whether due to infection, damage, or severe overcrowding, you can create new problems.
Overloading When you are missing a tooth on one side of the mouth, you end up overloading the other side of the mouth. This puts extra strain on the jaw and teeth opposite of the removed tooth. Over a long period of time, you can wear down and damage teeth on
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... continued from Cover At night, Therese and her family roasted marshmallows over a firepit to make s’mores. Their cabin also had its own hot tub, which she said her kids LOVED using when they weren’t out exploring nature. They also had a pond nearby, which they all enjoyed casting their lures in to catch a fish or two. “It was a trip that was made for us,” she said. “The nature sightseeing and nature walking — everywhere you looked was beautiful. It was perfect for the whole family, and we loved every minute of it. We appreciate Signature Smiles for sending us!” Therese, we appreciate YOU and all your hard work! The five years you’ve spent with us have been absolutely wonderful, and we’re so lucky to have someone like you on our team. Thank you for all you do!
STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
OUR PATIENTS SAY IT BEST
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
INGREDIENTS • 2 lbs ground beef • 6 cups water • 1 28-oz can tomato sauce • 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained • 2 cups chopped green peppers
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar • 2 tsp salt • 2 tsp beef bouillon granules • 1 tsp black pepper • 2 cups cooked long-grain rice • Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
DIRECTIONS 1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Add beef back to the pot and stir in all ingredients except the cooked rice. Bring to a boil. 2. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. 3. Add cooked rice and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
9519 State Route 14 Streetsboro, OH 44241 330-423-6779
Also Serving Elyria and Brunswick! Elyria, OH 44035 440-281-8031
The Home of Anxiety-Free Dentistry
Brunswick, OH 44212 330-460-6540
Inside
SignatureSmilesOH.com
Therese’s Incredible 5-Year Anniversary Getaway With Signature Smiles!
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The Heroic Hound Who Saved a Life in Japan’s Tsunami
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The Real ‘Tooth’ About Back Teeth Removal
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Stuffed Pepper Soup
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Avoid This ‘Turkey Teeth’ Smile Scam
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How much is a perfect smile worth? While it’s a subjective question, the cost should never be your oral health. But many unsuspecting patients have paid that price when engaging in dental tourism. Countless people who traveled for inexpensive veneers have instead walked away with crowns that destroyed their original teeth. Veneers are a cosmetic intervention to improve the shape, color, and alignment of teeth. Dentists create them uniquely for each patient, and they sit over the front of the person’s original teeth. They’re an excellent option for a non-invasive cosmetic improvement to a structurally sound but aesthetically imperfect smile. By contrast, crowns wrap around each tooth individually. Dentists primarily use them to restore significantly damaged or decayed teeth. Many tourists receiving international treatment have received crowns instead of the veneers they requested. Why? Numerous dentists don’t have training in cosmetic dentistry techniques and, instead, use what they know.
But dentists must remove 60%–70% of the original tooth to place a crown. That’s why they’re perfect for damaged teeth, not healthy ones. By receiving a full mouth of crowns or “360-veneers,” people are destroying their underlying smiles forever and risking nerve damage. This scam has primarily impacted British tourists who travel to Turkey, and many have documented their ill-fated journeys on TikTok under the hashtag #TurkeyTeeth. UK dentists report treating patients suffering from pain, infection, and improperly placed tooth caps. A crown only lasts 10–15 years. Since most victims of this scam are young, they will likely need their entire mouths redone multiple times throughout the rest of their lives. Although this scam is particularly rampant in Turkey, patients have also found American dentists who perform the same unscrupulous procedure. While most U.S. dental professionals are reputable, knowledge is your friend. Remember that crowns are only necessary for damaged teeth; ask plenty of questions and read online reviews before undergoing a procedure. Trust your instincts and get a second opinion if something seems wrong!
You might ask what the difference is — after all, you won’t see your original teeth under the crown caps.
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