Westchester Oral Surgery February 2019

2975 Westchester Avenue, Suite G02, Purchase, NY 10577

• www.oralsurgeryofwestchester.com

How I Found My Soul Mate BETTER THAN A HOLE-IN-ONE

“

Twenty-three years ago, my life changed forever after I walked into Engineer’s Country Club on Long Island. I was playing golf professionally at the time, and I was very focused on my career. The course at Engineer’s has been highly praised since it was first constructed in 1917, but for me, the best part of that day was spent in the pro shop. That summer, a woman named Hilary was back home between her junior and senior years of college. She got a job in the pro shop to make some extra money and happened to be working when I came in that day. We started talking, and the rest is history.

I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH AN

INCREDIBLE PERSON IN MY LIFE.

Hilary has been my valentine for over two decades, and I knew from the start she was

someone special. For our first date, we went out to eat and then played mini golf — yes, even pro golfers love mini golf. There was an instant connection between Hilary and I. We had fun together, and it felt like we could talk for hours without ever running out of things to say. Before the end of that first date, we knew there was going to be a second. Not being together just wasn’t an option for either of us. Two years later, I took Hilary to the same mini golf place that we went to for our first date. As we wrapped up the 17th hole, Hilary reached in to retrieve her ball and found an engagement ring. She turned around to find me on one knee, asking her to spend the rest of our lives together. Hearing her say yes felt better than scoring a hole-in-one. (In case you were wondering, the reason I didn’t hide the ring in the 18th hole was because at that mini golf course, the last hole attached to a shoot that automatically returned the balls to the shack. I definitely didn’t want to drop the ring in there!) On June 11, 1998, I became the luckiest guy in the world. That was the day I got to marry my soul mate, and it was as close to perfect as anything on Earth could be. We shared a happy celebration with loving friends and family. It was an amazing ceremony that kicked off a beautiful marriage together. I am so lucky to have such an

incredible person in my life. Hilary is utterly selfless and gives her all as a mother, wife, and friend. If you ever find yourself in trouble, Hilary will be there to offer sound advice and support. Through the years, the most important thing I’ve learned from my wife is patience and respect. No matter how much a couple loves each other, not every day is going to be 100 percent roses. That’s okay. As long as you have patience and respect for one another, you’ll be able to get through the bumpier days. When you find your soul mate, you’re willing to put in the work. Like I said, not being together just isn’t an option for us. Happy Valentine’s Day, Hilary. Thank you for all your support and love over the years. You amaze me every day, and I wouldn’t be the man I am today without you.

I love you.

–Dr. Harrison Linsky

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The ‘Smart’Way to BrushYour Teeth

Connecting Your Dental Hygiene to Your Phone

The history of the toothbrush includes some of the most fascinating inventions in dentistry. Starting in 3,000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians constructed brushes from twigs and leaves and inventively used the foliage to clean their chompers. By the 17th century, Europeans brandished a slightly more controversial toothbrush assembled from a sheep’s tibia and bristles of boar hair. Because of the off-putting nature of using sticks and bones as tools for oral hygiene, modern inventors have created a toothbrush that overshadows our ancestors’ devices by a long shot. In 2018, Philips, Oral-B, and Prophix released smart toothbrushes to give tech-savvy brushers an entirely different cleaning experience. The story of toothpaste is a story of marketing genius and human psychology. For thousands of years, humans had been cleaning their teeth with chew sticks, incense, charcoal, and even burnt bread crumbs. But as civilization evolved, the habit of brushing never stuck. Even though toothpaste and teeth cleaning products were readily available by the 20th century, most people weren’t using them. During World War I, so many men were drafted who had such terrible teeth that the U.S. Army called poor dental health a national security risk. It was around this time when an advertiser named Claude Hopkins was hired by the struggling toothpaste company, Pepsodent. Hopkins created an incredible marketing campaign that warned Americans of the dangerous “film” on their teeth. The ads claimed this film caused cavities and made

Today’s smart toothbrushes use Bluetooth wireless technology to transmit your brushing behavior to your phone’s app. Each brand comes with different bells and whistles, but if you are looking for a fun, more efficient way to manage your dental hygiene, there are several innovative brushes to choose from. The ones geared toward adults send updates to your phone in real time and give you feedback on your brushing habits. This means you can evaluate the data and actually improve your technique over time. Some new releases even include a camera to record the inside of your mouth as you brush. The camera also takes still images of your teeth so you teeth look discolored. It didn’t matter that the film was naturally occurring and could be removed by just running your finger across your teeth — the ads caught the nation’s attention. In the next decade, the number of Americans who regularly brushed their teeth jumped from 7 percent to 65 percent! This was a huge victory for Hopkins and oral health in America, but Pepsodent wasn’t the first brand of toothpaste. So what was it that made Pepsodent successful after Americans rejected plenty of other toothpaste brands? It’s all thanks to the minty freshness. Unlike other toothpaste brands, when people brushed with Pepsodent, they felt a tingling sensation from the mint flavoring. It was that sensation that stuck with people and kept them reaching for the toothpaste every morning and night. Even though the mint had nothing to do with how Pepsodent cleaned

can check for cavities and gum issues in those hard-to-see places.

There are also smart toothbrushes made specifically to motivate kids to care about their oral health. By gamifying the cleaning experience and giving young brushers levels or badges they can win through brushing, the process becomes more interactive and fun! With amazing options for people of all ages, it’s easy to see that dental tools have come a long way since the era of using foliage and livestock. With so many smart options available on the market, which one will you try first?

ALL IN YOUR HEAD

The Strange Psychology Behind Toothpaste

teeth, the minty craving and rewarding tingling sensation created a habit.

Today, toothpaste companies are still using sensation to create lasting habits. For example, early toothpaste brands foamed because of soap, but the soap didn’t really help clean teeth. However, when Colgate launched the first nonfoaming toothpaste in 1972, it was a disaster. In two years, they only sold 1,000 tubes. It turns out that people wanted the foam. Even though Colgate’s nonfoaming toothpaste worked just as well as its foaming brands, customers reported that their teeth didn’t feel as clean when they used the nonfoaming toothpaste. They switched back to their old toothpaste after just a few uses. Toothpaste is an integral part of daily dental hygiene, and we owe a big thanks to minty freshness for its success.

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University of Queensland Study Finds Love Improves Oral Health

Love is an incredible thing. There are countless paintings, poems, and rock ballads that attest to the power of love. But love is more than just inspiration for artists: Scientific research has also found that love has an impact on overall health. Research shows that married couples tend to live longer, people in love tend to feel less anxious or stressed, and being in a loving relationship can inspire people to take better care of themselves. A 2016 study out of Brisbane, Australia, suggests that love may even affect our oral health. This collaborative study between the University of Queensland School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Dentistry found that patients in happy romantic relationships are more likely to practice better oral health habits. The study assessed 265 healthy adults and collected data on attachment patterns (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short Form, ECR-S, OHRQoL, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and OHIP-14), oral health behaviours (modified Dental Neglect Scale, m-DNS), and self-rated oral health (one-item global rating of oral health).

those with attachment avoidance were “linked with diminished self-rated oral health.” Grace Branjerdporn, Ph.D. candidate and one of the lead researchers in the study, elaborated on her findings in an interviewwith Medical Xpress. “We determined that those who tended to avoid emotional intimacy, or worried their partner would not be available to them in times of need, were more likely to have negative oral health outcomes,” said Ms. Branjerdporn. “Theywere more likely to skip dental checkups for preventive reasons, be overly self-conscious about how their teeth looked, and say their oral health was poorer. “Those who try to emotionally distance themselves from their significant other may be reluctant to schedule regular preventive dental appointments as they have higher levels of self- reliance, distrust of others, and avoid seeking support.” This study is the first of its kind to assess the association between attachment avoidance and oral health. And it might give dental professionals reason to thank Cupid for any improvements in their patients’ teeth this Valentine’s Day.

What’s Love Got to DoWith It?

Researchers found that participants with attachment insecurity showed “lowered use of favorable dental visiting behaviors” while

Have a Laugh

Spicy Salmon Tartare

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1. Place salmon in freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing easier. 2. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients for mixing. 3. Thinly slice salmon into sheets and cut sheets into strips and strips into cubes. When finished, you should have 1/8-inch cubes. 4. In a mixing bowl, combine salmon with all other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

• • • • •

1 8-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillet

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon lime zest

1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and finely diced 1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 1 1/2 teaspoons shallots, minced 3/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons grapeseed or vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• •

• • • • •

5. Garnish with chips or crackers and serve.

Crackers or chips, for serving

Inspired by Epicurious

Westchester Office • 914-251-0313

2975 Westchester Avenue Suite G02 Purchase, NY 10577

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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INSIDE This Issue

PG 1

To My Valentine

PG 2

The ‘Smart’ Way to Brush Your Teeth

Foaming Bubbles and Minty Freshness

PG 3

Cupid’s Role in Oral Health

Spicy Salmon Tartare

PG 4

Why Do We Need A Leap Year?

Every four years, February gains an extra day at the end of the month. But what does this contribute to the year as a whole? You might be surprised by what this one day does for us! The 365 days in each year represent the time it takes for the Earth to circle the sun. However, the orbit actually takes nearly a quarter of a day longer than that. The additional 0.2421 of a day might not seem like it would make a significant impact, but after a few decades, it adds up. To ensure the calendar and seasons stay on the right timeline, the leap day was created. The Egyptians were the first to officially calculate how many days it takes to orbit the sun, revealing the need for a leap year. Europeans at the time used a calendar that followed a lunar model, which needed an entire month added to retain consistency. The leap year wasn’t introduced into Europe until the reign of Julius Caesar. With the help of astronomer Sosigenes, Caesar created the Julian Calendar, which included 12 months and 365 days, with a single day added every fourth year. However, the Julian Calendar wasn’t perfect, because 0.2421 of a day can’t be rounded to a multiple of five, so it caused the calendar to have an extra 11 minutes every four years. Pope Gregory XIII fixed The Start of the Leap Year

the problem in 1582 by creating the Gregorian Calendar. Now, a leap year occurs every four years except for the years that are evenly divisible by 100 and not 400. For instance, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years because they were divisible by 100.

A Leap Day Birthday

The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are about 1 in 1,500, which leaves approximately 187,000 people in the U.S. and 4 million people around the world celebrating their birthdays on

Feb. 28 or March 1. People born on a Leap Day are faced with dilemmas such as which date they should receive their driver’s license. Although it varies from state to state, most consider March 1 the appropriate day for leap-year 16-year-olds — who are celebrating their fourth “official” birthday — to receive their license. With all the changes the calendar has undergone, it still isn’t quite perfect. Experts say that in about 10,000 years, it will need to be changed yet again.

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