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March/April 2023
We take immense pride in our team at Newman Springs Dental Care. I can confidently say that every staff member, from the team up front to the dental assistants and hygienists, makes our patients’ needs their top priority. The one thing we all have in common is the desire to create lasting relationships with our patients while helping safeguard their dental health and well-being. In our office, you always come first! As we enter spring, we continue to grow and expand our fantastic team. If you’ve been into the office for your regular cleaning and checkup appointment over the past year (if you haven’t, this is your friendly reminder to schedule that appointment now!), you’ve likely met Kelly, our newest dental hygienist. While Kelly has only been here a year, it feels like she has been a part of the team forever. From her very first day, she fit right in — her caring personality and warm smile are a perfect addition to the office, and she is highly skilled, gentle, thorough, and takes great pride in her work. IN THE SPOTLIGHT Have You Met Kelly, Our Newest Dental Hygienist?
A Bit About Kelly, Newman Springs Dental Care’s Newest Hygienist
When Kelly was young, she spent a great deal of time in the dental chair. Not only was she a star patient in ensuring that she attended all her check-up cleanings and appointments, but she also had braces. If you or your child have ever had braces, you know that they require a bit more dental attention throughout treatment. At each visit, her hygienist was an inspiration for healthy teeth and gums and helped Kelly look forward to each visit by providing companionship and a sense of calm. This dental hygienist planted the seed of dentistry in Kelly’s mind, and the rest is history — she went on to attend Rutgers School of Health Professions in Newark, New Jersey. She received the Student Total Achievement Recognition Award for her outstanding performance. To this day, Kelly has a little over 15 years of experience in the dental field. Before becoming a dental hygienist, she was a dental assistant for 13 years. Today, Kelly continues to take continuing education courses to expand her knowledge in the field while keeping up with the latest updates in technology!
patients on maintaining optimal oral hygiene and spending time with them while getting to know them. I love helping people live healthier lives and building their confidence.” When Kelly isn’t at the office promoting healthy smiles, she loves spending time with her family and experiencing the outdoors. She enjoys visiting the beach, biking, fishing, boating, gardening, or camping. No matter what it is, she is happy if she can get outside. Kelly, we can’t tell you enough how thrilled we are to have welcomed you aboard — the Newman Springs Dental Care family is blessed to have you. Thank you for choosing us to call home!
–Dr. Aparna Menon
“I have a true passion for helping people, and I strive to make my patients feel comfortable during their cleaning,” Kelly tells us. “I enjoy educating my
You can now book your appointments online via our website at BestLincroftDentist.com and on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/NewmanSpringsDental. It’s easy and convenient. You can even check availabilities to choose the date, time, and provider (Dr. Menon & Dr. Sayroo) that work with your schedule. Returning patients may also choose their dental hygienist (Laura, Pauline, or Kelly).
Call Us! 732-978-4522 • BestLincroftDentist.com • Newman Springs Dental Care • 1
REGULAR FLOSS VS. FLOSS PICKS
Which Is More Effective?
Throughout your life, your parents, dentists, teachers, and even strangers have likely reminded you of the importance of flossing your teeth. In fact, flossing plays a crucial role in the health of your mouth — it removes leftover food particles and plaque from the areas that toothbrushes miss and helps prevent cavities and gum disease. There are many different types of floss, including the most commonly used spools of floss and floss picks. Between those two, what are the differences, and which is more effective? Regular Floss Pull about 18 inches of regular floss from the spool and wrap it around your fingers. From there, you should gently slide the floss between
your teeth in a C shape. Make sure to get under the gum line to remove food debris and bacteria.
Another concern with floss picks is that they are only made up of a short piece of floss. This means that while it collects bacteria, plaque, and other particles, it can only pick up so much, and you may just spread the bacteria around your mouth. Because floss picks only contain about an inch of floss, it quickly shreds and hangs onto even more harmful bacteria after a short period of use, which may do more harm than good in the long run. Ultimately, in a pinch, floss picks are an excellent way to remove a piece of broccoli or popcorn kernel that is wedged between your teeth, but for a thorough cleaning, traditional floss is a better option to ensure that you get all the nooks and crannies in your mouth!
Floss Picks Alternatively, floss picks hold a much shorter piece of floss on a D-shaped bow while you slide it up and down along each tooth to remove plaque and food that becomes wedged in your teeth. Regular Floss vs. Floss Picks Of course, using floss picks to clean between your teeth and all of the surfaces that brushing alone does not reach is better than not flossing at all, but floss pickers do not bend and stretch in various angles to clean your teeth and gums properly. While floss picks remove some plaque and debris, they also can leave a lot behind.
BRING ON THE BIRDS! THE DIY BIRDHOUSE THAT BLENDS INTO YOUR GARDEN
Step 2: Mount your pot. Take your flower pot and align its drainage hole to the hole you drilled in step 1. Then, slide one of the washers over
Springtime is filled with flowers, baby animals, and colorful birds flitting through the sky. And while many people love to watch our fine feathered friends, not everyone wants to put a colorful birdhouse in their yard that clashes with their decor or attracts unwanted visitors like squirrels. Luckily, there is a style of birdhouse that will blend into your yard, keep pests away, and is incredibly easy to make — it’s a flowerpot birdhouse!
the carriage bolt before pushing the bolt through the drainage hole and into the drilled hole. Slide a washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the other side of the fence or wall, and twist the nut onto the bolt to hold the pot in place. Step 3: Give the house a door. Use your 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit to create a door in the round wooden plaque, about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges of this hole for the birds’ safety, and use your outdoor acrylic paint to coat only the outside of the plaque and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, push the wooden plaque into the pot until it is firmly wedged inside, and you’re done! This birdhouse is an excellent way to attract birds to your yard without the obviousness of a stand-alone house. Also, its lack of a perch stops predators from gaining a foothold that can lead them inside. To make the pot more discreet, hang it in a corner where shrubs or trees block it from view.
To make a flowerpot birdhouse, you’ll need the following items from your local hardware store:
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Drill with a regular drill bit and a 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit
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Two 1 1/4-inch fender washers 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch carriage bolt
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7-inch-diameter flowerpot (preferably terracotta)
1/4-inch nut
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6-inch-diameter round wooden plaque
Sandpaper
Outdoor acrylic paint
Sponge brush
Step 1: Choose your location and drill! Pick a vertical surface like a fence or wall to mount your birdhouse onto. Try to pick an area where people rarely walk. Then, determine how high you want the birdhouse to be, and use the regular drill bit to make a hole.
Laura with Kerry Bron and her son
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SUDOKU
WHAT IS HEALTHSPAN? And How Can You Improve It
If you’re retired or about to retire, you have a new and exciting life ahead of you. You may plan to travel the world, start a home project, or adopt a pet. Whatever you decide to do in your retirement, it’s essential to ensure you have as much time to enjoy it as possible.
So, how do you make it last?
The best way to ensure you get the most out of your life after retiring is to focus on improving your healthspan. While your lifespan is how long you live, your healthspan is how long you can do things independently with complete physical and cognitive ability. Your healthspan also impacts the quality of life left in your lifespan, and the more you invest in it, the more you can enjoy your sunset years to their fullest.
SOLUTION ON PAGE 4
Here’s what you can do to invest in your health now to get the highest return in the future.
Invest in all aspects of your fitness. Exercise is always an excellent investment for a healthier life, but to increase your healthspan, you’ll need to invest in all facets of your fitness, not just cardio. To diversify your health investments, focus on strength, power (how much energy you can output in a short time), balance, flexibility, and cardio. You can accomplish this through any activity, but ensure that your weekly exercises are well-rounded and include at least one exercise in each category. How much you invest matters. We all get busy, that much is true, but how much time you invest in your health makes a difference in how much you get on the return. Ideally, you want to exercise in one of the above categories for 30 minutes daily. If your schedule is slammed, and exercise seems impossible to fit in, try to exercise at a higher intensity (at a level where you cannot hold a conversation during it) for at least 15 minutes a day for roughly the same results. Investing in a well-rounded exercise routine with consistent time durations can improve your healthspan for many years. While the amount of time you have left is important, the quality of that time undoubtedly matters too. When you invest in your healthspan, you’re investing in your independence!
TASTY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP
Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com
Ingredients
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8 oz spinach leaves
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1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided Sliced bread, crackers, or tortilla chips for serving
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
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1 tsp minced garlic
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1/2 tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. 2. In a medium pan, steam or sauté spinach until wilted. When spinach cools, ring out excess water, then chop coarsely. 3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. 4. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. 5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dip is bubbly. Turn the oven to broil and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes so the cheese will begin to brown. 6. Immediately serve with bread, crackers, or tortilla chips.
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539 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, NJ 07738 732-978-4522
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INSIDE this issue
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Let’s Get to Know Our Newest Dental Hygienist Regular Floss vs. Floss Picks The DIY Birdhouse That Blends In Sudoku Tasty Spinach Artichoke Dip The Investment You Can’t Afford to Skip
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Combating Spring Allergies
WHEN POLLEN STRIKES Nipping Spring Allergies in the Bud Spring has arrived! However, rebirth and renewal aren’t the only things in the air. During spring, trees, weeds, plants, and grasses release small grains of pollen into the air to fertilize other plants. Because the pollen is small and light, it travels through the wind and frequently causes allergic reactions. Symptoms of seasonal allergies include congestion, sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, an itchy throat, watering eyes, and irritation in the roof of your mouth. If you’re prone to experiencing allergies all spring long, here are some useful tips to keep them at bay. Reduce your exposure. During spring months, keep the windows in your home and car closed. On particularly windy or dry days, avoid spending time outdoors, and do not hang your clean laundry outside to dry. After you have been outdoors, remove your clothing and wash your hair and skin to remove any traces of pollen. Do not cut the grass, pull weeds, or do any gardening. Remove pollen from indoor air. It’s inevitable that pollen will get inside your home and vehicle. To combat this, utilize your air conditioning or invest in a certified allergy air filter! A dehumidifier and/or an air purifier will help to lower the pollen spore count in the air.
Rinse out your sinuses. When pollen overwhelms your sinus passages, one of the best things to do is to rinse out your airways. A sinus flush with a saline solution is one of the easiest and most effective ways to eliminate the pollen that irritates your respiratory system. Take over-the-counter medications. After checking with your doctor or health care provider, choose an over-the- counter medication that is right for your symptoms. Medications like oral antihistamines, oral decongestants, and corticosteroid nasal sprays are all beneficial in reducing the effects of seasonal allergies.
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