Pitner Ortho's online newsletter for May 2018
THE STRAIGHT UP
May 2018
The Incredible Power of Daydreams Why It’s Okay to Let Your Mind Wander
I believe the greatest tragedy of my life is the fact that I don’t have a hammock.
expanse of green grass that spreads over entire city blocks. It was a bit cool that day, but I couldn’t help but lie down and relax. I watched the clouds go by and saw the fantastical shapes my imagination created for me. If you haven’t watched the clouds recently, I recommend it. We have a lot of responsibility, and it’s no wonder our thoughts feel like they’re being tugged in every direction. But this is why it’s important to give ourselves a mental break from
Hammocks are the ultimate place to take a break, and considering howmuch I appreciate rest and naps, not having a hammock feels like a significant oversight.There’s nothing more enjoyable than lying back on a bright summer day to sway in the warmbreeze.The experience is restful, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to let your mind wander, which has surprising benefits for your mental health. Unfortunately, rest and daydreaming are sometimes vilified. If you aren’t focused and working, you’re wasting time, right?A 2012 study fromDalianUniversity ofTechnology inChina even suggested a wanderingmind could lead to depression. However, more recent research shows something else entirely.One study published by Elsevier Science found that people who let their minds wander tend to bemore creative and have higher reading ability, fluid intelligence, and better problem-solving skills. And another study seems to disprove early findings that connected a wanderingmind with depression. In fact, the researchers determined that if you let yourself daydreamabout topics that interest you, your moodmay actually improve over the long run. Now, this doesn’t mean we should be zoning out while in themiddle of working on a time-sensitive project or while driving. I don’t
it all. I’ve even let mymind wander while brushing my teeth in the morning.That’s how I discovered there’s a tile onmy bathroomfloor that totally looks like ET sitting at a desk!
“I THINK WE ALL NEED TO RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LITTLE MOMENTS TO LET OURSELVES RELAX.”
think any of my patients would appreciate it if I started daydreaming while adjusting their braces! Instead, I think we all need to recognize how important it is for us to take advantage of the littlemoments to let ourselves relax. This is why I find hammocks so appealing. Once you lie back, there’s nothing to do but relax and daydream. I recently enjoyed a really nice daydreaming session at Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia. My husband and I were walking along when we came upon the big
ET emails home
It’s May. School’s almost over, and we’re no longer hunkering down for the winter. It’s the perfect time to do a little daydreaming! Go to the park, listen to the birdsong, or do a little fishing. Now, I don’t caremuch for fishing myself, but for the people who do love to fish, I imagine it’s a bit like lying in a hammock. –Dr. Leslie Pitner
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Smile big. Smile often. • 803-781-5225
TRY GAMES, AUDIOBOOKS, AND PODCASTS TO PASS THE TIME RoadTripsDon ’ tHavetoBePainful
Summer is right around the corner, which means you’ll soon pile the whole family into the car, ready to brave the
offer travel-sized versions that are easy to pack and play in the car. Before your next road trip, consider purchasing digital Yahtzee, which packs all the fun of the classic game without the dice, or IQ Fit, a logic game with over 100 challenges. Both games cost around $10 and can provide hours of entertainment. Include theWhole Family Once the travel games no longer pique anyone’s interest, try an activity that can be fun for the whole family: a traditional road trip game. If you have a car full of storytellers, try “Fortunately, Unfortunately.” The rules are simple. The first person starts by saying, “fortunately,” and mentioning something good about the road trip or the destination. The next person (moving clockwise) then follows by saying something “unfortunate” about the previous person’s statement. Take turns with every passenger in the car. If someone stumbles, they get a strike; three
strikes and you’re out. The last passenger standing wins.
Play an Audiobook or Podcast We get it. Sometimes passengers don’t want to play games. Occasionally, they’d rather relax or take a nap. However, your listening material doesn’t have to be limited to Dad’s favorite music. Instead, consider listening to a family-friendly audiobook or podcast, which can make the longest and most boring parts of your trip an entertaining or educational experience. Almost any popular book is available in audio form, but it can be hard to find an enjoyable podcast. “Transistor” is a science-focused podcast that explores
road for a vacation. Everyone knows that riding in the car for hours can be
torture. But with a little creativity, you can turn the worst part of a long trip
into a fun event.
Pack a Travel Game When the excitement of the family subjects kids and adults will find fascinating. Or if you’re looking for something fictional, try “Storynory,” in which the narrator tells fairy tales and legends from all over the globe. FROM THE OFFICE OF BUSTER the peace and entertain your kids with a travel game. Many board game manufacturers
Puppy Fur, Baby Teeth, and Growing Up Healthy G’DAY, MATE!
the road.With a brief exam, an orthodontist can determine whether a young patient’s permanent teeth risk overcrowding as they come in, if they have an overbite or underbite that needs to be addressed, and even make sure there are permanent teeth waiting to come in. Did you know that 10 percent of the population is missing one or more of their permanent teeth (not due to loss or extraction)?This means that if the baby tooth is lost, there’s nothing to replace it, which can lead to a lot of problems. The surrounding teeth will start to shift into the gap, and without a tooth to fill in that area of the jaw, the bone around the missing tooth will deteriorate. Plus, missing a tooth can lead to problems with self-confidence in kids.
18. Fortunately, with proper care, a baby tooth can be kept in place until an
Buster here, and I am so excited for summer to finally begin. I know summer is just around the corner because I’ve been shedding my puppy coat. Australian labradoodles only shed once in our lives, when we lose our puppy fur and grow our permanent coat. It’s kind of like how kids lose their baby teeth, except there’s no “Fur Fairy.” If there was, I would be swimming in treats! Mom combs out my fur so it doesn’t mat, and when she’s done, she says there’s enough fur lying on the ground for another Buster! The preventative brushing my mom does while I’m losing my puppy coat is a lot like when parents bring their kids into the office while they’re losing their baby teeth. Scheduling an appointment before the permanent teeth come in can prevent serious dental problems down
implant can be added. But first, parents need to know the risks their child faces.
TheAmericanAssociation of Orthodontists recommends all children be evaluated by age 7 so an orthodontist can check to make sure the child’s teeth and jaw are developing correctly. Dental health is important for the whole family, even for those who still have their baby teeth. A little preventative care can make sure everyone gets to keep smiling (and wagging their tail) for a long time!
Missing teeth should be replaced by an implant, but patients can’t get dental implants until age
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3 of History ’ s Bravest Moms MOTHERS SHAPE THE WORLD
rescue Jewish children from the brutal ghettos. Along with many friends and colleagues, she smuggled out nearly 2,500 Jewish orphans, hiding infants on trams and garbage wagons and guiding kids through a labyrinth of secret passageways beneath the city. Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) Despite being a wife and the mother of
Moms make the world go round. After running the gauntlet of childbirth, they raise and guide us throughout our lives, shouldering the tremendous burden and responsibility of motherhood. Mothers are in turn formidable, kind, powerful, gentle, wise, fierce, patient, supportive, empathetic, driven, and full of love. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are three historic moms who never stopped fighting for what they believed in. Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) Before she escaped from NewYork slaveholder
girl and fled to an abolitionist Quaker family, but she was forced to leave her other daughter and her 5-year-old son, Peter, behind. Soon after, she learned that Peter had been illegally sold by Dumont to a slaveholder inAlabama, so she went to court and secured his safe return. It was the first successful case brought by a black woman against a white man inAmerican history. Truth went on to become a prominent abolitionist and a speaker for women’s rights, delivering her famous impromptu speech, “Ain’t I aWoman?” in May of 1851.
five children — two of whom died tragically young — Emmeline Pankhurst became one of the fiercest advocates
for women’s suffrage in the late 19th century. After founding theWomen’s Social and Political Union in 1903, she and her cohorts adopted an aggressive strategy to raise awareness for the issue; they began by buttonholing politicians and staging rallies, then progressed to vandalism, window smashing, and arson. She was instrumental in the movement. Pankhurst lived to see women gain the right to vote in 1928.
Irena Sendler (1910–2008)
John Dumont, Sojourner Truth had at least three of her children sold away from her.When Dumont
When the Nazis invaded Warsaw in September of 1939, Irena Sendler, a 29-year-old social worker and mother of two, hatched a scheme to
went back on his promise to emancipateTruth and her infant daughter in 1826, she took the
Sautéed Zucchini AND SQUASH WITH FETA
Zucchini and summer squash are arriving on grocery store shelves. Here is a great way to take these humble, delicious vegetables to the next level.This easy dish is perfect for early summer.
INGREDIENTS
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1 zucchini
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 summer squash
1/2 medium red onion
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Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick semicircles. Dice onion. 2. Heat a large skillet to medium high. Add olive oil, onion, and thyme. 3. Once onion is soft (about 2 minutes), add zucchini and squash. Season with salt and pepper; cook 4–5 minutes until squash barely begins to caramelize. 4. Place in serving bowl and top with feta.
Inspired by thekitchn.com
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Smile big. Smile often. • 803-781-5225
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
5953 Wescott Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 803-781-5225 Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.drpitner.com
INSIDE
1. 2.
Dreams From the Hammock
How to Make Your Road Trip a Breeze
Puppy Fur and Baby Teeth
3.
3 of the Most Formidable Moms in History
Sautéed Zucchini and Squash With Feta
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Local Events
There’s Endless Fun in South Carolina START SUMMER OFF RIGHT
10th Annual SpringValley High School Open Car andTruck Show Where: SpringValley High School, Columbia When: Saturday, May 19; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: $20 preregistration; $25 on day of registration; free for spectators Website: goo.gl/yPKZAN Start your engines! SpringValley High School’s Car andTruck Show is back and better than ever. This year, 52 trophies will be awarded in 23 classes, with six special trophies for best paint, best engine, and best in show! Bring your hot rod or garage queen, or just come enjoy the show. There will be door prizes, goody bags, and an auction to enjoy while you wait to hear the winners. Proceeds will benefit the SVHS automotive program.
Drink Pink Rosé Festival Where: City Roots, Columbia When: Sunday, May 20; 12–3 p.m. Admission: $55 Website: f2tproductions.com/new-events This season, pink is in! Summer pink wine, that is. City Roots is hosting their annual summer festival in their stunning rosé garden. Sample around 100 rosé wines, enjoy live jazz, meet local cheesemakers, and sample fresh foods carefully selected to pair with your favorite summer wine. If you find your new favorite, you’ll be able to purchase a bottle on-site. Proceeds from every ticket sold will go to Historic Columbia, so make plans to start your summer with something sweet.
Drift Jam2018 Where: LakeMurray—Spence Island, Lexington When: June 2; 12 p.m. Admission: Free Website: driftjam.com
Nothing says summer like music festivals and a day on the lake. Drift Jam brings them both together with live bands performing on floating stages. This isn’t just a day for fun in the sun. A full 100 percent of proceeds are donated to HiddenWounds, a charity that supports men and women who have served in the U.S. military. Make plans to attend this one-of-a-kind festival that’s sure to be fun for the whole family!
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