November 2018
Happy Trails
Allan W. Stevenson, DDS General Dentist
www.trailridgefamilydental.com 205 W. Highway 95, Parma, ID 83660
208-722-7924
Gratitude for Service Why Giving Is Always Better Than Getting
While I love turkey and football as much as the next guy, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition has always been sharing gratitude with loved ones. Often, we focus our gratitude on people who’ve done good deeds for us. This year, though, I want to express my thanks for the opportunities we’ve had to give back as a practice. One of the greatest joys of running a business is that it affords you the opportunity to make a difference in your community and beyond. I never take that blessing for granted. In early October, we held our annual Stars, Stripes, and Smiles event. On that day, we treated 36 veterans and their family members, providing services that totaled over $25,000 in care. Our military personnel do so much to protect our nation — a selfless task if there ever was one. To be able to show our gratitude via treatment is always a very special experience. The way we see it, it’s a small gesture to the people who defend the United States and its ideals. We also share our appreciation for troops currently serving overseas through our candy buyback program. Every year, we encourage children with unwanted candy to bring it into the office for a reward. That candy is then sent to people from our local area who have been deployed across the globe. They use the candy to help build relationships with local children, who are understandably reticent about interacting with soldiers. In many cases, this candy serves as an olive branch between the troops and local residents, which is pretty powerful considering most of this candy would’ve otherwise ended up in the pantry for months. As the holidays approach, we’ll be making Christmas a little brighter through our giving tree. Instead of ornaments, it’s adorned with the names of needy children and their wish list for the holidays.
Buying these presents is always the most powerful shopping we do throughout the season. To be able to make a needy child’s winter a little better is certainly something worth being grateful for. Looking forward to 2019, we’re already excited about our next mission trip to Guatemala. These voyages have become an annual adventure that brings our team together and provides dentistry to people who wouldn’t otherwise receive it. To help fundraise for our next trip, we’ll be putting all proceeds from oral cancer screenings using our VELscope toward the trip. Of course, it’s our wonderful patients who give us the chance to participate in all of these initiatives, so we also try to give back to them in the form of an ever-increasing suite of services. Just recently, for instance, we’ve begun using our CBCT machine to help diagnose and treat sleep apnea. We can even give you a sleep study appliance to take home. Lack of proper sleep affects us in numerous ways, and many patients don’t realize that the quality of their sleep is being compromised. Great oral care is all about increasing your quality of life, and improving your sleeping habits is one of the surest ways to do just that.
As a way of saying thank you to all our wonderful clients, inside you’ll find a $50 gift card for any treatment at Trailridge Family Dental.
I want to wish all of our patients a wonderful Thanksgiving and a fantastic holiday season. Thank you so much for helping us give back this year. Truly, we could not have done it without you.
–Dr. Stevenson
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www.trailridgefamilydental.com
208-722-7924
The Sugary Substance
I f you’ve ever seen the 1971 classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” then you are familiar with the fictional sugar-filled labyrinth from which some of the most scrumdiddlyumptious sweets are delivered to the world’s candy stores. To children, the chocolate river, Everlasting Gobstoppers, and Fizzy Lifting Drinks are the mouthwatering epitome of fun, but adults might look at all that sugar and run away screaming. According to the American Diabetes Association, added sugar may be the unhealthiest aspect of the modern diet. Fortunately, the natural sweetener xylitol provides a healthier alternative. WHAT IS XYLITOL? Xylitol is a white, crystallized sugar alcohol. It looks and tastes like sugar, but it has fewer calories and only has a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. You can find small amounts of it in many fruits and vegetables, which is why many define it as “natural.” You can also find xylitol in birch trees, but more often than not, scientists make it in a lab using the plant fiber xylan. Xylitol is considered a healthier choice than fructose, especially high fructose corn syrup, which spikes blood sugar and insulin levels. This spike can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, risk of heart disease and cancer, and several other serious health-related issues. Dentists Actually Recommend Xylitol Starves the Bad Bacteria in Your Mouth
WHY DO DENTISTS RECOMMEND IT? Many dentists recommend using xylitol-sweetened chewing gum — no, not the kind that turned Violet into a giant blueberry. Studies indicate that xylitol can prevent tooth decay. One of the leading risk factors for tooth decay is a type of oral bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. Having traces of this bacteria on your teeth is normal, but when there is an abundance, your immune system starts attacking it. These attacks often lead to inflammatory gum diseases that can cause gingivitis. To
stay alive, these bacteria feed on sugar from the food you eat, but oddly, they can’t process xylitol. If you replace your sugar intake with xylitol, the bacteria will still eat it, but their energy pathways will become clogged and they will starve. It is not often that a dentist recommends that their patients chew on sweets, but consuming this sugar can do wonders for your teeth and gums.
www.trailridgefamilydental.com
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208-722-7924
Over $25,000 Worth of Dentistry Provided for Veterans and Military Families at Trailridge Family Dental
On Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, Trailridge Family Dental celebrated their second annual Stars, Stripes & Smiles, a free dental day for veterans and military service members. Appointments were scheduled, and 36 veteran and military family members received dental treatment. Care was provided by Dr. Stevenson, Dr Leininger, and Dr. Klure, with the help of dental hygienists Jeanette, Heidi, and Tyfini. Vernena, Carey, Sheila, Yakelin, Jessica, April, Desiree, Brianna, Vanessa, and the rest of the team from Trailridge Family Dental also helped out. Katina also volunteered from Carrington Hygiene School. We had a total of 17 volunteers.
volunteering his time. Twenty-one vision screenings and $25,885 worth of life- changing dentistry was provided. Two local businesses, Pizza Place and Valley Country Store, generously provided food for all of the volunteers. Patty at Burkhart Dental provided extra dental supplies. Smiles for Vets also provided an implant. May Lab donated lab work, the Parma Seventh-Day Adventist Church donated the use of their parking lot for overflow, and Western Canyon Chronicle helped get the word out. Thanks to all who helped in any way to show appreciation for our veterans and military families. We’d also like to give thanks to Dr. Allan W. Stevenson, who
sponsored the whole event. Most of all, thanks to our veterans and military members for protecting our freedoms. Having the ability to eat again and smile with confidence gave quality of life back to several of the veterans we treated. It was great to see so many businesses come together to show appreciation for those who have given so much for us. One of our veterans even entertained us with some magic tricks.
The Parma Lions Club also provided free vision screenings, with Lion Al
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www.trailridgefamilydental.com
208-722-7924
Return Service Requested
205 W. Highway 95 Parma, ID 83660 208-722-7924
Inside This Issue
Gratitude and Giving Back
Page 1
The Sugar You Should Be Eating
Page 2
Over $25,000 Worth of Dentistry Provided for Veterans and Military Families at Trailridge Family Dental
Page 3
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch
Page 4
INGREDIENTS SPICED PUMPKIN SEED CRUNCH
• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds • 1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together • 1 large egg white • 1 teaspoon light agave syrup • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds DIRECTIONS
4. Using a slotted spoon, strain
spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated.
Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine
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www.trailridgefamilydental.com
208-722-7924
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