Huron Smiles - February 2020
February 2020
HuronSmiles Simple and Stress Free What Dentistry Should Be
530 Iowa Ave. SE #102, Huron, SD 57350
605-352-8753
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Creating Joy What Makes Dr. G Smile?
The day I got my braces off was one of the best days of my childhood. My teeth had been pretty rough. I had a gap between my two front teeth, and one of my canines was too far up in my gums and had to be pulled back down with a chain. My orthodontics experience was excruciating, but when those braces finally came off, it was all worth it. I was amazed by how great my teeth looked. It felt so good! It was then that I knew I wanted to help other people feel the same way I did in that moment. When I first got into dental school, I originally wanted to be an orthodontist. Getting braces had been such a positive
like placing crowns that fix chipped teeth and transform someone’s smile. When my patients come in the next day after major cosmetic
treatment, they always look so much happier. They often dress up and walk taller. You can see their newfound self-confidence. Giving people that feeling is exactly why I became a dentist. Being able to bring my skills to Huron over the last year has been an amazing experience.
I moved up from Edinburg, Texas, a small town of around 75,000 people. At least, I thought it was a small town. When we came to Huron, I learned what a real small town looks like. My husband and I love it here. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming. Plus, there’s snow! I love the winter, and after living in Texas for so many years, I’m not tired of the cold yet. I’m happy every time I see the snow start to fall. Besides the snow, the best part about coming to Huron has been working at Huron Smiles. The staff is wonderful. Everyone does their jobs so well, and they are so dedicated to the patients. Plus, they’ve made Dr. Morales and I feel like part of the family. To be honest, I was a little worried about working with my husband at first, but it’s been a great experience. He encourages me and makes me laugh all the time. At the end of the day, we get to go home and hang out with our Yorkie, Bella. It’s been a great start to this new chapter of our life. I look forward to our first full year in Huron, getting to know my patients better, and enjoying everything about this great town.
experience in my life. However, I quickly realized that general dentistry was much more in line with my interests. When I was a little girl, I loved going to the dentist. I know, I was an unusual kid, but I really liked asking questions and learning about what my dentist was doing. In dental school, I realized that being a general dentist would allow me to do something different every day. I enjoy being able to do fillings, crowns, and extractions, but my favorite part about being a dentist is being able to take the time to help my patients feel comfortable. My mom has dental anxiety, so I understand how overwhelming the experience can be. I always aim to take those few extra minutes to talk about any concerns my patients have and let them know they can tell me if we need to stop. It’s a huge victory for me when patients who used to be terrified to sit in my chair are comfortable enough to let me do crowns or bridges.
It’s wonderful to see how a new smile can change a patient’s outlook on life. I love doing aesthetic cases,
–Dr. Kassandra Gorena
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VALENTINE’S LESSONS
Talking to Your Adolescent About Relationships
Respecting Others Dr. David Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, believes it’s especially important to talk to adolescents about respecting boundaries. “One of the big lessons we want to be sending to kids at any age is that there are two people to consider,” he writes, explaining that adolescents tend to only focus on their own feelings and need to learn to consider how their crush may feel about them. This awareness might prevent them from overstepping someone else’s comfort zone. Respecting Themselves At the same time, kids and teens should know the importance of respecting their own feelings. Setting boundaries can be especially important when your child is confronted with an unwanted Valentine’s Day card or request for a date and feels pressured to reciprocate. “Boundary setting is imperative to learn during adolescence because it is a time of identity formation,” writes Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell in Psychology Today. “Healthy boundaries allow teens to feel respected, valued, and empowered to build positive relationships in their lives.” It also helps them handle uncomfortable social situations with grace and maturity. Crushes and first dates are a part of growing up, as is learning how to contribute to healthy relationships. Much like a first step or learning to drive, patient, loving parental support makes all the difference.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, stores are filled with chocolates, stuffed animals, and cards for significant others. Love is
in the air! Even though you may not realize it, your kids may also be
feeling the pressure. Crushes, dates, and broken hearts are part
of their lives, too, but they may struggle to talk with you about it. Thankfully, developmental
“The dental hygienist Allyson is so great! My 11-year- old and I both saw her; she does a fantastic job with explaining everything while being kind, gentle, and personable. My husband had Megan as his hygienist and said the same thing about her. We had Dr. Morales come in, and he was friendly and encouraging.” – Crystal Whitney “First time with Dr. Morales, and it went very well. My tooth had been bothering me, and they got me in quickly and took care of it. I have no pain, and everything is back the way it should be. Everyone was courteous and professional, so I will go back without hesitation.” –Scott Ingle experts have weighed in on how to approach these important and delicate conversations. No Laughing Matter Judith Myers-Walls, professor emeritus of child development at Purdue, urges parents not to treat their kids’ crushes as silly. We may know these early expressions of love aren’t that serious in the long run, but to an adolescent, the emotions are very powerful. “They are very easily embarrassed about those feelings,” Myers-Walls observes, “so parents and other adults should be respectful and not tease about those issues.” Rather than make kids feel ashamed of these early romantic feelings, let them know you’re there to talk to them about it.
OUR PATIENTS SAY IT BEST
“My daughters LOVE coming to the dentist thanks to Dr. Valerie Drake, Dr. Steve Morales, and Dr. Kassandra Gorena. Libby does a wonderful job with the cleanings, and my girls had a great visit! Thanks, everyone!” –Alicia Mattke
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the stains developed sometime around the eruption of adult teeth and that teeth with “Colorado brown stain” were incredibly resistant to decay. McKay theorized that the discoloration might have been caused by something in the drinking water. While initial tests on the water in Colorado Springs and other cities in the 1930s didn’t reveal anything suspicious, tests with more advanced equipment later revealed high levels of fluoride. This revelation, combined with earlier observations that brown stained
THE MOMENT OF TOOTH
How Fluoridation Became a Public Health Achievement
Seventy-five years ago, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city in America to intentionally add small levels of fluoride to their water supply. They did so as part of an experiment to see if ingesting fluoride would prevent tooth decay, also called dental caries, as indicated in previous studies. The experiment proved a landslide success in preventive dental care, and today, fluoridated water is available to over 200 million Americans. The basis for the experiment in Grand Rapids began 44 years prior. In 1901, a young dental graduate student named Frederick McKay opened a practice in Colorado Springs and was shocked to find that many locals had unsightly brown stains on their teeth. McKay couldn’t find the cause in any medical journals, so he began to investigate. Progress was slow, but between 1909 and 1915, McKay and another researcher found that
teeth were resistant to decay, led some researchers to posit that lower levels of fluoride in the water might help prevent staining while still fighting tooth decay. After preliminary tests, researchers finally tested their theory in Grand Rapids in 1945. The tooth decay rate among children in Grand Rapids dropped 60% in just 11 years. This led other cities across America to adopt the practice. By 2008, 72% of the U.S. population had access to fluoridated water. For the first time in the history of dentistry, dentists had a tool to prevent tooth decay instead of just tools to treat it after the fact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called fluoridation of water one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Seventy-five years after the experiment in Grand Rapids, the American Dental Association is celebrating the monumental impact of fluoridated water on dental health. Even though it may have taken Frederick McKay’s research nearly four decades to come to fruition, the results have been more than worth it.
Have a Laugh
Date Truffles
Valentine’s Day is all about love … and chocolate. Enjoy these chocolate peanut butter date truffles with your date this Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients • 1 lb medjool dates, pitted (about 1 1/2 cups) • 1/2 tsp sea salt • Warm water
• 1/4 cup peanut butter • 1 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped • 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Directions 1. Using a food processor, blend dates and sea salt until dough can be formed into a ball. Slowly add enough warm water to mixture to thicken dough. 2. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Freeze for 20–30 minutes. 3. In microwave, warm 1/4 cup peanut butter for 30 seconds, then drizzle peanut butter on top of balls. Freeze balls for another 20 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, in microwave, warm chocolate with coconut oil until melted. Stir well. 5. Coat balls in chocolate and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 6. Top with additional salt and freeze for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Inspired by The Minimalist Baker
Huron Smiles • 605-352-8753 • 3
530 Iowa Ave. SE #102 Huron, SD 57350 605-352-8753
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HuronSmiles Simple and Stress Free What Dentistry Should Be
Inside This Issue What Kind of Kid Likes Going to the Dentist? Page 1 Crushes, Valentine’s Day, and Parenting Page 2 Hear From Our Happy Patients! Page 2 Fluoridation: The 1st Step Toward Preventive Dental Care Page 3 Date Truffles Page 3 A Cheesy Myth About the Moon Page 4
THE MOON ISN’T MADE OF CHEESE? The Story Behind the Myth
We’ve all heard the silly statement before: “The moon is made of cheese!” Although we may not fall for it as adults, when we were children, our eyes twinkled with possibility as we gazed up at the full moon and wondered if it really could be made of cheese. While science says no, it’s still an entertaining phrase that holds a valuable lesson for adults and children alike. The motif first appeared in folklore during the High Middle Ages as a proverb invented by a French rabbi. The full phrase is actually “The moon is made of green cheese,” and serves to warn against the dangers of credulity, or the willingness to believe in things that aren’t based on reasonable proof or knowledge. The simplest version of the phrase’s origin tells of a cunning fox that advised a starving wolf to search
for food among humans. The wolf listened, and he was attacked by the humans. The wolf escaped, and in his fury, he attempted to kill the fox. To save himself, the
fox promised the wolf that he’d show him the location of an abundant food supply. That night, under the light of a full moon, the fox led the wolf to a well and pointed
to the reflection of the full moon on the water’s surface deep in the well, claiming it was cheese. The hungry wolf jumped into the well to eat the cheese, forever trapping himself. Thus, the fox successfully escaped the wolf’s wrath.
As with any ancient proverb, variations of the story have developed over time, but its message has remained the same: Don’t believe everything you’re told. In today’s world of oversaturated information and advice, this is a valuable tip to follow, no matter what age you are.
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