Your Smile News
Winter 2019
From Roach Family Dentistry & Associates
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Here we are in 2019! Can you believe it? We’ve had a great start here at the office and are in full swing serving our patients after the holidays. We’ve been staying busy at home, too! Last month, we paid a visit to my daughter, Mary Kate, who’s a freshman at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, and spent the weekend with her. It was just a regular visit for my wife, Linda, and me, but for our son, David, it was also an unofficial college visit. David is at the start of his college decision making, and while he’d seen Washington and Lee once before when he helped Mary Kate move in, this visit was more like a day in the life of a college student. He spent a lot of time with Mary Kate and her friends and got to see the social life that comes with a college education. Mary Kate took us all on a tour of campus, and David got to see her sorority house and enjoy some of the activities they put on there. At the end of our visit, I asked David what he thought about Washington and Lee. “It’s great, Dad, but I don’t have anything to compare it to,” he answered. He’s right, of course. This is only the beginning of the next step in his education. It will be interesting to see how his opinions develop after he has more perspective. Our BIG Patient Prize!
break, we’ll be going to another warm locale — Mexico. Linda, David, and I are looking forward to quality time together. Our destination is Isla Mujeres, a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea. It’s home to Mayan artifacts and houses some incredible archeological sites. In addition to seeing some of these unique places on the island, I think we’ll find plenty of time to relax on the beach in this beautiful setting. Some of our friends will be joining us, which will add to the fun and relaxing atmosphere. I can’t wait! I treasure traveling with my family, even when it’s just for a weekend getaway a few states away. I find we all come back a bit more refreshed and relaxed. When we interact with new people in a new place, it also gives us a fresh perspective and enriches our lives. It’s so valuable. Speaking of the importance of travel, I want to share the adventure with you because the travel bug is the only bug that’s okay to pass onto someone. From now until March 31, if you refer a friend or family member who becomes a patient with us, your name will be entered into our first quarter drawing, and the winner will get a set of luggage and an $800 airline certificate! This is a “pick you own adventure” prize, and we are so excited to give it away to the people who make our practice a great place to be! If you have any questions about the giveaway, don’t hesitate to ask. And if you want travel suggestions, well, that’s a topic I’m always happy to talk about.
Kentucky wasn’t our only getaway last month. At the end of January, Linda and I were lucky enough to enjoy a relaxing long weekend with friends at Ponte Vedra, a beach near Jacksonville, Florida. One of our friends has a condominium there, and it makes for some really great fishing, golfing, and beach strolls in the Florida sun — all in all, the perfect break from chilly Tennessee temperatures.
This trip is a small way we can say thank you. We love our patients! I can’t wait to see who wins!
Good luck,
–Dr. Roach
The travel bug has bitten us this year, it seems. For spring
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As you know, our office is full of travel enthusiasts, like Lauren, who’s been to many fascinating places and has a trip to Thailand and Vietnam planned next; Christine, who traveled to Israel last year; Dr. Zhang, whose adventures in South America are a must-hear — ask her next time you’re here; and Dr. Roach himself. We also know we have many patients who love to travel, so we put together a few travel tips for 2019 to help you have smooth, fun adventures in the year to come. 1. PACK LIGHT — TAKE ONLY ONE BAG! Travel expert Rick Steves gives this directive, emphasizing that “you can’t travel heavy, happy, and cheap. Pick two.” Steves suggests an at-home test before you leave — pack your bag and try walking around your house or the block. He then From Dr. Roach and Company 3 Travel Tips for 2019 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. 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.
suggests scrutinizing each item you plan to bring to ensure that it’s really something you’ll feel like lugging around the streets of Europe. 2. GO EASY ON THE ‘TO DO’ LIST. Part of the joy — and stress — of traveling is the sense that anything could happen. If you tend to have things planned down to the hour, let those expectations go. You might find you enjoy yourself more when you leave room for spontaneity — really great adventures happen on the road less traveled. 3. EMBRACE LOCAL CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. Whether you go to another country or just another state, people and norms might be different from what you know. It can feel uncomfortable, but it’s also a chance to learn about an unfamiliar culture. Learn a few words of the language
Connecting Your Dental Hygiene to Your Phone The ‘Smart’ Way to Brush Your Teeth
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 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?
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DAVID ROACH FROM THE DESK OF We’re in the season of New Year’s resolutions, and many of them are connected to health. Goals like losing weight, eating better, and exercising more are at the top of people’s lists. A resolution I don’t see as often, though, is taking care of your teeth. Of course, as a dentist, this goal is always on my mind. No conversation about health is complete without addressing oral health, because oral health is connected to our overall health. I’ve shared before the links between oral diseases, like gum disease, and other health issues that more and more research is pointing to. If we want to be healthier, we have to include good oral hygiene in our daily habits. If I were to give my patients a list of resolutions, it would probably look like this: 1. See your dentist two times in 2019. 2. Floss your teeth once a day. 3. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each. 4. Smile more. These might sound simple, but following through with each of them for a whole year might be a big commitment — patients usually come clean about their missed days of flossing. Break down these resolutions day by day. Four minutes a day for brushing and two minutes for flossing. Six minutes out of your 24 hours. Give yourself a gold star on the calendar for each day you brush and floss. If you’re overdue for your dental visit, give us a call. Take care of your teeth and they will reward you with a beautiful smile. A DENTIST’S RESOLUTIONS
or look up a favorite restaurant that locals frequent. Staying at an Airbnb hosted by friendly locals is also a great way to acclimate yourself to the area.
Did we just give you the travel bug? Well, not to worry, because we also have a chance for you to travel on us!
Between now and March 31, if you refer a new patient to us, your name goes in a drawing for a HUGE prize : a “choose your own adventure” travel package of a luggage set and an $800 airline voucher. You don’t want to miss this! Start referring your friends and family today to get entered for your chance to win this travel giveaway!
Like our Facebook page to learn more and get updates — and to see Dr. Roach’s hilarious video about the giveaway.
Congratulations to our fall referral giveaway winner, Tiffany! We hope you enjoy your new 4K Roku Smart TV! Thank you for the referrals!
Here’s to a healthy start to 2019!
P.S. Don’t forget to enter our patient giveaway! See the cover story for more details.
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Roach Family Dentistry & Associates 3824 Bedford Ave. Nashville, TN 37215
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INSIDE All Aboard: Adventures in 2019 Page 1 3 Tips for Your Travel Adventures Page 2 The ‘Smart’ Way to Brush Your Teeth Page 2 From the Desk of David Roach Page 3 3 Myths About Our Favorite Furry Meteorologist Page 4
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What Do You Really Know About Groundhog Day? 3 MYTHS ABOUT OUR FAVORITE FURRY METEOROLOGIST
However, that isn’t always enough of a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety. In 2009, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was bitten through his glove, and subsequent mayor Bill de Blasio dropped his groundhog in 2014. MYTH 3: PHIL IS THE ONLY FAMOUS RODENT. While Phil is probably the most well-known ground-dwelling meteorologist, he is not the only groundhog with weather predicting abilities. For example, General Beauregard Lee is the weather predictor for the city of Lilburn, Georgia. Staten Island Chuck takes care of the New York territory, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has three groundhogs of its own, which is probably due to its rich Pennsylvania Dutch history. Canada has even started a Groundhog Day tradition with Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia and Balzac Billy in Alberta. Even though Groundhog Day is a holiday based on many myths, it still provides a great time for event-goers all across the world. You might not be able to fully trust Phil’s predictions, but the superstition and mystique associated with this unique and festive day make it one you shouldn’t skip out on.
Despite the fact that most, if not all, meteorologists place little value on a furry marmot’s ability to predict an early spring, the annual tradition of Groundhog Day is still one that millions of people love to celebrate. Because it is based more on folkloric legend than scientific evidence, Groundhog Day is associated with shams and spoofs of varying degrees. There are many myths regarding the tradition as well as the famous Punxsutawney Phil himself. MYTH 1: THE PREDICTIONS ARE ACCURATE. Many event-goers put a lot of faith in Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions. Unfortunately, he is more likely to be wrong than right. According to studies based on Phil’s predictions and the weather patterns that follow, it seems Phil’s predictions receive an accuracy rate of only 39 percent.
MYTH 2: GROUNDHOG DAY IS HARMLESS. Much like humans, most groundhogs don’t like being suddenly jostled out of their sleep. Their frustration often leads to them biting their handlers. For this reason, the handlers usually wear heavy gloves to protect themselves.
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