PREMIER DENTAL N EWS L E T T E R
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A Quiet Trip to Geneva LOOKING BACK ON A RELAXING SUMMER VACATION!
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New York is an interesting state, and that may surprise some people — especially if you have been a lifelong New Jerseyan. (We’ve all heard about the rivalry!) Because of its diversification, New York has a lot to offer. Peter and I know this firsthand because we are both from there. Peter is from upstate New York, while I lived near the city. Of course, Peter and I visit New York often because it is familiar for us, and we still have a lot of family there. Within the city, there are many places to visit, like Central Park, Lincoln Center, Broadway, and the Financial District, just to name a few. However, New York is so much more than its largest city. The state is second to Washington State in apple production in the U.S., and its economy is the third largest after California and Texas. It’s a diversified, powerhouse economy. In fact, if New York state were a nation, it would have the 10th largest economy in the world. Plus, it has an excellent education and health care system. Upstate New York provides great options for quiet getaways in nature with a lot of outdoor activities. There’s plenty of space and fewer people, and the area is blessed with mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, and farmland. This summer, during our Fourth of July holiday, Peter and I traveled to Geneva, New York, located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Our goal was to spend a few days on the banks of Seneca Lake. It was just under five hours away from Bordentown, New Jersey, and we drove through the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, admiring clear blue skies and gorgeous mountain views. As we drove
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Relaxing by Seneca Lake
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into upstate New York, we saw dairy farms and thousands of acres of wheat and corn checkered across the countryside. In some areas, I was reminded of Sting’s song, “Fields of Gold”! We stayed in Geneva at a resort that had wonderful views of Seneca Lake. This was the first time we tried a resort, and we were pleasantly surprised. It featured a nice outdoor restaurant, grounds to walk on, a garden, a swimming pool, and a protected cliff edge with plenty of seating to view the lake. We stayed in a suite, which included a separate bedroom and living area and a small kitchenette with a full refrigerator, stove, and microwave. This made it easy for us to buy food or order from restaurants and eat in our suite. While in Geneva, we visited both Seneca Lake State Park and Cayuga Lake State Park. This is a great area for outdoor activities. You can do practically anything you could imagine outdoors in Geneva: walking, hiking, camping, swimming, canoeing, jet skiing, sailing, and speedboating were just a few options we saw. There are also several trails for wine-tasting. We would have liked to visit some local museums, but most were closed or only open at odd times. We truly just relaxed on this vacation. We walked a lot, especially around Seneca Lake. We also read, slept, and enjoyed nature at a quiet pace. I enjoyed stepping away for a few days from normal life and all its stresses while exploring a new town just hours away from home. I hope you also found time to explore this summer!
PATIENT COORDINATORS
MICHELE ROBERTA
DENTAL ASSISTANT
CATHLEEN
HYGIENISTS
CHARLENE JULIA
PRACTICE MANAGER
PETER
–Hema Gopal, DMD
Enjoying the view of Cayuga Lake
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DR. HEMA GOPAL: 20+ YEARS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Artificial Intelligence and the Dental Industry HOW AI CAN BENEFIT DENTAL PATIENTS
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a computer program’s ability to mimic human learning and problem-solving abilities to analyze all sorts of different kinds of data. The applications of AI are seemingly endless, and in the past few years, AI has found its way to the dental office. While it might make you nervous that certain aspects of patient care are drawn (in part) from AI, don’t worry. Various developments of AI-augmented dental care will have great benefits for patients. Detecting Dental Decay, Periodontal Disease, and Even Oral Cancer One of the ways that AI most benefits dental patients is in how neural networks can be used to detect a variety of diseases and conditions better than a mere human eye ever could. While radiographs provide some objective information that can help dentists detect tooth decay, information discovered via tactile sensation (when your dentist looks in your mouth themselves) is much more subjective. AI can further refine this process by using CNNs (convolutional neural networks) to analyze thousands of different radiographs while also learning how to detect it more effectively. At the same time, AI can similarly be used to detect oral cancer early enough to prevent malignant growth from getting too far — or from starting at all. Neural networks can alert dentists to growths that are benign, malignant, or potentially malignant, with that last classification being particularly important for helping dentists act early to help their patients.
Streamlining Appointment Procedures AI can also help improve patients’ experiences by offering regular
appointments and checkups at their dental office. Natural language processing (NLP), which is the ability of a computer program to detect and act on voice- activated commands, can allow dentists to do certain parts of their routine hands free, which makes for a much more efficient process and gets patients in and out of the chair sooner.
As AI continues to develop, its applications to the dental world will assuredly grow, and your patient experience will improve.
5 Foods That Will Improve Your Dental Health AND HELP MAINTAIN A HEALTHY SMILE
The best “secret” to continued dental health is to do what your dentist recommends every time you have a checkup: Brush twice a day, floss regularly, and don’t eat too many sugary foods. However, if you want to give your dental health an extra edge without adding steps to your routine, you can actually improve your dental health while you eat. All you need to do is incorporate some of the following foods into your diet!
Strawberries While these tasty red berries are highly acidic, they’re still good for your teeth and gums because they contain malic acid, a natural whitening agent for your enamel. Eating strawberries regularly can actually help you keep your teeth free of stains! Salmon This fish is packed with both vitamin D and calcium, which help keep your teeth strong and healthy. Vitamin D enables your body to more effectively absorb calcium, while calcium itself helps you maintain healthy teeth and gums. Carrots You can get many of the same benefits of brushing your teeth from eating carrots — but that doesn’t mean you should eat carrots in place of brushing your teeth! Like celery, chewing carrots massages your gums. Plus, they’re rich in keratin, which fights plaque, and vitamin A, which strengthens tooth enamel. By eating some of these foods (or all of them!), along with brushing and flossing regularly, you can ensure that your smile stays fresh and healthy for years to come!
Cheese Like many dairy products, cheese is full of calcium and phosphate, which strengthen teeth and bones. At the same time, it can balance the pH level in your mouth, neutralizing harmful acids and preventing cavities and tooth decay.
Celery Though it doesn’t contain any nutrients that will specifically benefit your teeth, chewing celery can actually clean your teeth and massage your gums, all while helping your mouth produce more saliva that neutralizes bacteria.
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Inspired by Tasty.co Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels
With October being National Diabetes Month, now is the perfect time to explore the connection between diabetes and your dental health. Yes, there is a connection. As is the case with your dental health and so many other health conditions, they overlap, meaning that there are ways you can maintain and improve your dental health by taking care of your diabetes, and vice versa. How does diabetes relate to dental health? Before getting into how you can improve your diabetes by taking care of your teeth, let’s talk a little bit about how diabetes and dental health are connected in general. If you have diabetes, that means that you’re more at risk for: Tooth Decay Diabetics have a harder time managing their blood sugar, and the higher your blood sugar levels, the higher the amount of sugars and starches in your mouth that could create plaque, which leads to cavities. Early and Advanced Gum Disease Diabetics’ bodies have a harder time fighting bacteria, which means that plaque and tartar can build up easier. This might lead to gingivitis (early gum disease) and later to periodontitis (advanced gum disease), which could lead to your teeth loosening and falling out if left untreated. Dry Mouth Some diabetics have a hard time producing saliva, which leads to dry mouth. Without saliva to keep your mouth moist, you could be further at risk for the above conditions. How do I manage my diabetes and my dental health together? There aren’t very many out-of-the-box tricks when it comes to caring for your dental health while also accounting for your diabetes. The best defenses are just more important: Brush twice a day, floss regularly, and see a dentist for regular checkups. Dentists treating gum disease can actually help improve your blood sugar! But of course, managing your blood sugar levels with the help of your doctor will go a long way in protecting your dental health as well. Although taking your insulin will always be the best defense against diabetes, it’s nice to know that brushing, flossing, and otherwise caring for your mouth can help as well! Your Diabetes and Your Dental Health
Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups warm water • 1 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 packet active dry yeast • 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp oil, divided • 2/3 cup baking soda • 2 eggs, beaten • Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Directions
1. In a bowl, combine water, salt, and sugar. Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add flour and 2 tbsp oil, then mix thoroughly into a dough. 2. Remove the dough from the bowl. Coat bowl with remaining oil, then return the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside in a warm place for 1 hour. 3. Preheat oven to 450 F. 4. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll them into thin ropes, then twist ropes into pretzel shapes. 5. In a large pot, boil water. Add baking soda, then boil each pretzel for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. 6. Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet. Brush them with egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy! Take a Break
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DR. HEMA GOPAL: 20+ YEARS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
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Inside
DR. HEMA GOPAL: 20+ YEARS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
This Issue
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How Peter and Dr. Gopal Relaxed This Summer How Artificial Intelligence Can Benefit Dental Patients 5 Foods That Will Improve Your Dental Health
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Your Diabetes and Your Dental Health Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels
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How to Protect Your Child’s Dental Health This Halloween
WITHOUT TAKING AWAY THEIR CANDY How to Protect Your Child’s Dental Health on Halloween
Ration out the candy.
Almost anyone older than the age of 5 could probably tell you that eating too much candy isn’t good for your teeth — and what is Halloween if not a day solely devoted to giving kids way too much candy? Now, simply telling your child that they can’t eat any candy at all wouldn’t be any fun, and it’s also an unrealistic expectation to have for Halloween. But if you want to keep your child from getting cavities and still let them enjoy their trick-or-treating spoils, here are a few tips.
Even if your kids don’t eat all of their candy on Halloween night, that means they could just eat it all on another day. So, it might be a good idea to limit their daily candy count; let them take a few pieces of it with them to school as a part of their lunch or let them have some as dessert with their dinner.
Have them eat their candy with meals.
Eat dinner before trick-or- treating.
When you just eat candy by itself, the sugar has more opportunities to stick around, causing tooth decay and plaque to grow. However, if you make your kids wait to eat their candy until mealtime, the production of saliva will help wash away the sugars that would otherwise harm your child’s teeth.
If you want to prevent your kids from eating their way through most of
their candy all on Halloween night,
Avoid certain candies if you can.
eating dinner before heading out into the neighborhood is a great way to curb their appetite. If they’re not super hungry, they probably won’t eat as much candy.
All candy has a lot of sugar, but certain candies tend to stick on the teeth and cause more problems than others. Taffies, caramels, and hard candy can linger on the teeth for much longer than chocolate, so if you want to limit your child’s candy, taking those out of their stash would be a good move.
We hope you’ll have a fun, safe Halloween that’s good for your smile!
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DR. HEMA GOPAL: 20+ YEARS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
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