Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Creative Father's Day Gifts -- A Dentist's Take

Like every holiday, Father's Day has become a commercialized affair, with tie companies, coffee cup manufacturers, and office widget producers going berserk with advertising around this time. And while it's always fun to give Dad something fancy and useless for Father's day, Dr. Eric Johnson's office would like to make a more low-key, practical suggestion for a Father's Day gift; a perfect smile.

The over-the-top treatment would be a gift certificate for a full smile makeover. Send Dad in to the clinic for a consultation with Dr. Johnson about how he can make the most of his smile, and get an appointment for an afternoon of smile-perfecting.

If the full shebang isn't quite in-budget, there's nothing like a professional tooth whitening to give Dad's smile that extra wattage. Especially if Pop works in any sort of public business, the value of a smile that pops is hard to overstate. A couple of weeks with Dr. Johnson's customized tooth whitening system, and Dad will be beaming his pearly whites at everyone in sight.

If Dad's afraid that his smile is irreparable, have no fear -- the impossible is what Dr. Johnson is best at. With a set of custom-made white-smile-colored porcelain veneers, even the most Austin Powers-ish smile can be turned into a perfect grin. Send him in for a consult, and Dr. Johnson will custom-make veneers that will turn his teeth into pearly whites faster than Photoshop.

Not every father will be ecstatic about going to the dentist as a 'present' -- but every father will love the results when they get out. There's a lot to be said for the simple pride of knowing that your smile looks great -- it makes you smile more, and smiling more actually makes you happier. So consider giving Dad the gift of happiness: a smile he'll love to use.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Fathers, Children, and the Power of Tone

It may seem odd to some that we're taking time on a dentist's blog to talk about this subject, but it's intensely relevant -- it's time to talk about the power of words. Everyone understands that, to a degree, it's a father's job to be an example for their children, but not everyone understands to what degree your children are actually watching you all the time and how easily they pick up on your cues. We see this quite often right in our waiting room. Two fathers with two children can be sitting right next to each other. One father will say something to his child like "Are you ready to go see the dentist?", and the other will say something like "All right, buddy, let's go." The difference is that the first one sounds excited, and the other sounds like he's about to walk into a much-dreaded seven hour Dora the Explorer marathon.

The first father's child walks in looking around and interested. The second walks in nervously and isn't at all pleased to be there. In all likelihood, the first child will look forward to coming back to the dentist, and the second one will scream and fuss the next time their checkup comes due.

We often underestimate the power that a single phrase can have over our children. One study from Dr. Carol Dweck proved that one single instance of praising a child's work ethic versus praising their intelligence caused as much as a 50% swing in test scores three tests after the praise was given. (Praising work ethic provided higher scores).

When it comes to something with as much 'scare potential' as a visit to the dentist, it's critical that as a father, you're very careful about the words -- and more importantly, the tone of voice -- you use with of your children.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Summer Vacation Is Almost Here -- Get Your Checkups Before the Kids Are Out of School

Dads, it's time to think forward a little bit. Summer vacation starts soon, and it's your job to make sure that your family is having fun in the sun. There are barbeques to be flame-broiled, camping trips to be planned, and Slip-N-Slides to be wetted. The last thing you want hanging over anyone's head during the vacation months is everyone's annual visits to the dentist.

Now is the time to get a hold of Dr. Johnson's office and schedule your checkups. It may actually be too late to get them done before the kids are out of school, but you can at least get them done before the heat makes it preferable to spend your afternoons by the pool rather than in the dentist's chair.

The Sun and Your Teeth
Speaking of spending your afternoons in the sun, recent research has shown that spending at least twenty minutes in the midday sun has a profoundly positive effect on your oral health -- even if you keep your mouth shut the whole time. That's because spending time in the sun helps your body produce its own vitamin D.

Vitamin D does quite a bit for your body. It helps you metabolize calcium, which means better bone health. It also fights inflammation, which means it can help alleviate pain from a wide variety of sources across the body -- including many kinds of gum pain. It's even known to stimulate your body to produce peptides that fight the bad kind of oral bacteria.

The summer has always been the healthiest time of the year, and your oral health is no exception. Come into the office, get your teeth cleaned, and get some sun -- your mouth will thank you.