| Our Shared "Why" - from Jocelyn |
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Good golly I feel like I have a lot of “whys”, but I realized its really only one “why”: my children. Everything I do, every decision I make is with them at the center of it all.
Why do I drive to Grants Pass every day and back? Because my kids get to spend the day with their grandparents while I am working, which is priceless, and I get peace of heart and mind knowing they are safe and loved.
Why do I live 30 minutes from town? Because it allows me to have my own piece of earth and my kids get to grow up wild and free, get dirty, learn where our food comes from, and care for and respect animals.
But because of these “whys” the 7-3 workday did not quite work for me and my family. Thankfully, we were able to modify my schedule to 8-3 so my kids can still be with their grandparents and they still get to see their dad in the evenings. Getting off early has been amazing! Normally I’m gone from my home for 12 hours on a workday, so it used to literally be Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Now I get a little more time to shake the stress off from the day and play with my kiddos, which I never had time to do before. They are growing up so fast and I’ve realized if I don’t make a change, I’m going to miss it. So, I also decided to cut my work week down to 3 days. It has been such a blessing to have that extra day to get stuff done while allowing me time during my weekend to just “Be” with my kids. This will also allow more flexibility with our choice of schooling when my son starts Kindergarten next fall.
We now have another hygienist who comes in on Thursdays to help take excellent care of all of you and I am over the moon thankful for the blessing this has been! Thank you all for being a part of this life journey with us and I look forward to seeing you all very soon.
-Jocelyn Boffing, RDH
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| How Important is that Cleaning Appointment Now? |
 It seems that the reaction to COVID-19 has touched many parts of life that we might never have thought would be affected.
In mid-March of this year, the governor of the state of Oregon issued an executive order effectively shutting down the delivery of dental hygiene services statewide. You may (or may not) be aware that the shutdown lasted for 6 weeks. That's a long time to neglect our oral health! Dental hygiene providers as a collective industry are still working to catch up from that event. We are still observing an increase in active gum disease due to the mandatory shutdown. Those affected require extra hygiene appointments in addition to their usual 3-6 month cleaning visits in order to return to a state of disease remission.
In addition, the reaction to COVID-19 has created a shortage of dental hygiene services. Consider the following:
Some hygienists that were close to retirement decided to retire early.
Some have decided to leave the dental field to pursue other interests.
Some have decided to reduce their work hours.
Some who provided fill-in work have chosen not to do so anymore.
Dental hygiene school graduates this year found that their board examinations were delayed or even unavailable.
Additional time between patients was necessarily built in to the dental hygienist's schedule to allow extra time for cleanup between patients, thus reducing the number of patient care hours available.
Demand is up, and supply is down. See how there's a shortage? That's simple economics.
The point is, it's more important than ever to keep that cleaning appointment!
- Jake Layer, DMD
- Jocelyn Boffing, RDH |
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| Halloween - A Myth That Sugarcoats the Teeth
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With Halloween quickly approaching your kids' candy consumption is sure to increase. Here is something to think about, many people think tooth decay is related to the amount of sugar a person consumes.
In fact, though, according to faculty at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, it's not the amount of sugar but the time sugar remains on the teeth that is the culprit in tooth decay.
A person who eats candy throughout the day is more prone to tooth decay that someone that eats the same amount of candy in a short period of time. Limiting the intake of
all forms of sugar to specific times followed by brushing can help you keep your kids teeth healthy.
Bear in mind that, while this may be true for the teeth, eating an unhealthy amount of sugar surely has a negative affect on whole-body health. As always, moderation is king. It may not be reasonable for you to completely eliminate sugar in your kids' (or your) life. But everyone can consume less. Your whole-body health will thank you! |
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| About Sensitive Teeth |
There are several causes of tooth sensitivity: cavities, fractures, cracks, worn tooth enamel, and exposed tooth roots. Also an incorrect bite including grinding, clenching, or bruxing of the teeth. If you have regular checkups with us, these issues are likely to be detected early.
Naturally occurring enamel protects the teeth and cementum protects the roots. The underlying dentin is a less dense system of microscopic tubes and canals. This porosity allows stimulus to reach the pulp (tooth nerves) If the enamel or cementum is compromised. Cold (mostly) and heat can more easily stimulate the nerves and that can cause tooth sensitivity.
If you are suffering from sensitivity, the first step is to review proper brushing technique and also try a desensitizing toothpaste. If you're brushing too hard try using only the thumb and forefinger in your tooth brush grip. It's nearly impossible to brush too hard when you hold the tooth brush like that. That grip will force you to take more time to get the teeth clean and will always be gentle on the gums and tooth roots. Remember that sensitivity tooth paste can take several weeks or months of consistent daily use to become effective. If your sensitivity involves all of the teeth equally (we call that "generalized" sensitivity) then the above protocol with sensitivity tooth paste can be effective &. If your sensitivity continues, make an appointment to come in for an assessment.
-Dr. Layer |
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