'Tis the Season of...the cold & flu!

As the season changes from Fall to Winter, the prevalence of the common cold, strep throat and the flu seems to increase dramatically, and especially for our little ones. 

We hate seeing such a sad face! Read these tips below & keep those little faces smiling!

TIPS TO AVOID GETTING SICK THIS SEASON

• Stop the Nail Biting & Keep Hands Out of Mouths
• Have a nail biter? Nail biting in one word is: unsanitary. Your fingers are pretty much involved in almost everything you do. Even with frequent hand-washing, your fingers are still dirty. Your fingernails are almost twice as dirty as your fingers. Since fingernails are not the easiest places in the world to clean, there's all manner of germs and bacteria underneath there-- germs you really don't want in your mouth. And when you bite your nails, you are inviting these germs into your mouth. Plus, bitten nails can be jagged, and may cut the gums, allowing these undesirable germs to easily access your bloodstream.The two "germiest" places on your body are generally your hands/fingernails and your mouth. So it's pretty easy to see why putting these two together in the form of nail biting is not desirable.
• Enforce Hand Washing!
• Good hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses, from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as meningitis, bronchiolitis, influenza, hepatitis A, and most types of infectious diarrhea.
• Establish Hand Washing Rules
• Before and after eating 
• After using the bathroom
• After touching pets and animals 
• Before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
• After blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)
• Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies and Good Fats
• Eating well keeps your body in balance and increases your immune functions helping you fight the sicknesses before they effect you!

• Stay Active
• Staying active helps circulate the blood, pumping germ-fighting cells through the body and washing away toxins. 
• Get Good Sleep
• To remain healthy, you must be getting enough sleep. Plain & simple. Shoot for 8 hours a night - but children tend to need 10+ hours per night!
• Get a New Toothbrush! 
• If you or your children do come down with the common cold, strep throat, or the flu, be sure to throw away all toothbrushes in the house and get new fresh ones! Brushes should be changed at the onset of an illness and again after recovery.

Post Credits: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-p-connelly-dds/mouth-health-the-dish-on_b_574866.html - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/hand_washing.html - http://www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/ddhright.aspx?id=6494

Musical Instruments and Germs

Woodwind and brass players beware—the same horn that creates melodic tones might also be harboring a darker note—bacteria and fungi that risk a musician’s health.

In a recent study, researchers worked with a small-town high school band to examine the microbial flora in woodwind and brass instruments and their potential to transmit diseases.

They cultured 13 previously played instruments, including two clarinets, two oboes, two saxophones, two mellophones, two trombones, two trumpets and one cornet. Six instruments had been played within a week of testing and the other seven had not been played for more than one month.

Scientists looked for germs in a total of 117 distinct testing sites, including mouthpieces and reeds, internal chambers and cases of the instruments and found more than 400 bacteria, 19 yeasts and 58 molds that could risk a musician’s health.

“Parents may not realize that the mold in their child’s instrument could contribute to the development of asthma,” said Dr. R. Thomas Glass, lead author of the study in the March/April issue of General Dentistry. He recommends musicians use cleaning cloths and solutions made for musical instruments and not to share their instruments with others.

Researchers said harmful contaminants were found in instruments whether they were played recently or not. Though the reeds or mouthpieces were consistently more contaminated, the midpoints and bells had enough microorganisms to expose the musicians to toxins and produce disease. Even instrument cases were contaminated.

Researchers say the results indicate that woodwind instruments were more heavily contaminated than brass instruments; reeds were significantly more contaminated that mouthpieces and clarinets were more contaminated than any other instruments.

Post Credit: ©2010 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.

*Meet the Dentist!* - Dr. Lipoff

Dr. Jay with his mom and on the mound playing for the
Federal League Baseball - Sun Devils in Miami, FL.

Meet Dr. Lipoff from our Jeffersonville office!

Doctor's Full Name: 

Jason Adam Lipoff

Hometown: 

Northbrook, Illinois

Undergraduate College: 

Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dental School: 

Nova Southeastern University

Dental Specialties: 

Pediatric Dentistry

Family:

Sister - Michelle, 41 yrs old, HS History Teacher, Married, two kids (Josh 4, Becca 7)

Dad - Dennis, 69 yrs old, Psychologist

Mom - Doris, 68 yrs old, Retired Spanish and French Teacher (And, Dr. Lipoff forgot to mention that he speaks Spanish, too!) 

Pets:

Dog, Brussels Griffon named Abigail, 4 yrs old, love of my life. 

Favorite Toothpaste:

Colgate

Manual or Power Brush?

Power

Favorite Food:

Breakfast!!

Favorite Vacation Spot:

Miami, of course!! My other home!

Favorite Hobbies:

Baseball, Running, Teach Group Fitness (Boot Camp, Spinning) 

Funnest/Most Memorable and/or Most Interesting Moment Experienced in Dentistry:

After completing an exam on my new 4 yr old patient named Chloe, she looks up at me and says, "You're a good looking doctor!" A 4 yr old made me blush. Too cute. 

Anything else you think would be fun for our patients and fans to know about you:

1. Have been playing baseball since the age of 5 and still play competitively in Miami.
2. Doesn't like to be called doctor because that sounds too adult; I'm a kid at heart.
3. Afraid of cowboys.
4. A real life giraffe has been on my birthday list since I've been 5 years old. I might just have to move to Africa to make that dream come true.  

*Meet the Dentist!* Dr. Abrams

Meet Dr. Melanie Abrams! 

Doctor's Name: 

Melanie Renee Abrams

Hometown:

Louisville, KY

Undergraduate College: 

Georgetown College and Bellarmine University

Dental School: 

University of Louisville

Dental Specialties:

GPR

Family: 

Husband, Greg; 4 year old daughter, Alyssa; 1 year old son, Derek. 

Pets: 

A bulldog named Lola.

Favorite Toothpaste: 

Crest & Colgate! And, I love ACT fluoride rinse! 

Favorite Food: 

Hot fudge cake!

Favorite Vacation Spot: 

Any place warm!

Favorite Hobbies: 

Family time, reading, volleyball

Funniest/Most Memorable and/or Most Interesting Moment Experienced in Dentistry:

I love when my patients (kids) bring me a picture they have drawn or a letter. Those are treasures to me and make my job so rewarding and fun! 

*Meet the Dentist!* - Dr. Lubbe

Meet Dr. Lubbe at Kid's Dentistree Outer Loop!

Full Name: David P. Lubbe, D.M.D.

Hometown :  Madison, Indiana

Undergraduate College : Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

Dental School: University of Kentucky School of Dentistry

Dental Specialties : Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children -  Philadelphia, PA

Family : Wife, Karen; Daughters, Kassie and Elizabeth; Sons, Tim, Doug, Steve, Andrew; Stepson, John Nicholas Griffith. 

Pets: Dog, an Airdale named Slugger.

Manual or Power Brush: Power

Favorite Food: Graeter's Ice Cream - Rasberry chocolate chip

Favorite Vacation Spot:  I love the mountains of Western United States.

Favorite Hobbies :  Motorcycling, snow and water skiing, racket ball, shooting.

Funniest/Most Memorable and/or Most Interesting Moment Experienced in Dentistry: 
When I received a free case of denture chewing gum and a fellow dentist and I had a contest to see who could get the most gum in their mouth

Anything else you'd like for your patients to know about you!
I love all my patients and staff at Kids Dentistry.  I also enjoy playing practical jokes on Dr. Mel.  

Sugars and Starches and Your Child's Teeth

A diet high in certain kinds of carbohydrates, such as sugar and starches, may place your child at extra risk for tooth decay.

Q: How do I make my children’s diet safe for their teeth?
A: First, be sure they have a balanced diet. Then, check how frequently they eat foods with sugar or starch in them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and snacks, such as pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar bowl and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugar, and all types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables, and most milk products have at least one type of sugar.
 
Sugar can be found in many processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet. For example, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly, but may have sugar added to the peanut butter. Sugar is also added to such condiments as ketchup and salad dressings.

Q: Should my child give up all foods with sugar or starch? 
A: Certainly not! Many provide nutrients your child needs. You simply need to select and serve them wisely.

• A food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it is eaten with a meal, not as a snack.
• Sticky foods, such as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed away from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. Therefore, they have more cavity-causing potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth.

Post credits: http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/snacking.asp

Halloween Trail Mix

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup coconut

1 cup whole almonds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup canola or olive oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup cheerios

1 2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, coconut, honey, oil, sugar, and salt. Stir until well coated. Add the flax and sunflower seeds. Mix well. Spread mixture out on a large baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Remove the oat mixture from the oven and allow to completely cool. In a large bowl, stir in cheerios, apricots, and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container.

ENJOY! 

Post Credits: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2009/09/homemade-trail-mix.html