Team Spotlight: Ginger, Hygienist

Ginger with her friend Jen

I remember the first time I met Ginger at Dr. Matthews office, mostly because of her name. It was funny, I thought to myself, that someone named Ginger had the usually brutal job of scraping all of the stuff off my teeth.

I'm prone to collecting a lot of tartar (something I can blame on my dad) and couple that with having ridiculously sensitive teeth (which I blame on my mom), I'm pretty much a recipe for disaster in the hygienist's chair.

I gave her the run down and promised to scream, grunt or otherwise call out when she hit a particularly sensitive spot, but Ginger was awesome.  And she did her job remarkable gingerly.  As you can imagine, I'm not the only one who loves her for it.

Ginger grew up in Rexburg, Idaho the 7th of 9 children and the youngest girl.  After graduating from high school, she attended BYU Idaho.  She then served an LDS mission to Nauvoo.

Nauvoo is a huge LDS tourist spot because of the role it played in LDS church history.  It takes an army of missionaries to staff Nauvoo and take members and non-members alike on tours of the area.  In the winter, when Nauvoo is quiet and manageable by a smaller staff, Ginger was transferred to Georgia where she did more typical missionary work before returning to Nauvoo again. After her 18 month mission, she returned to Idaho and transferred to Idaho State where she became a certified hygienist.

Ginger doing a triathlon!

Ginger has always loved playing sports (basketball and softball are her favorite) and being active outdoors.  So, when she spotted an opening in Dr. Matthews office here in Utah in 2008, she knew it would be a good fit.  Ginger enjoys living near the mountains, so that when she's not gingerly cleaning your teeth, she's running, hiking, biking or skiing. She also loves hanging out with her family,
especially her 24 nieces and nephews.

Smiles Giveaway Winner | Vianeth Esparza

The Smiles Giveaway Winner is...

Vianeth Esparza who is getting a $25 Gift Card to the University Mall!  

Congratulations! To pick up your gift card come by the office in the next week.

Dr. Matthews office located at 3610 N. University Ave Suite 200 in Provo.

Your gift card will be available tomorrow, Tuesday April 30.  

Flosser Part II: No More Excuses!

by, Andrea Harris

You remember my friend with the beautiful teeth? The one I told you about last month (along with four common flossing excuses)?

If those first four flossing excuses didn’t sound like you, maybe these last four will! Everyone’s got their reasons, right?

Excuse #5: It hurts when I floss.

If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease -- precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.

“Flossing should not be a painful experience,” Wolff says. “But stopping flossing because of bleeding [or pain] is just the opposite of what you should be doing.” The good news? With daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see your dentist.

Excuse #6: My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.  

If unwaxed floss doesn’t work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of super-slippery polytetrafluoroethylene.

If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like “superfloss” may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.

If you’re having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance -- and may even offer free samples.  Dr. Matthews always includes floss in his goodie bags!  

Excuse #7: The floss keeps shredding.

Photo credit: DenTek.com

In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work -- often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult your dentist if you find your floss repeatedly catching in any one particular spot. Chances are the doctor will be able to treat any trouble spots before they get worse.

Excuse #8: I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.

Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work. I’ve used these for years and totally love them.

Now, if these excuses sound like you (I’m betting at least one or two do!), don’t worry!  It’s never too late to improve your flossing habits and health!  Even though I’m not perfect either, my old friend, “the flosser,” got me completely hooked on those little interdental cleaners. They’re perfect for a quick touch-up after lunch or really any time you’re on-the-go.  I always keep a pack of DenTek’s Deep Clean dental picks in my purse, but there are plenty of options out there! Try a few and keep your favorites on hand at your desk or in the car.  

The American Dental Association has some more great tips on flossing here: http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing.aspx

Happy flossing, everyone!

Jimmerosity

It's not every day that we get thank you notes for just doing what we do, 

but we thought this one was worth sharing.  

And to Blair Giles and family, you're absolutely welcome!

Smiles Giveaway Winner Troy Anderson!

The Smiles Giveaway Winner is...

Troy Anderson who is getting a $30 Gift Card from Texas Roadhouse!  

Congratulations! To pick up your gift card come by the office in the next week.

Dr. Matthews office located at 3610 N. University Ave Suite 200 in Provo.

Your gift card will be available tomorrow, Tuesday April 23.  (We do have to go get it!) 

Protecting Those Who Protect Us

Quick!  Think of three people you're grateful for.  How about three occupations that you're grateful for?  At Matthews Dental, we're grateful for our police officers, firefighters and EMTs.

These fine men and women work in harms way to protect us, so we'd like to give back to them with FREE oral cancer screenings for all police officers, firefighters and EMTs in Orem and Provo.  These free screenings are available for the rest of April and the entire month of May.

April is Oral Cancer awareness month.  The Oral Cancer Foundation informs, "While some think this is a rare cancer, mouth cancer will be newly diagnosed in about 100 new individuals each day in the US alone."  Although tobacco and alcohol use are major factors in oral cancer, they aren't the only causes.  In fact 25% of those diagnosed with oral cancer don't have any risk factors. (In other words, don't think that because you don't drink or smoke that you're in the clear.)

Oral cancer is one of the most deadly cancers with 43% of patients dying within 5 years of diagnosis.  However (and this is important) this is because, most oral cancers are not caught until they are already late stage.  As with all cancers, early detection is key.

At MatthewsSmiles, it is recommended that all patients have a panoramic X-ray every 3 years, to keep and eye out for cancer in the jaw.  But the soft tissues are harder to notice.  Lumps in the mouth are generally the same color as healthy tissues and often flat. It's not like watching a mole get dark and asymmetrical.  There's really nothing that makes you worry.  Without all those arrows, I wouldn't have noticed the lump below.

Recently, Dr. Matthews has purchased a VELscope. This new tool shines a light that penetrates so the dentist or hygienist can look at the basal layers of the tissue in the mouth.  If the tissue is healthy is fluoresces green; unhealthy tissue stays dark.  In addition to shining the Velscope light, the tissues in the mouth are also touched to feel for unusual bumps or lumps.

Dr. Matthews recommends a cancer screening once a year.  Even though oral cancer is three times as common as cervical cancer, most insurance companies won't cover the cost of the screening.  But for those of us who aren't first responders (and getting the free screening), the out-of-pocket cost is only $20.  I think $20 is a great price for peace of mind.

Photo Credits: Provo Mayor Blog and VELscope.com

Smiles Giveaway Winner Laura Wieklinski

The Smiles Giveaway Winner is...

Laura Wieklinski who is getting a $15 Gift Card from 5 Guys!  

Congratulations! To pick up your gift card come by the office in the next week.

Dr. Matthews office located at 3610 N. University Ave Suite 200 in Provo.

Your gift card will be available tomorrow, Tuesday April 16.  (We do have to go get it!) 

Smiles Giveaway Winner!

And the winner of the Smiles Giveaway is...

   LiVena Lief

  

She gets the $25 Gift Card to Target!  

Congratulations! To pick up your gift card come by the office any time in the next week.  

Dr. Matthews office located at 3610 N. University Ave Suite 200 in Provo.