Habits of Successful People

Posted on November 30, 2016

Greetings on this beautiful November morning, I read an interesting article in The Globe and Mail yesterday called “Seven Great Habits of the Most Successful People” and thought how interesting.

The article stated that habits determine 95% of a person’s behaviour, and its people’s behaviour that causes them to be successful. Easy enough….right?

One of the habits that successful people maintain is that they are health conscious and that includes maintaining a healthy smile. So I thought I would write a little about how you can incorporate a few small habits to your daily routine to reap the benefits of a healthy smile and become healthier.

• Brush your teeth only using a soft toothbrush – hard bristles cause your gum tissue to recede and this can cause your teeth to become more sensitive
• Brush your teeth three times a day
• Brush your teeth after your breakfast
• Brush your teeth for 2 minutes at a time
• Floss your teeth, if you find flossing difficult use tools such as the air flosser, flossing sticks, etc.
• Rinse your mouth after you brush your teeth, with your toothpaste left over in your mouth after your brushing, mouth wash, a mouth rinsing agent, etc.
• If you are out at a party or dinner and cannot brush your teeth after dessert, eat a slice of cheese or a slice of apple, these foods lower the acidity in your mouth after sweets.

I hope you find these tips helpful and I hope you can incorporate them into your daily routine.

In case you are wondering what the seven great habits are:

1. They are Goal Oriented
2. They are Results Driven
3. They are Action Oriented
4. They are People Oriented
5. They are Health Conscious
6. They are Honest
7. They are Delf-Disciplined

Posted in Health.

Welcome Dr. John Robinson

Posted on October 26, 2016

Dentistry at Lifestyles is growing again.
We are so happy to announce and welcome Dr. John Robinson to our team.

Upon finishing high school, Dr. Robinson graduated from the University of Toronto with his Bachelor of Science (honors) and then with his Doctrine of Dental Surgery. Dr. Robinson was one of three dentists selected for a one year residency program at St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Dentistry, he gained experience and knowledge in hospital based dentistry. From there Dr. Robinson went on associating in Muskoka, where he had spent his summers as a child, and then built two dental practices as a solo practitioner in the lovely Muskoka area. We are so pleased to welcome him here at his new home, Dentistry at Lifestyles.

On a personal note, Dr. Robinson has two children, who are both attending university currently. He is a hands on father and was a hockey trainer for his son’s hockey team for many years. This past summer he took his two children on a hiking trip of a lifetime. With Dr. Robinson’s children getting older, this leaves more time for him to enjoy his other passions such as road cycling, downhill skiing, hiking, kayaking, camping, snowshoeing, and water skiing. Yes, he is a very outdoorsy man!

With over 26 years of experience as a general dentist in Ontario, a great sense of humour, awesome leadership skills and a wonderful team player we are excited for Dr. Robinson to begin his next chapter with us, Dentistry at Lifestyles. Dr. Robinson is understanding, gentle, and will provide our patients with excellent care. Dr. Robinson will begin this great journey on Monday October 17th, so book your appointment with him now.

Welcome Dr. Robinson, our newest member of our dental team!

New Patients Always Welcome

 

Posted in Announcements.

Geriatric Dentistry

Posted on June 26, 2016

   

% Population of Ontario – Aged 65+ (1991-2041)

Year	65years+	80years+
1991	2.4	2.4
1996	12.3	2.8
2011	12.8	3.1
2012	14.5	3.9
2021	18.4	4.3
2031	23.2	5.9
2041	23.2	7.9

Aging in Canada – More Canadians are over 65 than Under 15!

We take caring for our elderly patients very seriously at Dentistry at Lifestyles, we have comfortable chairs in our front lobby, they are not too low and easy to get out of, we are wheelchair accessible and so our washrooms, we do not have any area rugs that our older patients may trip on, we have great lighting, we take your blood pressure to ensure you are in the proper range, our skilled hygienists chart and monitor your periodontal readings, we update your medical history at each visit, we offer sedation dentistry for our nervous patient’s,  we strive to tell, show and do with our great communications skills, we offer a treatment planning assessment, and we give you a friendly reminder call two weeks and then again two days before your appointment.

A Study stated a percentage of oral issues that bring in elderly patients

Oral Issue	%
Impaired ability to eat, limited enjoyment	68
Pain or discomfort	46
Dissatisfied with self-image	51
Avoided social interaction	93

For these oral issues we provide the following services implant supported dentures, implant supported crown and bridges, referral to denturists, fillings, bone grafting, extractions, crown and bridge, veneers, cleanings, oral cancer screenings, denture ultra-sonic cleanings, and we offer 4 levels of sedation dentistry for patients that need or wish for this service.

We offer complimentary implant information seminars quarterly; we like to educate our patients so they may make the best decision to suit their lifestyles. A dental implant is the gold standard for replacing missing teeth. Please call our office for the date of our next implant information evening. We provide a great educational slide show, Dr. Augimeri will speak, a denturist will speak, while you sip on a drink and enjoy some snack food. Some of our staff will be there as well to help answer all of your questions.

Xerostomia – is a condition known as “dry mouth”, is the dryness of the mouth which may be associated with a change in the composition of saliva flow. This condition is often due to a side effect of many types of medication, people who breathe through their mouths, dehydration, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and several diseases, such as Sjogren’s syndrome. We find our geriatric patients suffer more with this, we can provide saliva substitutes, items to increase saliva flow, promote hydration, humidify the room; promote nasal breathing with breathing strips, use MI paste at your dental hygiene visits.

 

Posted in Health.

2016 ODA Dental Convention

Posted on April 15, 2016

Every year there is a dental convention held by the ODA, Ontario Dental association, in Toronto. As a staff we attend so we can stay up to date on the always changing dental products, services, procedures and education.  We use this time to not only educate ourselves but as a team building experience as well. This year we had 7 staff members attend. On the first day we each attended different lectures, administrative staff took lectures requiring scheduling for success, management staff took a lecture called RISE to Success, our clinical staff took lectures to do with periodontal issues, nutrition and lifestyles, and tobacco cessation.

After a full day of lectures we checked into our hotel, the Royal York. We got cleaned up and went out for a nice dinner and then to the Ripley’s aquarium. Sinclair, and company that we purchase many of our sundries from, were hosting an after party. It was a great evening, viewing all the different fish, sharks, and other underwater creatures. My favourite was the octopus! It was a great time to bond with team members, share a laugh, and experience each other outside the work place.

  

Downtown Toronto was super busy and in great spirits as the Blue Jays won their game, and the Toronto Raptors won their division. It was exciting to be a part of that positive energy. 

On Friday, we attended lectures in the morning then we walked the sales floor in the afternoon. We learned about sweet tooth obsession and its impact on oral and systemic health, TMJ, 21^st Century Laser-Assisted Dentistry, Dental Implants, and Woman and Time: Setting a New Agenda. On the sales floor we learned about a new bone grafting material, looked at new chairs (see picture of Allison), new cleaning solutions to clean our water lines, and ordered an all-natural, Canadian lip balm to give out to all of our patient’s.

Friday evening we went to an Italian restaurant in Vaughn called Just Desserts, as it is Dr. Augimeri’s favourite. It was delicious! Dr. Augimeri ordered a variety of food from pizza, pasta, meat and seafood and we all helped ourselves. I will definitely go back.

It was a great experience and an awesome 2 day adventure with my team, can’t wait till next year!

Posted in Education.

A Healthy Mouth & A Healthy You

Posted on January 4, 2016

Your mouth is the gateway to your health!

Keys to a Healthy You

• Keep your healthy gums – get your teeth cleaned regularly, most adults need a cleaning every 3-4 months, ask your hygienist for your periodontal reading, you really do not want any numbers over 3. You may have inflammation in your gums known as gingivitis or periodontal disease without even knowing it. Get this inflammation and infection under control by whatever means possible.
• Sleep well – Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. If you are a snorer get tested for sleep apnea, as using a c-pap machine will increase the quality of your sleep. Try to get up at the same time each day.
• Exercise Regularly – the current recommendations are 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days a week.
• Know your BMI – Your body mass index can help you figure out if you are overweight. If so this can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and gum disease.
• Check your blood sugar – gum disease may be your first sign of diabetes. Early diagnose is better and lessens your risk of serious complications due to diabetes.
• Nutrition – eat clean foods and limit your sugar intake. Sugary drinks are the worse for your teeth and health, and often forgotten calories. Eat a balanced diet, high in fruit and vegetables, high in protein, and low in fat.

  

Posted in Health.

Use Your Dental Benefits Before The End Of The Year

Posted on October 9, 2015

Did you know that you could actually save hundreds of dollars by using your dental benefits before the end of the year? While some dental insurance plans run on a fiscal year, or rolling year, most run on a calendar year.

Here are 4 reasons why you should make a dental appointment now.

1. Yearly Maximum
   
   The yearly maximum is the most money that the dental insurance plan will pay for your dental work within one full year. This amount varies by insurance company, but what you do not use you cannot roll over. If you do not use it, you lose it!

2. Premiums
   
   If you are paying your dental insurance premiums every month, you should be using your benefits. You should always have your regular dental cleanings to help prevent and detect any early signs of cavities, gum disease, oral cancer and other dental problems.

3. Fee Increases
   
   Another reason to use your benefits before the end of the year are possible fee increases, which is set by The Royal College of Dental Surgeons.

4. Dental Problems Can Worsen
   
   By delaying dental treatment, you are risking more extensive and expensive treatment down the road. What may be a simply filling needed now, could turn into a root canal later. So book your appointments now!

  

Posted in Education, Insurance.

Welcome Dr. Marijana Primroc

Posted on August 15, 2015

Dentistry at Lifestyles is pleased to welcome Dr. Marijana Primroc to our practice.

She likes to be called Dr. Marijana! She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, class of 2006.

Dr. Marijana enjoys the opportunity that dentistry provides, to utilize her creative and artistic skill, encourage dental health as an integral part of overall wellness and to spend time getting to know many different people. She is especially passionate about esthetic dentistry, working with children, and creative clinical problem solving. Dr. Marijana takes continuing education courses frequently, she values learning and staying current on all aspects of dentistry.

After practicing for almost 10 years in downtown Toronto, Dr. Marijana has settled in the north end of Barrie with her partner Jason. When she is not obsessing over teeth, she is practicing swimming, running and yoga. As an avid athlete and long-time member of the North Toronto Masters Swim Club and University of Toronto Masters Track Club, she cannot wait to test out the trails and pools in the beautiful town of Midland.
Dr. Marijana is starting her journey with Dentistry at Lifestyles on September 8^th and is currently accepting new patients.

Call us today to book your appointment with her, 705 527-7772.

Posted in Announcements.

Why Regular Dental X-rays are so important, even in Year 2015!

Posted on April 15, 2015

One of the main reasons you may go to the dentist is to detect dental problems before they turn into serious concerns and issues. While a physical examination can find noticeable signs of decay, some oral diseases are just not visible to the naked eye. This is why dental X-rays are such an important part of dental care. Dental X-rays can detect even the slightest traces of oral health problems at their earliest stages, such as cavities (decay), gum disease (gingivitis and periodontal disease), oral infections, and some types of tumors. With early detection, you can get the treatment you need before problems have a chance to develop and worsen.

It’s important to realize that dental X-rays are only taken when necessary for diagnosis and treatment. Their frequency depends on the individual’s dental health, signs of dental problems, age, and risk for oral disease. For example, if a patient, who attends their dental hygiene visits regularly and has not had a dental issue or decay in years, would not likely need x-rays every 6 or 9 months, but once every eighteen to twenty four months. If a patient presents themselves with a tooth that is bothering them, an x-ray is needed to determine what is happening. X-rays are the only way a dentist can see what is happening in between your teeth and what lies below.

While some people worry about the radiation exposure from X-rays, there really is no need for concern. Modern technology has reduced radiation levels to miniscule amounts. For almost 25 years, the Canadian Dental Association has published recommendations to help family dentistry practices make sure that radiation exposure is as low as effectively possible. In addition, dentists take numerous safety precautions like protective aprons and collars to protect patients from radiation. We also make any exposure as brief as possible by using digital X-rays. A quality 2D Pan with several segmented image options is preferred vs. numerous small x-rays, known as PA’s or a Full Mouth Series. Digital Intra Oral combined with quality Digital Pan Images is becoming the new standard of care. Dentistry at Lifestyles even has a CT scanner that has a much lower radiation dose then CT Scanners used at hospitals.

Just to give you an idea of exposure, here are some different x-rays and amount of exposure to compare: – a digital Panoramic uses 4.7 – 14.5 uSv, a cone beam CT scanner (like ours) uses 14 uSv, a full mouth series uses 150 uSv, and a medical CT scanner uses 1200-3300 uSv.  Radiation from other Sources: Daily Background 8 uSv, and a commercial flight uses 6 uSv per hour.

The true value of dental X-rays lies in the way they discover dental problems before they have a chance to develop. If we don’t catch these issues early, the treatment will end of costing you more in time and money to fix these areas.

As you can see, dental X-rays show the big picture on your dental health and play a valuable role in good dental care.

Posted in Education, Health.

Smiling

Posted on March 15, 2015

Why did the Mona Lisa become one of the most famous paintings of all time?  That’s a question an incredible amount of people have asked themselves in the past.  And one possible answer that many believe is this: because of her unique smile.

When asked what people notice first when they meet someone…..number one answer was smile. Smile 47%, eyes 31%, smell 11%, clothes 7% and hair 4%.

The Benefits of Smiling:

• Smiling reduces stress that your body and mind feel, almost similar to getting a good night’s sleep. Next time you are stressed out sitting in traffic, focus on smiling, and watch how it reduces the intensity of the body’s stress response.
• Smiling helps to generate more positive emotions within you. That is why we often feel happier around children – they smile more. On average, they smile 400 times a day.   While a happy adult smiles 40-50 times a day, the average adult only smiles 20 times a day.
• Smiling boosts your immune system, it helps it function better. When you smile your body relaxes, and therefore your immune system can ward off colds and other viruses.
• Smiling lowers your blood pressure – when you smile endorphins go up and your blood pressure comes down.
• Smiling is contagious – when you smile, those around you will smile in response. This creates a more positive environment.
• Smiling changes your mood – on a biochemical level, smiling releases endorphins, serotonin, and increased levels of serotonin makes us happier.
• Smiling is a natural pain healer – in addition to boosting your mood, endorphins and serotonin are natural pain relievers.
• Smiling can help you live longer – researchers have found that happier people were less likely to develop heart problems. They also found those who smile more can live 5-7 years longer than those that don’t smile a lot.
• Smiling lifts the face and makes you look younger – so exercise those muscles today.
• Smiling makes you seem successful – smiling people appear more confident and are more likely to get promoted. Put a smile on at those meetings and people will react to you differently.
• Smiling will make you more attractive – smiles are pretty darn attractive for more reasons than one. A smile suggests that you’re personable, easy going and empathic.
• Smiling makes you a better leader – if you’re in a position of power, smiling may be the key to your success. A group of researchers from The University of Montpellier discovered that smiling is a more effective leadership technique than having great management responsibilities.

Happy, Smiling Staff = Productivity

So now imagine how productive you and your staff would be with less stress, less time off with colds, lower blood pressure, less pain, more positivity, longevity  of employees, and everyone full of confidence because they feel more attractive, personable, they feel successful and they believe in their leader. Wow, all with a smile.

Statistics Say:

• Happy, Smiling Employees produce 12% more!!
• Last year revenues increased by an average of 22.2% for the 2014 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for.
• Make your workplace a happy, fun place to work….not with cheesy balloon-a-thons but by encouraging people to bring their personalities, quirks and passions to work. This leads to an increasingly seamless work/life mesh, a sense that people can really be themselves at work. Games, laughter, fun, smiles are great stress relievers, they renew and refresh us, and build very real bonds between employees.

None of this is rocket science; in fact it’s Leadership 101. But like all simple truths, it bears repeating because it is so important. Talent simply won’t hang around in a cold, mechanical, stifling, repressive culture. Developing happy employees is what twenty-first century management is all about. And guess what? It makes leadership a lot more fun, too!

Posted in Health.

Don’t Be a Victim of Bad Breath This Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 10, 2015

Dentistry at Lifestyles encourages you to kiss up a storm this Valentine’s Day. But before you do, make sure bad breath doesn’t spoil the experience.

Dentistry at Lifestyles has the following tips to combat bad breath:

• Floss and brush your teeth, gums and tongue daily to remove bacteria and freshen your breath. Bad breath is mostly caused by the bacteria in our mouths
• Drink plenty of water or chew on sugar-free gum to keep your mouth moist. Saliva inhibits the growth of bacteria that contribute to bad breath. Some antibiotics and alcohol can also lead to dry mouth, so have extra sugar-free gum or mints on hand
• Certain foods can contribute to bad breath, such as garlic, onions and protein-rich foods like milk products, fish and meat. Brush your teeth after consuming these foods. Chewing sugar-free gum is a good option if you cannot brush your teeth after every meal
• Cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco can cause dry mouth or halitosis (on top of being harmful to your overall health). Speak to your healthcare provider about quitting.
• If bad breath persists, talk to your dentist. It could be a symptom of gum disease or other medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, infections of the nose or throat). Visit your dentist regularly to attain and maintain good oral health.

“You can try masking bad breath with mouthwash, mints or gum, but the only way to eliminate bad breath is through healthy habits,” says Dr. Levin. “A good oral health regimen will not only make you want to kiss others, but it may make others want to kiss you too.”

Call Us today to Book your Valentine’s Day Freshen Up Appointment so you can kiss your loved one with confidence!  705.527.7772

Posted in Education.