Dentist Highland

We love this time of year, and not just because of how great Pumpkin Spice Lattes are. The leaves are gorgeous, the air is wonderfully crisp, and we get to be crafty with our seasonal decorations! This month on the Rick Johns Dental blog we bring to you some pumpkin decorating tips, courtesy of our very own Kelly! Enjoy her suggestion below, and let us know how you like to decorate your pumpkins at your next visit to our office!

From Kelly:

A Halloween tradition at our house is carving the pumpkins, and while it's fun it can be a lot of work!  The kids weren't able to help much because using the knives could be a little bit dangerous.  Since I am not a pumpkin carving artist , the faces don't always turn out the way you hoped, and once you carve them, they only last a day or two before they start to go bad.  So last year I tried a different approach and chose to decorate the outside instead of carving them!

Angry birds was very popular at the time and that was the theme my daughter picked.  It was very easy to paint the different sized pumpkins using various craft paints, and the kids could do it themselves!  I cut out their features using craft foam and applied them to the pumpkins once the paint dried using a glue gun.  Super easy and fun, not to mention safer!  And the best part is you get to keep them around a lot longer. Enjoy the Halloween season!

It's a new month, and we're excited to share with you August's recipe of the month! Enjoy this recipe from Mia, our lovely and talented front desk person! Here's what Mia had to say about her recipe:

I first came across a version of these while watching Giada De Laurentiis on the food network a couple years ago. Since then I've tried so many things with them. They make a lovely little addition to a brunch or you can even take them for a tailgating breakfast like my fiance likes to do. (GO BEARS)

The great thing about these little guys is you can change up the recipe so easily. For company I switch out the turkey sausage to pancetta . My fiance likes to switch the turkey sausage to chorizo and then add a little roasted red pepper to the mix for tailgating. Gives them a spicy kick.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooked turkey sausage
• 1/3 cup of shredded cheese (I use a mix of asiago, parm, provolone)
• 1/2 cup of shredded mozzerella
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups), or 1 muffin tin (each with 12 cups) with nonstick spray.
3. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, salt and garlic powder in a large bowl to blend well.
4. Stir in the turkey sausage, parsley and 1/3 cup of shredded cheese mix.
5. Use the 1/3 cup to fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture.
6. Use the 1/2 cup of shredded mozzerella to sprinkle lightly on top of each muffin.
7. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 10-15 minutes. I check them with a toothpick in the center, like a cupcake. No stick? Good to go!
8. Use a spoon to to loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide them on a platter. Serve immediately or refridgerate for the later!

Now that we're in the thick of the summer, there are more and more outdoor activities. After years of trying this or that product I've come with a list of great products that won't melt while your in the sun! I've also chosen products that are not only good for the heat but a little goes a long way so they should last you in to the winter months as well.

Let's start the canvas off with your foundation.  I skip it!
Yes, there are great tinted moisturizers that work great in lieu of a heavy foundation. For instance my favorite is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF20. Not only is it build-able coverage but it's got some sunblock. She's got two sizes of this great product, and it lasts and lasts. All you need is a 2-3 dots depending on your desired coverage. The coverage is great and you feel no product residue on your face. Really!
On low key weekends I put some of this on with a coat of mascara and I'm good to go.

Concealers up next!
If I'm going out, I like to add a little under eye concealer to cover any circles or baggage I might be carrying ;) Nars Creamy Concealer has an amazing creamy lightweight formula that just melts in to your skin.  This product covers dark circles and red spots.  A little tip I learned is to put some concealer along the bridge of your nose and above your lip to add a glow to your face. Don't forget to blend out!
Got a bigger blemish? A thicker, not budging, covers tattoo concealer- I'd have to go with Kat Von D's Lock-It Tattoo Concealer.  The smallest amount of product is all you need and your good for the entire day.

Eyes, eyes, eyes!
I'd recommend going for a tinted base like Macs Paint Pots. These suckers have a lightweight feel and last all day. Shades range from skin tone to darker tones for a smokey eye. I like the shade Painterly, looks like my skin but a bit brighter. Next step, a nice gel eyeliner will stay in place without moving to the middle of your eyelid or all under your eye. I like Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon, he's got the blackest of blacks among a bunch of other fun colors.
Mascara, any waterproof one will work.  It all depends on your preferences, such as do you like more length, volume, curl. My choice is Maybelline Great Lash, Waterproof version with the curled brush.  It gives me the look of full curled lashes.

Cheeks!
Nars Multiple - Done and done, this color stick is good for lips and cheeks. They have a matte version as well, so depending on your preference you can get the look you want. The range of colors are great too.  Reds, pinks, peaches and darker shades for contouring and bronzing.  I like the matte version in Anguilla, it's a salmon shade that is super flattering.

Lips
I'd go for a lip gloss or a light lipstick. If you've seen "Mia Week" on Facebook you know I'm a lip balm junkie. Same goes for lipstick, I love all lip products.  So I'm going to narrow it down to the 2 I'm currently rocking.  MAC has a sheen supreme version, it's has the moisture of a lipbalm with great colors. Clinique has the Moisturizing Lip Colour Chubby Stick, which again is like a lip balm. I tend to go for shades that are my lips but better shades. MAC's Impressive and Viva Glam 2 are great. And Clinique's Heaping Hazelnut is a lovely shade. If I'm going out big I'll go for a deeper shade, like a red or purple.  Here's a dental tip for you - a blue based pink or blue based red shade helps your teeth look whiter.

I hope this helps you ladies with a melt free face this summer!  Remember drink lots of water, use sunblock and moisturize! Prevention is better than a cure when it comes to blemishes and aging skin!

*All products except mascara can be found at Sephora. You can pick up the mascara at any drugstore*

xo Mia

(None of these products are endorsed specifically by Rick Johns Dental)

Are you as excited for the 4th of July as we are here at Rick Johns Dental? We love the fireworks, the BBQ, and of course a day full of friends and family! And what's a 4th of July celebrating without some patriotic themed snacks?

Kelly is a dental hygienist on our team, and we highly recommend you try out her 4th of July cake. It's as easy to make as it is to eat, so enjoy it while you watch the fireworks!

Ingredients:

• Two pound cakes
• Sliced banana
• Cool Whip
• 1 pint blueberries
• 2 quarts of strawberries

Directions:

1. Take two pound cakes and slice them each in half.
2. Place side by side on a plate or in a pan.
3. Put a layer of sliced banana on top of the cakes and then spread a layer of cool whip topping over the top of the bananas and cake.
4. Decorate in the theme of the American Flag using 1 pint of blueberries and  2 quarts of strawberries.
5. Enjoy!

Now that the 4th of July has came and went, we're excited for the next part of summer. You've heard of The Dog Days of Summer, right?! Here are Rick Johns Dental love our canine companions, and our next recipe spotlight offers up some tasty treats for the four legged friends in your life!

Many of you know Kim, who works as both a dental assistant and a general office assistant, but did you know she has a very special birthday tradition!? Let her tell you all about it:

I love my 4 sweet and lovable dogs Peanut, Slim, Daisy, & Marshall.  I do not have any kids of my own yet, so when one of my pups has a birthday, I like to make it very special.  What is more fun and special than cupcakes!?  Every year when they turn a year older, I make a cake, cupcakes, or cookies for them.  Today, I am going to share with you cupcakes I made for my oldest Peanut.  It is very simple to make them, not many ingredients, and most of them I already had at home!

We think the pups deserve a little spoiling during the dog days of summer, enjoy the recipe below!

Pupcake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 egg

Directions: Bake pupcakes at 350 degrees for 15-18 mins or until toothpicked clean.

Pupcake Icing:

• 12 oz. nonfat cream cheese, room temp
• 2 tsp honey
• 1tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• Mix food coloring in for fun!

And here's an extra special tip from Kim:

At the end, I take small treats my pups love and put them on top followed by crunched up milkbones! They love these fun treats and I love to think they feel just that much more special on their birthdays!!

You can buy ready made cinnamon tortilla chips , but with a little bit of work you can make your own! Here are some quick directions:

Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon.

Spray package of  flour tortillas with butter flavored cooking spray on both sides, & cut into wedges using a pizza cutter.  Dredge the tortillas through the mixture and place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Let them cool and serve with fruit.

Last month we were given the opportunity to host a job shadow for future dentist, Emily Koufos.

Emily graduated from MHS in 2011, and is currently in her senior year at Indiana University in Bloomington. As a soon to be college grad, she's majoring in Biology and has three minors: Chemistry, Spanish, and Psychology. Emily keeps plenty busy with an assortment of extracurriculars like being previously involved with IUSA (the university's student government) and implementing the Hoosier P.A.C.T. Active in: Hoosier dentist, and Phi Mu sorority serving as the recruitment director.

Emily decided on a career of dentistry for a few reasons. She's always loved working with her hands, doing detailed craft projects like making frames for friends, and she's also always been interested in science.To her, dentistry seemed like the perfect combination of science and art.

She also has a legacy of medicine being in her bones. Most of Emily's cousins, aunts, uncles, and father are all in some sort of health profession - with SIX being in the dentistry field! Her dad in particular is an orthodontist, so she's watched him bring so much happiness to people by improving their smiles. He's one of her role models as she waits to start dental school. She told us that she hopes to be half the doctor he is, and to someday make her patients smile as much as his do.

When Emily approached us to do a job shadow with Dr. Johns and our team here, we were thrilled. She took her DAT (Dental Admissions Testing) recently, and as a requirement of the Dental School application process, she is required to have 40 hours of shadowing in the General Dentistry field. Our office was so excited to host her for part of this requirement, and we're happy her first experience shadowing was such a positive one!

Here's what she had to say:

"The staff and Dr. Johns were so inviting and treated me like one of their own, it was a great day full of learning and laughs for me!

Dr. John's office was the first office I've been to with such great technology for charting and for x-rays! I learned a lot about how much more efficient you can be with such up-to-date technology and how helpful it can truly be when deciding what type of treatment would best suit the patient."

We're so glad Emily was able to join us and do some of her job shadowing hours here. We think she'll make for an excellent dentist, and can't wait to hear more about her journey!

Whether it’s a dull and throbbing ache or a sharp pain, toothaches can come in many different shapes and sizes, and chances are you’ve had the discomforting experienced once or twice in your life. It’s the type of experience, however, that nobody wants to have, as a toothache can be as annoying as fingernails scratching a chalkboard.

What’s a good way to describe a toothache? Let’s see: Your mouth feels as if it’s being besieged by one of those Loony Tunes style jackhammers. As fate would have it, toothaches always seem to occur over the weekend, when the dentist's office is closed and your favorite dentist has Gone Fishing, leaving you to suffer until Monday and forcing you to cancel your reservation at that high-end restaurant you’ve been looking forward to all week.

Not so fast!

While you’re probably going to want to skip the rib eye steak, there are numerous tried-and-true home remedies that you can use to ease the pain until you can make an appointment with our office. Here’s a look at four ways to sooth a toothache.

1. Don’t underestimate the power of salt water. Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water will both sooth your toothache and disinfect your mouth. However, be sure the water is warm, as cold water can further exacerbate a sensitive tooth. Follow up the saltwater rinse by swishing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide.

2. Clove oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, and vanilla extract are proven to be comforting elixirs. Dip a cotton swab in one of these mixtures and apply it to your tooth and gums. These ingredients, which you may even have in your kitchen cupboards, are known to have pain-relieving qualities. For the best results, be sure to repeat the process throughout the day.

3. Eating yogurt is good for toothaches and mouth pain. Yogurt is filled with healthy bacteria that combat pain. Afterward, place a cold compress on your jaw.

4. Have your tried flossing? Your toothache might be throbbing and severe, but there’s always a chance that the pain is the result of a piece of food awkwardly lodged in your teeth.

In the event of a persistent toothache, our office should be contacted. We’re here to help you return to a happy, pain-free life!