O'Fallon Family & Cosmetic Dentist

Most schools in the O’Fallon area begin classes in three or four weeks.  Our office still has a few appointment times available to accomodate your children before school begins.  Call 636-561-5445 today to schedule your child’s appointment.

It’s the perfect time of year for this recipe as strawberries and spinach are in season.

Ingredients

10 ounces fresh spinach torn into smaller pieces

1 quart sliced strawberries

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tbl sesame seeds

1 Tbl minced onions

1 tsp minced garlic

Layer spinach and strawberries on individual plates.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together.  Drizzle dressing over spinach and strawberries.  Top with slivered almonds.

I was looking for some spring activities in my area and found some fun events that are happening soon.

Friday, March 26th

Adult Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt – Civic Park in O’Fallon, MO.  Visit www.renaudspiritcenter.com before Thursday to register. Tickets are $12/$17

Saturday, March 27th -

Breakfast with the Bunny at O’Fallon’s Civic Hall. 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.  Call 636-474-2732 for details.

Easter Eggstravaganza – Morning Star Church – 1600 Feise Road, O’Fallon, MO - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Free event featuring an egg hunt, crafts, snacks and a scavenger hunt. Visit their website at www.mscwired.org/eggstravaganza or call 636-561-5680 for more details.

Easter Egg Hunt – Rotary Park – 2755 W. Meyer Road, Foristell, MO – 9:30 a.m. – Hunt for plastic eggs filled with candy and prizes.  Ages 1 – 10 years old.  Visit www.wentzvillemo.org for more information.

April 17th – O’Fallon Farmers’ and Artists’ Market opens for the season. Located in the parking lot of TR Hughes Ball Park – 900 T.R. Hughes Blvd., O’Fallon, MO 63366.  Open on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon  from April 17 – October 16 and Wednesdays from 3:00 – 7:00 from June 16 – September 1.   For more information visit www.ofallonfarmersmarket.com.

Comment or let me know if you know of other local activities that should be shared here.

My wife is thrilled that the Colts will be in the Super Bowl.  Here’s an easy recipe for a Super Bowl Party appetizer.

Cheesy Pita Chips

Ingredients:

2 whole wheat pita breads

1/4 cup reduced-fat margarine, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Split each pita bread into two rounds.  Cut each round into four triangles; place inside side up on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  In a bowl, combine the margarine, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper; stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Spread over triangles.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

8 servings.  One serving = 2 triangles.  95 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram fiber.

I just created an archive for my patient e-newsletters. It only contains the most recent e-newsletter at this point, but I will archive all of the newsletters going forward. Now you can always have access to the amazing content in my newsletters. Hopefully, you read the self-deprecating humor in that last sentence.

We are frequently asked “When should I bring my child to the dentist for the first time?” The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a child should see the dentist soon after the first tooth has erupted, but no later than the first birthday. These earliest appointments will primarily involve an exam and instruction on proper dental hygiene for these young teeth. Here is a link to a fact sheet on baby’s teeth written by the ADA:

http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/jada/patient/patient_11.pdf

Basic Tips for Dental Hygiene for Little Ones:
1) Begin washing teeth with a washcloth or Nuk brush as soon as the first tooth erupts.
2) Begin gentle flossing whenever two teeth touch. This isn’t an easy job with little ones so try to make it fun by singing, looking in the mirror, making funny sounds, etc. Small dental floss picks might be easier to use at this time. Even if you don’t have great success with flossing, don’t give up. Every little bit helps.
3) Do not use fluoride toothpaste prior to age 2. Make sure the child knows to spit the toothpaste out instead of swallowing it.
4) NEVER put your child to sleep with a bottle.
5) Remember candy and sweets aren’t the only foods that can cause decay. Limit the use of fruit juices and sticky foods such as cereal bars which can stay on teeth for long periods of time.
6) Children will need help brushing their teeth for the first several years and may need reminders to brush and floss throughout their childhoods.
7) Try having an older child brush or floss at the same time you are helping your younger child to do the same. This positive modeling may help to keep the child interested.
Prolonged use of sippy cups can cause damage to the front teeth. Try using no-spill cups with straws when your child is not ready for an open cup. This will allow the liquid to go back further into the mouth instead of first hitting the front teeth with every sip.

My business manager is hijacking my blog to add a link to more pumpkin recipes. My last blog entry showed the positive health contributions of pumpkin.

Here is a link to Cooking Light Magazine’s latest recipes using pumpkin: www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/in-season-pumpkin-00400000001273/. Check out the Pumpkin Recipes box on the left which includes a great lighter recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. It has 33% less calories and fat than traditional Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread because it uses fat free pudding to replace some of the oil. This recipe works great for making two big loaves or you can reduce the cooking time and make several mini-loaves to give out to co-workers,neighbors, or the friendly staff at your dentist’s office.

It’s pumpkin carving time so make sure to take advantage of the health benefits of pumpkin seeds. One quarter cup of pumpkin seeds provides around 50% of your daily need for magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of iron, protein, vitamin K, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds have been touted for their beneficial effects on cholesterol, prostate health, and arthritis as well.

Using olive oil and natural spices to flavor pumpkin seeds helps to increase their health benefits. Allrecipes.com has several variations on flavoring for pumpkin seeds. Here is a link to their recipes. http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Roasting-Pumpkin-Seeds/Detail.aspx. Their recipes don’t mention boiling the seeds beforehand, but if you like them crunchy try boiling them for 10 minutes before you bake them.

Parents often dread preparing their children for the first trip to the dentist. This dread can become quite apparent to young children creating fear in them before they even step into the dentist’s office. With advancements in dental care and pain management, today’s dental office does not have to elicit fear and negativity in children.

Here are some tips for helping to prepare your child for their visit to the dentist:
1) Positively talk through what will happen at the dentist’s office. Make a verbal picture story of what your child will see and hear when visiting the dentist.
2) If your dentist has a website with friendly pictures of the staff and office, take the opportunity to show your child these pictures while naming the people who will help your child.
3) Visit the library to look at positive books about going to the dentist. Many of the popular TV characters have short books about “My first trip to the dentist.”
4) Tell your children why it is important to see the dentist regularly and how smooth and shiny their teeth will feel when they are cleaned.
5) If the child is particularly young, bring along a favorite stuffed animal or blanket to hold during the cleaning.
6) Bring along a book, toy, or coloring pages for your children to do while waiting to distract them from the fears they may have while they wait.
7) After the appointment, maintain positive talk about the dentist. Ask positive questions like “Don’t your teeth feel great? Isn’t it great to know those cavity creeps are gone? Wasn’t the hygienist nice?” rather than negative questions like “Did it hurt? Were you really scared?”

“Every tooth in a man’ s head is more valuable than a diamond.”
-Miguel deCervantes, Don Quixote, 1605