Making the Holiday More Merry!

Give A Great Holiday Gift:

A Bright, White Smile.

During December, purchase a complete

Home Whitening Kit for $99.

Save $129 - That Should Make Everyone Smile!

This Gift may be redeemed through January 31, 2012.

Just give our office a call and we will schedule your "gifted" appointment.

All I Want for Christmas...

One of Our Favorite Things...

Is Our Younger Patients. We love to see their shiny faces, especially at this time of year. They seem to naturally go with the glow and wonder of season.

Case in point:

This is Brianna, with her sister, Zoey.

Brave Brianna was just in the dental chair moments before this snapshot was snapped (or shot?).

Brianna had a tooth growing in where a baby tooth was refusing to grow out.  So, a quick fix with Dr. Evans &

Viola!

Brianna now has a dental vacancy in her cute row of teeth, ready for permanent occupation.

Brianna - you are our patient of the week. We are so happy you came to visit us. 

Your smile made us smile. 

KINDLE WINNER!

ANNOUNCING....

Our Kindle Contest Winner!

Amie!

 

A little about Amie. She is an avid reader. Her husband loves books as well. They both are excited to have a Kindle in the house. (Maybe almost as excited as the "other" addition to their family.)Amie has been coming to our office since 1995!

We are pleased Amie likes coming here enough to recommend our office to others.  

 

Thank you to all those participants in our birthday Kindle Contest. Please keep checking our website & Facebook for future fun. 

Going for Golf

Capture the appropriate caption,

or

What possible thoughts could be firing through the celebrated synapse system of Dr. Evans?

"Golf is sooooo RELAXING"

"I love fall - literally!"

"What a shot, and no one to see it!"

"MISSED!!!!"

"That last birthday did me in..."

Please feel free to submit your own captions, and we will publish your creative comment on our blog!

Halloween Parade

In Honor of Halloween,

a Parade of "Haunting Hands"

leading our Kindle...

astray?

You must admit...

it does look weird.

Do NOT forget - this is the last day of our

Kindle Contest!

Refer a new patient to us and enter our drawing.

Hurry, children of the corn!

Patient of the Week

Incredible Isabella!!!

Isabella brought a couple of baby teeth in her mouth today.

A few minutes later, she took them home in a little box.

However, because Isabella is so incredible,

she had a couple of spares ready to go.

Check Out Her Smile,

her new teeth are already going & growing!

Isabella, that makes you

our Patient of the Week.

(looks like the Tooth Fairy will have double duty tonight!)



p.s speaking of incredible, check out our Kindle Contest...only a couple of days left to enter. Just refer a new patient to our office & you will be entered in our drawing to win a Kindle!

Almost Heeeerrrrrreeeee!!!

Get Ready...Halloween is Coming!

Scares & starts & pranks & pratfalls


What is your best trick for a treat?



Birthday

To Dr. E!

Could it be?.......

A day for glee?

An indication - I see....

If we are able...

We will gladly empty this

bounteous table!

And it really will not take...

much to demolish

this yummy cake....

However, we are only

second place...

to the very good smile

on this very good face....

Because, on this day...

no matter what we did...

It just cannot compare...

to seeing...

a grandkid (s) !

Anyway....

Happy Birthday!

ps. thinking of a birthday candle, reminds me of a kindle (you say candle, I say kindle)

Remember our KINDLE Contest...ending soon.

Just refer a patient to us and we will enter your name into our Kindle Contest Drawing.

Patient of the Week

Home of the Brave!

Logan thought he was coming in for his regular check-up and cleaning, but his tooth had another idea.

We snapped a quick picture of Logan's tooth and Dr. Evans discovered it was time for Logan and the tooth to part.

Look at Logan, he got up early this morning and even drove through snow, with his mom and grandmom of course.

Logan has been reunited with his tooth!

Logan, you truly are the man and
our Patient of the Week!

We hope you and your tooth have a great day

and a great night when the Tooth Fairy pays a visit.

See...regular check-ups do pay off!

p.s. I wonder if the Tooth Fairy knows about
our Kindle Contest?!!!

Autumnal Escape

Fall is arriving.

Dr. Evans could not wait for the 

colorful cloaking in the valley.

He had to find it first

in the mountains.





We all need to take time

to infuse our souls with Fall.

(Maybe Dr. Evans will finally find enough orange to satisfy him!)

p.s. speaking of orange - Kindly remember our Kindle Contest!

Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

Once in a while, we allow a staff member to travel outside of the office. However, as you can see below, our office is never far from their "Suspicious Minds",

Thanks to Muriel for taking time out of her recent travels to document this testimonial from Elvis. We are so glad she found him before he left the building.

If you want a dazzling white "Elvis" smile, that you "Can't Help Falling In Love" with, just visit our building.


p.s. our Kindle Contest really has us
"All Shook Up",
so "Don't Be Cruel" to yourself - hurry and enter,
and if you want to enter more than once to increase your chances of winning...
well, "That's All Right Mama"!

Kindling the Kindle Flame

Some of you have questions regarding our current

"KINDLE CONTEST"

Here are some answers: The contest is now through October!

Just refer a new patient to our office. The new patient tells us that you referred them and we drop your name into our contest drawing box.

You could win a KINDLE!

Each person/new patient that you refer earns an entry into the contest. 

So, if you have any friends, neighbors or family looking for a great dentist and you are looking for a great chance to win a

KINDLE,

just send them to our office and we will make sure your name goes into our drawing.

What a good way to celebrate Dr. Evans' October birthday!

Good Luck!

KINDLE CONTEST

BEWARE OF AN ORANGE ONSLAUGHT!

October is almost upon us. In anticipation of all the events, we open October with:

WHAT IS A "KINDLE CONTEST" ?

It happens in October,

It involves Orange,

It involves a birthday,

And, it involves YOU!

The color is Orange, the color so favored by Dr. E.

The birthday (our Dr. E.),is happening in October.

The celebration,a 'birthday gift' to you, is a Kindle!

The good Dr. will explain:

"Look, this is my Kindle - I love using it. It is very cool. I can download free books from the library and read wherever and whenever I want! I can take it anywhere with me - even on my motorcycle or fishing."

"So, I started thinking about how much fun this Kindle is and then I thought of my patients, and then I thought how much fun it would be to share a Kindle with them."

"Then, I remembered my birthday is coming in October, and because I love Orange and October and my Kindle and my patients..."



"I want to give you a chance to win a Kindle! My birthday celebration gift to you. So just..."

"Refer a new patient to me, and I will drop a referral card into our drawing and at the end of October, I can give my new Kindle away."

"The suspense is killing me! "

"I hope to choose your card! "

"I think I may be having waaay too much fun!"



The Right Fit

Our office is comitted to caring for your teeth. However, as this video shows, some situations can be more challenging:

We just had to post this video, because it combines many things dear to the heart of Dr. Evans - fishing, friendship and teeth! Like these two friends, if you find yourself in this boat, please give us a call. We want to help you keep all your teeth where they belong!

EXCHANGING SMILES!

We always enjoy knowing "our work" has put a smile on your face - and when you let us know, that puts a smile on our face. So we share this (with permission) from one of our patients:

"Seriously, I can't thank you enough for my "new front teeth!!" I have noticed a huge difference in my smile and overall confidence, so again...thank you, thank you, thank you.   Annie"

Annie, we a so happy you are making the most of your new smile and thank you for taking the time to make us smile today.

If you have any questions about smile "repair", please contact our office to learn more about cosmetic dentistry.

Smile Spoilers

Spending our time with fun in the sun activities means quenching our thirst and eating summer foods. While enjoying this great benefit of summer, be sure to adjust your dental care to meet the lazy days of summer. This information was just posted on the Yahoo Website and has some great tips:


Smile Saving Habits - You can't always avoid enamel-eroding foods, so use these tips to minimize acid wear:


1. Avoid snacking in between meals to minimize acid attacks.


2. Don't swish or hold acidic beverages in your mouth. Sip them through a straw to reduce the amount of time the acids come into contact with your teeth.


3. Rinse your mouth with water or chew sugarless gum after meals to help neutralize acid attacks.


4. Consume high calcium milk or cheese before or with meals to help reharden enamel. Eating foods high in iron, such as liver or broccoli, may help as well.


5. If you do consume acidic foods or beverages, wait at least 30 minutes before brushing. This gives softened enamel a chance to reharden, so it is less prone to damage.


6. Brush with flouride toothpaste to help fortify enamel.


7. See your dentist for regular checkups and scheduled cleanings to help prevent tooth decay.


Healthy tooth enamel means healthy teeth. And enamel damage is irreversible. So take the time to protect those pearly whites. Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body, but some foods may be stronger.


Seven Smile Spoilers


Soft drinks - Guess what? Sugar is not the biggest culprit when it comes to the impact of a fizzy drink on teeth. These beverages - diet or not - strip minerals from tooth enamel because of their high acid content. We are talking corrosive acids like phosphoric, malic, citric and tartaric. And the flavor of the fizz matters. They all have an impact, but in a study, clear, citrus -flavored bubbly beverages dissolved enamel two to five times more than colas did.


Sports Drinks - Hydration during exercise is important, but reconsider guzzling sports drinks unless you are a true endurance athlete. In a study comparing the erosive effects of five different beverages,including juice and soda, sports drinks did the most harm. Their high concentration of strong acids produced the deepest enamel damage in teeth.


Sour Candy - Can't resist those SweeTarts and Sour Patch Kids? Try. In a study comparing regular chewy candy, hard candy, and licorice to their sour counterparts, sour varieties were significantly harder on tooth enamel. Candy manufacturers add more acids, or different kinds of acid, to sour candy varieties to give them that pucker factor. And it is those "tangy" acids that can create deep craters in your tooth enamel.


Energy Drinks - Need a liquid pick-me-up? Skip this tooth stripper. In the study comparing five beverages, energy drinks were second worst after sports drinks, mainly because the had little ability to buffer the acids in the beverage. And drinks like these are an especially bad idea for adolescents and young adults, whose tooth enamel is less mature and more porous.


Fruit Juices - Fruit juices, especially citrus, apple, and berry varieties, are loaded with the kinds of acids that wear down tooth enamel. Of course, juices also have some great-for-you qualities too, like vitamins and antioxidants. So don't write them off completely. Just drink them in moderation. Frequent fruit juice consumption has been linked to an increased risk of enamel erosion. As an extra measure, rinse afterward. And choose calcium-fortified juices that may pose less of a hazard to tooth enamel.


Fruit - Ever seen someone suck on a slice of lemon or lime? Here is why that is a bad idea: fruits from the citrus family including oranges, lemons and limes contain enamel damaging acids. Berries do too. Still, you do not want to ditch fruit and all the benefits they confer. Just eat fruit with a meal to help minimize acid effects.


Vinegar - Vinegar turns up in lots of places; salad dressings, sauces, potato chips and pickles. And each one could spell trouble for tooth enamel. Ina a study, teenagers who frequently consumed vinegar containing foods had a 30-85% increased risk of enamel erosion compared with teens who did not consume those foods. Teens are more vulnerable to erosion because of less mature tooth enamel. But it is a good idea for people to be aware of the potential impact that vinegar can have. Vinegar is a low fat way to add flavor, but rinse afterward to protect your teeth.


By all means, our office wants you and your family to enjoy summer. However, if you have any questions about keeping your smile in it's best summer shape, please give us a call.

A NOTABLE NOTE

As we review our workday schedule each morning, we may determine the day as busy or really busy...however, as each patient arrives, Dr. Evans is very focused on caring for individual dental needs. He genuinely enjoys his time spent with each patient. This is evidenced by a letter recently received in our office:

"Dr. Evans and his staff are extremely competant, organized, friendly and very kind. From the desk to chairside, I have always been very happy with the care given and the results.

Thank you again,

Shellie (The one who doesn't mind going to the dentist now!)"

Thank you Shellie, for taking the time to make our day better. We hope all our patients don't mind visiting us and we will do our best to make each person feel comfortable and well taken care of when here.

SEALANT SEQUEL

More good news for Salt Lake City sealants from the Salt Lake Tribune:

BY CHI-CHI ZHANG, The Associated Press, published May 24 2011


Cavity prevention measures such as educating the public and sealant programs have helped Utah improve dental health options for children over the past year, according to a report released Tuesday.

Utah jumped from a D-grade in 2010 to a B this year by meeting five of the eight policy benchmarks aimed at improving children’s dental health, two more than in 2010, according to the report by the Pew Center on the States.

The study grades states based on access to sealant programs for underserved populations, the share of residents on fluoridated community water supplies, tracking data on children’s dental health, Medicaid-enrolled children getting dental care and the number of authorized primary care dental providers.

“Dental care is the most unmet health need among children,” said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign. “The fact that no state met all eight of our benchmarks shows that even the A-states can do better. An ‘A’ does not stand for ‘all done.’”

The study found that efforts in Utah to implement programs at high-risk schools to help prevent cavities and to allow dental hygienists to place sealants without a dentist’s prior exam makes Utah one of 22 states that received higher grades than in 2010.

Dental sealants are plastic coatings applied to children’s molars to prevent cavities and have been known to decrease decay by up to 60 percent, according to Steven Steed, director of the Utah Oral Health Program with the Utah Department of health.

Twenty-three states made no improvements over the last year. Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina and Rhode Island dropped in their performance, mostly driven by Medicaid reimbursement rates that have not kept up with a rise in dentists’ fees.

Despite economic challenges with funding, Steed said water fluoridation has been a cost-effective way for the state to improve children’s dental health, especially among underserved populations.

“We’re still facing challenges with getting more fluoridated water to those who need it and getting dentists to see children by the age of one,” said Steed. “We’d still like to see more dental care for the older population and more sealant programs for underserved children.”

If you are interested in sealants, please let us know. Summer is a great time to schedule a visit for an application.

DENTAL SEALS SAVE THE DAY!

The Seals have lately dominated the news. Here is another kind of seal that can come to the rescue:

Dental sealants act as a barrier, protecting the teeth against decay-causing bacteria. The sealants are usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (premolars and molars) where decay occurs most often.


A sealant is a plastic material that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—premolars and molars. This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.


Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth. But toothbrush bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to extract food and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas by "sealing out" plaque and food.


Sealants are easy for your dentist to apply, and it takes only a few minutes to seal each tooth. The teeth that will be sealed are cleaned. Then the chewing surfaces are roughened with an acid solution to help the sealant adhere to the tooth. The sealant is then 'painted' onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden.

 

As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years before a reapplication is needed. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.


The likelihood of developing pit and fissure decay begins early in life, so children and teenagers are obvious candidates. But adults can benefit from sealants as well.


Key ingredients in preventing tooth decay and maintaining a healthy mouth are twice-daily brushing with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste; cleaning between the teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaners; eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks; and visiting your dentist regularly. Ask Dr. Evans about whether sealants can put extra power behind your prevention program. 

**portions of this article were taken from the American Dental Association.

GRRRR...Grizzlies

Do you ever wonder what Dr. Evans does in his spare time?

Combining his love of sports with his love of dentistry, he sees the likes of this:

 

And this:

Dr. Evans is a team dentist for the Utah Grizzlies. If you have ever attended a game and watched a hard disk of vulcanized rubber propelled by a long stick made of kevlar curved to form a 10 to 15 inch ending referred to as a blade wielded by a very large and very competitive mass of muscles catapulting across an even harder frozen surface supported only by very thin and very sharp slices of metal also called blades; then you understand the possibility of accidental injuries that could occur during this sporting event and the value of a good dentist on site.

Which brings up the subject of cosmetic dentistry. Often teeth need repair because of chipping, cracking or decay. A visit with Dr. Evans can provide a cosmetic repair choice to restore teeth for better dental health and an improved natural great smile.


However, you won't be able to do this as well:

Oh, the sacrifices we make for beauty!

APRIL FOOL!

 A good day for a good joke - classic Bill Cosby!

Cavities - In the News

In case you missed today's edition of the Deseret News:

Cavities: Pass it on

Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:08 a.m. MDT 

By Lois M. Collins, Deseret News

Add this to the growing list of reasons regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene are important: Cavities are contagious. Just like a cold or flu, you can "catch" cavities — or rather, the bacteria that contribute to caries — from kisses and shared spoons, for instance.

It's not new news, since studies dating back to the 1990s have clearly shown that specific bacteria, such as mutans streptococci (MS), can be passed back and forth, as can Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitan, gingivitis and other cavity-promoting mouth crud. The cavities themselves are caused "primarily by bacteria that cling to teeth and feast on particles of food from your last meal. One of the byprodicts they create is acid, which destroys teeth," says Anahad O'Connor in a New York Times question-and-answer piece this week.

Sugar's not off the hook, either. It feeds the bacteria. So everything you've heard about sugar's negative effect on teeth — and the need to brush regularly and thoroughly — is true.

But anything that transmits any minute particle of saliva from one person's mouth to another, "like talking closely to the child," can get the tooth-destroying process started, notes Bradlee Dental Care, a dental practice in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Times article says that children and infants are particularly susceptible to the MS bacterium.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine in the National Institutes of Health lists two groundbreaking studies that changed thinking on the topic. The first, out of the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 1993, showed the transmission between spouses, looking at four particular couples to show what happened. Then, in 2007, researchers at the University of Queensland documented the transmission of the MS bacteria, which it called "cariogenic" to children from parents. And it noted that preventing cavities should include "timely control of colonization of the cariogenic bacteria in the mouths of young children."

SMILING FACES

In last month's blog, we noted that February was National Children's Dental Health Month. A big part of that celebration was "Give Kid' A Smile Day". 

Throughout the city, many local dentists, assistants and others brought themselves and their equipment to meet on a Saturday and work a very long day helping Utah children unable to afford dental care. 

Our own Dr. Evans was there bringing many smiles to many faces.

Dr. E. and his trusty homeboy assistants.

It's all in the wrist.

Not only giving smiles...but getting them in return.

"Captain, ya did not transport them into to space did ya?"

Making a difference in the health of a child...

Now, that is something to smile about!

For more information on this wonderful organization, please go to:

www.utahgivekidsasmile.com

Appreciation

We love getting notes of appreciation, and you can see why:






If you have any comments or messages  for us, please try the "Testimonial" link on our website and you will become a published author. Artwork is always appreciated!

ENOUGH?

Just what did Punxsutawney Phil see at the beginning of February?

Well, according to the National Geographic Daily News: 

"The sky is clear. Prepare for warmth!

With those rousing words Wednesday morning, the world's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, offered a ray of hope to millions of Americans being buffeted by a monster winter storm.

By seeing no shadow as he emerged from his ceremonial burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Groundhog Day 2011, Phil, according to tradition, is said to have predicted an early spring."

OK, where is Phil now and is he available for comments? Because this is what I am seeing outside my doorstep!




Say it ain't so...Phil. Where is that early, warm spring?

ps...Phil, take a moment and look at your teeth, could it also be time to schedule a cleaning and maybe try our at home whitening service?

A New Day

Announcing a new addition to our office. Here are some hints:

Try to remember your imploring English teacher, "Read the CLASSICS!"



Didn't do your homework, eh? OK, another hint: (not quite a classic.)

Third time should be a charm, or charming in this case. Perhaps not the true "classic" category requested by our beseeching English teacher, however certainly classy!

(Webster definition of classy: see Cary Grant.)

Give Up? Here is the answer. In response to many requests, our office will now be open on a Friday! We are adding the last Friday of each month, from 9 am to 3 pm, as a time for you to visit us. We hope this will help accommodate your busy schedules.

Our office is also close to Sprague Library, where you can stop by on your way home and pick up all the above titles for a great weekend read or "see".