(wo)Man's best friend...

I am a big animal lover. Growing up, we always had a dog.

I really believe that we need the company of a four-legged friend. Who else will sit and listed to our troubles and pretend to understand?

One of my dear friends, Sue Friedrichsen, suggested a good read; “Marley and Me” by John Grogan. This is one of the most entertaining books I have read, second only to Erma Bombeck’s creations.

“The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. A funny, touching tribute to a ninety-seven pound Lab who was as loyal and loving as he was disobedient.”
-People Magazine



I am convinced my Chocolate Lab, Sadie, must be related to Marley. I can guarantee—you will connect with this book. I was reading it on our drive home from the IDHA Annual Session and actually laughing out loud!

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

The aftermath

Our home is starting to settle down after the fire, but I am still jumpy when I hear an alarm. Nothing quite mimics the alerting sound of a smoke detector, but the morning alarm clock now wakes me instantly as does the coffee maker and my cell phone.

Our homeowner’s insurance adjuster came over today to assess the damage. It looks like we will be covered to replace the carpet, down blanket and the couch. They also included paint allowance for the wall next to the burned area. Now the work begins.

It has been many years since the walls have been painted. Obviously, one cannot paint just one wall. We have decided to bite the bullet and repaint the entire living room. That may not sound like much, but we have 25-foot vaulted ceilings and lots of unique architectural corners and angles. We may have to hire some of the painting out in order to get it all done before the holidays. We usually do our home improvement projects ourselves, but we have most of our ensuing weekends committed to our kid’s activities. Chad is leaving for a week for steelhead fishing and hunting season opens in a couple days. I can see late nights in my future.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Scary for me, lesson for you

I have had the absolute most frightening evening of my life. We had a house fire on Sunday night.

I had just finished watching Desperate Housewives. My daughter was doing her nails (had a bottle of nail polish remover on the table) and I was enjoying a nice glass of wine and the scent of a candle on my coffee table. Shelby and I went to her room to try dresses on. Moments later, the smoke detector was screeching. We rushed into the living room to find the floor and a down blanket on fire.

The only thing we can figure out is that the dog must have knocked the candle and the nail polish remover over and it landed on the floor. Chad and our son, Taylor, were in the basement lifting weights. I called for them and they came running. Luckily, we have fire extinguishers on each floor and Chad was able to put out the fire. The carpet, couch and Taylor's blanket were burned and the house stunk horribly. I flipped the blanket hoping to put the fire out and had some hot plastic stuff from the carpet landed my cheek. I only have two little burn spots. This could have been disastrous!!

I implore each of you to have fire extinguishers in your homes and know where they are. Fires can happen in a moment. Chad always changes the batteries in the smoke detectors each day light savings time. Have you checked your alarms lately? Please, be safe. God Bless.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Natural or Neglect?

Just when I thought I’d heard every excuse for not completing dental treatment, I found myself utterly shocked with a new one.

Last week, one of my patients was diagnosed with an abcess on No.19. She had experienced discomfort with this tooth on and off for the past two years. We had advised her that the nerve was probably in the process of dying and she would need a root canal in the future. She very calmly said she wanted the tooth extracted. She had been told by another dentist that root canals on first molars have been shown to cause breast cancer. I was absolutely stunned!

Apparently, she had been to a “natural dentist” for a second opinion and is convinced that she has to have the tooth extracted. Leaving this ‘dead tooth’ in her body would poison her. Her 3-year-old son was in the other operatory having his first exam, cleaning and radiographs. He was diagnosed with 13 cavities.

We discussed fluoride supplements with the parents. The dad has tried to convince his wife to allow the child to take fluoride tablets but she refuses. The “natural dentist” has also convinced her that fluoride is poison. What a dilemma. I feel badly that the parents are not in agreement when it comes to their child’s dental health. I did the best I could to educate them on the benefits of fluoride.

When does this constitute abuse or neglect? I’d love to hear your thoughts! E-mail them to mh@advanstar.com.

Welcome to my life.
Lisa

IDHA | Better Together

The Idaho Dental Hygienists Association will be having its 45th annual session October 3rd and 4th. The theme is “Better Together.”

I really think that with the direction of dentistry and dental hygiene, IDHA couldn’t have made a better choice for the theme. The quote on the program—“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”— is from Helen Keller. Any dental office, business or professional association would run more effectively if everyone worked together.

We are very lucky to have the nationally recognized speaking group “Earth, Wind and Fire” come to Boise for our meeting. The group consists of Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH; Debra Grant, RDH; and Beth Thompson, RDH. Their topic will be Better Together: Tomorrow’s Dentistry Today. I have personally come to know each one of these ladies at different conferences I have attended, so believe me when I say we are really in for a treat.

Also presenting will be:
Dr. Ester Wilkins, RDH, DMD - Rethinking Dental Caries
Jane Weiner, RDH - Documentation: Did I Get it All?

There will also be table clinics presented by dental hygiene students.

Of course, no annual session is complete without a social event. A Gala is planned for Friday evening with dinner, a live auction, and music and dancing. There will be a total of 13.5 CEU’s and a lot of fun. Visit idha.org for registration and more information. I hope to see you all there!

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Heart Attacks | Are you at risk?

Over the past year, I have seen a significant increase in the number of people having heart attacks. Every one of them ended up having one or more stents placed in order to survive. Even though these aren’t massive, fatal attacks, I am very concerned.

Blockage or partial blockage of the vessels seems to be the common factor. Unless a person is having obvious symptoms— chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness of the left arm—one would not routinely go to the doctor for an evaluation. Many of these people are my age or younger!

So, what do we do? Are we all walking medical emergencies waiting to happen? I encourage everyone to get yearly blood work-ups, including cardiac risk assessment and diabetes screening. Most health insurances will cover these tests. If you don’t have insurance, there are a number of health fairs that offer reduced fees for this service. Please, take control of your health and life. Be proactive instead of reactive.

Welcome to my life.
Lisa