Chimney Rock... both of them!

Awhile back the U.S. Mint produced quarters with one face for each state of the USA.  For Nebraska, our quarter featured Chimney Rock.

This past summer, my family decided to visit this National Historic Site.  I had not been to this monument before and it is in NEBRASKA - my home state.  Well, I really felt bad about this, as in 2007, I visited Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina.  It was quite different from Nebraska's Chimney Rock.
How many of us from Nebraska realize that there is more than one Chimney Rock.... maybe this is a good Jeopardy question?

Below is the view from atop Chimney Rock (North Carolina) looking out in one direction.

And these are some of the winding stairs you have to climb up to get to the top of Chimney Rock.

If you decide to visit this area, you will get to experience the Smoky Mountains also.  :)
Some much better photos than my own are here: 

A Favorite Photo that I took of Chimney Rock in North Carolina.  2007.

A Tooth Fairy Moment

Now, I think Pinterest is just about the best thing ever.  However, if you ask my husband, he may share the complete opposite opinion.  But today, as a dentist, I am pretty excited about what I saw on my Pinterest feed.  A Receipt for a tooth.... from the tooth fairy.  How many times have you meant to write down the date a tooth was lost and it just didn't happen?  Jaded Blossom has a super cute way for the Tooth Fairy to deliver the goods and for you to have a receipt... that is even ready to go right into your child's scrapbook. 
Of course I also like the idea of a beautiful hand-made card from the Official desk of the tooth fairy.  :)

Apparently, some believe that the Tooth Fairy is pretty crafty.  One site even claims that she decorates her shoes with the teeth she collects.  Interesting, is about all I have to say about that!

How much Sugar are you Drinking?

Sometimes I wonder if a photo can just say it all?  

 

 Reblogged from Back On Pointe

Check out how many average drinks "stack up" according to sugar content.
Sugar Stacks

Since I've gone there... another way to look at it is from Science on the Brain  
Pass it on.... maybe we can prevent some cavities this way!

Visit us at Steckelberg Dental, 3201 South 33rd Street, Suite A, Lincoln, Nebraska.  (402) 489-7800
www.steckelbergdental.com

We have a Birthday Celebration!

Happy Birthday, to our wonderful dental assistant, Corinne!  Birthdays are a great reason to celebrate at Steckelberg Dental.  We had sandwiches delivered from a nearby sandwich shop, followed by cupcakes.  Yum!

Even dentists eat delicious cupcakes!

Dr. Steckelberg made these cute cupcakes and decorated them with Marshmallow Fondant on Halloween.  She only had a few trick-or-treaters at her house, which allowed a little more time to be creative.  Now, we know this is nothing like The Cake Boss cakes, but it is better than the 4-H cake decorating she used to do in middle school.  The marshmallow fondant recipe is from The Chaplain's Wife Blog... which of course, I found on Pinterest.  Go to
http://shawntheparsonswife.blogspot.com/search?q=fondant   for recipe specifics.

The first cupcake "cake" experiment with the marshmallow fondant.  My nieces seemed to like it!

Another GREAT thing about birthdays is getting a chance to relax and visit with your coworkers.  At Steckelberg Dental, we love to celebrate!  So Thank you, Corinne for sharing your birthday with us.  Happy Birthday, Corinne!

Visit us at Steckelberg Dental, the office of Melanie A. Steckelberg, D.D.S., P.C.  We are located at 3201 South 33rd Street, Suite A, in Lincoln, Nebraska  68506   (402) 489-7800.  Visit us on the web at www.steckelbergdental.com

Children & Dental Trauma

How can you be fully prepared for an injury the mouth?  Well, there is no way to be 100% prepared at all times.  Accidents happen and we are happy to provide emergency dental services for our patients.  The best way to prepare for accidents is to wear athletic mouthguards during sporting events and to receive preventative dental care.  Brushing your child's teeth until age 8 or 9 allows you to examine the teeth on a regular basis.  The dentition of a child changes quickly and you are an important resource in an emergency situation.  You may be asked about changes in your child's mouth.  If you are not sure what to be looking for, just ask at your next dental visit!   

Most dental trauma occurs between the 2-4 years and the incidence peaks again at 8-10 years.  *

30% of children suffer trauma to their primary dentition (baby teeth).  22% of children suffer trauma to their permanent teeth by age 14 years.  I wonder if these number might actually be higher, based on what I have seen during my time as a dentist!

A child with a recent dental injury might try to hide their mouth from you.  A trusted adult is best equipped to evaluate the situation.  This is just another reason why your child's first dental visit should occur by age 1.   The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry say that the first dental visit should occur within 6 months after baby's first tooth appears, but no later than their first birthday.  It is best to meet the dentist when your child is having no dental problems - don't wait until an emergency comes up. 

So what are you to do if your child falls and injures their mouth?  We encourage our patients to always give the office's emergency number a call (when the office is closed).  If necessary, Dr. Steckelberg will make arrangements to meet you at the office.  If this is a serious accident involving open lacerations on the face and a possible jaw fracture, we will need to involve an oral surgeon and possibly a hospital visit.  Don't worry, we will treat your child with TLC.

If it is a minor wound, make sure to stay as calm as possible (this will help your child) and then examine the area.  If there is blood and your child is cooperating, then wrap an ice cube in a clean washcloth.  Hold that to the affected intraoral area for one minute; it helps to have your child sitting next to your or in your lap (age/size dependent).  The cold application usually helps reduce the bleeding.  It is now time to contact your dentist to discuss the situation.   

*Source:  Handbook of Pediatric Dentistry, Edited by A Cameron & R Widmer. 1998.

Considering Straightening Your Teeth?

Are you considering having orthodontics?  If so, what is preventing you from scheduling?  [Keep in mind that I do not receive any profit from orthodontics, I just want to make sure that you are happy with all aspects of your smile!] 

When I was a kid, I did not ask my parents for braces as I knew money was tight.  As a dental student, I knew that I should get braces, but I did not want braces in photos.  When I thought about the orthodontic world I kept imagining myself in metal brackets.  I also thought that one year was a really long time to be in treatment.  A year in orthodontic treatment did go really fast for me (yes, it surprised me, too!).  Yes, it took more time daily to keep my mouth clean.  Yes, you could see the wires during treatment.  But, have you seen what can be done with ceramic brackets?  Check it out below:  (you get to see my husband also).  When I look at this photo, I just notice the wire on my teeth, not the ceramic brackets.  Also I do show a good amount of teeth when I smile, so you can really evaluate what possibilities ceramic brackets can offer).

Even from across a restaurant table, the casual observer often would miss that I was undergoing orthodontic care. When I underwent orthodontics, a professional photographer did take my photo indoors; with these photos I did notice the brackets more (not a professional photo below).  In our family, we are more likely to just take snapshots of one another.  So for me, I was so happy to have my teeth straightened.  I was admittedly happier once the treatment was over, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Consider orthodontics, you may even qualify to wear "invisible" trays instead of metal or ceramic brackets.  Ask Dr. Steckelberg for more information about the exciting world of teeth straightening.  I've been there, done that, and have some good pointers for surviving the journey!

Dogs like Dentures

Did you know that dogs like dentures?  It seems that dogs like anything that is made of acrylic.  So this means that you MUST protect your athletic mouthguards, bruxism guards, orthodontic retainers, and the like from these predators.  Otherwise....

You might not want to put it in your mouth again
...never ever ever ever.

You could go so far as to look at your denture and decide that the relationship is O.V.E.R while belting it out like Taylor Swift, "But we are never ever ever ever getting back together."