Treatment Options for Cracked Teeth Part One: Crown

The pandemic changed all of our lives in many ways, including raising our stress levels enormously.  Since then, dentists all over have noted a significant increase in cracked teeth.  It makes sense: Increased stress = increased clenching and grinding = increased forces on teeth = increased incidence of cracked teeth.

A patient presents with chewing pain. When the tooth is opened a crack is detected along the floor of the tooth (the black line).

I have personally seen for myself a dramatic rise.  Patients will come in and say they have a particular tooth that hurts almost every time they chew.  They usually describe it as a “zing” that sends them through the roof that lasts a split second, but recurs every time they eat.  This is a classic presentation of a tooth with a crack.

A filling was placed over the crack as a temporary measure until our patient returned to have their crown done.

Cracks in teeth are tricky as most times, they can’t be seen visually or on a radiograph.  They are hiding somewhere in the middle, usually along the floor of the tooth.  Through various diagnostic tests a dentist can determine the likelihood of a presence of a crack and where it is located in the tooth.

One treatment option we may recommend is placing a crown on the tooth.  A crown provides full coverage of the tooth.  Now when chewing, the forces are placed on the crown rather directly on the tooth, therefore decreasing the chance of feeling pain when chewing, along with preventing the crack to propagate deeper.

At the first appointment of a crown, the tooth is shaved down to a smaller version of itself in order to make room for the crown to be placed. A margin around the tooth is created for the crown to sit.

The process for a crown usually requires two appointments.  In the first appointment, we shave the tooth to a miniature version of itself in order to make room for the crown to be placed on top of the tooth.  A scan is taken to send to the lab in order to fabricate the crown, as well as a shade is picked in order to ensure your crown blends in with the rest of your teeth.  A temporary crown is fabricated at the end of the appointment to place on your tooth.  A few days later at the second appointment, your temporary crown is removed and we cement your permanent crown.  We ensure the fit and the bite of your teeth are correct.  You are now a proud owner of a crown which obviously makes you royalty! (Worst dental joke ever).

Tada! A gorgeous crown is cemented on top of the tooth, protecting the crack from getting deeper and preventing chewing pain.

If you are having chewing pain then it may mean you have a cracked tooth and you need to get it checked before it worsens!

Remember, going to the dentist is not meant to be torturous.  If you’re looking for an office that feels like home, the Niverville Heritage Dental Gals would love to meet you (and your teeth).  Contact the office to book your appointment now! See you soon!

The Niverville Heritage Dental Centre Gift Guide!

It’s the most magical time of year - the holiday season! This means the hot chocolate is being poured, your tree is up, Mariah Christmas tunes are blasting and if you’re like us, endless cheesy holiday movies on repeat.

However, this also means the craziness of holiday shopping has begun. As most of us our moms, we get how crazy this time of year can be, finding kids gifts that are exciting, budget friendly, and fun.

Enter the NHDC gals.  We decided to do our first ever holiday gift guide! What if you could get your kids things they could be excited about AND promoted good oral health?! Sounds like a dream, right? Here’s some of our favourite picks for both gifts and stocking stuffers.

Kids Gift Ideas:

1. Kids Dentist Role Play Wooden Set

Who doesn’t want to play dentist? Imaginary play is so important for kids, so what’s better than pretending to be a dentist with this wooden play set.  Exposure like this also helps them become better prepared for coming to see us.  Who know, maybe your little will work here one day! Click here to buy!

2. Play-Doh Drill n’ Fill Set

We love play-doh for sensory play and this set is so fun! Sip your coffee while your kids are entertained making teeth and pretending to do some fillings.  You get a break and they aren’t bugging you.  It’s a win, win.  Click here to purchase!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas:

1.Character Battery Powered Toothbrushes

We all know the struggle of getting your little ones to brush.  Enter these Colgate, battery powered toothbrushes.  With a spinning head to reach those harder places and available in your child’s favourite character, this is an easy one.  Peppa Pig, Batman, Minions, Barbie, you name it, they got it.  Click here to buy!

2. Brushing Sand Timer

Let’s face it, none of our kids brush for two minutes straight cause it’s nearly impossible. Enter these adorable tooth, multicoloured, sand timers.  It comes in a set of 7 which means EVERYONE is getting one in their stockings! Click here to purchase!

3. Froggie Toothbrush & Toothpaste Holder

This froggie toothbrush and toothpaste holder is both so cute and practical.  It is only 6x6 inches so it’s perfect for sitting on the side of the sink.  It comes in a variety of colours and makes a great stocking stuffer! Click here to buy!

4. Unicorn Sparkle & Watermelon Toothpaste

Have a picky child when it comes to toothpaste flavours? Look no further than Hello’s unicorn sparkle fluoride that is bubble gum flavoured. Looking for a non-fluoridated toothpaste for your really young one? Try their watermelon flavoured one! Click here for unicorn sparkle and here for watermelon.

Still looking for more ideas? Lucky for you we now have an entire page on our website dedicated to oral health products we love and recommend.  We have everything on there from denture care, orthodontic products, oral hygiene products and so much more.  Everything is linkable and takes you straight to where you can purchase it! Click here for the products page!

Happy shopping!

The NHDC Gals

Dr. Sunayna's Spanish Adventure!

A little glimpse into our 9 weeks in Spain! Video edited by Madie Fraser of Made By Madie.

Hi everyone!

I am back from my 9 week family adventure to Spain and I can honestly say now it feels like I never even went! I jumped right back into the swing of things and I love seeing all of you again. Believe it or not, I really did miss this place when I was gone!

I wanted to tell you about our life changing experience in Spain. We flew into Valencia, a city close to the water which is the third largest city in Spain. We rented a small apartment and lived there for almost 7 weeks! We also visited Barcelona and the gorgeous island of Mallorca! To say we fell in love with Spain is an understatement.

We took Spanish classes as a family three times a week and I gotta say, we got pretty good towards the end! We also put the kids in art classes which they loved. The intent was to really immerse ourselves in a new country, language, and culture. We wanted to truly feel like we were living there and that’s exactly how it felt.

Every morning we would walk to the market and get fresh croissants, pastries and our produce for the day. We would walk to our local park, sit at a café and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening while our kids would play soccer with other kids they had just met on the street. It was pretty much a dream.

By the end of our 9 weeks we would be running into neighbors on the street and chatting, the owners of our favourite restaurants and cafés would smile and wave, and our favourite ice cream shop owners from Italy would see my kids playing and come out and hand them an ice cream cone on the house. It was just so lovely and the people were beyond kind.

Life there runs at a different pace. People work hard but what really got me is how everyone seems to truly and genuinely enjoy life there. I never saw anyone on their phone or even have their phone out at a restaurant or café once. Not one single time!

If there’s anything I learnt is how different the world can be, but how similar we all are at the end of the day. I hope to have taken with me their love for life and the ability to really be in the moment. It’s a lot harder than you would think!

I could not have had this experience without the girls here who held down the fort while I was gone and to all of you, my patients for being so supportive. Your well wishes, gifts, and messages were so incredibly encouraging.

As we gear up for the end of yet another Summer and the beginning of another school year, I hope you will take the time to enjoy the little things in life.

See you at the office!

Dr. Sunayna

Happy One Year Anniversary to Us!

Happy one year anniversary to us! It has been one year since we reopened after the first lockdown in our newly renovated space here at Niverville Heritage Dental Centre and boy, what a year it has been! Through the many ups and downs, we have come together as a team more than ever. We thought it would be a great way to celebrate by reflecting on the past year and letting you all in on what we think about the experiences, challenges and triumphs this year has presented, enjoy!

Lindsay

The past year has been a very unusual time for us all, especially since returning to work following the lock-down last Spring. We returned to a new office space, a bigger team and rigorous new protocols leading to a whirlwind of a time. Although it was tough to get there, the expansion of the office could not have come at a better time. It has been a joy meeting all the new faces from coworkers to patients and there is so much satisfaction to be had in helping and growing this community!

Bonny

 This last year has gone so quickly despite all the challenges.  I'm not one that likes a whole lot of change but this year has definitely challenged me between the lockdown, the ever-changing Covid regulations and trying to help my son with remote learning.  It's been wonderful being in our new space.  There's so much room and it's always wonderful to hear how much the patients love coming here too!  So grateful to everyone who made this last year enjoyable!

Rachele

Oh, what a crazy year this has been!! We have all had some challenges with the pandemic that we have been living through the past 18 months.  There has been a lot of learning curves but also good things that came out of this last year too.  The first few months were challenging as we weren’t sure when we would reopen, how we would book our patients and ensure they were safe to enter our doors. Now looking back, it’s hard to believe we were ever at that stage. Everything has run so smoothly! We have all our protocols in place to keep our patients safe, as well as us girls here in the office.

Being in the newly renovated office has been nothing but amazing!! Have we had to change some of our protocols to adhere to government regulations, yes, but this hasn’t stopped us one bit!  We have not only had a beautiful brand-new space to work in, but we have seen so many new and familiar faces come through our office.

I personally have a hard time remembering our old “front” desk space, staring at a wall unable to see who is walking through the door. Now we have this lovely bright, open space!  Our operatories are beautiful, bright and no long have boring terracotta walls!  Being able to make this new space our own has been amazing and will only get better!!! Thank you to all our wonderful patients, see you soon!

Ainsley

I know for a fact if we had foreseen having to shut down for 4 months due to a global pandemic our office renovation and expansion would have been postponed.   I am so very glad that we didn't know that and that the go ahead was given and ground was broken!  Over the past year I have seen a terrifying situation turn into an amazing opportunity for perseverance, hope and accomplishment!  I have seen our team grow both personally and professionally, including myself, and I have also had the pleasure of working more closely and personally with our patients.  I feel so blessed that we were able to provide our community with a beautiful space to accompany the already outstanding dental treatment they receive and I look forward to many more years to come!

Amanda

This past year has definitely been a year of change and growth. We’ve welcomed so many new patients to our office as well as more staff! We’ve had to learn how all the new equipment works, even the buttons to move the chairs! Yes, some of our patients got to go for an extra ride because we pressed the wrong button! 😂 We’ve had to learn new protocols due to Covid. I agree with you all, can’t wait to get rid of the prerinse!!  

I absolutely love the look of our new office! Sharing in the excitement with our patients when they see our new space for the first time brings so much joy!  The one thing I miss the most is seeing everyone’s smile. Coming in with a mask and then mouths wide open with a dental dam over it just isn’t the same. But we know you’re smiling under there, right?! Haha. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!

Kaitlin 

I can’t believe it has been a year already! This year has definitely been a roller coaster for everyone. Our family has gotten a lot closer and it has been nice enjoying the little things that in previous years we would have taken for granted. I loved that I was able to put lots of my time towards my two little kids who kept me very busy with all our activities (food coloring was our best friend), no time to learn the art of sourdough hahaha. I am enjoying the refreshing new look of the office and all the updated equipment we get to use for our patient care. I love how welcoming our place is with a beautiful entrance! I look forward to what is to come!

Sunayna

Covid has taught me many lessons – adaptability, patience, perseverance, when to ask for help, trusting in the process when you may not know the outcome and more kindness than ever. I certainly did not picture taking on a full renovation during a lockdown! Although not ideal, I knew everything happens for a reason and learnt quickly to trust myself and the unknowns.

It’s a pretty surreal feeling watching your dream turn into a reality. Designing and decorating the space that I envisioned was so much fun! I wanted a space that would reflect who we were as team, a space that both our team and patients deserved, and most importantly, I wanted it to feel like home.

Above all, ensuring the safety of my team and patients was my number one priority.  Although stressful, I am so glad we took the extra time to remain closed in order to ensure all our protocols were in place in order to provide dental care to our patients in the safest way possible.  It’s funny how we as humans may not like change yet adapt so easily.  Wearing our double masks, face shields and gowns have now become second nature!

This past year seems like the shortest and longest year of my life! I feel like I blinked and it’s already been one year in this new space.  Truly, where did the time go? You know that super cheesy saying, “Time flies when you are having fun?” That’s honestly how I feel. I wake up every single day grateful for my team and my patients. I truly love what I do, where I do it and whom I do it with and can’t wait to do it for many more years to come!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Cheers to all of us!

How to Prepare Your Child for a Filling

Despite our best effort as parents, cavities happen in children that may require a filling.  Us gals here at Niverville Heritage Dental are mostly moms so we know how you feel – anxious for your child (and yourself) and feeling the need to ensure they are prepared.  We’ve gathered a few tips to help you and your child prepare for your appointment to ensure the most positive outcome!

 1.       Be calm.

We know, easier said than done, but as we all know children are extremely smart and pick up on feelings very easily.  If you are nervous, your child will be as well! Stay calm and be positive while speaking about coming to see us at home.

Miss Hadley after she rocked her filling appointment! We even gave her friend that she brought a bib too so they could do it together!

 2.       Words matter.

You know how we always tell our kids, “Words matter.” Same thing here! We want you to be honest with your kids, we are when we see them, but avoid using words such as “pain” and “needle.” Instead use words such as “uncomfortable” and “small pinch.” This goes without being said, but please don’t tell them, “It’s going to hurt A LOT!” Haha. No but seriously, don’t do that. 😊

 3.        Make them comfortable.

Let them know it’s 100% okay to feel nervous! Let them wear their favourite outfit, or bring along their cherished blankie or stuffy.  We love when kids come in with their favourite stuffed friend, we even put a bib around their stuffed animal/doll to include them!

 4.       Let us do the hard work.

Kids are so curious and inquisitive. We love questions! When at home ease their feelings by letting them know we will explain EVERYTHING to them before we do it. We prefer you let us do all the explaining!

 5.       Be patient.

Amanda with Maddex! Note: This picture was taken pre-Covid.

Oh my goodness as moms this is a hard one! Sometimes your child may not have their procedure completed at the first appointment. If we feel the child is very anxious, we may just take the time to explain everything to them and have them come back to try again and that’s okay!

 6.       Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

It’s our job to ensure your child has the most positive experience possible.  The last thing we want to do is create an experience that will cause the child to fear coming to the dentist that carries with them into adulthood.  Sometimes despite our (and your) best efforts a child may not be cooperative.  We will never force a child to have their procedure done.  The mental aspect of their experience is just as important to us and we may feel your child will be best taken care of at a pediatric dental specialist office.  If this is the case a referral will be made.

We absolutely adore seeing kids here at Niverville Heritage Dental Centre and pride ourselves on knowing the latest on Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, and all that other stuff to win some brownie points! Haha! Know that when you bring your child(ren) here we feel honoured that you are choosing us to trust and we don’t take that lightly.  Plus, why is it so much easier to be way more patient when it’s not your own kids, right? 😊 See you soon!

 Dr. Sunayna

P.S. Don’t forget to have your kids enter our colouring contest of Dr. Sunayna! Just click here, print out the sheet and have your kids colour it and tag us on Instagram or Facebook! Your child(ren) will be entered to win a $100 gift card to Toys R Us! Yay! Contest closes Sunday, April 18th for ages 8 and under. Good luck!

So You Think You Don't Need a Teeth Cleaning......

We hear it all the time with patients, “Nah, I brush and floss my teeth so I don’t need to get my teeth cleaned” or “It’s okay, I’ll just get the filling for my cavity but pass on the cleaning.” What you don’t see is how every time we hear that we are literally trying our best not to scream, haha. Our job is to educate you and ensure we are taking care of your ENTIRE oral health. This includes the foundation of your mouth which includes your bone and gums.

The Breakdown

Your teeth are held in your mouth by the bone that surrounds them. You gums lie over your bone. When bacteria enters your gums and is not removed, your gum begins to tear away from your tooth. The presence of bacteria under your gums is called gingivitis (aka gum disease). If you’ve ever brushed or flossed and have noticed your gums are bleeding, congratulations, you have gingivitis. 

Now if the bacteria under your gums is not removed professionally by a hygienist because you aren’t coming in for a teeth cleaning, guess what? That bacteria then enters the bone surrounding your teeth and now you have periodontitis (aka bone disease). Over time the presence of bacteria in the bone will cause bone loss around the tooth therefore causing the tooth to become mobile which can lead to eventual tooth loss! Say what?!

What people don’t realize is that you can lose a tooth that has NOTHING wrong with it! No cavity, no infection, NOTHING. What happened is that you lost the bone holding it in because you had periodontitis which is 100% PREVENTABLE by brushing, flossing and wait for it - coming in for regular cleaning appointments! 

 The Low-down on Oral Bacteria

Now this bacteria I speak of also has fancy names. Plaque is a sticky biofilm that builds up on your teeth and is made of up of your saliva and the foods and drinks you have.  If the plaque is not removed from your teeth and under your gums (from lack of brushing/flossing and coming in for cleaning appointments) it hardens into calculus (aka tartar).  

Plaque can harden into tartar in as little as 24 hours! Once plaque has turned into tartar it can only be removed by a dental professional due to it’s hardness and strong bond to enamel. Tartar can be found both above and below the gums. Don’t believe me when I say you can’t remove tartar yourself? Just check out the before and after pictures above of a patient who presented with heavy tartar build up and how it looks after once our magical hygienists removed it! Remember, plaque and tartar can lead to decay (ie. cavities), bad breath, and as already mentioned, tooth loss!

Let’s Get Brutally Honest

The truth is you wouldn’t build your house on a crappy foundation, right? Well, same thing here. The health of your bone and gums make up the foundation of your mouth and if you don’t have a strong foundation to build upon, everything else will fail. This means the longevity of any fillings, crowns, bridges, dental implants or any dental work are directly related to the health of your bone and gums. Morale of the story? Book your hygiene appointment with us! Don’t make us stalk you, even though you know we will. :) Any questions? Just hollar at us (or just call and book and appointment).

Dr. Sunayna

Back to School – Snacks, Lunches & More Snacks!

Here we go, another school year.  Whether you are sending your kids to school or are homeschooling, we can all agree this year will look and feel very different .  Although the masks are new, guess what’s not? The dreaded making of lunches and snacks.

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks!

Don’t fret, as usual the Niverville Heritage Dental Gals have got your back.  We are all mostly moms so we get it – the frustration of finding healthy snacks that your kids will actually eat, finding time to pack them, and the worst one – loving something one day and then literally not eating it the next.  How is that even possible?!

Let’s start off by giving you some ideas for snacks and lunches that are good for both the teeth (obviously) AND for your kiddos overall health!

• Cheese – Not only is cheese delicious, but its calcium properties help make teeth strong and some studies have shown that it can neutralize the dental plaque in your mouth!

  Mom tip: Buy the portioned cheese from Costco so that you don’t have to spend time cutting it.  We all know every second counts!

• Fruit, Veggies & Dip – Did you know that antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C and other nutrients from fruits and vegetables help protect the gums? Plus items such as apples, carrots and celery can help clean plaque off of teeth. It’s a win, win.

  Mom tip: We like to add a different dip to make it more interesting for kids.  Our favorites are hummus (make ahead and freeze) and tzatziki.

• Nuts & Seeds – Keeping in mind your child’s age, nuts & seeds are full of benefits for your teeth since they are packed full of important elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and even fiber, potassium and zinc which can help stimulate saliva.

  Mom tip: Try adding nuts into a smoothie (sneaky, sneaky) or even nut butters are a great way get your picky eater to try some!

• Yogurt – This is usually a pretty easy one for kids to have which is great cause it’s full of calcium and probiotics that can protect teeth from cavities, gum disease, and even bad breath. Perfect!

  Mom tip: To up the ante a bit, try sprinkling some granola and a dash of cinnamon.

• Water – Yup, just plain and simple water.  Water helps wash away bacteria that may be sitting on your teeth, especially after you’ve eaten. Try to avoid juices, pops, and sports drinks as much as possible.

  Mom tip: Make them want to drink water by getting a fun water bottle! We find the flashier and uglier it is, the better, hahaha.  Just ask Dr. Sunayna who cringes every time at the sight of her daughter’s Paw Patrol glittery water bottle. 

Now that we’ve covered some snack ideas, here’s some expert tips to make your life a bit easier from our favourite dietician, momma of 2, Nita Sharda of Carrots & Cake, and teacher, momma of 4, and meal prep extraordinaire, Shawna Lapointe of Too Busy Livin’:

We love registered dietician Nita Sharda of Carrots & Cake’s recipe for Tropical Green Smoothie. Find it here.

1. As Nita says, “food fatigue” is a real thing when it comes to kids.  One day they’re into it, the next they’re acting like it’s the worst thing ever.  The key is to have variety.  How do we do this? Well, Dr. Sunayna found these snack containers on Amazon that she is using for her kids this year.  It’s great for offering a variety of things in a small amount.  She packs all of them for the week on Sunday and then you are good to go!

2. Shawna is a huge fan of, “make more once, save time later.” Take for instance her take on shredded chicken.  Make more of it once in the slow cooker, freeze, use for tortilla soup, quesadillas, taquitos, and also on pizzas, or in sandwiches. Bam. Click here to see her ways.

3. Nita is a huge fan of smoothies and always tells us how it’s a great way to keep your kiddos and yourself fueled.  We love her genius tip on making smoothie packs in advance and throwing them in the freezer.  This way when you are rushing in the morning no need to get a million ingredients! Just grab that smoothie pack from the freezer, dump contents into the blender, and add your milk of choice! Voila! Our fave is Nita’s tropical green smoothie which you can find here. Happy blending!

As mothers ourselves, we get it.  We know we are all feeling so many things. Just know we are all in this together, and we can and will get through it.  As always, we are here for all our oral care needs! Happy prepping and packing!

Love,

The Niverville Heritage Dental Gals

What we did & learnt during COVID-19

AMANDA

During the pandemic I found that even though we couldn't go anywhere, we were able to say "Yes" to those questions of, "Mom can we.....?" because we had more time and more energy. We really enjoyed the slower, unscheduled pace of life.  We read a lot, baked, puzzled, did projects around the home and yard, watched movies, played ball with our dog, swam in our pool, had late nights and slept in. We discovered a lot with home schooling and got a better insight as to how our kids learn and the challenges they face.

We all have a part during the pandemic and need to take care of each other as we all rely on each other somehow.  We need to take care of our earth. Slow down, enjoy the time.

What I am most looking forward to coming back to work at Niverville Heritage Dental Centre is seeing everyone's smiles again! Can’t wait!

 RACHELE

March 2020 was definitely a month I will never forget. My experience all began when we got notification that an overnight at the museum school trip was canceled for my daughter who was in grade 4. How traumatic for them, they were looking forward to this day for months!!  From there the spiraling happened; the following week we had to start canceling patients, with a lot of unknowns for the future.  That followed by myself, along with the rest of the girls in the office being laid off… again without knowing when we would be able to return!! One month turned into 2, then 3, and now we are working on the 4th month!!

During these last few months, I had my 2 daughters, grade 4 & 7 at home, learning from online as their teachers would send homework and videos to help continue their education.  I can tell you a few things I learnt about this.  I may need to go back to grade school for math!! LOL… but seriously, they have changed the ways of problem solving!! Even though I may know the answer, it’s the explaining of “How to” that I had difficulties with! So, with that said, we are very thankful for our wonderful teachers!!

Along with spending everyday with my girls while my husband continued to work, we got a lot accomplished around the house! Spring cleaning was in full gear!  The weather was also amazing, so we got a lot done around the yard. This included planting all of our flowers, vegetables, getting our pool ready and my oldest and I even built a new garden!

Myself, and family included have learnt that as much as we love our family time, time apart is just as important. We have learnt to be extra thankful for our health and the time we get to spend with our extended friends and family.  One of the other things I learnt is online shopping is WAY too easy!!! For those “regular” errands, such as grocery shopping, I appreciate curb side pick-up that much more now too! Oh… and snacking; let’s just say my clothes will be more forgiving getting back to work & routine! LOL

Returning back to work was yet again another change to our readjusted schedule, but routine plays a pretty big role. I am thankful to be back in the office, talking to our patients and getting them rescheduled from the months we have fallen behind. Not only that, we are welcoming you all back to a brand new office that you can’t wait for you to see!!!

 NIKKI

During this time off during Covid I have made sure that I take care of myself and my family. I worked out almost everyday for my physical and mental health.  I tried new recipes, organized and cleaned my house (as I’m sure lots of you did!) and just tried to relax as much as possible.

I have learned during Covid that you don’t know how everyone feels. Some may be stressed, scared, leery of even speaking to people on a street, and that’s ok. They are free to feel the way they want to. We need to be kind to each other and not judge others.

Lastly, I am looking forward to seeing OUR PATIENTS AGAIN!!! Having good conversations and laughing with people while they sit in our chair is what I have missed....and of course my fantastic co-workers!!  See everyone soon!

SUNAYNA

2020 was supposed to be our year, but 2020 also had other plans.  If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be forced to shut down for fourth months, lay off my amazing team all in the middle of a long-awaited renovation and expansion I would’ve told you that you were crazy.  The beginning of COVID at home was definitely an adjustment.  We were so used to being a busy, always on the go family of 4 and all of a sudden there we were, all of us in our house with nowhere to go.

Making three meals and two snacks a day while entertaining two young kids was A LOT.  But here’s what I realized one day while talking to my husband.  When ever in our entire lives would we have the opportunity to take consecutive months off of work?! Never! So in that moment I decided to relax, ease off, and truly try to enjoy the moments I have been given with my kids and family.

As much as I love my family, gosh did I miss work! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I absolutely adore what I do, who I do it with, and my patients.  I feel so lucky.  No matter what financial stresses may have come out of this the sole fact remains my dream of creating a space that feels like home where people can come and provide exceptional dentistry all while being kind is coming true, and for that I am so grateful.

During this time I’ve seen more empathy, love, and kindness around me.  I hope we all continue to make a concerted effort to keep that going.  In the end, I realized 2020 is still our year.  We grew, we learnt, we evolved. I cannot wait to see all of you again and welcome you in our dream space, it’s been a LONG time coming! Most of all, I can’t wait to laugh with you all again.  See you soon!

KAITLIN

It felt like I had just come back from maternity leave and then we had to shut down. I love my job but like lots of people coming back from mat leave, I had a small interest to stay home with the kids and COVID let me live that life for a little bit. I enjoyed my time with them doing science experiments, lots of baking and playing outside. We got a small trampoline and played lots on there. We went for walks often and I did workouts with my kids. On days I didn’t feel like working out or going for my walk my daughter would say that I had to, haha! It was part of our routine. I should add my husband worked from home through this time and that was also very nice that he could be around and move his schedule if needed to be with the whole family.

Through this time I learnt to slow down and be more present with my kids. I soaked up the time I had with them. I learnt to be more patient and to pick my battles, giving into things that don’t really matter in the long run. I am a home body and enjoyed these past few months with my family but I am looking forward to getting back to work!

 LINDSAY

During the Covid-19 pandemic I enjoyed sleeping in the mornings, learning to cook new foods, cleaning and organizing my home, and spending time working on self- improvement.

With this time away from work and socializing, I learned the benefit of slowing down a little bit and taking the time to enjoy nature and my own company. Now that we are back at Niverville Heritage Dental, I look forward to maintaining a healthy balance in my schedule and improving my free-time management skills!

A letter to you.

I truly love what I do. Yes, I really do laugh like this ALL the time at work.

I struggled a lot about whether to write this or not. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m sweating as we speak (how’s that for a lovely image for you). Here’s why I decided to try to put into words what I’m feeling right now. I think, or at least hope, the reason you come to our office is not only the quality of work we do, but more importantly, because of how we make you feel.  What you see is what you get.  We are REAL. Real women who love what they do and are having a blast while doing it. This is why this crazy situation we are all in has been so difficult - mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. 

I am one of those lucky few who truly loves what they do. Loves teeth? What a weirdo. Yup, this weirdo loves teeth.  But what I also love and feed off of is the human connection. I love chatting (I think all of you can agree with that one), laughing extremely loudly (shocker), and just being with my patients. Not being able to come to work is devastating. Not being able to help my patients by offering them to come in so I can take them out of pain leaves me feeling completely helpless.  Basically not being able to do what I love feels like a piece of me is missing.

The best team a girl could ever wish for.

Then there’s the girls. In the dental field, there tends to a pretty regular turnover of team members.  Not mine.  I hit the absolute dental jackpot when it comes to my team of gals (knocking on wood as we speak).  Having to lay them off for the time being, knowing the stress that puts on them, and not being able to see them has literally kept me up at night.  I feed off of them and when that’s missing, things just don’t seem whole.

Now a bit more about what’s going with me. Holy smokes how do stay at home moms do it?! Being at home with both kids all day, homeschooling, meals, snacks, trying to get some work done, I can’t even! (Shout out to my super sweet patient who waited as my kids barged into my room and began singing at the top of their lungs while I was on the phone with her trying to figure out what happened to her tooth). Anyone feel like they are more exhausted now than before this whole thing happened?! I literally thought I would have time to do the things I never had time for before like organizing the closets, cleaning out the basement, reading that book I never started.  Nope! How is it that I am forced not to work and be at home but still don’t have time?! 

My family. Love these humans, but boy being with them 24 hours a day really does test your love!

Now to the part that is seen as a definite faux pas that no one really talks about - the financial stress.  Let’s be real, no one is going to feel sorry for a dentist.  Am I extremely lucky to be well compensated to do something that I love? Absoutely, without a shadow of a doubt.  Are there well established dentists out there who have been practicing and owned their practice for decades, with savings who this situation will be easier for? Yup.  Am I one of those dentists? Nope. I wish, I would love a new bag, hahahahaha. Just kidding.  Sort of.

The hard truth is I’m still a young practicing dentist who is a new business owner.  I have dental school debt, a business loan for buying into this practice that I love with all my soul, and then to top it all off, a renovation that is still continuing on with no revenue coming in for the foreseeable future. I have zero income that my family relies on and due to the nature of my work when we do go back, we are one of the highest risk as we work in the mouth.  

Now, please know this is not meant to be a “Feel sorry for Sunayna and let’s throw her a pity party” post, but if you want to, I’m happy to join the party you throw for me virtually! I like Beyonce FYI.  But seriously here’s what I know after a lot of soul searching:

Miss you all everyday. I can’t wait to see your smiles again soon.

EVERYONE is struggling, not just me.  EVERYONE is hurting.  EVERYONE is trying their best to navigate this.

GRATITUDE.  Despite what I may be going through right now, I know others have it worse.  I have gratitude for the time my family has together - bedtimes that I miss sometimes due to work, meals together, and all the playing.  I have gratitude for the shelter I have, food we eat, and the ability and option to stay home while others risk their lives for us.

JOY. I refuse to let this bring me down.  From the moment I walked into Niverville Heritage Dental Centre I just knew I was meant to be here.  I work so dang hard.  The girls work so hard.  So we are going to continue with the renovation. I will not let it be a source of stress when it was always meant to be a source of excitement, pride, and pure joy.  Whenever we open, I promise you it will be a space that the girls and I deserve to work in and a space that you deserve to be treated in.  In the end, I choose JOY.

If you read this far, gosh, I owe you a complimentary exam when we open.  Just joking, I’m broke remember? Hahaha.  But seriously thank you.  Know that I dream every night of coming back and seeing all of you again.  I honestly can’t wait.  Stay safe.  Miss you.

Much love,

Sunayna

Heart Health & Oral Health - What's the Connection?

We are laughing into 2020!

People use the beginning of a new year as a time to press the restart button.  Although we gals think any day is a great day to set new goals and intentions, we are all for New Year resolutions in which you make it a priority to take care of yourself!

At the center of our overall health is our heart.  Did you know that for years researchers have been trying to solve the link between gum disease and heart disease? Let us break it down for you:

Gum disease is inflammation of the gums and the surrounding bone which houses your teeth due to bacteria.  Similarly, heart disease is the inflammation of the heart’s arteries.  In some studies, people with heart disease have been found with traces of oral bacteria in their arteries, leading researchers to believe the bacteria from your mouth can travel through your body to your heart vessels causing an increased risk for cardiac episodes such as heart attacks and strokes.  Findings such as these strengthen the relationship between gum disease and heart disease.

Here’s the conclusion:  Many studies have linked gum disease to heart disease, however further research is needed to confirm if gum disease can actually CAUSE heart disease.  From the way the research is heading, it seems likely.

Your heart is at the centre of it all, but taking care of your teeth means taking care of your heart.

Image via Pinterest.

What does that mean for you? Daily brushing and flossing along with regular hygiene appointments at your dentist can prevent and even reverse early stages of gum disease! Now if only you knew a fantastic dental office with amazing ladies that you could come to in order to have your teeth cleaned and help you control your gum disease… Oh wait! You do, us! Let us gals at Niverville Heritage Dental educate you about gum disease, help you combat it and show you the proper way of brushing and flossing.  We know now that oral health is somehow connected to overall health, so take care of your heart, teeth, and everything in between.  Click here to book an appointment.

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread

https://www.cardiosmart.org/News-and-Events/2016/01/Gum-Disease-Linked-to-Increased-Risk-for-Heart-Attack

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/Dental-Health-and-HeartHealth_UCM_459358_Article.jsp?appName=MobileApp