Family Dental Care Park Ridge

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It is felt that laughter plays a very important role in our emotional and physical health. Some of the effects of laughter are obvious.  But what about the more subtle effects.  I am such a fan of laughter that I wrote about it in a guest post over at my friend Al Smith’s blog , The CARE Movement, not too long ago.  If you click here, you can see what I said.  Today, though, I want to share with you some of the subtle and not so subtle effects of laughter.

• Contagious:  If you are going to spread something my way, please let it be laughter.  The contagious nature of laughter is something that I am pretty sure, most of us want to “catch”.  Sometimes we will join friends in laughter having no idea as to what we are laughing about…the laughter was just that contagious.  Pretty powerful!
• Tension Reducer:  In those uncomfortably tense situations that we find ourselves in occasionally, finding humor and evoking laughter can really offset the tension.  There is nothing like a little levity to diffuse a sticky situation.
• Endorphin Release: We know that the level of endorphin release increases with laughter and helps to create positive feelings that can even help in reducing responses to pain.
• Mood Enhancement: Laughter brings with it an overall sense of well being that works as a natural mood enhancer
• Immune Response:  Laughter is thought to be able to decrease the stress hormones and concomitantly increase the release of the  good immune cells which can decrease our chances of illness and increase our ability to heal.
• Increases Sense of Self:  Laughter is a unifier.  It can help you feel more relaxed socially and more able to be yourself.  It’s inherent tension reducing capability reduces the fear of being judged and allows more freedom of expression.

So, what can you do to increase the presence of laughter in your life?

• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Give yourself a laughter challenge and initiate the laughter yourself.
• Find activities that make you happy.
• Try to find the humor in situations.
• Be mindful of utilizing laughter therapy in your life.
• Take diligent care of your health.
• Be proactive in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

We are Family Dental Care Park Ridge can help bring smiles and laughter to your life.  As dentists that are experienced in cosmetic dentistry, we offer many options that will accentuate your beautiful smile so that when spontaneous laughter erupts, you are confident and proud of your teeth!  If you have concerns about the appearance of your teeth, give us a call and set up a time to meet with Dr. Carolyn Demas or Dr. Matt Demas.  They can work together with you to help make you feel good about your smile.

Remember, laughter definitely IS the best medicine!

And, as always…we LOVE making you smile!

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Let’s face it.  We dentists expect a lot from you.  We ask you to visit us no less than twice a year.  And, it’s not like this visit is some pleasant social event.  Oh no.  First, we put a bib on you because there is a possibility that  we might get messy.  And then we give you protective eyewear because there is a possibility that things might go flying.  And  then we lay you down in a position that not only makes you feel vulnerable, but it also makes you feel as though you are going to slide head first right onto the floor.  And as if all of that were not enough, we begin to pick and poke and prod at your teeth and gums.  And then we have the nerve to tell you that all of what we are putting you through is for your own good.

But our expectations of you don’t end with the bi-annual dental visit. Oh no.  We have a more demanding expectation.  We tell you that you need to brush your teeth twice daily for two full minutes each time.  And, if you would, could you please also floss your teeth once a day.  So demanding.  Really.  So, this morning it came to me that, since I expect you to take up two minutes of your morning and two minutes of your evening to brush, I should share with you some of the thoughts that entertain me while I am  brushing.  Now, in full disclosure, I have to admit that I use an Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide toothbrush which has a sweet two minute timer built in so that my mind can entertain me and leave the timing to…well… the timer.

Two Minutes of Mindless Meanderings While Brushing My Teeth

• hmmm…look at those bags under my eyes….I’ve heard tea bags help reduce puffiness..I wonder if  I use Chai tea, would I feel more alert and if I use Chamomile, would I feel more sleepy
• which reminds me…that Chai tea I had yesterday was great but I think it was why I couldn’t sleep
• I do love sleep…
• hmmm….is it my imagination or is it time to whiten my teeth again…what do you think?  hee hee hee…what do you think? pfffftt
• I wonder if I should I promote our whitening offer for new patients again?
• I don’t want to seem too pushy….pushy is so tacky….wait, is that a lady bug?
• awwww….look at the cute lady bug crawling on the wall….CHLOE!!!…oh well….dog 1 – ladybug 0
• I think I need a pedicure…oops….hmmm…toothpaste is an interesting color for polish
• I loved that movie I watched last night…so romantic…what was it called….the one with what’s-his-name….about some city  in Europe that I can’t remember….but really, really…a great movie
• what should I make for breakfast….wait, I need to go to the grocery store. I have nothing in the house.  I think I might have croutons somewhere…no one will ever know….croutons are really just fancy toast anyway
• I really need to brush the dogs…oh, who am I kidding… why should I bother…they are just going to get all messy and full of burs again when we walk later….besides, they look more natural this way
• oh look…if you connect the toothpaste splatter on the mirror, it looks like an outline of the United States…cool
• I wonder if I can pull off that sassy/messy hair look today or will people know that it’s really a bad case of bed-head
• wow, my eyebrows are really expressing themselves…I think I need to show them who’s boss
• oh listen…I love the song that’s in my head this morning….I want an easier life..whoaoaoao…I want an easier life…yeaaaah…I want an easier life…lalala  ( Easier Life )
• they should do a study on songs that get stuck in people’s heads…I wonder what my songs in my head say about me…
• okay… I’ve got things to do….how much longer here….let’s see…ten more seconds
• one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand, five one thousand… wonder what I should wear today
• awww….look…a smiley face on my toothbrush.  I did it!!!

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I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  I will share with you  a bit of insight.  I am human.  Now you are probably going to roll your eyes and say to yourself, “Well, duh”  “That’s not a secret”. And you would be right.  It’s not a big secret at all.  But, it is what I have embraced as a human that makes this worth sharing.

I make mistakes.  Often.  And finally….it’s okay.  As a matter of fact, after many decades of trying to design a life dedicated to the avoidance of mistakes, I am now ready to welcome them.  I have always lived by the philosophy of no regrets.  I truly love how each part of my life’s journey… the good and the bad… have given me gifts…none of which I would ever want to part with.  And so, I have no regrets.  What I have struggled with is beating myself up over mistakes. Little ones and big ones.  I just read a wonderful blog post by Betty Jean Bell in her blog Love Your Work Life in which she differentiates between ignorance and stupidity.  Her distinctions were elegant.  She quoted Sam Bell who said “Ignorance is optional. Stupidity is not”.  That is how I view the difference between regrets and mistakes.   In looking back over my life’s experiences, I do not regret a single episode…a single road taken.  In looking at my day to day experiences, I stress out over my inability to prevent mistakes.  Until recently.

Taking myself out from behind the dental instruments that had become my identity and diving into a reinvention of myself has been an amazing learning experience.  I went from being a dentist in Park Ridge to a woman passionate about her business and its growth.  And in that passion, I have taken on experiences in marketing and branding and SEO and social media and teaching that I have never before known.  And I am loving it.  And in that passion for new knowledge, growth and new experiences, I am relishing the lessons. Each mistake that I make leads me to a new understanding…to a new level.  It’s akin to playing my new favorite video game, Angry Birds, in a way.    I plan my strategy and keep moving forward knocking down obstacles and then, bang…I fail…I miss my mark.  But, I am addicted and so with renewed energy, I pick myself back up and put my goals back into my site-line and begin knocking down those obstacles again but this time with a better understanding of what NOT to do.  My mistakes are some of my best lessons.  They energize me…they no longer pull me down into a place of self flagellation.  They inspire me…I can’t seem to get enough of all of the new information that I am bombarded with.  They motivate me…I want to grow and as I grow, my knowledge base grows and my business acumen grows and the end result is a better place for you.  And, when all is said and done, that is my goal.  It has always been my goal.  To make Family Dental Care Park Ridge a place that brings to you the best possible dental care, the best possible dentists, and the best possible technology and expertise that is available.  You are part of the reason that I have learned to love my mistakes…they have helped me to make Family Dental Care Park Ridge a better place for you.

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You may or may not be familiar with the latest craze in social media….location-based social networking.  The forerunners in this fast growing fad are Foursquare®, Places® (a Facebook based application) and Gowalla®.  The concept is that when you arrive at a business or store, you use your mobile phone to “check-in” utilizing a pre-loaded application for the location-based social networking tool of choice.  You can have as many of these apps on your phone as you would like.  With Foursquare®, the check-in is more game-like in that there are “badges” that you can earn as you increase the number of your check-ins.  And to satisfy the competitive edge inherent in many of us, you can always aim to become the “Mayor” of a location.   And if becoming “Mayor” isn’t satisfying enough,  the thrill of “ousting” an existing “Mayor” is pretty compelling.  The point behind all of these location-based social networking tools is multi-layered.  The immediate payoff is that your friends can see and keep track of where your day takes you.  In theory, if you check into a location and one of your friends happens to see your check-in and they are nearby, the two of you can perhaps get together.  For businesses, each time you check in to a location, that business or retail location gets mentioned.  People will see that the coffee shop down the street seems to get a lot of check-ins so, maybe that coffee shop down the street might be worth trying out.  Location-based social networking is just one more tier in the ever growing social media concept of “word of mouth marketing”….if my friends X, Y and Z all seem to frequent the coffee shop down the street, that shop gains credibility.  Their frequent check-ins act as a word of mouth endorsement.  This is intuitive and genius.  I happen to be an avid user of Foursquare® and Places®.  And as a user, I find that checking in often initiates “conversation” online….a remark about what flavor ice cream a friend may recommend, a comment about a friend having just been to that coffee shop, etc.  This form of networking and marketing is not going away…it will only get more intricate.

In keeping with my love of social networking, Family Dental Care Park Ridge is thrilled to be a part of the location based social networking tool, Foursquare®.  Those of you already using Foursquare®, you can now “check-in” when you have an appointment at our office.  There are specials for those “check-ins” that become the “Mayor” of Family Dental Care Park Ridge.  And speaking of “Mayor”…congratulations go to Paul Saini….Paul is our first official “Mayor” and, as such, the Honorable Paul will receive a Crest White Strips Supreme Professional Strength teeth whitening kit.  If you are a location-based social networking user, remember to “check-in” each time you come to Family Dental Care Park Ridge.  Checking in is the only way that you can oust Paul as the Mayor and receive a similar special.  And admit it…you just KNOW you want to “oust” him.

Have fun with this new feature at Family Dental Care Park Ridge and keep an eye open for new Foursquare® specials.  If you haven’t yet downloaded the app for Foursquare® or Places® or Gowalla® on your phone, give it a try.  It’s fun and slightly addicting.

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Recently I posted an article about flossing on our Facebook Page, Park Ridge DDS.  The funny thing about posts is that some of them create a reaction and some just fail with a big thud.  The flossing article was one of those posts that created a reaction.  People started sharing about where they floss.  Cars seemed way more popular than bathrooms for reasons that elude me;-)  One of my friends shared with me a hilarious story about floss coming to the rescue when a button popped.  Use your imagination.

I’d love to string this funny floss thread along for a bit longer.  I want to hear your stories.   I invite you to share your favorite floss stories with us.  Interesting uses for floss (keep it PG), weird uses, or even practical uses.  I for one have been known to hang pictures using floss on occasion.  If you are on Facebook, post your story on our Page, Park Ridge DDS.  If you are on Twitter, share your tale with @ParkRidgeDDS.  Otherwise, send your funny stories to info@ParkRidgeDDS.com .  I am sure that there will be a story that is prize-worthy so, in an effort to incentivize ( I just love that word and needed a way to use it)  get writing.  A prize may await you!! All of those creative writing classes weren’t for naught…they were to prepare you for challenges like this!!

Stay tuned…this could be good!!

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