It's that time of year again. Will you or have you made any resolutions you can actually keep? Tips to follow!

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Christmas Time Around the Office!

Around here, we love the holidays! Here's our holiday staff photos, although minus reindeer Telina...she got lost in our famous Fresno fog!

Oh, silly reindeer....and here's our little Christmas tree, and the elf that just wants to be a dentist :) 

We hope you & your family are having a wonderful holiday season!

Holiday Recipes - Peppermint Cheesecakes in a Jar

Hello all! Around the office we are beginning to feel very festive! Our Christmas decorations are up, are yours? We decided to share a fun recipe with you all, that is quite festive & great for gifts! Share your photos with us on Facebook of your holiday baking!


Frozen Peppermint Cheesecakes in a Jar

Supplies needed for this project:

10 half pint Ball jars
Cooking spray
2 cups of chocolate sandwich cookies (approx. 17 cookies)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
red food coloring
20 peppermint candies
3 freezer bags
1 rolling pin


Place your chocolate sandwich cookies into a freezer bag and use the rolling pin to smash the bag of cookies until they become cookie crumbs. Add your melted butter and sugar to the bag and mash the bag in your hands until the three ingredients pull together to create your crust and are well incorporated.
Take the lids off the glass jars and place them on a cookie sheet to contain the mess. Spray each of the jars with cooking spray. Put two spoonfuls of cookie crumbs into each jar and use the back of the spoon or your hands to press the crust into each jar. Slide the cookie sheet of jars into the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the can of sweetened condensed milk until it is smooth. Stir in your peppermint extract and red food coloring, approximately three drips to achieve a pale pink color. Mix all the ingredients well. Fold in whipped cream.
Remove your tray of jars from the freezer. Using a standard ice cream scoop, add one scoop of filling to each of your jars. Use the back of a small spoon to smooth the filling on top until it is level and smooth.
Remove the wrappers from your peppermint candies. Place the peppermint candies into a double-bagged freezer bag and use your rolling pin to smash into small pieces to garnish your cheesecakes. Sprinkle the broken peppermints on top of each one.
Screw the lids back on your jars and put back into the freezer. Freeze for two hours or until firm.


Via Splendidly Homemade on Pinterest

Best & Worst Halloween Candy for Children

Halloween is just around the corner, and although candy consumption is almost unavoidable this time of year, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) wants parents and children to know that there are both good and bad candy options, both of which may find their way into children’s trick-or-treat bags this fall.

“Of course, dentists do not advocate that children eat large amounts of sugary treats, but it is that time of year, so we want to clarify for parents which treats are better for their kids’ teeth and which ones may increase the risk of developing cavities,” says AGD spokesperson Cynthia Sherwood, DDS, FAGD.

Worst:

•  Chewy/sticky sweets, such as gummy candies, taffy, and even dried fruit can be difficult for children and adults to resist, and even more difficult to remove from teeth. “These candies are a serious source of tooth decay, particularly when they get stuck in the crevices between teeth, making it nearly impossible for saliva to wash them away,” Dr. Sherwood says.
•  Sour candies are highly acidic and can break down tooth enamel quickly. The good news: Saliva slowly helps to restore the natural balance of the acid in the mouth. Dr. Sherwood recommends that patients wait 30 minutes to brush their teeth after consuming sour/acidic candies; otherwise, they will be brushing the acid onto more tooth surfaces and increasing the risk of enamel erosion.
• Sugary snacks, including candy corn, cookies, and cake, all contain high amounts of sugar, which can cause tooth decay.

Best:

•  Sugar-free lollipops and hard candies stimulate saliva, which can help prevent dry mouth. “A dry mouth allows plaque to build up on teeth faster, leading to an increased risk of cavities,” Dr. Sherwood says.
•  Sugar-free gum can actually prevent cavities as it not only dislodges food particles from between the teeth but also increases saliva—which works to neutralize the acids of the mouth and prevent tooth decay.
• Dark chocolate and its antioxidants, according to some studies, can be good for the heart and may even lower blood pressure.

“Parents should closely monitor their children’s candy intake this Halloween—and all year round—and continue to promote good oral health habits,” Dr. Sherwood says. “Kids also should be brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes.”

For more tips on improving your child’s oral health, speak with your dentist and visit KnowYourTeeth.com.

from the Academy of General Dentistry 

S.M.I.L.E. for Cancer Check

SMILE for Cancer Check

Guest blogger : Jonathan A. Bregman, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.

Oral cancer is something that has stayed “below the radar” of the public; it is not known nor understood by the majority of non-dental health care providers.  There is not the level of awareness or understanding of the necessity of self-exam as there is for breast cancer, for example.

For that reason, there is a very simple way for the public to be able to save their own lives through awareness of their own oral health, with S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™ and through the website www.endoralcancer.com.  Along with self-awareness of the need for self-exam is the clear message about the importance of seeing one’s dentist at least twice per year for an oral cancer screening as well.

Use of your S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™

An oral cancer self-examination looks for abnormalities (white patches, red patches, bumps, lumps, or ulcers). You, as a patient need to S.M.I.L.E.™ once per month for yourself and twice per year for your dentist…for early detection of oral cancer!

If you see something abnormal, wait 2-3 weeks, look again.  If it is still there, go see your dentist.

And remember, what you don’t know about your mouth can kill you!  

To get additional smile-mirrors and for a video demonstration of the S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™ go to www.endoralcancer.com.

Next in this blog series about oral cancer:  Meet Stage IV- Oral Cancer survivor Eve Grayzel, http://www.sixstepscreening.org/about

Halloween Contests!!

This month we are holding our first Halloween costume contest! And yes, it is open to all ages, but please keep it PG-13 :) We are very excited to see what our patients come  up with! So excited, that we decided the prize is a family 4-pack of movie passes!

So How Do You Enter Our Costume Contest?

Step 1: Like us on Facebook! Click here or search for 'Dr Treva Lee'

Step 2: E-mail your photos to: DrLeeCostumeContest@gmail.com

Step 3: Watch for your photo to be posted on our Facebook. We'll upload your photos to an album, share your photo and get everyone you know to like your entry! The photo with the most likes wins a family 4-pack of movie passes!

Please e-mail your entries to us no later than Monday, November 5th.
Winners will be announced Monday, November 9th via Facebook.
So start creating (or buying) those costumes!

Think your costume can beat this adorable little guy? Let's see it! (Image found via Tumblr)

...But wait, there's MORE contests?!

Why yes! In addition to our costume contest on Facebook, we are having a coloring contest that your children can enter during your visit to our office during the month of October.

Not to be outdone, we are also holding a guessing game for all-ages! Stop by our office and guess how many candy pumpkins we fit into the jar. Winners will not only win the jar of candy but a gift card as well!

0 to 5 in 30 Minutes! -- Fluoride Varnishing.wmv

It's a New Year, and after all those holiday treats, here's how to protect your child's teeth from all those "acid-attacks"