Month: September 2021

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Knowing the impact COVID-19 has on our world today, Lane & Associates Family Dentistry(LAA) has decided to join in the research to improve our tomorrow. As of Fall 2021, LAA will be partnering with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), in the trial of their latest reusable elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs). 

Lane & Associates Family Dentistry is proud and excited to incorporate the use of EHMRs across all 40 of its dental offices over the next several months. These EHMRs are unique because they are designed with replaceable air-filtering cartridges to prevent the spread of airborne illnesses from practitioner to the patient and vice versa.   

Respirators are the standard protection device used in many industries. But their use in healthcare is unique in that a constant supply is always needed, especially during times of public health crisis. The durability and reusability of EHMRs make them desirable during product shortages for public health emergencies and challenges.  

What will these respirators mean for me? 

These EHMRs will only be worn by clinical staff members in our offices and will not affect your dental appointments at LAA. However, we will continue to ask that all patients who enter our facilities wear their face coverings as has been our COVID policy since May 2020. 

How long will LAA be wearing the respirators? 

Our clinical team members who elected to test the masks will be wearing these for the next few months. Although these masks may look cumbersome, we believe they could have life-saving effects during any subsequent pandemics, especially for those in the healthcare industry. 

Our team at LAA is excited to join NIOSH in this research for a healthier tomorrow! Please reach out at info@lanedds.com if you have further questions regarding this new partnership. 
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THE OLD LINE “it takes fewer muscles to smile than frown” isn’t actually true. It takes at least ten muscles to smile but as few as six to frown, so maybe the saying should be something like “you burn more calories when you smile than when you frown!” instead. However, getting a better workout isn’t the only benefit we get from smiling!

The Feedback Loop Between Smiling and Happiness

Obviously, we smile when we’re happy, but evidence shows that the very act of smiling might make us feel happier. Smiling is so closely linked to the feeling of happiness in our brains that even a fake smile can release endorphins — the feel-good hormone — and make us feel better. The next time you’re having a rough day, try flashing a smile and see if that helps a little!

We Reduce Pain and Stress by Smiling

Those endorphins we get from smiling can do a lot of helpful things besides just contributing to a better mood. Short-term, endorphins help to reduce pain and relieve stress because they function in a similar way to painkillers (except without the side effects).

A 2012 experiment tested how long it took subjects’ heart rates to return to normal after completing a stressful task, and the smiling subjects recovered faster. The way the experiment worked was that the non-smiling group had to hold a pencil between their lips while they did the task (forcing a more pout-like expression), while the smiling group had to hold the pencil between their teeth (forcing more of a smile).

The Long-Term Benefits of Smiling: A Better Immune System!

Those short-term endorphin effects are great, but it doesn’t even stop there! Over time, when we make a habit of smiling more, the effects compound into long-term health benefits like making us more resilient against illnesses and reducing our risk of getting cancer. The reason for this is that the better we manage our stress, the fewer stress-induced mutations our cells go through over the years.

Smile More, Live Longer

People typically perceive a smiling face as being more attractive and younger than a non-smiling face, and that’s not just about appearances. Over the course of a lifetime of smiling, we might accrue enough health benefits to actually live longer. One way to make it easier to smile more is to be proud of the way our smiles look because we have healthy teeth and gums. For that, we need great dental health habits and regular professional dental care.

Bring Your Beautiful Smile to the Dentist!

Don’t fight the battle for your smile’s health on your own; the dentist can help. Schedule regular cleaning appointments to get that professional deep clean and catch any problems while they are still small, and bring any questions you have about dental health with you!

Nothing makes us smile quite like our patients! Reach out to schedule your dental appointment with Lane & Associates Family Dentistry today or call us at 877-LANE-DDS!

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