Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | October 4, 2012

Eat Your Vegetables!

From EDA Co-Founder, Ina Pockrass

When I was a kid, I went to great lengths to avoid eating broccoli, or anything green for that matter.  The mere smell  of Brussels sprouts cooking made me quake with fear, as I knew my grandmother wouldn’t let me leave the table until my plate was clean.

But then was then and now is now.  Now, I love just about every vegetable under the sun (other than peppers and okra).  Good thing.  Who knew that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can significantly reduce the risk of developing oral and other cancers?

A recent study out of Italy concludes just that.  Read it here: Annals of Oncology (August 2012, Vol. 23:8, pp. 2198- 2203.)  The numbers are quite astounding and should make  us all   run for the farmer’s market to stock up on these miracle foods. The study showed that by eating these vegetables  just once a week, the risk of developing oral cancer was reduced by 17%, esophageal cancer by 28%, colorectal cancer by 17%, breast cancer by 17%, and kidney cancer by 32%.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | September 26, 2012

Hand Health: To Wash or to Sanitize? That is the Question

With the change of season, everyone seems to     be either nursing a cold or trying to avoid getting one.  And yet we humans still shake hands with each other, or worse, touch surfaces like bathroom door handles that can harbor cold-causing germs for days.

So, what to do?  Use the ubiquitous hand sanitizer, obsessively wash our hands?  Both?  Neither?  And which is better for the environment?

The answer is not cut and dried, and it may surprise you.  The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) tells us in this helpful video that a million deaths a year could be prevented simply by properly washing our hands. 

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | September 19, 2012

Save the Earth, Please the Tummy: Greening the Packed Lunch

ImageWhether you’re headed to the office or sending the kids off to school, it’s easier than ever to take your green living values with you at lunchtime.  Here are our top  tips for minimizing waste, maximizing taste and keeping  it real!

1. Pack It In Green.  Gone are the days of the disposable, brown paper lunch bag!  There are many   cool reusable lunch boxes available, everything from wild colors to stainless steel to insulated choices that keep contents fresh.  Lap Top Lunches’ offerings are brightly colored, BPA, lead and phthalate-free.  www.laptoplunches.com To-Go Ware’s stainless steel options are sturdy    and allow you to keep the sandwich safely away from the salad.  www.to-goware.com.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | August 27, 2012

Let it Shine: The Benefits of LED Lights

High-Time for High Tech: 
Guest post from DentalEZ, EDA Member and manufacturer of the EDA Accepted EverLight™

For decades, the halogen technology that has powered overhead dental operatory lights has remained virtually unchanged. Although halogen lights have provided adequate lighting for many years, it does have several disadvantages. Halogen lighting uses filament and halogen gas to produce light. In order to produce light the  filament must get hot which then causes the light to emit heat.  Although the process seems simple, halogen lighting uses a lot of energy, is fragile, has a slower response time and must be replaced multiple times per year. With the amount of time your light is used during practice hours you may be changing your light bulb frequently and noticing you need to turn it off because of the heat. Consider that the short life span of these halogen bulbs means sending extra waste to landfills each time they must be replaced and that the extra energy needed to keep your operatory cool means higher electricity bills.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | August 20, 2012

Keeping Your Baby’s Mouth Healthy

It’s one of the things we’re asked the most: How can I take care of my baby’s oral health before their first tooth even appears? There are lots of decisions and preparations to be made before your little one starts growing a mouthful of happy, healthy teeth. Many parents know they want to prevent cavities, but they aren’t always sure of the best method. And, in light of the recent  FDA warning about teething medication, we think it’s a great time to brush up on some of the basics when it comes to taking care of your infant’s oral health.

With the first signs of little teeth as they break through the gums (and the sad cries of the small baby warrior making those things grow), many parents might reach for a pain remedy containing benzocaine to help sooth sore gums. Please…Put. That. Down. The FDA recently reissued a warning that the use of gels containing this ingredient can lead to a rare, but serious—and sometimes fatal—condition called methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | August 14, 2012

Caring for Ourselves, Caring for the Planet

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

You may have heard this quote before, but have you thought about it in terms of how your own well-being relates to the well-being of the planet?

Many of us are overwhelmed by the enormity of our environmental challenges and this can lead to paralysis.  Unsure what we can do that makes any difference, we can put our heads in the sand and do nothing.  But what if the radical act of consciously attending to our own well-being helped change the world?  Would that make us take better care of ourselves?

We posit that the answer is a resounding YES! When we stop viewing ourselves as separate from the melting ice sheets of Greenland, separate from the discarded paper cup in the street, or separate from the homeless person begging on the street corner, we become present to the connectivity of everything.  And when we are conscious of what we put in and on our bodies, and how we care for ourselves, we are changing the world.

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Posted in Dental Industry, Get Involved, Green Dentistry, Green Products, High Tech Dentistry, Letters from the EDA, Patient Education, Patients | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | August 8, 2012

It’s High-Time for High-Tech!

We really like technology. No, we love technology and all the ways it enhances our lives and practices. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of “High-Time for High-Tech, an educational campaign connecting dentists with the latest and greatest dental technology.  Digital technologies and high-tech modalities are the cornerstone of today’s efficient, profitable, state-of-the-art, and eco-friendly dental practices. Who doesn’t want that?

What is it?

“High-Time for High-Tech” is the EDA’s first educational campaign focusing solely on how technology helps dental offices reduce waste and pollution, save energy, water and money, and practice wellness-based dentistry.  The campaign also helps dental practitioners understand how technological tools, like digital imaging and salivary diagnostics, support them in effectively reaching wellness-lifestyle patients – 100 million of them in America alone.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | August 3, 2012

Summer’s Best Accessory: A Healthy Smile

Summer is in full swing and for many that means travel (near and far), barbecues, outdoor activities and plenty of sun! But while you’re soaking up every ray of sunshine and milking the summer months for all they’re worth, are you taking extra steps to keep your oral health in tip-top shape? Along with the many pleasures the season can bring, there are some additional things to consider when it comes to keeping your mouth safe and healthy.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | July 25, 2012

What You Can’t See CAN Hurt You

Let’s face it.  If you had an active, nasty infection in your eyes, you’d run to the doctor that day for treatment.  So why is it that more than 70% of the population of the developed world has infected gums, but so few do anything about them?

The reason it turns out is as simple as out of sight out of mind.  Because we can’t easily see inside our own mouths, we try not to think about what might be lurking in there.  This is not a situation where ignorance is bliss.

According to a recent study by the ADA of 1500 adults, our inability to see inside our mouths contributes to all kinds of myths and misinformation.  For example, the vast majority of people (65%) believe they should change their toothbrush twice a year, just like most think everyone should get their teeth cleaned twice a year.

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Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | July 19, 2012

The Prius Effect: Changing Behavior in Real Time

EDA Co-Founder Ina Pockrass shares how real-time feedback can drive behavior change

Some may think it a recipe for marital discord that my husband and I share one car, our beloved “Polly” the Prius, but the real shocker is how that car has changed the way we both drive.

If you haven’t seen the Prius dashboard, it looks like something from the Jetsons: all LED lights and flashing graphics, letting the driver know when the engine is running on silent battery power and when it’s drawing on the gas engine.  It also includes a lighted gauge which tells the driver, in real time, how many miles per gallon the car is getting. Step hard on the gas to pass a truck, and the MPG plummets under 10, ease up on the gas, and the gauge climbs all the way to 100 MPG, and beyond.  100 MPG!! For over achievers like us, it’s exciting to see how we can control fuel consumption to get the most out of every drop of “dino fuel” and to keep that gauge as close to 100 MPG as possible.

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