There’s nothing like a nice Spring Break to recharge right? It comes at the right time, every year. In Utah, we’re still getting snowed on. So we decided to head to a warmer climate.

The office is getting redone as we speak so we should come home to a new office. If you remember, we had a horrible flood that all started from our washing machine. We’ve been working feverishly with the insurance company and the contractors to get the office back to it’s sparkly clean and organized old self.

And this week it happens… So no more leaks please. Knock on wood, cross your fingers.

We’re all really excited about the changes we’re making in the office. You won’t want to miss them. Hopefully you’re coming in enough that you’ll notice what we’ve changed. If not, come take a look and we’ll give you a little mini-tour. It’s like Christmas but in April. Last weekend was Easter. This week still feels like the holidays.

I hope you all are doing fantastic and that you’re staying warm during spring break

We get this question all the time. Most dentists will give you a list over very intimidating and altogether depressing facts about people’s teeth rotting out of their faces. That’s no fun. Everyone knows that ignoring your teeth is a bad idea and therefore bad things can happen.

So here’s my take on the issue. It’s probably not what you think. I’m not going to scare you with diseases or disorders.

1. Once your teeth are damaged, there’s no undo button. Once the damage is done, it’s done. The crazy thing is that you can’t feel the damage while it’s happening. You just have to prevent it. If you’re not careful, it can sneak up on you. Remember, you only have one set of teeth. Yes, we can repair teeth with artificial means, but once your tooth is fixed or removed, there’s no going back. They don’t grow back. That’s incentive enough for me to keep my dental hygiene up. I don’t want to lose or damage my own teeth.
2. Most people hang their confidence on their smile. Imagine if you were having a great day. You leave the house with a big smile on your face. You get to where you’re going, still with that same smile on your face. Even so, every person you meet looks the other way or giggles when they see you. That hurts, and it soon wipes the smile off your face. What’s going on? Your good day turns in to a difficult day. It all had to do with how people reacted to your smile. All along, you had a piece of spinach in your teeth. Your smile makes a big difference. You won’t want to lose that smile of yours.

Those are just two of the major reasons why I think it’s important to go to the dentist. There are lots of others but these to me are most important. If you feel like it’s been a while since you’ve been to the dentist, come see us.

Out of all the things that we hear as dentists, one of the most common is that the dentist office is supposed to be dull and boring. Hmmm… Remember those bad dates in high school or college when there was an awkward pause in the conversation… and the next thing out of his mouth was, “So, uh, what’s your favorite color?” Yeah, that’s a classic. You won’t get that at Total Care Dental.

I can imagine that it’s just pure torture sitting in the spotlight on a dental chair unable to move a muscle with your mouth stinted open and cruel drills buzzing in your ear. If you add a dull and boring conversation to the mix, I don’t think torture would do it justice. Yikes.

We try to keep a smile on your face, even if it’s difficult to smile with three hands that aren’t yours in your mouth. Try us on for size and see what you think. You might be disappointed that the dentist isn’t as boring as you were hoping.

In case you missed it, this is what the office looked like. One thing is for sure, it won’t look like this when we’re done We’re fighting back y’all!

Last night I listened to a speaker from Australia while at the 15th annual meeting of the Crown Council. This speaker is about 3feet tall. He is a very handsome 24 year old man. He was born without any arms or legs. He tells his story of how he grew up in Australia with all of the hardships he had to overcome. He has learned to put aside feelings of depression and despair, as he has grown to accept his life, and look for the good. He is just a stump that stands erect on a table as he speaks.

He talks about gratitude, hope, and faith. As I think of my life, I am grateful for so many things. Even though we are all experiencing some despair and disappointment from the things that are happening in the world, we can be grateful for so many things. We can be grateful for life, health, and a great place to live. We can be grateful for freedom and hope for a better future. I am grateful for my team, my patients, my family, and all of the many blessings I have.

May God bless you as you think of all of the blessings you have. May we all be inspired to look outward and bless the lives of those we are around.

From Dr. Coles