February brought Valentine’s Day joy, snow days, and plenty of reasons to smile! While the month may be winding down, it’s still a great time to focus on your oral health.
February is both National Children’s Dental Health Month and Gum Disease Awareness Month, important reminders to keep up with regular checkups and healthy habits. We also sponsored a fantastic Give Kids a Smile Day, providing free dental care to children in need—thank you to everyone who helped make it a success!
Stay cozy and keep those smiles shining—spring will be here before we know it!
In This Issue:
- Another Successful Give Kids A Smile Day!
- National Children’s Dental Health Month – The Importance of Fluoride
- Gum Disease Awareness Month
- Celebrating Love & Snowy Smiles
- We Got a Facelift!
- Honoring Our Team Members
- Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins
- Please Leave us a Review!
Another Successful Give Kids A Smile Day!
Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) Day 2025 was a huge success! We had a fantastic turnout, welcoming children for free cleanings, exams, and x-rays as part of our commitment to providing essential dental care to underserved families. It was heartwarming to see so many kids excited about taking care of their smiles, and our team loved every moment of making our patients feel comfortable and educated about oral health.
Parents had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about their child’s dental needs, while kids enjoyed a fun and welcoming atmosphere. Every child left with a bright smile and a goodie bag filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and fun prizes to encourage healthy habits at home.
Special thanks go to Oscar, our Spanish-speaking Treatment Plan Coordinator, for organizing and coordinating this event. Oscar embraced GKAS from the time he first joined our practice, and it is now his special project. Every year he works hard to contact schools and agencies to identify children who are not able to receive regular dental care, and to put them on our GKAS schedule. His enthusiasm lights an even stronger fire in our entire team to make the event a success!
Special thanks also to Kat, who brought the Tooth Fairy with her!
We are so proud to have participated in this incredible event for another year. Thank you to the families who joined us and to our amazing team for making the day special. We can’t wait to do it again next year!
National Children’s Dental Health Month – The Importance of Fluoride
Sources: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fluoride-in-drinking-water-is-safe-heres-the-evidence/
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, an important time to highlight oral health habits that protect young smiles. One of the most effective and widely used methods for preventing tooth decay is community water fluoridation, which has been endorsed by public health experts for over 70 years. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent cavities by remineralizing teeth and making them more resistant to acid attacks from bacteria and sugars.
Scientific research has consistently shown that fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by at least 25% in children and adults, even in an era with widespread fluoride availability from toothpaste and other dental products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recognized water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century due to its significant role in improving dental health and reducing disparities. Unlike other fluoride treatments that require active participation, fluoridation benefits entire communities simply through drinking water, making it a cost-effective and equitable measure for preventing cavities.
Despite concerns about fluoride exposure, research confirms that fluoride levels in public water supplies are carefully regulated and pose no health risks at recommended levels. The optimal concentration—0.7 mg/L—provides maximum protection against tooth decay while minimizing the risk of mild dental fluorosis, a cosmetic condition that causes faint white spots on teeth but does not impact health.
For families who may not have access to routine dental care, fluoridated water serves as a crucial defense against cavities. This National Children’s Dental Health Month, it’s important to recognize the role fluoride plays in promoting healthy smiles and ensuring that children grow up with strong, cavity-free teeth.
Gum Disease Awareness Month
February is Gum Disease Awareness Month! Did you know that nearly half of adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease? Left untreated, it can lead to bad breath, tooth loss, and even impact overall health. The good news? Gum disease is preventable and treatable with the right care!
To help you understand the signs, risks, and best ways to keep your gums healthy, we’ve put together a special video series packed with expert tips and guidance. Check out our Stages of Gum Disease Playlist here: Watch Now!
Don’t wait until it’s too late—healthy gums mean a healthy smile!
Celebrating Love & Snowy Smiles
This February, our team is embracing Valentine’s Day joy and snowy fun! From heartwarming moments to snow day smiles, we’re celebrating the season with lots of love and laughter. Check out these snapshots of our amazing team and their loved ones enjoying the winter magic and spreading the Valentine’s spirit!
We Got a Facelift!
We’ve given our space a fresh new look with a renovated waiting room, new chairs, fresh paint, and updated carpet throughout the office! Your comfort is our priority, and we can’t wait for you to see the changes.
If it’s been a while since your last visit, this is the perfect time to schedule your regular checkup—come in, see the updates, and keep your smile healthy! Call us today to book your appointment.
Honoring our Team Members
To learn more about our team members, visit Our Team page on our website.
MVP –
This February we honored Oscar and Kat for their incredible contributions to our Give Kids a Smile event!
Oscar took the lead in organizing and planning, ensuring everything ran smoothly, while both he and Kat provided invaluable translation assistance for our Spanish-speaking patients and families. Their dedication helped make the day welcoming and stress-free for so many!
And let’s not forget—Kat went the extra mile by dressing up as the Tooth Fairy, bringing smiles and a little extra magic to the event!
We’re beyond grateful for your hard work and enthusiasm. You both made a lasting impact!
Invisible Worker Recognition
We also like to recognize a team member – or this month, several team members – who makes our day-to-day operations run smoothly, despite their contribution not being obvious to many of us.
We want to send a shout out to our amazing OR team, who have been working harder than ever due to the ongoing challenges from the ransomware attack at FHH.
Their commitment to coordinating and providing essential dental care in the OR—despite the added obstacles—does not go unnoticed. Your resilience, teamwork, and unwavering efforts for our patients are truly inspiring.
Thank you for going above and beyond to ensure our patients receive the care they need.
Recipe of the Month: Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins
Source: https://www.recipetineats.com/shepherds-pie-potato-skins/
If you love a good food mash-up, this shepherd’s pie potato skin recipe is definitely worth trying! It takes all the comforting flavors of classic shepherd’s pie and loads it into crispy hollowed-out russet potatoes. While sides are usually a must with dinner, this one is a complete, satisfying meal all on its own. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out!
Ingredients
- 250 g / 8 oz lamb or beef mince (ground meat)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion (brown, white or yellow), diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (pea, corn, carrots) (or fresh)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup beef stock/broth (or 1 stock / bouillon cube dissolved in hot water)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper
Potatoes and Mash
- 4 large potatoes , scrubbed clean (about 400g/13oz each)
- ½ to 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
- 2 tbsp butter (optional – but highly recommended)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Prepare the Potatoes and Mash
- Prick the potatoes with a fork (about 6 times on each potato) and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Then turn and microwave for a further 5 minutes. Pierce with a knife to check if they are cooked.
- Remove from microwave (use a dish cloth). Cut off the tops and scoop out the center using a spoon, leaving a fairly thin skin (about 0.5 cm / 0.2”).
- Place the potato scooped out in a bowl. Add milk, butter and salt and mash with a potato masher until smooth, or to your liking.
- If you want to pipe the filling, place the mashed potato into a piping back with a large star tip nozzle.
Filling
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Turn up heat to high. Add mince beef (ground beef) and cook, breaking up the mince as you go, until nicely browned and cooked – about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over flour and stir to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to simmer and continue to stir until the sauce is thick and glossy – around 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
Assemble Potatoes
- Fill each potato with the Filling so it is slightly heaped. Push down lightly to pack the filling in well.
- Pipe over the mashed potato, or scoop it on with a spoon then fluff it up with a fork. You probably won’t use all of it – save the remainder or serve it on the side.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the mashed potato is starting to brown on the ridges.
- Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
- This freezes really well. Freeze after baking for best results, otherwise the mashed potato sticks to the cling wrap. To reheat, thaw then bake (to get the top crispy again) or microwave.
- You can bake the potatoes if you prefer, rather than microwaving them. They will take around 40 – 50 minutes at 180C/350F.
- If you are in a real hurry, you can skip the step of baking and just brown the top under the grill/broiler. But note that the baking gives the Filling time for the flavours to develop as well as browning the top.
- You could also sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top of the mashed potato. Adds even more crunch and flavor!