◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page

November 2022 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

Quote Of The Month:   “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I‘m beginning to believe it.” (Clarence Darrow, American Lawyer 1857-1938)


Congratulations To:

M. Armas of Tolleson, Arizona and R. Laitinen Surprise, Arizona  Winners of our October early payment drawings for 1 free additional year of membership.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.


To Your Health With Jourdin Hendershot:

Shingles

Jourdin
Do you currently have a rash on your body that includes blisters, and the pain is unbearable?  If so, you could be suffering from shingles.

In the past month, I have had the opportunity to meet two people who have recently experienced shingles.  They both have said the same thing: “it‘s the worst pain they have ever experienced”.

Shingles is caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV).  This is also the same virus that causes chickenpox.  For the most part, chickenpox is considered a childhood disease.  Using that assumption, when a child (or anyone for that matter), experiences chickenpox, the immune system tries to fight off the infection, however, it may not destroy it all.  The remaining virus can enter the nervous system and lie dormant inside the nerve cells located near the brain and spinal cord for years.

Now, let‘s jump a few years ahead…

By this time a person is an adult and there are different factors that play a role in causing the reactivation of VZV.  Although there isn‘t enough research on why the virus reactivates as shingles, there have been found to be some related influences such as emotional stress, lowered immune system due to medications or illnesses, and aging.
Once VZV has reactivated, the virus travels along the nerve fibers that extend to the skin.  As the virus moves along the skin it creates a tingling and painful sensation.  Once the virus has reached the skin, a rash and blisters begin to develop.  This is known as shingles.

Shingles typically occurs on the back or chest but there have been cases where shingles have been on the face, around the eye, inside the mouth, and down an arm or leg.

Shingles doesn‘t discriminate against age, however, adults over the age of 50 years old are at a higher risk.  It has also has been proven that females are more at risk than males.

According to the National Institute of Aging, shingles can last between three and five weeks.  Regardless, a person can still have continued pain long after the rash and blisters have healed.  This is known as postherpetic neuralgia.

Treatment of shingles consists of anti–viral medication to reduce the intensity of the virus.  An anti–inflammatory is used to help ease inflammation and a prescription pain medication to reduce pain.

If you notice a localized and blistery rash, see a doctor immediately.  The tell–tale sign of early detection of shingles is the burning and tingling sensation under the skin.

*Keep in mind Shingles are contagious from the time blisters first develop until they have crusted over.

If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.

The above health material is provided as an information service.  It should not be used for diagnostic purposes nor is it intended to take the place of the important relationship between you and your doctor.


Grandma´s Kitchen With Grandma C.:

Savory Sausage & Bean Soup

Grandma C.
Ingredients
  1. 1 (14 oz) pkg beef smoked sausage, sliced
  2. 1 tsp minced garlic
  3. 1 large onion, chopped
  4. 2 cups kale, torn
  5. 1 tbsp lemon juice
  6. 1 cup celery, sliced thin
  7. ½ cup grated carrots
  8. 3 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  9. 6 cups chicken stock
  10. 2 cans navy beans
  11. 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  12. 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  13. ½ tsp pepper
Begin with a dutch oven or medium sized soup pot.

Add sliced sausage and pan sear for a few minutes until they are browned, tossing every couple of minutes.

Add diced onion, celery, garlic, pepper and Italian seasoning and saute‘ with the sausage until softened.

Add potatoes, grated carrots and chicken stock.  Give it a stir and bring to a boil, reduce to medium low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so, until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

Add the navy beans and allow soup to simmer for 8–10 minutes more to blend all the flavors.  In the last 2 minutes add lemon juice, parsley and kale leaves.

Serve hot with warm french bread or rolls.

Enjoy!  And remember, if it looks and smells good, eat it!!

If you have a recipe that you would like to share with Grandma C., drop her an email by clicking here.


spotlight
 

Artisan Family Dentistry

Artisan Family Dentistry
Our spotlight for November goes to the city of Glendale, Arizona and shines on Artisan Family Dentistry

Dr. Jeremy Carson and his team at Artisan Family Dentistry provide the highest level of care for residents in the northwest valley and surrounding Phoenix metro area.  Conveniently located in Glendale, Artisan Family Dentistry is here to provide excellent care at for your entire family and they work with most insurance companies.

Dr. Carson received his dental degree from Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.  Dr. Carson prefers to offer patients options when it comes to their dental care, realizing that not all patients have the same goals for their teeth, or financial abilities to meet their dental needs.

In addition to providing a wide range of general and cosmetic services, Dr. Carson is also a licensed provider of LANAP surgery (Laser Periodontal Therapy) to treat gum disease using the Periolase MVP-7 Nd:YAG laser.  Currently less than 1% of dentists in the world are licensed to perform LANAP surgery.

Whether you‘re interested in cosmetic enhancement of your smile or quality comprehensive care, Dr. Carson and Artisan Family Dentistry will provide you with the services you need to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

They strive to offer most dental procedures in their office to afford you the convenience of minimal appointments and less hassle.  However, if you require the care of a specialist, they have established trusted relationships with many specialists in the immediate area.

The practice is located at 18555 N. 59th. Ave. Suite 127 in Glendale, Arizona.  The phone number is 602-588-7777.  We also invite you to visit them on the web.

Say thank you to your dental office for the excellent manner in which you are treated by nominating your dentist!


Fun Facts:

Crazy, Zany Facts We Bet You Didn´t Know

confused
  • A shark is the only animal that can blink both its eyes.

  • Music has some pretty interesting effects on living things. It makes plants grow faster and cows produce more milk.

  • Many oranges are actually green.

  • Children tend to grow faster in the spring.

  • No one knows just how many stars are in space.

  • Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas.

  • If the moon dropped out of the sky tomorrow it would influence our oceans, the weather, Earth‘s axis, and even the length of our days.
Come back for more in next months issue!


Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:

Blogging
Come blog with us!  Dental Talk with Savon is a fun forum to post your interesting topics!  Your comments are welcome, it´s free to use and no membership is required.

Some of the topics include;

These are just a few of the topics.  Our blog site contains many other interesting topics.  Please join us!!


Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth

Does Childhood Diet Cause Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

A direct reprint of an artice By Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com associate editor
Tommy
Could a soft–food diet during childhood coupled with low levels of vitamin D be why so many people have impacted wisdom teeth?  A graduate student from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada is getting to the bottom of it, according to university news.

Elsa Van Ankum, a PhD student in the department of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology at the university‘s college of medicine, has received funding to use archeological samples to study whether food texture, vitamin D, and jaw form are linked to third–molar development.

“We are closer to explaining why our wisdom teeth give us such problems, which could lead to non–invasive strategies, like changing what we eat as kids, to prevent wisdom tooth impaction,” she said in the article.

Van Ankum became interested in the topic while analyzing skeletons at archeological sites in Greece and China when she was an undergraduate.  She found herself comparing their straight teeth to her own.  She had braces and her four wisdom teeth were extracted.  Also, she thought about how the Industrial Revolution, which led people to eat softer processed foods, affected teeth.
“I started to question why braces and wisdom tooth surgeries were so widespread today, and I‘ve been following this thread ever since,” Van Ankum said in the article.

Through lab experiments in mice, Van Ankum found that when the animals consumed a soft–food diet that also was deficient in vitamin D, they tend to have smaller, differently shaped jaws.  Additionally, a lack of vitamin D resulted in wider tooth roots, which affects the size of root canals.

Since vitamin D gets processed differently in humans and mice, Van Ankum‘s next step is to study humans.  She will travel to Britain to collect data from human skeletal remains excavated from archeological sites dating back to before and after 1850.  The year 1850 serves as a marker of when Industrial Revolution dietary changes became evident in teeth, jaws, and other bones.  She will use the data to explore whether wisdom tooth formation and jaw shape and size differ between pre and post Industrial populations.

In addition, the graduate student will use the information gathered from the human studies in Britain to further investigate associations between vitamin D and tooth development in mice.  Her goal is to better understand why differences in tooth size, shape, and eruption can occur across time periods, cultures, and species of mammals, according to the university.

Van Ankum may be on to something.  In April 2020, Peter Ungar, PhD, a University of Arkansas professor, paleontologist, and dental anthropologist, told DrBicuspid.com that human jaws today differ from those of our ancestors and may be why so many people now have crowded or crooked teeth.

Teeth no longer fit into jaws because, over time, humans‘ diets changed to ones of softer, more processed food that required less chewing, Ungar explained.

Until next time; brush, floss and keep smiling!

The above material is provided as an information service and is not intended as medical advice.

Savon Dental Plan Is Not Available For Purchase In The State Of Florida
 
Legal | Disclaimer | Disclosures | Site Map | About Us | Contact Us
This is not dental insurance and is not intended to replace insurance.
Site Hosting by Internet 6.
©Copyright 1998 - 2023. All rights reserved. Savon Dental Plan®
A Division of Savon Professional Services Inc.
Corporate Offices Located In Phoenix, Arizona  1-800-809-3494
facebook Twitter