Floss Lines1217 North Cotner Blvd.

Lincoln, NE 68505-1837

Phone: (402) 466-9632Fax: (402) 466-9632

Email: dmhowedds@windstream.net

Produced for the patients of Dr. Donna M. Howe and Dr. Paul A. Hansen Editor: Jan Bretz

Your Professional Staff:

Donna M. Howe, D.D.S.

Paul A. Hansen, D.D.S.

Deb Lockhorn Dental Hygienist

Corinne Spilker Dental Assistant

Dee Hines Dental Assistant

Jeanette Heiman Dental Assistant Office Manager

Judy Rippe Dental Assistant

Nancy Vice Patient Administrator

Before completing her science fair

project, Kelsey Konecky, sixth grader

at St. Peter School, used to drink a lot

of soda, and she heard about it from

her mother! Kelsey wanted to find out

if her mother was right — if diet soda

was less harmful to teeth than sugared

soda. She decided to test four different

kinds of pop: Mountain Dew, Coca

Cola, Diet 7-Up, and Diet Pepsi and

to use water as a control medium. Her

project revealed some startling

damaging effects of pop on teeth, and

won first place in the Consumer and

Science Division and third place

overall in her school’s science fair.

Kelsey received advice, 17 teeth, and

a pH meter from the University of

Nebraska College of Dentistry. In

each of the four kinds of soda, Kelsey

placed four teeth. Every three days

she removed one tooth from the soda,

observed any discoloration and pitting,

and recorded her findings.

Continued - pg.2

S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 E D I T I O N

Student Patient Wins Science Fair Award, Cuts Soda Consumption

Student Patient Wins. . . Continued from page 1

Kelsey concluded that all kinds of

soda damage teeth, but her mom

was right! Teeth placed in Coca

Cola showed the most deterioration

including decay of the root of the

tooth, and Mountain Dew was next.

She found that even the diet sodas

caused discoloration because of the

acid content. Only the tooth in

water remained unaffected.

Kelsey has congenital soft enamel

so taking care of her own teeth

presents some challenges. She uses

an electric toothbrush, a water pick

and flosses daily, and she now

only drinks a few sodas a month!

Southeast Student, Ressa Penland, Overcomes Fear of Dentist

Ressa Penland used to hate

going to the dentist. “I had some

bad experiences when I was

little, and I was afraid, ” she

says. “But now it’s no big deal.”

Ressa is a freshman at Southeast

High School where her favorite

classes are English, math, and

theater. She’s been a patient in Dr.

Donna Howe’s office for about four

years.

What has helped to allay her fear of

the dentist is being able to ask all

kinds of questions. Dr. Howe

always tells her exactly what she’s

doing. “It’s just a calm

atmosphere,” she says. Ressa has

not had any major problems with

her mouth, just some small cavities

and issues with grinding her teeth.

Ressa doesn’t think she would want

to be a dentist herself. “They can’t

be afraid of germs or putting their

hands in someone’s mouth.” She’s

glad Dr. Howe is someone she can

completely trust.

Carbonated soda pop provides more added sugar in a typical 2-year-old toddler's diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined.

Fifty-six percent of 8-year-olds down soft drinks daily, and a third of teenage boys drink at least three cans of soda pop per day.

Between 5% and 8% of Americans avoid dentists out of fear, estimates Peter Milgrom, DDS, director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle and author of Treating Fearful Dental Patients. A higher percentage, perhaps 20%, experiences enough anxiety that they will go to the dentist only when absolutely necessary,

Joshua 1:9-10Be STRONG & COURAGEOUS. Do

not be afraid; do not be

discouraged, for the LORD your

God is w/ you, even in the

DENTIST chair!Card Ressa brought to Dr. Howe

several years ago.

Start Young To Protect That Smile

Other Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums

• Have carbs at mealtimes rather than as a snack: When you eat a larger amount of food, you produce more saliva, which helps wash food particles away.

• To protect your teeth against the caustic compounds in soda, sip water or chew gum to activate acid-neutralizing saliva—then brush your teeth. Avoid brushing immediately after drinking soda.

• It sounds surprising, but dental researchers have found that excessively chlorinated pool water can erode and stain tooth enamel. If you're a frequent swimmer, pack a toothbrush along with your towel when you take your next dip.

Your smile is one of the first things

people notice about you, so you

want to keep it brilliant. Since tooth

decay can ruin a smile and cost a lot

to fix, it helps to understand what

causes it. When you eat, a bio-film,

called plaque, forms on your teeth

that is a perfect medium for bacteria

to grow. The bacteria utilize sugars

as their food source and produce acid

as waste. That acid causes

demineralization of tooth enamel and

dentin, or tooth decay. That’s why is

so important to remove the plaque by

brushing and flossing so the bacteria

does not have an environment where

it can easily grow.

Avoid sugar as much as possible.Did you know that if you never put

fermentable sugars in you mouth, you

would never have a single cavity

even if you have soft enamel? Prior

to the mass marketing of Coca Cola,

tooth decay was relatively

uncommon. Now, however, we are

constantly sipping soda and having

snacks high in carbohydrates. Even

fruit juice or even honey sweetened

teas continually bathe your mouth in

food for bacteria. It’s best not to sip

sweetened drinks for long periods and

to use a straw. Rinsing your mouth or

brushing 30 minutes to an hour

afterwards helps.

You may think that gum disease only

affects older people, but more than

half of teenagers have some form of

gingivitis. Red swollen gums or

receding tissue is almost as

unattractive as tooth decay. The good

news is that the same methods used

to fight tooth decay also prevent gum

disease. Regular brushing and

flossing and having your teeth

cleaned professionally keep your

gums healthy.

This

or this?

Gum disease also damagesyour smile.

Donna M. Howe, D.D.S.Paul A. Hansen, D.D.S.1217 North Cotner Blvd.

Lincoln, NE 68505-1837

PRST STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLINCOLN, NE

PERMIT NO. 923From the Desk of Dr. Howe: Why We Love Kids Dr. Donna Howe

When you entrust your children to us, we take it seriously. Maybe it’s because we all have children of our own, and some of us have grandchildren! Of course, we care for all of our patients and develop relationships that we value and treasure, but we have to admit, children and adolescents are some of our favorites. It’s important to us to ensure their dental health has a good start. We advise bringing children in for their first visit between 18 and 24 months. We are committed to giving you and them information and care that will preserve their beautiful smiles for a life time.

Introducing the Newest Member of Our TeamWe thought we could make it without Jane, but we found out we could not! We would like to introduce you to our new Patient Administrator, Nancy Wise. She’s learning quickly and we are sure she’ll make you feel right at home. We’re so pleased to have her!

My grandson Miles’ first visit — sitting on his mother Nina’s lap.

Nancy Vice