Fisher Jones Family Dentistry

Girl Rising Movie Premiere Spurs Action For Worldwide Philanthropy

Submitted by Mary Ellen Jones, for Fisher Jones Family Dentistry

Recently, I attended a showing of the newly released film, Girl Rising.  At the time I accepted a friend’s invitation to purchase a  $10 ticket, I knew little about the film.  It was described to me as a must see film about girls and education.  I trust my friend and dutifully bought a couple of tickets, gathered with a few friends before the movie and arrived promptly on time.  It is a groundbreaking film, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins.  It tells the stories of 9 extraordinary girls from 9 countries, written by 9 celebrated writers and narrated by 9 renowned actresses. Girl Rising showcases the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. Explore the film in detail at www.girlrising.com. This film is inspiring and a call to think, share, discuss, and act.

An organization called 10×10 has partnered with Gathr, a new web-based service that enables people to request and attend theatrical screenings of a movie that otherwise would not play locally. Gathr will unite you with Girl Rising, right in your neighborhood.

Anyone can host a local screening with global impact.
 All captains pledge to rally their communities by filling local theaters – the more ticket requests you secure, the bigger the audience, the greater the attention.

I know there are upcoming shows scheduled in the greater Olympia area. I agree that this movie is a must-see for every woman, girl, man and boy in our community.  We are truly a global community and education, empowerment and equal treatment will benefit every person whether living in a third or first world nation.

We own a business, Fisher Jones Family Dentistry, and decided years ago, that we wanted to give back to our community by directing our charitable dollars to support families and education in our local community.

Our focus has been primarily on public education programs that support the kids and families most in need.  Giving to the programs established through the Olympia School District Education Foundation and the North Thurston Education Foundation have the most local impact on helping kids come to school ready to learn and helping teachers and administrators provide the very best educational experiences.

It hit particularly close to home to find myself sitting in a theater with other local women, girls and a few men and boys watching and listening to the stories of girls from around the world in their struggle for access to education.  Suddenly my view broadened beyond Thurston County in recognizing the needs of so many for the very educational privileges we often take for granted.

Our Fisher Jones Family will continue to support families and education but now with a greater awareness of the global impact of supporting education for all kids.  As we dedicate funds for our children here in Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater, we keep in mind the fact that the educational opportunities enjoyed in the United States and other first world nations are not available for children elsewhere.  Our world can only become a better place when the right to be educated is offered to every child, boy and girl.

There is a movement happening around us – a movement bringing women and men together to support education for all.  It is the reality that the girls of this world are those with the least opportunity.  In so many countries, girls are being oppressed, exploited and neglected.  We must fight for them.  They are our path to a world built on value for every person and equal opportunity regardless of gender or national origin.

I encourage you to see this movie.  It will only take a few hours of your time but its words, images and message will likely stay with you for a very long time.  Maybe it will be one of us, here in Thurston County, who will make the difference for these girls, for every child’s access to education and to a world that empowers all to follow their dreams.

For more information, visit www.girlrising.com.

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Dr Matt here,  Patients ask me everyday, Hey are you putting on weight? or Hey you are getting losing weight?  This is all in the same day.  They ask me do I work out?  Where do I work out?  What kind of diet do I have?   Am I on a diet?

So here is what I like to do.  I like to be able to do anything at anytime.  If I want to run, I run.  If I want to walk, I walk.  If I want to ride a bike, I ride a bike.  I work on staying flexible.  Stretching.  I like to throw myself on the floor and get up as fast as I can. I play all sports and I have my favorites.  I play catch.  I kick a ball around.  If there is sporting equipment I pick it up and use it. Tonight after dinner my son Madison and I went out and Longboard skateboarded (check out the video below!).  The feeling of the free ride downhill or pumping up the hill.  The wind in your face as you are carving turns going faster than you can run.  Yes, I wear a helmet.  I wear whatever protection is required for the given activity.  I don’t worry so much about how much I weigh but how much I can do with what I currently weigh.  I don’t have a formal workout.  I do like free weights, I have two. I like the big ball to stretch my back and abdomen.  I like how it feels on my core.  I like pushups, sit-ups, and just dancing around to music.  I like to be moving.  I park far away from stores to enjoy the walk. I often walk to work. I am not on a diet but love to eat everything and have a variety.  I tried millet for the first time tonight and farro last year.  I enjoy making my food that I eat from scratch. I like meat and vegetables, all kinds.  Sometimes I feel heavy and sometimes light.  If I find that I cannot do something I work at it until I can.  I hope this dispels the mystery and gives you some ideas to get up off the couch and enjoy the Pacific Northwest rain or shine.

Dr. Garrett here!! At Fisher Jones Family Dentistry, we pride ourselves on creating a comfortable and relaxing environment for all of our patients. Despite the lengths we go to in order to make every patient’s experience a pleasant one, there are still those who fear a dental visit. Studies demonstrate that dental fear and phobia exist in 15% – 30% of the general population of the US. For many, this fear prevents them from even stepping into a dental office. As a result, many people live every day of their lives with chronic oral pain, which leads to poor overall health. They may also lack confidence as their smile has been ravaged by years of untreated disease. Thanks to a service called “Intravenous Moderate Sedation” (IV sedation) many of these people are able to receive the care they desperately need.

IV sedation uses a combination of safe, effective drugs administered directly into the bloodstream to provide a predictable level of sedation. This is much different than the administration of sedatives through an oral route, which has unpredictable and less effective results due to the time required for the drugs to reach the bloodstream. This oral route of administering sedatives requires no extra licensure at this time and can be a very risky procedure for the untrained dentist to perform.  In order to perform I.V. sedation, a dentist must obtain an extra license through the state requiring countless hours of lecture and dozens of actual patient cases.  I frequently have patients referred to me from dentists in the area that have attempted and failed at sedating them through the oral route.  Through IV sedation the effects of the drugs used are seen within 15-30 seconds. As a result, the drugs can be given in small, safe increments to achieve the perfect level of comfortable, relaxing sedation for each patient. The patient remains conscious, but is sedated to such a level that most will fall asleep. Most patients experience profound amnesia, and thus have very little to no memory of the entire appointment. At the end of the appointment the patient is gently awakened and driven home by a responsible friend or family member to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the comfort of their own home.

I personally perform a lot of surgery in the office (from dental implants to bone grafts to wisdom teeth extractions), and two of the most common questions I encounter are: “Do I need to be sedated?” and “Why should I be sedated for this procedure?”  I tell my patients that sedation is a method of relieving anxiety during a difficult or stressful procedure.  When one encounters a stressful situation, their “flight or fight” response is naturally engaged.  This involves the release of stress hormones, also known as catecholamines, that are known to effect our bodies in profound ways.  Not only do they increase our heart rate and blood pressure, but they also delay healing and actually contribute to the breakdown of tissues.  During a surgical procedure in particular, the less of these stress hormones we have floating around in our bloodstream, the better.  In addition, for those patients who have poor cardiac health, decreasing this stress during a dental appointment can potentially decrease the risk of a serious cardiac event.  For some patients, the stress of simply having their teeth cleaned can prevent them from visiting a dentist.  Stress is a serious foe!!  Luckily, we have a solution to overcome it.

IV sedation is a wonderful service that has improved the lives of many patients in our practice. If you or someone you know has been putting off seeing the dentist because of fear or anxiety, do them the favor of informing them of this option that is now available. I am happy to meet with anyone for a consultation to discuss whether IV sedation is a viable option.

Every February, the dental community comes out in full force to raise awareness of dental health.  At Fisher Jones Family Dentistry we are highly active in the community every month of the year, but in February we become very active!  We will be visiting at least seven classrooms throughout the month to educate youngsters on their mouths.  In addition, we will be present for free screenings at the Hands-On Children’s Museum in downtown Olympia.  The focus is mainly on our youth, because we all know that starting with a solid foundation leads to long-term success.  If proper oral hygiene routines can be established early in a child’s life, they have a much better chance of avoiding dental problems down the road.  So feel free to celebrate Dental Health Month with us by making phenomenal oral health a priority for the entire month!

It’s Valentine’s Week at Fisher Jones Family Dentistry and our tradition is to hand out candy to our patients who pay us a visit. Candy, you say? Well it’s not to create more work for ourselves, that wouldn’t be right. It is actually a way to help you achieve a healthier dentition. That’s because we hand out dark chocolate. It turns out dark chocolate has many properties that help fight tooth decay. The benefit lies in the cocoa bean. And the darker the chocolate, meaning the higher cocoa percentage, the closer the chocolate is to the cocoa bean. Cocoa beans contain tanins, polyphenols and flavenoids, all antioxidants that benefit your teeth and gums.. Tanins, which give chocolate its bitter taste and dark pigments, help prevent decay causing bacteria from adhering to your teeth. Polyphenols limit the effects of bacteria, which helps your breath. Flavenoids help slow the tooth decay process.

So choose the darkest chocolate you can find. We recommend at least 70%. There are many great options today because there are so many small companies making high quality dark chocolate. Purchase some for your Valentine and you are telling them that you love them and you want them to have a healthy smile. And if you get the opportunity, stop into the office and we will be happy to send a little chocolate love your way!

February 1st is National Wear Red Day, a campaign to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and its affect on women. In 2003 the American Heart Association faced a challenge.  How could it communicate to the general population that cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of 500, 000 women each year? Known as the “older man’s disease,” cardiovascular disease is, in fact, the nmber one killer of women each year. The American Heart Association, along with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Intitute created National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of this issue.  Each year on the first Friday in February, millions of men and women come together to wear red, take action, and fight this deadly disease. All week long at Fisher Jones Family Dentistry we have been handing out cards as a reminder to recognize this important day and “Wear Red!” If you don’t have a scheduled appointment, please stop in and grab a card. We would love to see you!

Dr. Matt here.  I wanted to give you a health update that we were just made aware of.  It is about snoring.  Here at Fisher Jones Family Dentistry we have been helping people to control their snoring with an oral appliance that you wear when ever you sleep.  It has saved many relationships.  Recently Forbes.com had an article by some responsible people that talked about a study that was done suggesting that snoring be added to the risk factors of developing  cardiovascular disease.  It seems that the people that snore may have changes in their arteries which control proper perfusion.  It may be an early warning sign like High Blood Pressure, High cholesterol, High saturated fat diet, Genetic predisposition, diabetes, etc.  So if you snore get checked by your physician.  They will determine the extent of the problem.  They may suggest a sleep study to rule out sleep apnea; a condition where you actually stop breathing while sleeping.  This new information is not meant to be directly interpreted as cause and effect.  The medical people have just seen that snoring may be more of a concern and have more to do with long term health that they first thought.  Get checked and if it is just snoring we can help you be fitted for a anti-snoring appliance, like the TAP 3.

Dr. Matt here. Keeping up with your oral health. Six months goes by so fast and you are due again. Seems like I was just there. “I wish I had brushed and flossed more often. What are my oral health care providers going to say?” “I am just so busy there really isn’t time.” Here are some real time savers that are huge that will help you become more diligent and vigilant. Go to the store and look in the dental section. Scan all the items and look for pre strung flossers. They come in a big bag in all shapes and sizes. The flossers are all basically the same. They have floss and some kind of pick. Buy a pack for your car, one for work and one for home (near your favorite chair). Begin using them daily and pass them out to friends. I know it sounds weird but it will help you stay on track. The next tip is when you brush your teeth look at a clock and try and do the activity for at least two minutes. Most people brush their teeth for only 20 seconds. Two minutes will seem like an eternity, however you will get used to it. Some of the automatic brushes Sonicare and Oral B have a built in timer for two minutes. If you use a manual toothbrush for two minutes it has an equal effect, the time spent is most important. Put an extra brush in the car and at work. I think that it is still legal to dry brush and drive. Put a brush at your desk. Another time saving tip is to buy an Oral Breeze Shower Irrigator. This is a pressure washer for your teeth and gums that you install in the shower and leave it there. There is no countertop mess or set up each time that you use it. Link the new activity to something that you already do in the shower. I use mine right after I shampoo my hair. Whatever works for you to make it easier and timely to remember. The best gift that you can give yourself is great teeth and gums. So floss, brush and irrigate often.