Smile, the New Year is Almost Here!
We’ve been celebrating the new year for a really, really long time. It goes way back, but it started formally in 1582, when Pope George XIII made January 1st the official holiday for ushering in the new year. The idea was to yell, cheer, and blow horns to scare away all the evil spirits of the previous year with the hope that the new one would be filled with happiness and opportunity. While scaring away evil spirits isn’t what’s on our mind these days, we still ring in the New Year by cheering and hollering with friends and family. It’s a time to set new goals, refocus on old ones, and look forward to all the surprises the coming year will bring. Whether you’re saying hello to the New Year snuggled up at home on your couch in the Mississauga and Brampton, ON area or by gathering your friends for a social celebration, here are some tips to help ensure you welcome this new chapter with a smile. Tips for a great New Year’s Eve celebration from Smile Solutions Stay safe. This one’s vital, because nothing puts a damper on your party like an emergency trip to the hospital. Stay responsible and try to plan ahead, whether that means taking a taxi, staying with a friend, or recruiting a designated driver. Do what you have to do to keep yourself and everyone around you safe. Spend time with the people you love most. The way we see it, the whole point of the holiday season is to cherish your family and friends. Regardless of what you’re doing, make sure there’s something for everyone. It’s essential to do something the whole group will enjoy! Smile! Whether you get all dressed to go out or have a quiet gathering with family and friends, make sure you accessorize with a smile. There’s always something to smile about! We can all agree that change can be scary sometimes, but ringing in the New Year is an observance we all welcome with open arms. We hope you’ll enjoy this transitional holiday in a fun, healthy, and safe way. You have endless possibilities ahead of you! From Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black, have a fantastic New Year!
Does smoking affect oral health?
By now, everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. But the truth is its broad-reaching health effects are not all known by everyone. This is especially true of oral health. Smoking can have serious repercussions in this regard. To give you a better idea of how smoking can affect your oral health, Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our team have listed some issues that can arise. Oral Cancer Oral cancer can have steep ramifications for anyone that gets it. Surgery can be required to eliminate the cancer before it spreads to more vital parts of your body. Any type of cancer is about the worst health effect you can get, and this especially holds true to the affects that smoking has on your mouth. The type of mouth surgery required with oral cancer can leave your face deconstructed in certain areas, and it is all due to smoking or use of other tobacco products. Tooth Discoloration and Bad Breath At the very least, it is fair to say that as a smoker you will often have bad breath, and while you may try to cover it up with gum or mints, tooth discoloration is a whole other story. The chemicals and substances in cigarettes stick to your teeth staining them brown and yellow colors that are increasingly difficult to disguise. Gum Disease and Loss of Bone Another effect of smoking is the increased risk of gum disease. Your gums may start to recede, which can eventually lead to the loss of teeth. Smoking can also increase bone loss and density in your jaw which is vital to the health of your mouth. Gum disease and bone loss are two signs that smoking is definitely bad for your mouth. When it comes to the health of your mouth, the question is not whether smoking affects your health, it’s how does it affect your health and to what degree. If for no other reason than because smoking involves your mouth as its entry point, it is safe to say that it can have long-lasting and detrimental consequences on your oral health. To learn more about smoking and your oral health, contact our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black.
Happy Holidays!
As the end of the year approaches, we want to take this time to reflect on this past year. We would love to hear about some of your favorite memories and moments from this year, feel free to share them with us below or on our social media accounts! This year we learned a great deal. One thing that has stuck with us throughout the year has been to be ready for anything. Be patient and kind with everyone. Support local businesses. We are all in this together and we should support each other in every way we can. We have loved watching our staff pull together and support one another. While this year has brought some challenges such as adjusting to new COVID protocols, our staff has persevered and become stronger and more supportive than ever. With our patients sticking with us no matter what, we have been so blessed to be where we are at today. Some of the more fun things we have been enjoying this year include local trips and stay-cations! Also, an awesome development from this year was Tim Biebs! For those of you who don’t know what they are, Justin Bieber and Tim Horton came out with a collaboration treat. They were so amazing. We have achieved some amazing things this year too. Some of our staff have taken to creating TikTok videos and posting them on our Facebook and Instagram. Dr. Black put a skating rink in his backyard for his family and local neighbors to skate when rinks were closed. Dr. Derek and Dr. Zimmerman both welcomed new babies in 2021. Several staff members welcomed new babies and grandbabies in 2021. This year we are looking forward to traveling again and getting our booster shots. We are also excited to get to know Badina, Linda, Mary-Rose, Ordia, Prachi, and Washma, our new team members! We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday and new year!