Einstein Makes an Impression

Rumored to have been one of the most intelligent people who had ever lived, there have been many studies done on the inner-workings of Albert Einstein's brain. Still, within all of these endeavors of neural research of the Father of Relativity, not much study has done on the genius' teeth. From the blog of Stephan Pohlmann come one of the first looks at the professor's famous teeth. In Haddasah Hospital and University rests a copy of the famous minds' dental impressions along with a letter. To read the letter and get another look at some of the most famous dental impressions, check out Pohlmann's blog of the dental universe. 



For more information quality family dentistry in the Tulsa area, log on to the official website of Dr. Larry James, D.D.S.

Running Out AFTER a Tooth Extraction?

It's too bad that dental offices don't trade for teeth for services or else this next report might have wound up a tad less painful! 



According to the online newspaper Neagle.com, Pike County, Pennsylvania resident Jay Meyerhoff was taken to court for robbing a local dentist. What exactly did he steal from the dentist at Horizon Dental? A tooth extraction. According to the dentist's office, Mr. Meyerhoff entered the offices just like any other patient. He sat down and filled out the paperwork; giving the office staff no reason to believe anything was amiss. On his paperwork, however, Meyerhoff put down his name as James R. Irving, and the procedure of having a wisdom tooth extracted started off without a hitch after Meyerhoff told the staff that he would be paying for procedure with a check. Following the procedure, Meyerhoff reportedly told the office staff that he had left his checkbook in his car, headed out the door, and never came back. Investigators tracked down Meyerhoff shortly after based on evidence he had left with another dentists' office - his photograph. Meyerhoff is currently serving a year in state prison for Theft of Services after having run out on his $322.00 wisdom tooth extraction bill. 


Was a free ride in the chair worth a year in prison? You tell us! For quality dental services for the whole family, trust the experts at Dr. Larry James, D.D.S. to bring bright smiles all over Tulsa, OK and beyond. 

Breaking the Habit: Stopping Thumb Sucking Before It's Too Late

Many children engage in some form of thumb sucking at an early age. The behavior acts as a calming practice when children are either upset, tired, or just bored. Aside from it being an annoying habit for parents to witness in older children, the habit of thumb sucking can be detrimental to the alignment of a child's teeth. Because children are sucking their thumbs while they only have baby teeth, not much thought is typically given by parents to the consequences of allowing the practice to carry on from infancy into later childhood. Damage to the alignment of the permanent teeth can occur even before the child starts losing their baby teeth. After that point, realigning the teeth can take months, if not years of orthodontic treatment which can be very uncomfortable for the child and leave the parents with orthodontic costs that can soar into the thousands of dollars.

There are many different ways to help your children break the thumb-sucking habit. Of course, each method has varying degrees of success depending on the child. 

• Don't let them start. Some professionals recommend trying to get children accustomed to using pacifiers from early infancy when they become fussy and are in need of nurturing. Though many parents give up on getting their babies to take a pacifier because it can seem quite difficult initially, the hard work pays off in the future. As the baby becomes accustomed to using a pacifier, they will go towards it instead of their thumb. As they exceed the age of innocent pacifier use and thumb-sucking, a pacifier can be taken away with only some fussiness to get over. An object taken away is always easier for a child to get cope with than trying to break a once-acceptable habit. 

• Say "yay!" over nay. Instead of telling a child that they are no longer allowed to suck their thumb, some parents opt for using positive reinforcement to encourage children to stop sucking their thumb. By congratulating children on their lack of thumb sucking or giving them some form of small reward or privilege for not sucking their thumb, this makes the child want to break the habit on their own. Because this method requires an actual change in behavior by means of positive reinforcement only, it may take more time with varying degrees of success depending on the child. 
  

• Make it unappealing. By making thumb-sucking an unpleasant experience for children, this will remove the soothing benefit children derive from the habit. Since children most frequently suck their thumbs in their sleep, some parents find that having the child wear gloves during bed time and nap time makes thumb sucking difficult if not unpleasant. Some other parents find success by applying an apple cider vinegar solution to their children's thumbs that gives the child's thumbs a very unpleasant taste. There are a variety of bad-tasting non-toxic solutions on the market specifically for this purpose. Over time, you can stop using gloves or a bad-tasting solution and remind the child that if they continue to suck their thumbs, you'll apply the gloves or "yucky" solutions once again. This is frequently enough deterrent to get them break the habit.

For more encouragement in getting your children to quit sucking their thumbs, consult parents who waited too long and are now the orthodontists' favorite customers! To discover more information about the effects of thumb-sucking into later childhood, peruse this special post from TLC Family. To schedule an appointment or to find more information on specialized dental practices, visit the official website of Tulsa's own Dr. Larry James, D.D.S. for quality family dentistry.

Top Ten Reasons Why People Dislike the Dentist

When it comes to going to dentists, people aren't typically skipping through the door of their local dental experts; even when they're in pain! Though the modern dental experience is virtually pain free, this doesn't keep people from having anxiety about even the most routine trip to the dentist. From the idea of pain to the feeling of being ridiculed for one's lack of flossing, all of these variables combine to make to people favor a trip to the DMV above the going to the dentist. Though there is absolutely no way of shaking these predetermined notions for some people, it is important dentist-dodgers to know how far modern dentistry has come just within the past 10 years of lessening patient discomfort and providing a much more pleasant dental experience. For a list of the ten things people hate about going to the dentists and why they are not a reason to avoid going to the dentist, check out this blog from HateDentists.com. For the most comfortable dental experience in the Tulsa area, seek the services of Tulsa dentist Dr. Larry James. 

Dental Thought Innovation

Though there have been many breakthroughs in dental innovation, the least of these breakthroughs have been in the technology available to dentists, hygienists, and patients. For the most part, the biggest dental breakthroughs have been in a shift of focus from the dental practices of our parents' and grandparents' generation to the practices of today. Many dentists of yesteryear were primarily focused on fixing problems as they would occur and a lot of them didn't even have dental hygienists on staff! As a new generation of kids grow up to become dental hygienists and dentists, the focus has been shifted from how to fix damage that occurs  in the wake of gum disease and tooth decay to how to prevent damage that occurs from gum disease and tooth decay. Where dental hygienists were simply the dentist's assistants, hygienists of today play the crucial role of identifying where patients are lacking in their dental health and showing them what they can do to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. They have a unique responsibility that they previously didn't receive as much acclaim for. According to the amount of people who are keeping their teeth further into their lives with fewer problems, one can rightfully say they're doing a great job! 


For a very clever write-up on the roles of dental hygienists and dentists both in the past and present, read this article from Dr. Joe Bulger of Toronto, Canada. In order to discover how you can better your oral hygiene habits or fix past dental damage, visit the official website of Tulsa, OK's own Dr. Larry James, D.D.S. today!