"Of all the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that aging means decline and poor health is probably the deadliest." – Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy

What are you doing to take care of yourself? Are you focusing too much on certain areas and neglecting others? Try to be honest with yourself when you look at your current state of health. Make a commitment to be more proactive in preventing disease and decline. At the New Year, we have the perfect opportunity to assess our lives and make changes as we see appropriate. It has been said to take 21 days to form new habits. I always like reminding myself of this as I take on a new challenge. For one, I am impatient, so knowing that it takes 21 days makes me realize things don't happen overnight. Additionally, I fall back into old habits easily, so recommitting to the idea of the new habit can and will be important. You must give yourself time to improve!

This New Year, take the time to assess your dental health. I encourage you to think about your mouth a little differently this year. Remember that good oral care could be the missing piece to the puzzle of your total body wellness. With advances in technology, there are many wonderful ways to take better care of your smile. My new favorite is the "Water Flosser" by WaterPik. It is a more effective way to disrupt the bacterial bio-film from beneath your gums before it builds to a destructive nature. Brushing and flossing alone will not be enough to prevent you from gum disease. The old brush and floss will mechanically remove plaque up to 3mm beneath the gum line. So, if you have had a thorough periodontal assessment from your dental health care team, you will be aware that pockets around the teeth can advance to deeper than that which floss can reach. Healthy gums don't bleed, so treat them appropriately with gentle brushing, flossing AND water-flossing. Your dental health care team should help you come up with a plan to take better care of your smile in 2011. To find out more about how you can improve your oral care, I invite you to view our video blog at www.MariettaSquareDentist.com. Best wishes for a new, healthy YOU in 2011!

Smiles!

Dr. Neely Thornton

As a new Marietta, Georgia Dentist, I'm excited to share a little about myself, my practice, and my philosophy on dentistry. After graduating from the Medical College of Georgia in 2006, I began to practice dentistry in the Atlanta area. I was fortunate enough to experience multiple facets of dentistry having worked with large and small private practices, medicaid practices and pediatric clinics. This variety of experience really opened up my eyes to how I wanted to practice dentistry. I was able to gain insight on how to run a business and how to create the proper environment for a patient's optimal comfort. I decided it was not making sense any longer for me to conform to to my surroundings. So, putting all fears aside, I set out to find the perfect opportunity to be able to fulfill my dream of autonomy. Long story short, that opportunity soon presented itself, and I quickly jumped on it. Recently I celebrated my one year anniversary as the owner of my own practice, Thornton Dental Wellness. I was able to find an existing practice (Marietta Center for Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry) that was established and doing well, but still had great potential. It was the ideal situation, really. Once I acquired the practice, I began to develop a new vision and direction for the future of it. My focus is on total body health and wellness, and the relationship one's oral conditions/smile has with that big picture concept. Educating my patients on the current status of the health they are in, and helping to create an achievable improvement, is a big part of my new wellness approach. Of course, I could not implement these new ideas alone, and needed a great supporting cast to help me and believe in my approach. Fortunately, not only did I acquire a great practice, with great patients, I gained an unbelievable team of hard working individuals who welcomed me with open arms. I think they immediately saw my passion for dentistry and understood my main concern was the overall well being of our patients. This being the case, it was easy to move forward with my new vision. The most difficult part of taking over a new practice is putting the patients at ease over the transition. Many people are resistant to change, so it is a tricky process gaining the trust of the patients. I was only able to succeed in this because of my unbelievable team. Today we have a new image, a new name, and we have consistently exceeded our goals for growth. Thornton Dental Wellness is a general, family and cosmetic practice with the latest technology and an upscale environment. For entertainment and educational purposes, we have over-the-chair flat screen TV's. Also, for the high anxiety dental patient we offer Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) and Oral Sedation (sleep dentistry) to help make their dental experience a cinch. We have a team consisting of a practice manager/CFO (my wonderful husband), two hygienists, two treatment coordinators and two administrative staff. We basically offer everything from prevention and maintaining your smile to veneers and Invisalign. I continue to stay on the cutting edge of dentistry through post graduate studies and by gaining far more than what is required in continuing education credits (including Oral Sedation, Pediatric Dentistry, Veneer and Cosmetic coursework, Photography and Advanced Treatment Planning). I stay actively involved in local study clubs and serve on the Georgia Dental Association's executive committee as the Hospitality Chair. With all of these tools, we will ultimately be helping patients to grow towards a healthier, happier lifestyle. Looking at wellness as a lifestyle and incorporating minor strategies to open ones eyes to the possibilities of what they can accomplish can begin with their smile. I know we will continue to grow and hopefully be considered one of the "go-to" dentists in Marietta, GA.

Have you ever wondered why we all stress so much during the holiday season? Stress defeats the purpose of the holidays and can deplete us of our joy and energy. We are all rushing around trying to get things accomplished and we forget the importance of managing our stress to keep us healthy and happy throughout the season. Our wellness depends highly upon our ability to manage our stress levels. Inability to do so may lead to serious health consequences including heart disease, stroke and weight gain to name a few. Stress decreases your immune system's natural ability to protect you against illness and infection.

One connection that is normally not realized is the one of periodontal health and stress. Periodontal (gum) Disease is a chronic inflammatory disease process that leads to breakdown of the surrounding and supporting tissues of the teeth. If left untreated, periodontal disease leads to bone loss and potentially tooth loss. Now, that's nothing to smile about! Early detection is key for any disease, especially periodontal disease. Make sure your dentist is screening you every visit for signs of periodontal instability and helping to advise you on the best way to achieve wellness by educating you on the oral-systemic link.

People who learn to deal with their stress in an active, practical way rather than with avoidance techniques (emotionally based), have a better chance at managing their stress. A few practical ways to relieve stress include exercise, social groups, eating a well-balanced diet, regular sleep patterns, and maintaining a positive mental attitude. Happy holidays to each of you and here's to managing our stress practically!

Dr. Neely D Thornton

Welcome from all of us at Thornton Dental Wellness.