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We love ALL of our employees and, more than that, we love to celebrate them! On March 4^th we celebrated Employee Appreciation Day with each one of our employees. We took our team on a day trip to a dental meeting where they received CE hours, lunch, dinner, and quality time together outside of the office. We also celebrated them with small surprises of things they enjoy and use while they’re working each day of Dental Assistant Recognition Week!

Without our dedicated and passionate employees, we could not provide the care we give to our patients! Our staff is the backbone of our operation, and it's important to appreciate their job well done to show our acknowledgment, gratitude, and respect for their efforts. Our team is truly one of a kind because they make our patients feel like family! Each one of them takes pride in their responsibilities and they give 100% every day they are here. We spend so much time together that we all treat each other like family and it's a wonderful feeling to have that relationship with the people you spend the most time with!

On March 6^th we also celebrated Dr. Ralph W. Rose and Dr. Haley B. McClendon for Dentist Day!

Dr. McClendon, who will be celebrating her 5^th anniversary with Hollywood Dental Center this year, found her passion for dentistry in high school. After shadowing various professionals and discovering the great qualities of the dental field such as making a difference in people's lives, artistry, and a good schedule she set her goal and achieved it in 2017.

Outside of work, Dr. McClendon enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, being outside, cooking, and exercising. In her spare time, you can find her cooking something new, reading a book on her back patio, in the yard with her dogs, or riding her Peloton.

Dr. Rose, who will be celebrating his 32^nd year anniversary this year, started his path to become a dentist 32 years ago. His goal has been to help improve people's lives, allowing them to smile and enjoy eating by having better oral health. He has been privileged to be able to serve his community for so many years.

On his days off, Dr Rose enjoys time with his family. He has five dogs that keep them entertained. In his spare time, he may be on his tractor fixing fences, moving dead tree limbs, or mowing. A good part of his spare time goes to taking care of his dogs.

Thank you to both our amazing doctors and hard-working team for working so hard to make our practice so wonderful!

We are currently offering lots of wonderful specials so make sure to give us a call and our staff will be happy to assist you with all of your questions. And with summer coming soon, we encourage people to schedule appointments now.  Many parents want their children's dental cleaning/checkup done while they are out of school for the summer. Summer is also great time to start braces and getting a braces consultation done soon will help to be able to start braces in the summer.

We are so excited for summer and all the fun activities that are to come. Give us a call to schedule your spring cleaning!

It’s common for children to suck their thumb at a young age. Drs. Rose Ralph and Hayley McClendon and our team want you to understand the potential issues that can surface down the road if the habit isn’t broken early on.

It’s normal for infants to explore the function of their mouths by putting objects like their thumbs inside it. You shouldn’t be concerned if your baby regularly sucks his or her thumb. For infants who are still growing their baby teeth, thumb sucking can help with stimulating growth and development of their baby teeth.

Thumb sucking is not a problem among infants because they generally do it to sooth and comfort themselves. Problems can occur of kids continue the habit when their baby teeth begin to fall out, around six years of age.

If you have a young child whose adult teeth are starting to come in, that’s when thumb sucking can start to be a problem. Most children stop thumb sucking between the ages of two and three years. According to the American Dental Association, if thumb sucking continues as adult teeth come in, this can lead to problems involving improper alignment of teeth and growth of the jaw, gums, and roof of the mouth.

It may also affect your child’s speech after that, by causing a lisp or other speech impediments. As a parent, you may need to begin to regulate and intervene if thumb sucking starts to become a bigger problem for your child.

How to Stop Thumb Sucking

• Provide comfort to your child if thumb sucking happens when he or she is anxious.
• Limit thumb sucking initially to bedtime or naptime.
• Employ positive reinforcement for good behavior.
• Talk with your child about the potential problems that come from this habit.
• Distract your son or daughter with activities such as fun games any time you notice it starting.
• Involve your little one in choosing methods for stopping, like positive rewards.
• Have Drs. Rose Ralph and Hayley McClendon talk to your child to reinforce concerns about thumb sucking.

Don’t forget that thumb sucking is a common habit that many children indulge in, and it should not be a concern right away. If you’re worried about your child’s thumb-sucking habit, start to address the issue as soon as possible.

The above techniques can help to reduce the amount of time your child sucks a thumb. Drs. Rose Ralph and Hayley McClendon and our team are here to help you if you have any questions or concerns about this habit.

Feel free to call our Lufkin office and we will be happy to help you and your child.

While you don’t have to wait to start eating right, March is the month the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics asks everyone to pay special attention to what goes into our bodies. The Academy has designated the month of March for focusing the public’s awareness on what they eat.

What Not to Eat

The academy points out that the foods you eat have a direct effect on the health of your teeth and specifically on tooth decay. Bacteria rely on carbohydrates to thrive. That is why Drs. Rose Ralph and Hayley McClendon and our team at Hollywood Dental Center tell our patients to cut back on both candy and sweets. They consist of simple sugars that feed the bacteria in your mouth and enhance tooth decay.

It’s the hidden sugars that will cost you, though. Get in the habit of reading labels on food and looking for products with added sugar. This includes ingredients that end with the suffix “ose.” When it comes to nutrition, these foods offer little value beyond satisfying that sweet tooth.

What You Should Eat

Turn to foods that not only taste good but are good for your teeth too. Dairy products, for example, provide the body with nutritional items that support tooth enamel. Foods high in protein feature phosphorus, a nutrient critical to oral health.

You can’t really go wrong by adding color to your diet, either. Fruits and vegetables make for a colorful plate and a healthy meal. Use some caution with acidic fruits like oranges or even tomatoes, because the acid can erode tooth enamel. It is better to include these foods in a meal instead of eating them by themselves.

Remember, good nutrition is something you should worry about all year long, not just when celebrating National Nutrition Month. March just serves as a fun reminder that eating right is a proactive step in managing your dental health.

We encourage you to give us a call at our Lufkin office to learn more!

Do you have a space where a tooth used to be? Were you born with a missing tooth? Are you getting ready for dentures? You may be a good candidate for a dental implant. Metal dental implants were invented in 1965. Technology continues to advance with millions of implants placed in the United States and Canada. Placing implants has become mainstream and a common practice for offices like ours.

A dental implant is a small titanium post, which resembles a screw with threads. The post also has holes for bone to integrate. A dental implant is placed into the jawbone during a short dental procedure. It is relatively painless with very little post-operative pain. The threads on the implant post allow for the bone to fill in and integrate. To facilitate this process the implant is re-covered with gum tissue and allowed to heal and integrate for nearly three months. The implant acts as the root for the tooth to provide solid and stable support for the crown that’s yet to be placed.

The next step in the dental procedure is to uncover the implant and place a healing cap to allow the gum tissue to heal. After a short period of healing, an impression is taken to fabricate a crown to fully restore the missing tooth. The crown is then cemented on top of the post, at which point you can resume normal eating activities.

Dental implants do require some special care, but that is easily managed when you follow the directions outlined by Drs. Rose Ralph and Hayley McClendon. During your regularly scheduled cleaning, special instruments are used to clean implants. While a dental implant cannot get a cavity, a condition known as peri-implantitis can occur. This is very similar to periodontal disease as the end result is dental implant loss and loss of bone structure. Be sure to floss the dental implant daily and run the floss under the implant crown as far as it can go to remove food and plaque. If you use any picks or small brushes to go in between your teeth, make sure they are plastic. Metal will scratch the implant making it more susceptible to infection. Be sure to keep your regular dental visits and cleanings to monitor the implant and help preserve your investment.