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Keeping Your Teeth for Life
intouch contributor
DR ALEX HUSZTI BelleDental Alex has had a career focused on lowbiologic cost reconstructive cosmetic dental care – common sense teeth for life.
Every medical/dental intervention carries three different costs: 1. An emotional cost associated with undergoing a procedure; 2. A financial cost associated with the procedure; and lastly – the cost that is most often overlooked… 3. The biological cost of the procedure. Most interventions involve some loss of your tissues – a loss that is irreplaceable. Therefore the biological cost of dental care has the
One of the most common concerns of patients is, “How do I keep my teeth into old age…(and avoid dentures)?” This has been critical in the development of my restorative dental care. The best way I can help you keep your teeth for life is: Avoid cutting away your teeth unnecessarily! It is simple – but it requires a significant change in mindset.
potential to carry the highest price you will pay. Secondly – people often ask, “how long will this restoration last?” Good question. But a more pertinent question may be, “how much tooth are you cutting away, and is the restoration repairable?” Some restorations, such as conventional ceramic crowns, carry a high biologic cost (i.e. a lot of sound tooth is cut away needlessly) as well as being difficult to repair. They may last somewhat longer – BUT – when they fail, the tooth is at risk of being lost. We’re living longer than ever before, in an age where everything is becoming throw-away. It is time that we instituted more repairability – dental care is an excellent candidate for this kind of thinking. Lastly – a little strategy goes a very long way. If you want to keep your teeth for life – you need a strategy to deliver teeth for life. A fundamental strategy is to start all treatment with the simplest, lowest biologic cost interventions and persevere with the least aggressive strategy for as many restorative cycles as possible. Only move on to a more aggressive approach once you have exhausted simple ones. Implementing these strategies for restorative cycles can ensure there is almost always tooth structure left for delivery of restorative care – often eliminating the need for dentures and expensive implants.
3 Techniques That SAVE Your Teeth 1
Belledental CRC’s (Composite Resin Crowns) CRC’s can rebuild teeth to a similar appearance, strength and functionality of conventional crowns with the added benefits of being much more conservative of tooth structure, repairable, and ONE appointment restorations that are often HALF the fee of conventional crowns.
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Direct Resin Veneers (Zero cutting of tooth)
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Direct Resin Build-ups – All in ONE day! What if you have suffered with erosion... you have already lost much of your tooth structure – the last thing you need is your teeth being CUT AWAY EVEN MORE for crowns. Direct Resin Build-ups are a NO CUT, one day alternative that saves the remaining tooth structure and enhances the cosmetics and function of your teeth. They often require modifications to your bite to accomodate your new smile.
Direct Resin Veneers have a multitude of uses – they can be used to improve function, enhance the colour and shape of teeth, modify tooth position as well as in this case, restore teeth that have suffered trauma. Direct Resin Veneers can do this without cutting teeth – all in one visit.
Call us today on (02) 4946 9122 68 Dilkera Avenue, Valentine Open Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm; Fri 8am–12pm
BelleDentalValentine fwww.belledental.com.au
New Patient Offer Special offer for new patients! Comprehensive exam, x-rays, photos, impressions, cleaning, and a treatment plan, all for $240. Book today!
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The party no one wants to attend
AFTER MONTHS OF AVOIDING PEOPLE LIKE THE PLAGUE, LITERALLY, I FINALLY GOT THE PARTY INVITATION THAT NOBODY WANTS...
intouch contributor
On Tour With the Kid CHLOE O'SULLIVAN
ONSITE CARPARK ON
HUDSON
FOR ALL YOUR DENTURE NEEDS Dental Prosthetist Maurie D’Andrea prides himself on making a Denture Smile that’s right for you. We offer Emergency Denture repairs 7 days a week, and are recognised by DVA and all Healthcare Providers. Call us to arrange a FREE CONSULTATION AND EXAMINATION, or if you have any questions feel free to email us.
MAURIE D’ANDREA Dental Prosthetist
Implant Retained Dentures offer more comfort, stability and improved chewing. Call for a Free Consultation!
PH 0432 194 603
11 Hudson Street, Hamilton E smilesonhudson11@gmail.com
www.smilesonhudson.com.au 28
• HEALTH & WELLBEING
DAY ONE COVID had swept through my child's school the week before, but we had missed it. I finally thought my lackadaisical approach to housekeeping and the fact that we are hearty country folk who rarely get sick was finally paying off in our favour. I was heading out to visit a friend with a month-old baby, so I decided to take a test just for my own peace of mind. Sure that it would be negative, I made plans in my head for the weekend. I started to pack my bags. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the second dreaded red line. Sure that it was wrong, I took another one. I was like some woman in a rom-com taking a second pregnancy test, hoping for a different result. It's the same pee, Katherine Heigl. What did you think was going to change. It was positive. DAY TWO I made all the calls I needed to make and bragged to friends that had I not taken the test, I wouldn't even know I had it. I filled myself full of medication, vitamins and water. Though the kid remained negative, she isolated with me and avoided close contact. We are a very tactile family and not being able to hug her was heartbreaking. As was not being able to see my
grandmother. We are luckier than most that we can see her from the back deck of our house so we could at least still wave. DAY THREE My overconfidence was short-lived. The muscle pain, the headache, and the fever kicked in. At 5am, unable to get my temperature down, I laid in an ice bath and, for the first time, had serious concerns about what would happen if things went downhill. The rest of the day alternated between a cold bath and a warm bed. DAY FOUR My only real memory of the day is friends checking in on the phone and finding out the Queen has Covid. The only thing Liz and I will ever have in common, I thought. I was positive she looked more regal than I did, stumbling back and forth to the bathroom. For all the access they have to health professionals, she is still a tiny 95-year-old woman. How scary that must be for her family. I hear people dismiss the fatalities all the time as people who are older or with underlying conditions, but they are still someone's loved one.
DAYS FIVE & SIX Please see days 3 and 4 with more tissues. Thinking to myself, what a waste of time all those people hoarding toilet paper had been. Wondering since I had all this time to lay here and think if I could solve all the world's problems. That's been the only thing stopping me until now, obviously, and world peace depended on my input. Unfortunately, delusion from the fever had well and truly kicked in. DAY SEVEN Testing negative and technically about to go out in the world again. For someone in the music industry, having missed the first weekend where NSW was not the town from Footloose was particularly painful. I can't say I feel 100% but thankful that I did everything in my power to ensure I kept other people safe by staying home. I feel like one of the lucky ones. I got sick with access to healthcare, with people checking in on me, with a roof over my head. Some of the world's problems are fixable. But it's not time to think that is the solution. It’s time for action.
We want to bring out the best in you and your family! Call us today to book a FREE TRIAL CLASS OUR LOCATIONS ADAMSTOWN EDGEWORTH VALENTINE MEDOWIE
02 4952 2444 pollets.com.au newcastle@pollets.com.au
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intouch contributor
Live Your List KIM-CHERIE DAVIDSON
Turning on the
Creativity Tap As a teenager, this New Lambton resident found solace in art. A shy girl, she unearthed a way to express herself, fit in and achieve good grades. Throughout her life, art has proven to be a good ally. Last year, she decided to back herself, leave unsatisfying work and find a job that gave her space for creativity. “This is the bravest move I have ever made. Finally, my creative juices started to flow again. Now I’m looking at my art as a part of my income or business,” Nicola said. It has been a long road for Nicola, a journey that started with a homesick 13-year-old in a Zimbabwean boarding school, about a 12-hour drive from her Malawian home. “It was an academic school and not my strength. I hit my stride, though, when the school’s new art block opened. I was in my element. It was fun, interesting, and I could get messy.” The game-changer was a teacher coaching the right-handed Nicola to draw with her left hand. “It clicked. I focused on shapes; my work started to look like people and places. I was proud of my artwork, which showed in increasingly good grades.” Her art studies continued until Year 12, then stopped. “My belief was I wouldn’t make money from art, and in general, art was a creative outlet or hobby. Underlying this was the conviction not to try; it was too hard for little reward.” Following her family doctrine of attending university in the UK, Nicola did a 4-year Hospitality and Tourism degree in Oxford. Through university, she kept an art journal and made gifts. Yet, when she graduated, her creativity stopped upon starting work in Bristol, then Malawi. 30
• FAMILY & COMMUNITY
In 2007, she moved to Australia, “chasing a boy”. It didn’t work out. Still, Nicola decided to stay. In Sydney, she rediscovered her artistic flair while making personalised gifts and jewellery. “I was back in touch with art. It filled me with such happiness.” With this joy came love and her husband, Ronnie. They moved to Cessnock, where Nicola was blessed with an art room. It was here she created her first commercial piece. Helping to create a concierge desk in a vineyards’ hotel, Nicola was inspired to create a fun regional map. She worked about 65 hours a week across several jobs; she crafted the map in 10-minute grabs. So, it took about two years to finish due to time, size and in-depth detail. “People loved it! Some asked where they could find a copy. So, I printed and sold it at local markets and visitor centres. I covered my costs.” Moving to Newcastle, Nicola worked in tourism. However, she ended up miserable and unable to do any artwork. Knowing she needed to find her joie de vivre, Nicola quit without another position.
“People thought I was crazy. Though I felt I would go mad staying. Within two weeks, I had a new job with good hours, space for my artwork and my creative juices returned.” To keep herself in the artistic flow, last month Nicola started a 100-day challenge to post creativity every day on her Facebook page, Nicky’s Original Creations. Each day, she posts a creative activity. Moving forward, Nicole wants to work in acrylic paints, crayons and pencils on one-off paintings, intricate drawings and unique maps. “I love working one-on-one with people and being able to turn their vision into an artwork. I find so much joy in it! I wish to create pieces people want, not work that gets dusty in a shop or storeroom and not enjoyed.” This dream is already coming to fruition through an abstract acrylic that was a wedding gift. From which the bride’s parents commissioned a similar piece in different sizes and colours. Now, Nicola is working on another commissioned piece, a map of a person’s property, which will be used as a marketing and promotional tool.
ADULT DANCE CLASSES FOR BEGINNERS Find your inner groove. Wish you had the confidence to try dance classes but just not sure where to start? Join experienced Adult Dance teachers Brett Morgan OAM, Kate Ralph and Jason Duff as they deliver these new and exciting Adult Dance classes in Ballet, Ballet Repertoire, Broadway Jazz and our new Multi-Genre Class. Dance is not only a lot of fun and social, but has enormous physical and mental health benefits for adults: • Supporting balance • Muscle development and general fitness • Improved memory • Flexibility and co-ordination.
DROP IN OR 10 CLASS PASSES AVAILABLE Visit our website or contact the studio for more information. P 02 4952 9294 www.nationalcollegeofdance.com
ENROL NOW FOR 2022
Artistic Director
BRETT MORGAN OAM
Australia’s Leading teachers in dance education right here in Newcastle with proven results. • My Grown up and me • Tiny Tots • Boys only programs • Royal Academy of Dance Classical Ballet • Contemporary Dance • Jazz • Acro • Musical Theatre • Body Conditioning • Adult Dance Classes • HSC Dance • Part Time to Full time Transition Programs • School Sports Programs • Intensive Training Programs • Full time programs up to Advanced Diploma in Professional Dance (Elite Performance)
ENQUIRE TODAY P 02 4952 9294 www.nationalcollegeofdance.com 31
Aussie Kids Series Reshaping Screen-Time with Empowering Life Lessons
Residential Care
There are moments in life’s journey when you need to turn to someone you can trust. Like the moment you decide to explore options for retirement living. The moment you need residential aged care for yourself or a loved one. Or the moment you need a little care and support to continue living independently in your own home. With over 65 years experience in providing compassionate, quality aged care, Anglican Care has earned that trust. So, take a moment to talk to one of our friendly support team about your aged care needs now, and in the future.
Because wherever you are on life’s journey, you can trust in Anglican Care.
1800 733 553 www.anglicancare.com.au
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• FAMILY & COMMUNITY
WORDS Di von Essen When it comes to choosing TV shows for kids to watch, the sheer number can make it a little overwhelming. While some series exist as pure entertainment, others are actually designed to help kids better adjust to the world, teaching them valuable life lessons that inspire social and academic skills. The new Australian preschooler series, The Fo-Fo Figgily Show, has been created for curious, growing minds and features former Hi-5 member Tim Maddren and long-time Neighbours star Natalie Hoflin. Helping children discover the importance of community, inclusivity and positivity through a world of enchanted characters, magical visual effects, 3D animation, imaginative storytelling and original song and music, each episode is designed to help kids learn five valuable life lessons. In each episode, Fo-Fo Figgily (a rare and mystical creature called a Fump) and his friends learn about numbers, shapes, letters, nutrition and fitness while exploring fundamental life lessons like respecting different opinions, how to care for the environment,
contributing to your community, how to adopt a never give up mentality and the importance of mental, physical and emotional resilience. Packed with a playful punch, tune into The Fo-Fo Figgily Show and help your kids understand the five essential life lessons of : • Compassion and kindness towards others • Appreciate words and language • The importance of being physically active every day • Food diversity and nutrition • Exploration and confidence The show has pioneered animation, using the world's most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool for immersive experiences. Alongside creative innovators such as Disney with their latest Finding Nemo animated film, The Fo-Fo Figgily Show pursued creative greatness integrating live-action filmed on green screen. The Fo-Fo Figgily Show is available to stream on Wizz and Tubi TV.
Learning and Giving Back WORDS Atwea College Wanting a career change, Ken enrolled in the Certificate III in Individual Support Disability with Atwea College in 2021. This course prepared him to work with the disabled,
covering topics such as the legal and ethical implications when working, the human body, access and inclusion for the participant, family and carers, First Aid, CPR and Work Health and Safety procedures.
Ken currently runs his own electrical business; however, the physical side of the job is becoming more difficult. The opportunity to help someone improve their quality of life appealed to him. Ken had four lessons in the classroom before COVID hit and forced him to resume his studies with Atwea online through Canvas and Zoom. Although Ken preferred to learn in a classroom environment, he was able to complete the course online with support from the staff at Atwea, his sister and his daughter. At the moment, Ken is doing both his electrical work and his disability support work. As he winds down his electrical business, he hopes to work more in the disability sector. He is also learning how to be a swimming teacher and hopes to teach people with challenges in their own life how to swim. He chose to study at Atwea for the availability and affordability and looks forward to a happy and healthy future. Ken believes a successful day is when he is a good father, has a meaningful day with a participant, and he is confident, happy and treats people in the way he would like to be treated. He volunteers for Surfing the Spectrum in his spare time, where he takes kids on the spectrum surfing. It’s a fun day for the children, parents and volunteers. He believes the ocean to be a place of healing.
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