Elmbrook Family Dental Blog

In mid January, our hygienist Kerrie W. and her husband welcomed a new baby boy into their family. Jude was 8lbs 9oz and 21 inches long. He is a sweet, beautiful baby and we are excited to share this beautiful picture with you! Congratulations Kerrie. Enjoy that beautiful little one.

We are a growing team and a busy office. We always do our best to make time to relax and enjoy some laughs, but it isn’t often enough that almost all of us get to be together at the same time. So, at the end of each year our doctors come up with a special event to celebrate the hard work we all put in. It drives us all crazy, but they like to keep the details a secret until the time of the event. This year was extra special! The doctors took us to Arte Bar in Wauwatosa to paint a special picture. Pineapple! The reason this is so significant and dear to our hearts is that a pineapple was one of Joanne’s favorite things. A picture perfect fruit that is extended as a symbol of welcoming. We had so much fun painting these in her honor. After our painting class, we headed down the street to Cafe Hollander for dinner and surprise white elephant gifts. Dr Tack and Dr Taibl were in charge of shopping and chose some fantastic gifts! Everything from spa and restaurant gift cards to a wine lovers gift set. The best gifts of all? A set of Selfie Sticks as well as a framed photo of Dr Brunner, and another gift set which included a mug with Dr Brunner’s face and a snuggie. Wait…. those gifts were terrible! No worries, after a few good laughs the docs replaced the fantastic pictures of Brunner with nicer, more fun gifts at the end.

The paintings turned out gorgeous, the gifts were a fun and appreciated surprise, the food was awesome and the company was the best. We had such a great time!! Thank you to Dr Brunner, Dr Taibl and Dr Tack for all you put in to this event. We truly enjoyed it and can’t wait till next year.

Want to see pictures? Check out our facebook page here:  https://www.facebook.com/elmbrookfamilydental/

Another sweet baby has arrived! Our front desk team member Tiffany and her husband welcomed Oliver Beckett at the end of November. He weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 19 inches long. His big brother Owen loves to help take care of his baby brother. Congratulations to their whole family. What a cutie pie!

Our hygienist and media manager Amanda welcomed a new baby into the world. Adeline Joyce was born in October. She was 6lbs 5oz and 19 inches long. She is sweet as can be and the family is so in love! Check out her shirt!

Many of us use January 1st as a starting date for a resolution that results in a better “you”. We eat better, we exercise, swear less or read more. Why limit yourself? Consider adding “floss more” or “bush at night” to your resolutions! It’s important to make every goal a realistic one so that it lasts ALL year. Here are some tips to help you with those goals:

Be honest with yourself. You are the only one who knows what you can be successful at. If this means you will increase your flossing frequency to 1x weekly and succeed at that, then this should be your starting goal! Focus a short period of time on a small, attainable goal.

Don’t stop moving forward with your goal. If at the end of a 2 month time you have succeeded at flossing 1x weekly, increase that goal to 2 or 3 times weekly. Focus on that goal for another 2-3 months. Once you have created a routine of that, then increase it again while keeping in mind that your ultimate goal is to floss daily.

Set reminders and notes of encouragement. Sometimes we don’t follow through with our goals simply because we just forget! Set a reminder on your smart phone, in your e-mail or even leave notes on your bathroom mirror. It is helpful to have a schedule for this to keep you on track. Remind yourself every Wednesday and Friday (or any other days you choose).

The key to starting small and increasing slowly is to stay honest and stay positive. You don’t start sprinting when you’re going to run a marathon, right? So don’t start too fast with an un-realistic goal that you need to last your lifetime! Your teeth and your dental hygienist will thank you!

We always like to share some of our favorite recipes during the holiday season. Check these out if you’re still looking for ideas. Enjoy!

Beer cheese dip (this has been a fav at our office for years!)  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/beer-dip

Filet of beef: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/filet-of-beef-recipe.html

No-bake chocolate hazelnut cheesecake:  http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes/article?rid=3471

Thank you so much to everyone who shared the photo of our docs with their tu-tu’s and ‘liked’ it. The doctors will be wearing their new skirts to work on December 8th, but more importantly, they will be writing a check for Joanne’s daughter Megan that will go toward her Leukemia and Lymphoma Society race and fundraiser. She is still working toward her goal of $2,900 and would love to see some of her moms favorite patient’s donate! So, if you’re trying to decide how you can reach out and give back this holiday season, consider donating to her cause. Read her story and make a donation of any amount.

Megan has currently raised 45% of her goal and will be racing her first marathon in honor of her mom Joanne next year. Follow the link below if you’d like to read Joanne’s story donate to her daughter’s cause.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/prtorico16/MJohnson