Why Dental Hygiene Matters: Dental hygiene isn’t just about having a sparkling smile; it’s a crucial part of our overall health. Our mouths are a gateway to the rest of our bodies, and poor oral health can contribute to various health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory problems. By maintaining good dental hygiene practices, you not only preserve your pearly whites but also promote your overall well-being.

Top Tips for Optimal Dental Hygiene:

1. Brush Twice a Day: Brushing your teeth in the morning and before bedtime (for a full 2 minutes each time) helps remove plaque, preventing cavities and gum disease. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste for the best results.
2. Floss Daily: Flossing removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth and along the gumline. Make it a daily habit to keep your gums healthy.
3. Regular Dental Checkups: Don’t skip your dental appointments! Regular checkups help catch dental issues early and ensure a healthy smile. Aim for at least two visits per year.
4. Limit Sugary Snacks: Sugary snacks and drinks can contribute to tooth decay. Cut down on sugary treats and opt for healthier alternatives like fruits and vegetables.
5. Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps rinse away food particles and bacteria that can lead to tooth decay. Plus, it’s great for your overall health.
6. Wear a Mouthguard: If you play sports or grind your teeth at night, consider wearing a mouthguard to protect your teeth from injury and damage.

Use Your Dental Insurance Benefits: As the year draws to a close, it’s essential to make the most of your dental insurance benefits. Many insurance plans have a “use it or lose it” policy, meaning any unused benefits won’t carry over to the next year. Here’s what you can do:

1. Check Your Coverage: Review your insurance plan to understand what services are covered and what your annual maximum is.
2. Schedule Appointments: If you’ve been postponing dental work, now is the time to schedule those appointments. This can include cleanings, fillings, crowns, or any other necessary procedures.
3. Ask About Flex Spending Accounts: If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA), these funds can often be used for dental expenses. Check with your plan administrator to see how you can utilize these accounts.
4. Plan for the Future: If you anticipate needing more extensive dental work, consider scheduling consultations now to plan for treatment in the coming year.

National Dental Hygiene Month is a perfect time to recommit to your oral health. Remember to brush, floss, and see your dentist regularly to maintain that radiant smile. And don’t forget to use your dental insurance benefits before they expire at the end of the year. Your smile and your overall health will thank you for it!

The post Smiling Bright: Celebrating National Dental Hygiene Month first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

Help us do it again this year! Take a minute and go to http://mountainx.com/bestofwnc/ to cast your ballot!

Mtn. Xpress asks that you vote for at least 30 categories for the ballot to count, so be thinking about your favorite restaurant, physician, real estate agent, personal trainer, etc, as well.

A few helpful hints:  After registering to vote, click on “Start Here” at bottom of page. Then, click on “Sections” in the upper left corner. Scroll down to “Health & Wellness” at bottom of page. Once there, simply find the “Dentist” category and enter “Timothy Gillespie,” which will include Dr. Peterson, Dr. Stephens, and my wonderful staff as well. Remember to visit the other Sections and vote for more favorites!

Thanks so much for keeping us on top!

The post Best of WNC 2015: Help Us Maintain the Top Spot! first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

We’ll miss Michelle.  In fact, we already do.  Michelle predates me in this practice, having been here when I merged my practice with Dr. Ken Hornowski in 1996, and so carries with her an incredible amount of institutional memory—that’s something that takes time to replace.  But that’s not all.  Despite the fact that she and I got off to a rocky start, which we ultimately determined was because certain aspects of our personalities are very similar, we developed a wonderful working relationship and friendship that resulted in this control freak trusting her with a great many things.  Again, something that will take time to replace.

Her calm, reserved demeanor masked a fierce determination to make sure patients and staff alike were well-cared for, and if she ever felt any of us fell short in that arena, she let us know…quickly.  Fortunately, I have been able to attract some wonderful new long-timers who are showing the desire and dedication to build the type of relationships with me, the staff, and our patients, that Michelle had.  It was important to Michelle to feel that she is leaving us in good hands, and I believe she has.  I know this makes her very happy.

For now, I’ve lost the perfect foil to my devilish tricks—a more gullible Pollyanna you’ll never find—but in time, I know I will.  In fact, I’ve already identified a few in the office (tee hee hee!).

Thank you, Michelle.  You’re the best!

The post Still Waters Run Deep: Michelle Retires first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

The great news is that, as inevitable change has occurred, we have found wonderful people to become new long-timers in our practice!  Valerie Mueller, Kate Ross, Whitney Lanier, RDH, and now Sue Parker have all made immediate positive impacts on our practice.  Also, Brittany Chovan, RDH, has been a wonderful part-time addition to our practice in the Hygiene Department.  Rest assured, we still have most of our long-timers, and the new members of our practice family bring with them the type of care and understanding you have come to expect from our office.

On the dentist front, we are happy to report that Dr. Jaime Peterson recently brought baby E.J. Peterson into this world—he came in at a healthy 7lbs!  Dr. Peterson will be returning in December after a maternity leave.  In her stead, Dr. Corey Stephens, who has been a part of our practice family for over a year, will be filling in during the week and will continue to be here on Fridays.  Oh, and don’t the drink the water in our office—Dr. Stephens is expecting as well! Congratulations to both of these wonderful ladies and their growing families!

WE’RE HONORED!  For the fourth year in a row, we have been chosen BEST DENTIST in the BEST of WNC competition sponsored by Mountain Xpress magazine. This three-peat has landed us in their BEST of WNC HALL OF FAME, for which we are so honored! Thanks so much to all of our patient family and practice friends who helped us attain this award. We promise to continue to do our best to make you proud to be a part of our wonderful patient family!

LET’S TALK TEETH!  Some insurance plans contain a “use it or lose it” clause—any unused benefits are lost at the end of the plan fiscal year. If you have unfinished treatment, let’s check to see if it will benefit you to have dental work done before the end of the year so you can maximize any dental benefits you have coming to you.

WE HAVE ENJOYED AN INFLUX OF NEW PATIENTS THIS YEAR! IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN NEED OF A DENTAL HOME, SEND THEM OUR WAY!

The post Life Comes at You Fast! Our Fall/Winter 2014 Newsletter first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

Our latest, greatest addition is Sue Parker, a 27-year veteran of the dental profession, from Savannah, Georgia.  Sue has essentially worked in only two dental offices in that time, so we feel pretty confident she’ll be another one of our new long-timers.  She brings with her an extensive background in dentistry, and has slipped seamlessly into our office dynamic.

Sue loves animals—she has two dogs [Xoloitzcuintles (what?!), or, Mexican Hairless’] and two cats—rescues.  She also has two children and two grandchildren, whom she loves dearly.  Her husband is involved in real estate in Burnsville, and she enjoys travel and reading.  There you have it!  Sue says she loves people and seeing what dentistry can do to improve someone’s life.  We think she’ll fit right in!

Welcome to the practice, Sue!

The post New Horizons….for Me and Sue! first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

Thanks to all of our area friends who voted for us—our practice family, friends, and vendors!  If you’re not part of our practice family, we invite you to come visit to see how we are keeping Asheville smiling!

The post Best of WNC 2014: Thanks to You, We’re in the HALL OF FAME! first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

He carries her away, further west, where she alights briefly at WCU to attain a Master’s in Teaching, and begins a career in education, teaching young children the rudiments of art, perhaps inspiring some to become artists themselves.  But, alas, there are storm clouds brewing on the horizon, and events occur in her profession which cause this youthful teacher to call into question her future prospects, ultimately leading her to cast off for other adventures.  Now, fast forward just a few years, and we arrive in the present, wherein a young Whitney Lanier has gained further education and licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist and descends, very Mary Poppins-like, into my practice, with leftover glitter wafting about in her wake.

Whitney has called Asheville home since 2007 and states that she loves the rich arts community and being in such a beautiful place as WNC.  Some of her likes include Asheville’s amazing art deco architecture; dinner with friends; traveling and photographing what she finds (recent destinations include Croatia, Colorado, and Highlands, NC); singing, but only in big groups (she’s too shy to sing in front of people!); family reunions in Bryson City with her grandmother’s siblings.

Her hobbies include hiking with her husband, Jay, and very energetic German Wirehair puppy, Sidney; photography (a new interest); painting; reading (Whitney relays that she is always reading more than one book at a time).  Favorites include: The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson, and Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin.  A true Asheville cosmopolitan, her favorite weekend activities involve ambling around downtown, writing in coffee shops and gallery hopping.  Of special interest to our patients, Whitney loves learning about each patient and creating a nurturing atmosphere in the dental office.  I think we’ve found a wonderful addition to our office!

We’re so happy to have Whitney in our practice family, and look forward to introducing her to all of our wonderful patients.  Thanks, Whitney, for making us a part of the next chapter of your life of interesting events!

The post Our New Hygienist Whitney Lanier: A Series of Interesting Events first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

Well, her husband has lived in Wilmington for the last two years, so maybe it is time to go!

Let me explain:  Belinda Region has worked with me for eight years as a Registered Dental Hygienist.  She is one of the most competent, thorough hygienists you could ever meet.  She loves her home, her children, her patients, and her coworkers.  But, a couple of years ago, her husband was offered a two-year contract position in Wilmington, and well, this hardworking former Marine from West-by-gosh-Virginia so impressed the higher ups with his mad electrical engineering skills that they made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, and he took a permanent position at the end of the contract.  Cue end credits for Asheville…

I hate to see her go; so much so, that when she told me she would be leaving at the end of last year to concentrate on getting her house ready for sale, I convinced her to stay on part-time…for 7 months.  I’m so glad she did, as she has been able to slowly say goodbye to all of her patients, as well as pass on some of her “institutional memory” to our new hygienists.

Well, to this German-American (she has dual citizenship, and I must say she’s awfully German to be so American, and yes, I know I’m stereotyping, but I mean it all in a good way!)-Jersey Girl (we have several of those here)-soccer mom-and-hygienist extraordinaire, I say Auf Wiedersehen and Danke Schoen!  Thank you, Belinda, for all your hard work and loyalty.  We wish you the best in the next chapter of your life!

The post Auf Wiedersehen and Danke Schoen! first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

For five years, I played in a 9-piece band with a group of friends; we called ourselves “The Vinyl Brothers Big Band.”  With three other horn players in the band, we gravitated towards soul, funk, and any other songs that had an array of horns in the arrangement—we had a ball!  The group has since gone on hiatus, with the hope that we will reconvene at some future date.  Maybe a reunion tour will be in order…

Soon after we put the Vinyl Brothers on the shelf, I got a call from a friend of mine asking if the horns would like to play with his band, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band featuring Skynyrd drummer, Artimus Pyle.  Of course, we would!

I can hardly describe how much fun it’s been playing the horn lines behind some classic rock tunes with friends, and tomorrow night, I get to do it again.  My friend, Mike Crook, will join me on tenor sax, and we will attempt to form a dynamic horn duo behind some really good musicians who have worked very hard to preserve the sound and feel of one of America’s great rock bands.

Thanks, Scott Raines, Jerry Lyda, Brad Durden, Tony Black, and of course, Artimus Pyle, for letting us live out our rock n’ roll fantasy!

The post Of Free Time and Free Birds first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.

Kate is a graduate of ASU, with a BSBA in Hospitality Management.  She has a passion for excellent customer service and a background in providing such care, including a stint with the 4 Star/4 Diamond Washington Duke Inn in Durham, as well as Biltmore Inspirations, a subsidiary of The Biltmore Company, whose customer service we just love.

Kate is from Raleigh, and has lived in Asheville since 2001.  Before entering the dental profession, she was fortunate to have been able to be a stay-at-home mom for 7 years.  She has two adorable children, Tyler (10) and Mary-Kate (8); Tyler loves basketball and Mary-Kate is a future famous artist.  Kate and kids love going to the beach and exploring new places in Asheville (especially restaurants!).  Kate is passionate about fine food, cooking, entertaining, and good music–hobbies we all can get behind!

Please join us in welcoming our “new long-timer” Kate to our practice!

The post This New Smiling Face Will Be Greeting You in Our Office! first appeared on Gillespie Dental Associates.