This document summarizes various dental health topics discussed in a dental office newsletter, including: 1) The dental office checks patient blood pressure at every visit to monitor for changes that could indicate health issues and risk of conditions like hypertension. 2) Two patients were found to have high blood pressure readings at their dental visits and urged to follow-up with their doctors, highlighting the importance of these checks. 3) Dental health tips are provided for women, including that postmenopausal women may need to increase dental checkups to four times per year to manage dental plaque levels.

1. Dr. Donna M. Howe and Dr. Paul A. Hansen
1217 North Cotner Blvd.
Lincoln, NE 68505-1837 F A L L 2 0 1 1
Phone: (402) 466-9632
Fax: (402) 466-9632
Email: dmhowedds@windstream.net
Floss Lines
Produced to improve your dental health and awareness Editor: Jan Bretz
From Dr. Howe
Blood Pressure Check at the Dentist’s Office?
Have you wondered why we check your
blood pressure at every visit? Some
patients may experience anxiety in a
dentist’s office and have elevated blood
pressure. By comparing blood pressure
readings with previous readings, we are
able to see if a patient’s pressure is normal
or has changed. It would be dangerous, in
A long-time and much loved some cases, to treat a patient with severe
patient came to our office a hypertension. Checking blood pressure is
couple of years ago, having a free service that is beneficial to our
difficulty opening the door. After patients and very important to us. We want
helping her in, I noticed her to care for the whole patient.
speech was slurred. When she
said she wasn’t feeling well, I At 105 pounds, Lori Schwarting didn’t
called for assistance. I wasn’t seem a likely candidate for blood pressure
surprised to learn later in the day
problems. But when she visited our office
she had suffered a stroke.
in August after a week’s vacation, her BP
While such a life-threatening was 176/110. Eighteen months prior to that
situation was a one-time her pressure also had been high—160/96,
occurrence in our office, which she attributed to being in the
discovering high blood pressure dentist’s office. “I didn’t take it seriously,
is not. We frequently find higher but this time I was about as relaxed as I
than normal readings. About 1 in could be. What a shocker!” says
3 U.S. adults has high blood Schwarting. “Dr. Howe called the doctor
pressure putting them at risk for and made an appointment for me before I
heart disease and stroke. We left the office. She even called me that
routinely check blood pressure Recently, patient Marlene Davidson, week to see if I’d followed up.”
using an Omron blood pressure whose blood pressure had always been Schwarting’s doctor immediately put her
cuff, one that our patient Dr. normal, had a reading in our office of
Alexander Kingsley says is highly on blood pressure medication. She says
137/100. At our urging, she saw her doctor for her it was a wake-up call, and she now
accurate and the same one they
use in his surgery practice. We
who put her on blood pressure medication intends to reduce the stress in her life and
believe that checking BP is vital to help her avoid a stroke. “I hadn’t been exercise as well. “I can honestly say my
information we need to have to happy with myself for some time,” energy has returned since I went on
treat you and valuable information Davidson says. “Now I’m back on the medication and my frequent headaches
for you to share with your doctor. treadmill and eating a low-fat diet, taking are gone. I appreciate what Dr. Howe did.
better care of myself.” She has a reason for all of it.”
Visit us on the web at howedental.com.

2. Dental News Important to Women
Women Winning Battle Message to Postmenopausal
of Sexes Women: Increase Yearly Dental
When it comes to taking care of their Checkups
health, women are winning hands
down. And, according to a study in Postmenopausal women need to
the Journal of Periodontology, see the dentist more often,
women are also more proactive than according to research from the Case
men in maintaining healthy teeth and Western Reserve University School
gums. They are 26% more likely of Dental Medicine and the
than men to floss daily and 74% of Cleveland Clinic. They tested two
women would be embarrassed by a groups of postmenopausal women.
missing tooth, a possible Both groups, those taking
consequence of periodontal disease, bisphosphonates and those who
compared to 57% of men. were not, had increased levels of
dental plaque even while following
Fears Related to guidelines to see their dentist twice
Bisphosphonates? a year, brush twice a day, and floss.
Elevated dental plaque levels can
Concerns relating to treating endanger the jawbone of normal
patients who take bisphosphonates, postmenopausal women and reverse
bone strengthening drugs, pertain any gain in bone mass from
only to those who are undergoing bisphosphonates. Postmenopausal
extensive chemotherapy, states our women, according to the findings,
own Dr. Paul Hansen, Prosthodontic may need to see the dentist as
Section Director in the Department many as four times a year to control
of Adult Restorative Dentistry at the dental plaque with deep periodontal
University of Nebraska. He also says cleanings. Bisphosphonate therapy
that problems associated with isn’t enough to keep jawbones
dental treatment are not present in healthy.
other cases.
Hype for the Humble Apple
Fall offers many trade-offs for the shorter, brain function, and quercetin in the skin of the
cooler days, and one of them is the apple may reduce various cancers and may
abundance of a favorite fall fruit—juicy, ripe be one of the best food sources to protect
apples! against Alzheimer’s (nootropics.com/
quercetin/index.html). If you want the full
Apples have been called “nature’s benefits of this powerful fruit, it’s the whole
toothbrush” because their fibrous texture fruit you want to eat.
massages and stimulates gums, reduces
bacteria, and increases saliva flow. Apples Be sure to wait 30 minutes to brush, as you
also contain tannins, which can aid in should with other foods. It is important to
preventing tooth decay and gum disease. clean lingering sugars from your teeth. But
food temporarily weakens enamel, and
Apples are also high in pectin, a form of brushing too soon can remove some
soluble fiber that lowers both blood pressure loosened enamel.
and glucose levels and helps maintain
healthy digestion. The nutrient boron in
apples supports strong bones and healthy
Page 2

3. Annual Summer and Winter Parties Keep Us Connected
Staff members recently traveled together to Omaha for an
all-day excursion where they visited Lauritzen Gardens,
shopped in the Old Market, ate dinner at Upstream, and walked
over the Bob Kerry Bridge into Iowa. The weather was beautiful!
Nancy Vice, Patient Administrator said, “It was fun. I loved it.” “It
gave us a chance to just sit and talk without interruptions, ” says
Dental Assistant and Patient Administrator Jeanette Heiman.
The staff also has a Christmas party they look forward to every
year. Their parties have varied from attending a performance at
the Lied Center to dinner at Doctor Howe’s home. “We are
friends as well as colleagues!” says Dr. Howe.
Dr. Paul Hansen, Leader in Continuing Education for Dentists
Without research and continuing education, dentists not fresh out of dental school
may fear they may not be up to date or that their skills have gone stale. Our own Dr.
Paul Hansen, President of the Lincoln District Dental Association, is committed to
ensuring that doesn’t happen. He currently organizes continuing education for 240
members of the Lincoln district. Sessions range from one hour to two all-day
sessions per year and are well attended.
In addition, Hansen is a contributor to continuing education conventions in other
parts of the country, including one in San Antonia, Texas. Hansen uses cases he has
personally worked on as a basis for his lectures. Googling every question a dentist
has or keeping up with the daunting task of reading through every dental journal is
not as valuable or practical as being able to hear from experienced dentists who can
answer questions and provide leadership. Dr. Hansen, who has received numerous
teacher awards, is a valuable resource for dentists throughout the country.
Page 3

4. Walk the Talk — Take a Healthy Vacation by editor, Jan Bretz
Your Professional Staff:
Many of you who know Dr. Howe, who regularly bikes or walks to work, won’t be surprised to hear about what Type to enter text
she did on her vacation. As we’ve done in the past, Randy and I shared a vacation with Dan and Donna. And, as
usual, the vacation included activity. We stayed in a Donna M. Howe, D.D.S.
cottage on the Illinois River then traveled to Raccoon Lake Paul A. Hansen, D.D.S.
in Parke County, Indiana. In both places, we ate healthy
meals in our cabins. We indulged in a shared cup of ice Deb Lockhorn
cream on a break from our bike ride along the river and an
occasional bit of dark chocolate, but we took a walk after Dental Hygienist
dinner instead of having dessert. Donna and I practiced
yoga for 30-40 minutes each morning. And every day the Jeanette Heiman
four of us rode our bikes for several hours. One day while I Dental Assistant
visited a high Office Manager
school friend in
Indiana, Donna Corinne Spilker
rode an Dental Assistant
additional
fifteen miles to a Dee Hines
nearby state park where she hiked with Randy while Dan kayaked.
Dental Assistant
Later in the week, we drove to Indianapolis where we stayed in a Judy Rippe
motel. We biked along the Indiana Central Canal and the White River Dental Assistant
and two of the bike trails through the area. Even while eating in
restaurants, we made healthy choices that didn’t blow what we’d Nancy Vice
been doing on other days. We had a great time biking, reveling in the Patient Administrator
beauty of Indiana’s fall colors and aromas. We returned feeling both
energized and relaxed rather than sluggish and bloated.
I highly recommend Dr. Howe’s favorite kind of vacation––one
packed full of good, healthy food and lots of activity!
PERMIT NO. 923
LINCOLN, NE Lincoln, NE 68505-1837
PAID 1217 North Cotner Blvd.
U.S. POSTAGE Paul A. Hansen, D.D.S.
PRST STD Donna M. Howe, D.D.S.