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On March 17, everyone has a little Irish in them. St. Patrick’s Day is a joyous celebration of Irish heritage. The holiday originated as a commemoration of Saint Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The saint arrived in Ireland in 432 and earned the reputation of a champion of Irish Christianity. March 17th, the day of St. Patrick’s death, has been commemorated by the Irish for over 1,000 years. St. Patrick’s Day is still observed as a religious feast day by several Christian denominations, but it is better known in the public imagination as a rich celebration of Irish culture.

St. Patrick’s Day has been an official public holiday in Ireland since 1903. Each year, the Irish celebrate with a several-day festival that includes theater performances, music, fireworks, and festive parades. The celebration is also a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Montserrat, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other parts of the world with heavy Irish populations, it is an unofficial celebration of Irish heritage. Parts of Great Britain, Canada, Argentina, South Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United States, and Australia commemorate the holiday each year. Typical celebrations in these countries include drinking green beer, wearing green, eating traditional Irish foods, parades, and shamrock decorations.

Many people, Irish and non-Irish alike, take part in the “wearing of the green” on St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, the color originally associated with Saint Patrick was blue. His use of shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish made the green clover emblematic of the holiday, leading to the traditional green attire worn by thousands on St. Patrick’s Day. Other little-known facts about St. Patrick’s Day include the following:

• Each year, the United States and Ireland face off in a rugby competition called the “St. Patrick’s Day Test.”
• Montreal celebrates the holiday with an annual parade, which has been held each year since 1824. The Montreal city flag even features a shamrock in its corner, as a nod to its Irish heritage.
• The Guinness World Records named St. Patrick’s Day the “Friendliest Day of the Year.”
• Along with Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world.

No matter your cultural heritage, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to let loose and celebrate your inner Irish-ness! Don your greenest attire and exclaim “Erin go Bragh!” (Ireland forever!) to everyone you meet. From Dr. Maryam Azadpur - have a great St. Paddy’s day!

This month we are celebrating our staff for Employee Appreciation Day and our wonderful Dr. Azadpur for National Dentist Day!

We are celebrating our Dental Assistants, Lilly and Melissa, and our Sterilization Technician, Lesa on March 8. Next month, we will celebrate our Hygienists and Administrative Professionals. Each celebration is a party with lunch, gifts, and a sweet treat. It’s important to celebrate all your team members because when employees feel valued and appreciated, they are happier at work. It contributes to a healthy and productive environment. We all like to feel that our employers appreciate us, as is the case here in our office.

Our front desk team Kelly & Susan continually crush it with greeting patients, working the phones, filling open appointments, and generally supporting the whole office. They have each other's back every day. We have a fabulous pair of hygienists, Kay & Alison. Their styles may be different, but their patients love them! Our dental assistants, Lilly & Melissa are awesome! They support Dr. Azadpur and go above and beyond to make our little patients feel safe and comfortable. Lesa, our sterilization tech keeps all the parts moving smoothly in the back and makes sure everything is kept clean and sterile. Our Financial Coordinator, Jill, knows EVERYTHING! Her work may be mostly behind the scenes, but it is felt in every aspect of the business. We would fall apart without her. Our Office Manager, Pat, is the bandleader of us all. She handles so many things and always has time to talk with employees about anything that may be bothering them. She solves so many problems. Her gentle way of getting right to the heart of the matter is inspiring! Shari, our Marketing Director, has the best job of all! She finds creative ways to reach out and find new patients. She loves looking for ways we can support our community – you should see her flyers and social media posts! They are so much fun!

Shoutout to all of our team members we appreciate each one of you!

And of course, we cannot forget Dr. Azadpur, our one and only doctor who will get to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day and Dentist Day.

Dr. Azadpur has been a dentist for nearly 30 years and loves taking the time to get to know each child, build trust and comfort in the dental environment, and guide kids as they mature into great adult dental patients! Her philosophy, which is shared by the whole team, is to provide great dental care, delivered with compassion, in a warm and friendly setting. Dr. Azadpur knew early on that working with children was her calling. She is Board Certified in Pediatric Dentistry as well, which requires special, additional training and education

Outside of the office, Dr. Azadpur can be found at home, spending time with family and friends. She enjoys reading, exercising, and cooking. Her greatest joy is found in nature: she loves plants, flowers, and herbs, and finds a lot of fulfillments in growing and caring for them. Dr. Azadpur and her husband have lived in Simsbury for almost two decades and have raised their family in this wonderful community. They have two adult children.

In terms of office updates, please note that our schedule is fully booked at least 3 months out! Please try not to cancel appointments as it may be a while before we can see you again and delaying treatment may lead to bigger issues later. We do understand that emergencies happen, and we will do our best to accommodate your child, but please be patient and understanding while we work to find room in our very full schedule. We maintain an ASAP list as well. We will be happy to add your child to it and call you if an appointment slot opens up. Also, please verify your insurance coverage prior to coming in. If you have new insurance, let us know as soon as possible, even well before any appointments. There have been lots of changes in insurance coverages and they rarely cover 100% of treatment. Check with your HR department and call your provider to verify coverage. We are unable to call your insurance company on your behalf when you are here in the office. Please bring your insurance card to EVERY visit.

We are also so excited to announce that as of March 1 we offer Online Bill Pay! This new service is available through our Patient Portal. If you need a login link, give us a call at 860-658-7548. If you already have a login, just click the Patient Portal button on the home page of our website.

Happy Spring and we hope to see everyone soon at their next appointments!

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child should visit a dentist, like Dr. Maryam Azadpur, when his or her first tooth pops through the gum, or by time they are one year old.

Children do not always want to brush their teeth. In fact, the average child has three cavities by the time they reach their third birthday. However, if you make brushing fun for them, they will look forward to it, and develop a lifelong habit of good oral hygiene.

How to Make Brushing Fun

• Let them pick out their own toothbrush, like one with their favorite cartoon character.
• Allow your child to choose their own special toothpaste, as long as it adheres to AAPD guidelines for safety.
• Brush to a fun song that is two to three minutes long. When the music stops they are done brushing.
• Brush your teeth with them. Make it a family affair!
• Toddlers may be afraid of having their teeth brushed or brushing them by themselves. Allow them watch as you brush your teeth; this will help them to see that brushing their own teeth will not hurt them.
• Reward systems are great incentives for children, just don’t overdo it. You’re trying to instill good brushing habits, not simply reward them for something they need to do.
• Try an app on your phone; you’ll be surprised how many there are and how much fun your child will have using them.
• It’s important to make sure every tooth gets brushed, so as you child brushes their teeth, count them. Then when they are finished ask them how many teeth they have. You can switch it up a little by giving each tooth a silly name or make up a short rhyme about each tooth as your child brushes.
• Use educational tools, such as the movie “The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth.”
• Read books to your child about brushing their teeth and good oral hygiene.

All you need is a little imagination to help your child learn to love brushing their teeth!

Great question! Baby bottle tooth decay is the development of cavities caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child's teeth to liquids containing sugars. These liquids include milk, formula, fruit juice, sodas and other sweetened drinks. The bacteria in the mouth thrive on this sugar and produce acids that attack the infant's teeth and gums. After numerous attacks, tooth decay can begin.

The first rule is to make sure your child does not fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, juice or other sweetened liquids. Giving an infant a sugary drink before bedtime is harmful because the flow of saliva decreases during sleep, allowing the sugary liquids to linger on the child's teeth for an extended period of time. If left untreated, pain and infection can result.

So, how can you prevent baby bottle tooth decay? Be sure to clean and massage the baby's gums once a day to help establish healthy teeth and to aid in teething. When brushing your child's teeth, use a soft toothbrush, as well non-fluoride toothpaste. Once your little one is able to spit, around the age of two, you should begin using fluoride toothpaste. From the beginning, have your little one practice spitting the toothpaste out after brushing. That way, he or she will already have the good habit of spitting when you switch to fluoride toothpaste, which should never be swallowed.

Also, be aware that children should visit Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry when they are between six and 12 months old. Please give us a call if your child hasn't visited our Simsbury, CT office in the last six months!