With February being Black History Month, we want to take a moment to highlight one of Amy’s personal heroes, Dr. Mae Jemison. Dr. Jemison is an African-American engineer, physician, and NASA astronaut. In fact, Dr. Jemison was the first African-American female to travel into space. She was the mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor and orbited the Earth for nearly eight days in 1992. This week we also want to mention that we announced the winners of our Build-A-Bear giveaway that we promoted at the beginning of the holiday season. Stay up-to-date with future raffles and giveaways on our Facebook page.
With the Holidays knocking on the door, many parents are working on putting stocking stuffers together. We know it can be challenging to find fun, unique items to fill your kids’ stockings, so we put together a guide to help you put together some fabulous stockings! Most of the gifts on this list can be purchased at Kindness and Joy Toys in Fayetteville.
The Classics
Candy
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Underwear
Socks
You cannot go wrong with including a few classics in the stockings this year. Stockings are the perfect time to make everyday things like a toothbrush or socks fun!
Are you having trouble keeping the conversation going at the dinner table? Pick up a set of these conversation starters for your kid’s stocking and make a game out of your family conversations!
What are the only two things that make bouncy balls even cooler? Make them bigger or make them bouncier. The Jumbo Jelly Ball has you covered if you want to make it bigger. This thing inflates to up to three feet wide! The Street Ball is a hyper-bouncy ball with a unique shape to always keep your kids on their toes!
These gifts are perfect for when your kids need to sit down and have some quiet time. Whether it is a puzzle, moldable scented dough, or a flexible stress ball, these gifts will get your child’s energy out while they sit down.
Yes, we are getting ready to start our annual Build-A-Bear giveaway! Now, this year’s giveaway will look slightly different than in years past, but the fundamentals are still the same. We have ordered a few handfuls of stuffed bears, animals, and characters to give away to our patients this holiday season. Our favorite part of this giveaway is that each bear has a twin, which will be given to a child in need through the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County. We believe that this is a beautiful way to give back to our community and teach children in our community what it means to help people around us.
As we mentioned previously, the contest is slightly different this year, so here is what you need to know:
You will want to sign up for our email list by clicking here. We will be announcing which bears will be given away through the email list first. That means before we post on Facebook, Instagram, or even in our offices. Our announcement emails will also contain a link to enter the giveaway for the bear you would most like to win! This email list will also provide you with educational content, special announcements, and more!
You can also sign up for the giveaway in our Fayetteville and Bentonville offices! The giveaway will go throughout the whole holiday season, and they might even continue into the new year. If you have an appointment between now and Christmas, be on the lookout for our staff and patient dress-up days. We will be encouraging patients to dress up alongside our team for several holiday-inspired themes. You can find more information about our dress-up days on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
With COVID-19 numbers rising across our state, we have heard several parents question whether it is safe to bring their child in for a dentist appointment. The short answer to this is yes, it is safe. When our state was given stay-at-home orders earlier in the year, we took the time to analyze our protocol and ensure our patients' safety when we could reopen. Today we will go into more detail about what makes it safe, what you can do to be prepared for your appointment, and why your child needs to be maintaining their dentist appointments throughout the pandemic.
To begin, we have closed our waiting room. Instead of coming inside to wait for your appointment, you will park in a numbered spot and either call or text us when you arrive. Using the same method you choose, we will alert you when we are ready for your appointment, so make sure your phone is charged, and your ringer is on.
We also have mobile check-in for our appointments, so you will be able to fill out your check-in information forms, including a COVID-19 symptom questionnaire from your phone or computer before you enter the building. This ensures that we will not be unnecessarily transferring pen and paper with patients. You will receive your COVID-19 questionnaire by email three days before your appointment. When you follow the link, you will be asked to log in or specify if you are a first-time user. If you have had an appointment with us previously, you will login. If this is your first visit with us, click first-time user, and register a login with us.
When you enter the building, families will be limited to one parent and the children with appointments. Children without appointments, along with extra parents, will not be allowed inside. This is not typical for us, and we do not want to limit the number of family members allowed inside. Still, we ask this to maintain social distancing guidelines.
Inside the office, we have a few extra measures in place to keep everyone safe. There are sanitization stands at our entrance and exit, as well as throughout the office. We also have stripes separated by six feet on the floor to help patients maintain social distancing guidelines. Similarly, our water fountains are not currently available to prevent the spread of germs.
As far as our staff, they are required to wear masks at all times when they are in the office. The only time they take their masks off is when they are sitting down at a table in the break room eating lunch. Also, they go through a screening each day when they enter the office. They take their temperature and fill out a COVID-19 symptom questionnaire.
While we have been asked if it is safe to bring a child to the dentist, we have also been asked about the importance of a dentist appointment during the pandemic. The answer to this question is relatively simple. Your oral health is a vital part of your overall health. Many conditions, such as tooth decay, become more complicated, painful, and expensive when they are not detected and treated quickly. Cavities often develop quickly in children, so it is crucial that you keep your child on their six-month dental checkup schedule.
We know that the pandemic causes anxiety for many in our community. We assure you that we are taking all of the necessary precautions to ensure our patients' and their families' safety.