Dr. David Tillman has sent his staff to Atlanta, Ga, to be trained so they can better serve his patients. At separate events, his hygienists, his dental assistants and his office assistants have gone to the Scheduling Institute. This week, Hollie and Dr. Tillman’s wife, Julie, flew in the cramped skies of Spirit Airlines for the conference. Tell us if our training is showing, if we are serving you better.

Dr. Tillman has been providing free dental care through The American Dental Association’s event, “Give Kids a Smile.” This is his 10th year to provide free dental care and he even pays his staff to help out. Friday, March 22, is the next day he will give the care to needy school children through this program.

He also provides free dental care to patients needing to go through radiation therapy through “Cancer Care Services.” In June he will volunteer at John Peter Smith Northeast Dental Clinic. This is his 15th year to volunteer there. And, a big event, in August, just before school begins he will have 2 full days of care for school children and their parents through a program, “Dentistry From the Heart.” So things will be busy this summer.

Also, Dr. Tillman serves on the Aledo ISD School Board. Currently Aledo is looking for a new superintendent, so Dr. T. has had weekly meetings so Aledo can find a superintendent before school begins.

Unfortunately, this week’s meeting was bright and early on Monday at 7AM!!! He promises he didn’t fall asleep while working on patients that day!

With 2012 over, we thought we would ask you, our patients: what was memorable about 2012 for you, and what are you looking forward to in 2013? Do you have a new year’s resolution or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Here are the top resolutions for 2013, and some great free iOS and Android apps to help you achieve your 2013 resolutions!

Eat Healthier:

Fooducate

Lose weight, eat real food, and get healthy. Fooducate grades your groceries, explains what’s really inside each product, and offers healthier alternatives. We’ve got the largest database of UPCs – over 200,000 unique products and growing.

Work out / Exercise More:

NPT BOOM

Nike BOOM syncs your music to your dynamic training workouts, with the world’s most elite athletes and coaches motivating you along the way. Choose your type of workout, length of training, best workout music and favorite Nike athletes—then get to work.

Become More Organized:

Wunderlist

Wunderlist 2 is the easiest way to manage and share your daily to-do lists. Whether you’re planning an overseas adventure, sharing a shopping list with a loved one, or simply keeping track of your daily to-dos, Wunderlist is here to help you get things done.

Gain More Control of Finances:

Mint.com App

Mint.com allows you to track, budget and manage your money all in one place, so you can see where you’re spending and where you can save. Open an account, add your bank, credit, loan and retirement accounts and Mint will automatically pull in and categorize your transactions. It’s safe, secure and easy to keep your personal finances organized.

Expand Social Circle:

SupperKing

If you’re trying to expand your friend circle in 2013, or maybe just plan more exciting activities with your current friends, apps like Highlight can connect you to new people. A new iOS app called SupperKing is like Airbnb for at-home meals. You can charge strangers cash to enjoy a meal at your place with you — an idea that not everyone is game for. But the app is also great for organizing dinner parties with your friends.

We want to wish all our patients, friends, family and all our colleagues a happy and healthy New Year!

It’s hard to believe, but July is already here and half of 2012 has already passed! As July 4th approaches, our team thought it would be fun to share some facts and safety tips for celebrating our country’s independence day.

Fun Facts:

• Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.

• The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.

• The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

• The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.

• And what could be more fitting than spending the day in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, with 21,941 residents.

Safety Tips:

• Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.

• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

• To prevent a trash fire, be sure to douse the spent fireworks with plenty of water from a bucket or hose after fireworks complete their burning and before discarding them.

• Make sure fireworks are legal before buying or using them.

What are your plans this 4th of July? Share them with us! We’d love to hear what you and the rest of the community will be doing to celebrate! (Don’t forget to make sure there are no restrictions on fireworks! Check out this link to see if fireworks might be an issue for you this year.)

Also, check out these 4th of July party invitations, eGreeting cards, and delicious recipes!

In honor of June Dairy Month, our team would like to thank all of our hard working families in the Dairy Industry. We all rely heavily on the hard work that our country’s farmers do!

In fact, dairy is important to your overall health! A 2008 study from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) found that regular consumption of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, can lower your chances of contracting periodontal disease (also known as gum disease).

Results of the study show that adults who consume at least 55 grams of lactic acid a day are less at risk for gum disease. Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth.

If you have questions about foods that can improve or hinder your dental health, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember and honor the men and women lost while serving for our country. Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer, and for many folks getting out of town for three days after being cooped up in the classroom or the office spells sweet, sweet relief.

What about you? What are you up to this Memorial Day weekend? Whether you are headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, or just hitting the great American open roads, we’d like to hear all about it!

Our entire team wishes you a happy, safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!