Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Morning Drill: November 22, 2011



Dr. Catherine Muldoon, Miss Virginia USA

Good Morning!

A collection of dentistry and health related links/comments for your day.
 
Virginia Beach dentist smiles her way to the top
Catherine Muldoon moved to Virginia in May 2011 with only one goal in mind: to accept her job offer as a dentist with Konikoff Dentistry.

Just a few months later, though, she took home the title of Miss Virginia USA 2012, which she won Nov. 5 representing Virginia Beach at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.

Muldoon, a Chic's Beach resident, participated in a two-day process that included swimsuit and ballroom attire competitions, a dance routine and interview questions.

Despite having almost missed the cutoff date to register, the cosmetic dentist won the top award and took home another title: Miss Photogenic. Muldoon remained grounded while preparing for the big event.

"You have to get a gown, a swimsuit and watch your diet," she said. "But you also have to be comfortable with who you are."

Muldoon will now represent Virginia in the Miss USA 2012 pageant scheduled to air on NBC in June - all while she advocates for the charities Operation Smile and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Cosmetic Dentist in Odessa, TX Supports Marine Toys for Tots Program
At his Odessa cosmetic dentistry practice, Dr. Robin Rutherford will be collecting new toys and cash donations for underprivileged children through the Marine Toys for Tots program. In his tenth year of supporting the organization, Dr. Rutherford says he is excited to continue sharing in the spirit of giving with those who are less fortunate. Donations will be accepted at his practice until December 9, at which point the toys will be picked up for distribution to less fortunate children in the Odessa area. Any cash donations will be used to purchase additional toys for children. Dr. Rutherford says participation in the nationwide program has been a privilege and an honor for his practice, and adds his entire staff is looking forward to the opportunity to give back. "Since we've been one of the collection locations for so many years, people now just plan to bring their donations to us. We really enjoy helping."
State Ruling Turns Teeth-Whitening Into A Crime
What is the difference between whitening your teeth at home with a product you buy online and whitening your teeth at a shopping mall or salon with an identical product bought there? Answer: The person who sold you the product at the mall or salon can be charged with a felony and sentenced to up to five years in jail.

As impossible as it sounds, that is the position taken by the Connecticut Dental Commission in a recent ruling that gives dentists a lucrative monopoly on teeth-whitening services.

Teeth-whitening is a booming business and, over the past decade, there has been a massive increase in the popularity and availability of teeth-whitening services. This has been a boon for consumers and for entrepreneurs like Lisa Martinez. In 2008, she set up a storefront at the Crystal Mall in Waterford selling an over-the-counter teeth-whitening product and instructing her customers on how to apply the product to their teeth. Her service was limited to providing the product and instructions on how to use it, along with a comfortable place to sit and an LED "activating light" that customers would position over their mouths.
Moustache month: Detroit dental students raise money for prostate cancer research
A hair-raising competition on behalf of prostate cancer research has turned November into Movember -- a moustache-growing awareness month taking root in Detroit.

What started in Australia in 2004 as a fund-raising idea has sprouted into a social networking opportunity for men to compete with sometimes-outrageous moustaches for a good cause -- so far raising $174 million worldwide.

A group of University of Detroit Mercy dental students joined the movement, raising $3,775 this month. They were planning a shave-off tonight before heading home for Thanksgiving.

Groups have chronicled their moustache-growing exploits this month at the Movember website. Visitors to the site can donate to two U.S. prostate cancer groups. U.S. registration at the site has more than doubled this year to 130,000 moustache growers.
Enjoy your morning!