Deb has spent the past six years here at Blair Ridge Dental working alongside our doctors as a certified dental assistant. She takes X-rays and impressions, and works at chairside with the doctor to help the procedure go smoothly and more comfortably for the patient. Deb enjoys the variety of her work, one of the many benefits of working at a multi-doctor multi-specialty practice. Another benefit is getting to know such a wide range of people!
When Deb is not in the office, she enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and listening to her husband’s band. She also has two crazy dogs to keep her hands full!
During your next appointment at our Hiawatha, IA dental office, say hello to Deb!

Valentine’s Day is best known as a celebration of love in all its forms. Pink hearts, red roses, and cute greeting cards adorn every surface you see. What many people don’t realize is that the modern Valentine’s Day celebration arose from a religious holiday.

St. Valentine’s Day was originally celebrated as a religious feast day in honor of early Christian martyrs. Three martyrs named Valentine were honored: a priest in Rome, the persecuted bishop of Interamna (a town in central Italy), and a saint martyred in Africa. This saint’s day was celebrated throughout Christendom, although it was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969.

The origin of Valentine’s Day as a holiday for lovers began with Geoffrey Chaucer in his 1382 poem “Parlement of Foules.” Chaucer wrote, “For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate,” and the modern romantic holiday was born. William Shakespeare and other writers mentioned Valentine’s Day as a day of love.

Valentine’s Day as we know it came about in the early 19th century. In Victorian England, printers began manufacturing small numbers of cards with romantic verses, lace, ribbons, and other frills. Anonymous Valentine’s Day card were a popular way for young lovers to exchange romantic sentiments in an otherwise prudish time. As the 19th century progressed, printers began mass manufacturing Valentine’s Day cards. People in the United States give an estimated 190 million valentines every year, and up to one billion if you count children exchanging cards at school! With the rise of the Internet, Valentine’s Day e-cards have become a popular mode of communication, with millions of e-cards sent each year.

The other items associated with Valentine’s Day include chocolate and flowers. The tradition of giving chocolates has been around for decades, and Richard Cadbury created the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates nearly 150 years ago. Today, purchases of chocolate total over $1 billion in the United States alone, with 35 million heart-shaped boxes sold each year. Loved ones also exchange flowers, with red roses being associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. On Valentine’s Day itself, florists sell nearly 200 million stems of roses.

Although many people dismiss Valentine’s Day as a commercialized “Hallmark holiday,” it is beloved to couples and romantics across the United States and other countries. The team at Blair Ridge Dental wants to remind all patients that no matter what your celebratory plans, February 14th can be a wonderful day to celebrate the loved ones in your life. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jill joined Blair Ridge Dental as a dental hygienist in 2007. Dedicated to her patients’ oral health, Jill uses a variety of state-of-the-art treatments and technology to prevent and detect diseases, including DIAGNOdent and VELScope®. Her goal for each patient is for them to live life with a beautiful, healthy smile!
While Jill enjoys the great team atmosphere of our office, she loves heading home to spend time with her family. She and her husband Frank have two children, Rosalie and Paul. Her hobbies include reading and spending time with friends.
The next time you visit our Hiawatha, IA dental office, be sure to say hello to Jill!

Absolutely. Checking in with Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying on a regular basis—usually every six months—is essential to keeping your smile looking its best. At Blair Ridge Dental, we are proud to offer a number of preventive procedures to ensure the health of your mouth and the beauty of your smile. Your smile is just as important to us as it is to you!

Another good reason to visit our Hiawatha, IA office is to check for hidden issues in your mouth you may not even realize you had. Bacteria, tartar, and cavities are known to form in the hard-to-reach crevices of your mouth and may only be detected through a professional exam. If left untreated, these cavities and decay can get worse, requiring more extensive treatment, and costing you even more time and money down the road. During your routine exam, Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying and our team will also check to make sure your fillings or other dental restorations you may have had are in good shape.

Preventing problems before they start is the key to optimal oral health. If it has been more than six months since your last visit, please contact our Hiawatha, IA dental office to schedule your routine checkup! See you soon!