Ever thought about living near coast of New Jersey, especially in towns like Manahawkin, Forked River and Barnegat? If you haven’t before, you sure will after reading these seven reasons why it’s AWESOME:
1) Easy Access To Recreation
If you want recreation, there are few better places to be than the beach, especially in Southern Ocean County and Long Beach Island. Surfing, boating, fishing, swimming, sun bathing, games, music, paddle boarding, night clubs, nature preserves, food festivals, and so much more we can barely list it all. If you can’t find something to do at the shore it’s because you refuse to leave the house!
2) It’s Relaxing
Think about the sound of the surf, the smell of the water, the laid back way people go about their lives, and then think about yourself in the middle of it all right here in Ocean County. Yes, that is what living at the shore can be like – and it can be like that every single day of the year! Doesn’t matter if you live in a small bungalow or have a huge beachfront house, being near the the ocean can lift your spirits and help you do something few people can manage: relax!
3) You’ll Enjoy A Longer Life
It might sound like nonsense, but it’s true. Studies show that people who do not take annual vacations are 32 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. So what better way to extend your life then by building a perpetual vacation into your life? That’s exactly what living at the beach is like. At any moment you choose, you can flip the switch from normal life to relaxing. Take a walk to the sand, go look out over the way, enjoy some water sports, go fishing, walk your dog, go people watching – the whole area here near Long Beach Island a tremendous place to unwind!
4) Visits From Friends And Family Will Be Great
If you enjoy making people feel welcome, you’ll have an easy time if you live near the shore. People love to visit the region for a reason, and they love it even more when they are visiting good friends and family. Give them something to see and something to do, often without much effort on your part. That’s exactly what living near the shore can do!
5) Get In Touch With Nature
It may appear that the shore region is built up to a major degree – and in some ways, it is – but there are not only plenty of parks and open areas, even the built-up communities allow access to mother nature you can’t get in the suburbs. When was the last time you watched dolphins and whales play in your McMansion community, or walked two blocks to do some ocean fishing, or fed ducks and gulls on the bay right in your backyard?
6) Salt Water Is Good For Your Health
Yet another mark in favor of shore living, salt water is not just calming to the soul, it can actually help heal little nicks and cuts. Add in the fact that beach sand can help exfoliate your skin, helping you to feel cleaner and fresher, and you have the makings for a healthier life.
7) It’s A Great Investment
When it comes down to it, this may be the biggest reason to own property at the shore. Waterfront property is always in demand. It never goes out of style. Your investment is all but guaranteed to increase for you. Add that to all the lifestyle bonuses mentioned above, and the reasons for living at the shore should be obvious.
And naturally, once you’re here and smiling about your choice, choose us as your Ocean County dentist and we’ll keep your smile bright!
Summer will be here before you know it, so if you want a Jersey Shore vacation, the time to start planning is NOW!
On Fridays during the summer, the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike are often backed up with traffic. These aren’t people going home from work or on their way to the world’s largest pizza party. They are coming to the beautiful New Jersey Coast – and since our dentist office in Ocean County is right near the coast, we have a great fondness for the area!
No wonder Long Beach Island rentals, bungalows in Barnegat, apartments in Belmar, weekend homes in Point Pleasant and more are so popular each summer.
The New Jersey coast is not all created equal, however. Choosing one town over the other can be the difference between finding yourself in the middle of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” and relaxing in a quaint, historic community, so choose carefully!
If you plan to invest in a summer home at the Jersey Shore or to enjoy a vacation along the coast, these are a few of the communities you should be sure to consider when deciding to take a weekend, week, or even the rest of your life away with the family.
Point Pleasant Beach
This is a community that endeavors to straddle the line between a vibrant, active resort community and a quiet, peaceful ocean town. Indeed, this is a town that offers the architectural charm of yesteryear as well as the appeal of great dining and excellent shopping. The residential neighborhoods of Point Pleasant Beach are quiet, but the downtown is often bus with shoppers. Also busy is the boardwalk, which has the area’s only aquarium. There you will find rides, games, places to see bands playing music, and more.
Long Beach Island
The fact is, Long Beach Island (along with nearby communities like Manahawkin) is in high demand for a reason. This stretch of coastal barrier island remains one of the New Jersey coast’s most desirable places to both live and to vacation. Boasting plenty of bay and ocean facing property, it also has shopping, historic sites, and more. Even better, while there are plenty of things to do within a short walk or drive, the town itself is calm enough so that even retirees find this to be a small slice of heaven.
Barnegat
The small oceanfront and bay community of Barnegat, where our dentist office in Ocean County are located, is a popular place for families thanks to its lovely beaches, paths, and docks for fishing and crabbing – not to mention its historic lighthouse. There are more than a few small shops run by residents of the town, as well as waterfront property along both the ocean and the bay. Barnegat is on Long Beach Island, so when we say that Long Beach Island has been increasingly popular in recent years thanks to its quaint, small town feel we include this town in the observation.
Belmar
Not unlike Point Pleasant Beach, the Borough of Belmar offers quiet shore living as well as attractions that will appeal to more energetic visitors. Quaint neighborhoods with snug coastal homes are just a short walk away from some of the New Jersey coast’s most active and popular nightclubs. Set that alongside some of the best fishing on the East Coast, a historic boating community, and a downtown that is a throwback to communities of eras long gone and it’s easy to see why people flock to Belmar each year.
Any one of these communities could serve at the perfect place for your New Jersey vacation or retirement!
The first line of defense in the war against all things that harm your mouth – tooth decay, gum disease and more – is a deceptive simple weapon: your toothbrush. It’s the tool that will give you great teeth in Forked River!
The toothbrush has been around for millennia, though not always as we know it. The ancient Egyptians frayed tiny branches in order to create their toothbrushes. The 15 Century Chinese used natural bristles to create something very much like to the brushes we use today. But it was less than 100 years ago, in the 1930s, when nylon was invented and toothbrushes finally became modern.
Modern toothbrushes have been refined and redesigned over the decades, with many fine adjustments helping them become more effective at keeping your teeth clean.
But without YOU, your toothbrush can’t do its job properly. Here is what you need to know:
How to Brush Properly
A surprising number of people do not brush their teeth properly. Even though this is part of our daily routine and it seems like it should be easy, over time even the best of us can develop up bad habits. Once formed, bad habits are hard to break – and when they are bad brushing habits, they can make your brushing far less effective.
Here is some advice to keep in mind:
- Brush twice a day, three times if possible
- Each brushing session should last two minutes
- Use short strokes when you brush
- Don’t forget to brush your tongue (gently)!
- Brushing too hard can damage your enamel, so don’t do it!
A good way to be sure that you brush effectively is to divide your mouth into four quadrants: bottom left, bottom right, top left, top right. Brush in each quadrant for 30 seconds, using short, and gentle strokes and/or swirls. If you do this two to three times per day, you’ll be well on your way to taking amazing care of your teeth!
Once you’ve mastered brushing, the next step is to keep your toothbrush in good shape.
How To Care For Your Toothbrush
Your toothbrush is your best tool for ensuring you have a healthy mouth, so naturally you’ll want to take care of it. Toothbrushes that are a gnarled, mangled mess won’t do a good of keeping your mouth fresh and clean.
In order to keep yours in great shape, follow these tips:
- Do not ever share your toothbrush!
- Be sure to brush gently; let the bristles do the work
- Be sure to thoroughly rinse the toothbrush after you’re done
- To keep microorganism growth to a minimum, don’t store your toothbrush in a closed container
- Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months
Remember, your toothbrush is the single most important part of your oral health routine. Treat it poorly and it will treat your mouth poorly. Treat it well, however, and you can have many years of excellent oral health. When you visit your dentist near Forked River, they’ll notice the difference!
And isn’t that what this is all about? Having the healthiest mouth possible?
The New Year is here again, and you’ve got some goals in mind. Maybe you want to lose a few pounds, or read some of the classic novels, or be a more patient driver.
Believe us, as dentists serving southern Ocean County, NJ, we know many of our patients have big goals for the year ahead!
Whatever you goals, remember the following and you’ll be well prepared to ensure those New Year’s Resolutions are not mere hot air:
- Keep Track Of Your Successes – If you’ve resolved to read 12 classic novels this year, post about your progress to Facebook. If you want to get more exercise, keep a log of your daily progress. If you are trying to lose weight, take weekly pictures to track how you’re doing.
- Allow Yourself To Celebrate Achievements – The road towards your final goal may be a difficult one, so don’t be shy about patting yourself on the back now and then. Rewards for meeting key milestones – losing you first five pounds, running a mile for the first time, going three months without alcohol, etc. – are well-earned. Give yourself a day off from work, go shopping, or some other reward that won’t set you back.
- Be Ready To Reassess – Making big changes in your life is a noble goal, but big changes often come with roadblocks you may not have foreseen. That’s okay. Be prepared to periodically reassess your goals and to adjust them as necessary. That’s not failure, it’s simply being smart and realistic.
- Put Something Of Value On The Line – Loss can be a great motivator. Consider making a friendly wager that you can meet your goals, or use a site like stickK.com, a site set up by behavioral analysts through which you can forfeit a chosen amount of money if you don’t succeed. Quite a motivator!
- Let Others Do The Work For You – With some goals, it’s possible to automate the process and/or let others do the heavy lifting for you. Saving money, for instance. If you want to save more, arrange for your employer to direct deposit a specific amount from each paycheck into a side account. Opt for the bank not to send you monthly statements on that account, and do not accept a bank card. Before you know it, you’ll be building savings with no effort at all.
- Mix And Match For Better Success – If you hate exercise but love music, use your exercise time to catch up on music you may have missed. If you want to eat better and love to eat out, start eating at restaurants that specialize in healthy food. If you want to read more but have a hard time staying focused, take a book with you to the gym and use that time for reading. The combinations are endless, and they can help you meet your goals.
But the most important thing to remember is both the simplest and the most difficult: Be positive. As dentists serving Manahawkin and the surrounding area, we know it works!
Good luck!
There have been many amazing advances in dental technology over the years, from braces to teeth whitening and more. Many of those scanners and machines you see used at the dentist office near Manahawkin seem like something out of a science fiction movie!
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-and-white-mouth-plastic-toy-and-food-plastic-toys-1073776/
The same holds true for medicine in general. For example, the images provided by an MRI machine and the astonishing technology behind artificial hearts is truly impressive.
There have been so many big advances in modern medicine and surgery, in fact, that it’s easy to take them for granted.
For instance, there is one big leap forward in dental technology that you probably see every day of your life without even realizing you’re seeing it. This dental technology that has improved countless lives, offered people a greater sense of self-confidence, and improved their overall health. Despite this, you probably don’t even realize it exists.
We’re talking about dental implants, and they are more amazing than you realize.
How amazing? Check out these facts offered by your local dentist near Forked River:
- Dental braces date all the way back to about 2,000 BC.
- More advanced dental implants date back to at least 600 AD.
- The Mayans in pre-Colombian South America used pieces of shell to replace lost teeth.
- The ancient Greeks often thought about better ways to straighten their teeth or replace lost teeth.
- We’ve been brushing our teeth for thousands of years, but the modern bristle toothbrush was “only” invented in China around the year 600 – about 1,400 years ago!
- Over two thirds of Americans between the ages of 35 and 44 suffer from having at least one missing tooth.
- About 25 percent of people in the United States over the age of 74 have lost all their teeth.
- About 30 million people in the United States are missing ALL their teeth in at least one jaw.
- Every single year, round 500,000 people get dental implants to help improve their quality of life
- More than 5.5 million dental implants have been provided to patients in America through the year 2006.
- These days, dental implants are proven to be safe, and have a long safety record under their belt that goes back decades
- Modern dental implants are generally made of highly durable titanium.
- Strange as it sounds, titanium can actually fuse with bone. That means that implants can help stimulate bone growth.
- Believe it or not, it’s impossible to get a cavity in a modern dental implant!
- Dental implants have a well documented success rate that reaches 98%.
- In most cases, modern dental implants will last your entire life.
Pretty impressive stuff, isn’t it! In fact, the market for dental implants has eclipsed $1 billion a year. It continues to grow today, too.
If you are missing teeth or have other issues that may require dental implants, see your dentist near Forked River for details on how this can be addressed. It’s surprisingly common, surprisingly easy, and will give you a surprisingly improved quality of life.
If you would like a nice house by the shore, you are not alone. The New Jersey coast is a desirable place to live for many reasons, so it’s no surprise that homes in towns like Manahawkin and Forked River are in high demand. That’s why hunting for that prime shore real estate can be a bigger task than you might be ready for. Have no fear. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of house hunting tips.
Start Saving Now – The best time to start saving your money is BEFORE you begin your hunt, because what you save is going to impact your budget, and your budget is going to impact the houses you’ll end up viewing.
Know Your Needs – Single, childless couple, family. Work from home, commuter, retired. All of these things will play a major role in the kind of house that will best suit you. Know your needs and you’ll know what features to look for.
Figure Your Max Mortgage Payment – Create a highly detailed household budget factoring in everything you can think of other than a mortgage – car payment, utilities, student loans, etc – then add a little extra to account for unexpected expenses and so on. Subtract that from your income to determine your max mortgage payment. That will help narrow down the real state you should view.
Barnegat Lighthouse New Jersey
Know Your Credit Score – If your score is below 620, you may want to postpone your hunt, because getting approved in today’s real estate climate may be difficult.
Focus On What You Can’t Change – Things like the bathroom tiles or kitchen flooring or landscaping can be changed. Instead, focus on the floor layout, sight lines and views, and available rooms. In other words, the things you won’t be able to change.
Get Pre-Approved – A pre-approval will put you in a position to know exactly how much you can spend, which in turn will let you know which home is right for you and which isn’t.
Visit Your Short List Homes Twice – Don’t just visit once. That first visit you’ll be too excited to be viewing a nice new piece of property. You will be harder to impress the second time around and more likely to spot issues that you’ll have missed on your first visit.
View The Neighborhood, Too – It’s not enough to just view your desired house. Take a drive out to Manahawkin or Forked River or wherever you’re looking, get to see the neighborhood, see what shops are nearby, see what amenities are available to you – because unless you’re a commuter who works long hours, you’re not just buying into a home, you’re buying into a community.
Use An Agent – While you can do a lot of house hunting on your own, an agent can be a huge help, especially in a competitive market with unique obstacles, such as searching for shore houses. An agent is a worthwhile investment.
Make A Long List – View a LOT of real estate online in catalogs, through your agent, and more, and make a long list of the properties in towns like Lacey / Forked River, Long Beach Island, and Manahawkin that catch your eye.
Make A Short List – Narrow down that list to a few select homes based on rigorous criteria you set (including some of the advice above).
We get it. Flossing just isn’t that fun. In fact, as you’ll read below, up to half of all Americans don’t floss s often as they should.
However, since flossing helps protect you from oral infections, bad breath, gum disease and more, we can’t encourage people to skip the floss. It’s too essential to good oral health!
Take a look at these 12 things you may not know about flossing and maybe you will change your mind about it – and your dentist near Forked River will be glad you did!
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-wearing-blue-zip-up-jacket-1090387/
- Some dental experts recommend flossing before you brush rather than after, to help the fluoride from your toothpaste get in between your teeth. However, there is still some debate over whether this actually has any impact or not. The most important thing is, most dentists agree that you floss.
- If your gums bleed when you floss, you may be doing it improperly or at irregular intervals. The trick is that regular flossing with a good technique is essential.
- If you are not using a clean stretch of floss for each tooth, you risk moving bacteria from one tooth to another!
- Floss comes in flavors for those who need a little boost to get themselves flossing. You can find all the expected flavors – mint, fruit, and even bacon. Yes, bacon flavored floss!
- If you have bridgework or wider than average spaces in between your teeth, it might be beneficial to use wide floss, also known as dental tape. This will give you better coverage so they remain cleaner and healthier.
- If you have closely spaced teeth, think about using waxed floss, which can be easier to slide between your teeth.
- Listen for the squeak: You can actually tell when unwaxed floss is sliding against clean teeth by the sound. This is your clue that plaque has been removed!
- Only about half of all Americans floss on a daily basis, and 18 percent don’t floss at all, according to the American Dental Association.
- 27 percent of people LIE about how much they floss!
- Any discomfort you experience when flossing usually disappears after the first week or so of regular flossing. It’s normal for it to feel “odd” when you first start, but that quickly goes away as long as you make it part of your routine.
- If using floss feels weird to you, ask your hygienist about other options. There are a number of products that can provide the same sort of cleaning, including rubber-tips cleaners, pre-threaded flossers, tiny brushes, and more.
- Waterpicks are NOT a replacement for dental floss because they do not remove plaque. They are for cleaning braces, but should not be used instead of flossing.
If you want to learn more about the importance of flossing, good flossing techniques, and how we can help, reach out to us at 609-698-1155 to set up an appointment with our hygienist.