Just Another Gorilla Day for Mom

Young children have the ability to ground you just when you are beginning to think you are special. Dr. Rita McManamon presented me with a video taken while I was working with the gorillas at Zoo Atlanta. She understood how very much this would mean to me. Of course, I was very excited and rushed home to see it.

Upon arriving home, I asked one of my sons to set up the video recorder so we could see this special video. The three of us were seated in front of the monitor. I could hardly wait. After only a very few short moments as both boys departed the room, my youngest son called back over his shoulder, " Mom, that's just you cleaning some gorilla's teeth".

Yea, sure, everyone's mom cleans gorilla's teeth. I was put in my place yet again!

Giraffes Have Teeth, Too

When your dental patient is larger than you, it is very wise to spend a few moments making friends and establishing rapport.

My interest in veterinary dentistry has opened doors to very interesting places, and on occasion my family has been able to tag along. The boys have fabulous memories of many exotic places.

They witnessed so many veterinary procedures that they developed rather skewed ideas of how things naturally occurred. Doctor assisted procedures were the norm for their world.

This became apparent when my sister-in-law was pregnant with her second child, and one of my boys asked their little cousin when her mother was being cut open to get the baby out!

Teacakes and Historical Preservation

E.E. Samples & Lillie Chambers Samples


Three descendants, representing one generation of Lillie Chambers Samples family, are working to preserve the John R. Chambers Farm. This is the farm where many of our family were born, and where we each remember growing up under the watchful eyes of our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and of course Wheeler.

The table behind the dining room door held a gallon jug which was always full of teacakes. Your entire hand would fit inside once the lid was removed. Many hands, both large and small, reached for those teacakes. I cannot enter the farmhouse kitchen without thinking of those teacakes. To this day I remember their taste and texture. We are planning to once again be able to smell teacakes baking in that kitchen .

Last month the porch floor was replaced, and not a minute too soon. My brother, William, crashed through the porch to the ground below when a rotten floorboard gave way. The perils of historical preservation are not to be underestimated!

Veterinary Dentistry Cleaning Your Pet's Teeth

Your pet's good health depends on his/her dental health. Yes, it's a fact. Many severe diseases such as heart, liver, and kidney disease are attributed to periodontal disease. To help keep your pet healthy you must pay special attention to the mouth, particularly the teeth and gums.

I am often asked why I cannot clean the pet's teeth without anesthesia. To properly clean the teeth, both the crown (visible part of the tooth) and the part of the tooth below the surface of the gum must be carefully cleaned of all plaque, calculus, and debris. Looking at the picture above you can see I am using the same sharp instruments your dentist uses. The pet patient must be very still to prevent injury and to allow me to clean the area beneath the gum . Also, it would be very difficult to clean the lingual (side next to the tongue) surface of the tooth. And there are very few pets who would tolerate having the teeth polished. Regular dental prophylaxis is a part of enjoying a pet that is happy, healthy, and free of dental pain.