Wahl Family Dentistry was visited by a real live Ninja yesterday who looked a lot like our 8-year-old patient El Harmon. El is a terrific patient and a very good boy!

Kira and Leah had a snow day off school today and are helping out in the office, keeping things clean and neat. Thanks Kira and Leah!

Toothy Visited Children’s House Montessori School, Kira and Leah’s alma mater, on February 26, 2015. Miss Carol, one of the teachers there, not only remembered Leah from years ago, but told Tina that she still uses Leah’s workbook as an example for the other toddlers!

One of the toddlers started crying when he saw Toothy. That started a chain reaction and soon almost all the toddlers soon were crying. As a result, we took the Toothy costume off to show that Nastassja was inside it and put it on the floor, where the children could touch it. One brave toddler got up the nerve to give Toothy the high five before the costume was removed.

The New York Times reported in a recent study of peanut allergies in the New England Journal of Medicine that has challenged the conventional wisdom. In a randomized prospective study, the authors divided infants at high risk for peanut allergies into two groups. Those that were fed peanut products (like peanut butter, but not whole peanuts, which can be a choking hazard) were far less likely to develop peanut allergies than those who were not. So in this study, withholding peanut products from infants actually increased the incidence of peanut allergies.

Similarly, children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop asthma than those who don’t because exposure to animals and their fodder “trains” the body to protect against antigens

Kira participated in the Dynamo Gymnastics meet in Galloway, New Jersey and tied for first in vault level 3. She also placed in each other event and overall for level 3. Here she proudly shows her 4 medals and trophy she won.

When I asked her which medals she liked better, these gymnastics medals or her soccer medals, she said she liked the gymnastics medals more because they were for her achievements whereas the soccer medals were for participation.

Way to go Kira!

Continuing with his worldwide (actually northern countywide) dental health tour, Toothy visited our assistant Ashley’s alma mater Richey Elementary today to spread the word on good dental health and hygiene. Ashley’s sister Natalie is now a pupil there and is pictured in the purple.

Claymont Elementary School

Hilltop Lutheran Learning Center

Saint Anne’s

Toothy enjoyed visiting Manor Park Head Start today. The teacher drew a nice picture of Toothy beforehand so that class of three-year-olds would not be scared. What a great likeness — Picasso, move over!

While Tina and Toothy were visiting the Wilmington Head Start Leslie Johnson Center, Tina took a picture of these inspirational sayings on the wall.

The children and the teachers loved Toothy!

Longtime patient and DuPont Company retiree Dr. Konrad Kmetz is an avid baseball player, who has been playing with over thirty, over forty, and over fifty-five baseball leagues for over 20 years. He was my manager and coach for two years on an over forty team — even though I wasn’t very good, he was super nice to me. He was kind enough to give me this rare baseball card of him. I am putting it up for sale. The starting bid is $50,000!