INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Studies show that brushing can prevent gingivitis. Effective brushing should not only reach in between teeth to remove plaque, but also massage the gums to stimulate micro-circulation in that area. The best technique for brushing your teeth is the modified Bass Method. Orient your brush in such a way that its head is tilted at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line. This allows the bristles to clean 1 mm below the gum line. Use small, vibratory, circular strokes to remove plaque. After about 20 strokes, do a sweeping motion towards the biting surface of your teeth. For the biting surfaces, do a back and forth brushing stroke. Repeat these steps for all of your teeth. Flossing helps to remove plaque along the margins of your gums. This saves the gums from getting irritated by bacteria present in plaque. Floss first, since flossing brings the plaque stuck between the teeth out, and then you brush it away.  Get an elbow length piece of dental floss and wrap each end around your middle fingers. Leave at least an inch of floss between your fingers to work with. With the help of your index finger, gently slide the floss in between your teeth, starting at the back. Allow the floss to hug the surface of your tooth and gently slide down to the gum line. Then, drag the floss against the surface of your tooth. Do not force the floss in between your teeth as this could damage your gums and cause bleeding. Repeat the same steps between all of your teeth. Dissolve 9 teaspoons of salt in three cups of warm water. Rinse for 30 seconds, then spit out. Do this twice a day. Rinsing with salt water is an effective way to reduce the bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria present in plaque causes irritation of your gums. Salt rinses create a diffusion gradient inside the mouth. This means that it causes the bacteria to become dehydrated and die. Those that smoke are more likely to get gum disease, as smoking is very hard on the gums and bone, causing bone loss, which subsequently is more difficult to keep clean. The habit can give you a variety of gum problems, including sensitive gums, bleeding gums, or painful sores on the gums.

SUMMARY: Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Floss before brushing. Use saline rinses. Quit smoking.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Just because your child is an introvert doesn’t mean they don’t want to have friends or socialize. They will probably do better becoming friends with other introverts than extroverts. Take your teen to places where they might meet other introverts, like library teen events, teen book clubs, or board game cafes.  If your child has introverted friends already, make your home a safe space for them to interact without expecting them to be extroverted or going out of their comfort zone. Ask your teen’s teachers or other parents if they know any introverted students who may be similar to your child. You should help your teen try new experiences even though they may be nervous. Do this slowly and gradually. Don’t force them to go somewhere they don’t want to, but also don’t let them miss all new experiences. Gently encourage them to do things, like go to a birthday party they were invited to. However, respect their limits if they refuse to do certain things.  If your child is resistant to trying new things, talk to them about it. Tell them, “The way you feel about things is normal. However, you should try some new experiences. There’s nothing to worry about when you try something new. You may discover you like something you didn’t know you liked. If you don’t like it, then that’s okay. At least you tried.” Reinforce the positive outcomes when your child takes a chance. For example, if your child goes to a party, say, “Even though you were hesitant, you went to the party and had a great time. You even made new friends.” Give positive reinforcement when your child goes outside of their comfort zone and tries something. Say, “I’m proud that you tried that new activity. I know that was difficult for you.” Many people try to force introverted kids to be extroverted. Introverts are sometimes passed over because they’re not as outgoing, or they are told they are wrong for being introverted. This leads to people trying to force them to socialize more, be more outgoing, and go out of their comfort zone. Try to avoid doing this with your child. Realize that your child has their own unique personality. Not everyone needs to be outgoing to be happy or fulfilled. Don’t make you teen do things they are uncomfortable with or act in ways they don’t want to. For an introvert, talking or interacting in person may be overwhelming or difficult. Many introverts pull away from crowds or others, or choose their words carefully and have trouble getting out their ideas verbally. Try using technology to communicate with your teen.  Texting is a great way to talk to your teenager. Your teen may open up more if you text, “How was your day?” than if you ask them in person. Introverts may not feel comfortable calling their friends on the phone, but they can text and e-mail to keep in touch and communicate. Your introverted teen may feel overwhelmed when approaching new situations. You should allow them to get used to the idea of a new situation at first. You can do this by letting them arrive somewhere early so they get used to the area or discussing the situation and experience beforehand.  Your teen may feel more comfortable arriving at a party early so they can get there before too many people are there and get used to the environment. Your teen may want to go to a new place and observe everything before joining in or entering. This helps them process. You may let your teen go to the school before the school year to check out where their classes are, the route they will have to take, and how close it is to their locker.

SUMMARY: Help your child find other introverts. Encourage new experiences. Avoid forcing your teen to do things they don’t want to. Use technology to communicate. Allow your teen to prepare for new situations.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Using a hot baking sheet will cause the dough to start to melt prematurely. Grease the cookie sheet with vegetable shortening or unsalted butter -- don't use vegetable oil because it'll burn between the cookies, and that's not a pleasure to clean. Some cookie dough recipes, however, have a lot of shortening or butter in it already and may not need to have the cookie sheet greased at all. Use a parchment paper or Silipat lined baking sheet for ease of cookie baking. The baking sheet is easier to clean and will not suffer from greasy build up, if either is used while baking. Another plus is the cookies can be carefully removed from the baking sheet by pulling the parchment paper carefully from the cookie sheet and placing it on a cooling rack. The cookie sheet can be lined again with parchment paper and another batch of cookies can be baked. Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to make sure drop or shaped cookies are all the same size. The cookies will bake evenly and taste better. A time range is often given in a recipe, so once you reach the short end of the range,  stick a toothpick right in the center of a cookie, and pull it out quickly.  If little or no cookie sticks to the toothpick, they are done.  Depending on amount of cookie left on toothpick, adjust cooking time accordingly. It is best to either let the cookies cool on the sheet, or to move them to a cooling rack. If you do not have a cooling rack, just turn a large plate upside down, and place the rack on top until it cools. Once the cookies have cooled slightly, remove them from cookie sheet to prevent them from sticking and breaking later.

SUMMARY: Put the cookies on a room temperature or cool cookie sheet. Use a liner. Make evenly sized cookies. Check the cookies. Allow  cookies to cool after removing from the oven.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you hear about a new big event happening, get there! Guest rooms are better suited for cool and experienced players.

SUMMARY:
Be everywhere. Don't spend too much time in Public Rooms.