“Cha-may weeya
Medicine Talk
Siletz
Communi
Health
Clinic
The Path to
Wellness: First
Steps
Basic Diabetes
Management
Diabetes is a serious disease that
effects many people in our community.
Many complications can develop -
blindness, heart attacks, amputations, and
kidney failure. These can be avoided by
maintaining normal blood sugar. This is
done by:
•
■
Eating healthy foods
Eating at regular, frequent times
Eating the right amount of food - not
too much or too little
Exercising daily
This daily management can be difficult
because it involves changing behaviors. The
Siletz Diabetes Program created a three-day
retreat called The Path to Wellness: First
Steps. The retreat was designed to take
people away from their current routines and
give them a fresh start to practice these
behaviors. Support people also were
involved, such as family members or tribal
staff who want to learn more. Highlights of
the retreat included:
•
•
All meals and lodging were provided.
Our dietician, diabetic programs
assistant, and the chef planned special
meals and snacks.
A supermarket tour lead by experts. A
chance to compare prices, contents,
and nutrition of the food people are
interested in.
Exercise sessions lead by two Native
fitness trainers. Easy, fun exercises!
Lessons on nutrition, medications, blood
sugar testing, and other important
aspects of diabetes management
Tips for communicating with family
and doctors
Stress management
Time to talk with others who have
diabetes and get practical ideas for
changing behavior
The clinic held its second retreat at
Chinook Winds. These retreats have helped
many people gain knowledge, skills, and
support to take better care of themselves.
Advanced retreats are planned for later this
year. Contact the Diabetes Program at the
Siletz Clinic for more information.
Dr. Christensen
Leaves Clinic
Kent Rilatos participates in exercises at
the Diabetes Program retreat.
Tooth Talk
by Linda Kreutzer, RDH
Why is “Follow-up”
Important at the
Dentist Office?
Ever been asked by your dentist to
come back in a week or two? There are
many good reasons to return to the office in
the time recommended by your dentist. Here
are a few:
1. Sutures (stitches) need to be
removed after some types of dental
extractions. This will allow the dentist to
check the area for healing as well as
painlessly remove stitches.
2. Check on a tooth treated for an
abscess. The process is called “open and
drain.” An opening is placed on the surface
of the tooth. A temporary filling may or may
not be used. It is very important for the
dentist to check on the tooth in a timely
manner to see if the infection is gone and
begin the next step in the process of saving
(or restoring) the tooth. This process is called
root canal therapy or endodontics. This
procedure is sometimes referred to a dental
specialist called an endodontist. Follow-up
is extremely important if this happens to you
or to someone you care about. This includes
taking all of the medication prescribed by
your dentist, including antibiotics. Take
them all!
3. Root canal therapy sometimes
requires a number of visits to the dental
office. It sometimes may not seem like it,
but progress is being made. The tooth must
be free from infection and become
thoroughly cleaned and refilled. This takes
time. Please allow your dentist the number
March 24 was Dr. Steven
Christensen’s last day at the Siletz Clinic.
A potluck luncheon was held in honor of
the time he spent working at the clinic.
I
Walt Klamath said the blessing and
performed a ceremony for Dr. Christensen
(above). Judy Muschamp, health director,
presented him with a Pendleton blanket
from the Clinic Sunshine Club.
Dr. Christensen will be missed by
many. We all wish him the best as he goes
back to private practice in Waldport.
of visits it takes to do a great job for you.
Although the tooth no longer hurts, it’s
important to revisit the dental office two or
more times to have a root canal completed.
4. Temporary fillings and crowns are
exactly what they are called, temporary.
They are not strong enough to sustain
chewing force for any length of time. They
can do a good job of “holding you over” for
two or three weeks until your next dental
appointment, but if left in the mouth too long,
problems may occur. It’s possible to break
off more tooth structure along with a
temporary, resulting in the need for root
canal therapy or extraction of the tooth.
5. Denture and partial denture care.
When new plates are made, the dentist
always expects minor fitting adjustments to
be necessary. Sore spots can develop on
the gums and mouth if the dentures and
partials are worn too long with an improper
fit. It’s important to return to the dentist office
within one week of receiving your new
dentures or partial dentures to ensure a great
fit without sore spots.
6. Get your teeth cleaned twice a year!
This goes for people with healthy gums. If
gum disease is a problem, it’s necessary to
see the hygienist three or even four times a
year.
In the dental world, follow-up has many
meanings, all of them important!
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