Siletz news /, December 01, 2004, Page 19, Image 19

“Cha-may weeya”
Medicine Talk
Siletz
Community
Toothtalk
Join the Diabetes Program
Advisory Committee
by Teri (the tooth fairy) Coddington, RDH
it
Brush Up on Healthy Teeth
Simple Steps” for Kids’ Smiles
Every parent knows that a healthy
smile is a sign of a happy child, and
oral health experts agree that creating
those healthy smiles begins in infancy.
The “Simple Steps” assist parents in
taking care of their children’s teeth as well
as aid in teaching proper dental habits.
Proper dental health practices such
as drinking fluoridated water and brush­
ing with a “pea-sized” amount of fluo­
ride toothpaste can greatly improve oral
health in children. Brushing with tooth­
paste that contains fluoride lowers the
risk of decay by 15 percent to 30 percent.
Drinking fluoridated water lowers the
risk by 20 percent to 40 percent.
Beginning oral health care in in­
fancy, along with the proper use of fluo­
ride, reduces the risk of tooth decay and
improves overall health.
Here are some “Simple Steps” to
keep your child’s teeth healthy:
are distracted and unable to concentrate
on schoolwork.
People who are missing teeth have
to limit their food choices because of
chewing problems, which may result
in nutritionally inadequate diets. The
daily nourishment that children receive
affects their readiness for school.
Head Start and Early Head Start are
examples of programs that provide
medical, dental, and nutritional screening,
assessment, and referral, and seek to pro­
vide every child with the learning ex­
periences necessary to succeed in school.
Dental health starts at home, so help
your child reach success!
Health
Clinic
The Siletz Diabetes Program is
seeking interested persons to form an
advisory committee that will provide
community input into the Diabetes Pro­
gram. The committee will consist of nine
individuals plus Diabetes Program staff.
To ensure wide representation of
the community, we are looking for tribal
members (and other Natives who receive
their health care at the Siletz Clinic)
who meet one of the following criteria:
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Elder
Person who has had diabetes for
less than one year
Person who has had diabetes for
more than five years
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Person with diabetes who uses
insulin
Parent of a school-age (K-8) child
Parent of a preschool child
Person who receives services at an
area office
Teen at risk for diabetes
CTSI employee
The group will meet quarterly (Feb­
ruary, May, August, November). Inter­
ested persons can volunteer for a seat
for a one-year term.
Call Alissa Lane at 541-444-9671
or 1-800-648-0449, ext. 1671, for an
application. Applications are due in the
Diabetes Program office by Dec. 20.
Don’t Forget to Transfer Prescriptions to
Siletz Mail Order Pharmacy
by Judy Muschamp
1.
Parents should start cleaning their
child’s teeth as soon as the first
tooth appears.
2. Parents should brush their young
child’s teeth thoroughly twice a day
until the child can handle the tooth­
brush alone. Then, continue to
closely watch brushing to make
sure your child is doing a thorough
job and using only a small amount
of toothpaste.
3. Parents should start using tooth­
paste with fluoride to brush their
child’s teeth at age 2.
4. Talk to your child’s doctor or den­
tist about your child’s specific fluo­
ride needs.
An estimated 51 million school hours
per year are lost because of dental-
related illnesses. Early tooth loss caused
by dental decay can result in failure to
thrive, impaired speech development,
absence from and inability to concen­
trate in school, and reduced self-esteem.
Poor oral health has been related
to decreased school performance, poor
social relationships, and less success
later in life. Children experiencing pain
The Siletz Clinic Pharmacy pro­
vides mail order service to Siletz
Tribal members and their minor de­
pendents in the 11-county service
area. You may receive up to a 90-day
supply of maintenance medication.
Mailing will be provided to those
members who live 40 miles outside
the Siletz clinic area. If another in­
surance is billed, a 30-day supply
may be the maximum per fill.
Prescriptions will be mailed via
U.S. Postal Service. Prescriptions
requiring special handling will be sent
via certified mail. Our pharmacy has
limited storage space, so we order
your prescriptions when we receive
your order. Please allow 7-10 working
days for your order to be processed.
The Siletz Tribal Health Program
is only responsible for providing drug
medication that will assist in main­
taining the quality of patient care.
Cost containment is important, there­
fore the following classes of drugs
will not be provided:
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Drugs used for cosmetic purposes
Weight reduction products
Fertility drugs
Sexual performance enhancement
drugs
Investigative drugs
Food supplements .
Vitamins and over-the-counter prod­
ucts not on the formulary list
Compounded prescriptions are
covered with limitations
Controlled substances for intrac­
table pain may be dispensed only in
accordance with clinic policy. Your
doctor will be requested to provide
a copy of the pain contract
A registered pharmacist is available
for consultation anytime during stan­
dard business hours (8:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru
Friday, except Tuesday afternoons).
Using Mail-Order
Service
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To refill your prescription, call
1 -800-648-0449 or 541 -444-9624.
Send an order form and your new
prescription to the address listed
on the mail-order service form.
You can obtain forms from either
the Siletz Clinic Pharmacy, Con­
tract Health Services, or your lo­
cal community health advocate.
If the prescription is too soon to
fill or not fillable, you will be
notified by phone.
You are advised to transfer your
prescriptions from Pequot before the
end of December 2004. Effective Jan.
1, 2005, orders through Pequot will
not be filled. Your existing Pequot Rx
card will remain valid for up to $500
annually at a local retail pharmacy.
For assistance, please contact
your local community health advo­
cate or the Siletz Clinic Pharmacy.
December 2004
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Siletz News
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