Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2005)
“Cha-may weeya Siletz Community Health Clinic Medicine Talk Missed the Great American Smokeout? Commit to Quit in the New Year Preparing to Quit? 10 Suggestions Get quit kits at the Siletz Community Health Clinic Deanna Pearl, TPEP coordinator 541-444-9659 or 1-800-648-0449, ext. 1659 Oregon Quit Line 1-800-270-7867 Get a free quit kit from the nurse or tobacco prevention. Read a pamphlet or booklet about quitting. Make a list of challenges to quitting. For each challenge, write down what you are going to do about it. ♦ Make a list of things you are going to do instead of smoking. Mark your quit date on your calendar. Toothtalk • • • • Remind yourself why you are quitting - every day! Tell your partner, family, and friends that you are trying to quit. Plan how to spend the money you will save! Practice drinking more water. • Bonus Suggestion: Practice not smoking! by Teri (the tooth fairy) Coddington Guidelines Can Dental Plaque Cause Respiratory Infections? A recent study proved that germs found in dental plaque could make their way into the lungs and cause potentially fatal pneumonia in elderly nursing home patients, U.S. researchers say. Though the study was small, the researchers said they found clear evi dence in eight patients who developed pneumonia while in the hospital that had originated from their own dental plaque. “This was the first study to estab lish a link between dental hygiene and respiratory infection,’’ reported Dr. Ali El-Solh of the University at Buffalo in New York. The oral cavity is a complex bio logical environment. In dental hygiene practice, daily self-maintenance and care of oral tissue is essential. Control ling the microbial content in the mouth directly impacts your oral health and your systemic (overall) health. Therapeutic care must target the infectious agent known as dental plaque biofilm. Biofilm is a complex three-dimensional arrangement of bac teria living together as a self-sufficient, secure, self-sustaining community. Dental plaque biofilm begins to form by the development of an acquired pel licle, a thin protein layer attached to the tooth surface and derived from the saliva. Specific bacteria bind to the pellicle, forming a biofilm colony. The bacteria excrete a slimy, glue-like substance that helps them attach to the oral surfaces. The next generation of colonizers binds to the proliferating cells and ex tra cellular products of the first genera tion, leading to a biofilm community. This community acts as a higher-level organism capable of coordinating the efforts, division of labor, and commu nication among its members, as well as the defense of its thriving community. Recognition of the complex nature of the biofilm helps explain why periodon tal disease has been difficult to control. Biofilm/plaque is best removed by mechanical therapies, such as having your teeth cleaned by a dental hygien ist. Research conducted over the past century validates the importance of spe cific bacterial germs as a risk factor in oral disease initiation and progression. Client knowledge of the character istics of the biofilm provides a ratio nale for frequent subgingival root debridement (periodontal therapy) by the dental hygienist, because biofilm in periodontal pockets cannot be reached by toothbrushes, interdental cleaners, or mouth rinses. Removing biofilm via meticulous toothbrushing and flossing remains the first line of defense against periodontal disease. Devices such as the Sonicare Elite electronic toothbrush that have the ability to create dynamic fluid forces have been shown to remove the dental biofilm in spaces between the teeth, be yond the reach of toothbrush bristles. When to Call Your Doctor Throat • • • • Ears If your throat is sore for more than 48 hours. If the inside of your throat is beefy- red (not just pinkish-red), swollen, and pus-covered. If you have been exposed to some one who has strep throat (a bacte rial infection). If you have a red rash that feels like sandpaper (could mean a bacterial strep throat). Nose and Head • • • • • Fever • • • If you have a runny nose for more than 10 days. If your nasal discharge is yellow or green and lasts all day long. If you have severe facial pain or headache. • • • • If your cough lasts longer than 10 days. If coughing is severe, or if it hurts to cough, or if coughing produces a thick, rusty, or greenish mucous. If you have chest pain when you breathe, or if you have difficulty breathing through your mouth. If you have a temperature of 101 °F or greater; if your fever lasts more than four days. If you have shaking chills, soaking sweats, shortness of breath, or men tal confusion. If a fever over 100°F begins after the third day of illness. Abdomen Cough • If you have severe pain in, or dis charge from, your ear. If your ears are still bothering you after 10 days. • If you have persistent pain in your abdomen or rectum, or if pain is lo calized in one area of your abdomen. If you have black or bloody stools or vomit, or if there is a “coffee grounds’’ appearance to your vomit. If you have more than eight bowel movements per day. These are guidelines. In all cases, if the illness is very worrisome or if the patient looks very sick, call your doctor. “The symptoms of the common cold, if treated vigorously, will go away in seven days. If left alone, they will disappear over the course of a week.” Popular physician witticism January 2005 • Siletz News • 19
