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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2005)
Siletz Community Cha-may weeya Medicine Talk Secondhand Smoke Linked to Children’s Low Test Scores New research concludes that chil dren exposed to secondhand smoke had lower standardized test scores in read ing, math, and problem solving, USA Today reported in early January. The study, led by Kimberly Yolton, a researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, included 4,400 children. Exposure to second hand smoke was de termined by testing for cotinine, a by product of nicotine in the blood. Researchers de termined that chil dren exposed to the least amount of second hand smoke scored an av erage of seven points higher in standardized math and reading tests, compared to children exposed to high levels of smoke. Children with the lowest environ mental tobacco exposure also scored better on two types of reasoning tests. The findings are in line with earlier research that found that tobacco expo sure seemed to be related to impaired intellectual development. The studies’ findings are published in the January 2005 issue of Envi ronmental Health Perspectives. Take It Outside and give your kids a better chance. Call DeAnna Pearl, tobacco prevention and education coordinator, at 1-800-648-0449, ext. 1659, or 541-444-9659 for support, guidance, and information. Health Clinic Do Something for Your Heart this Valentine’s Day! Practice Quitting Smoking You can help yourself by: Truths about quitting: 1) . It takes three to four days for the nicotine to leave your system. Af ter that, you are dealing with the habits of smoking. Look for ways to change your habits associated with lighting up. 2) . You will cough more the first week. Your body needs to get rid of lung clogging mucus and it’s trying to return to health in a hurry. 3) . You will feel tired or drowsy. Nico tine stimulates the brain and central nervous system but unfor tunately, you needed to smoke more and more to get this feeling. Your body is detoxifying. Drink lots of water to help flush the toxins. 4) . Quitting takes practice. You need to practice quitting as much as you practiced smoking/chewing. • • • • Changing your routine Exercising Deep Breathing Staying Active Tobacco Prevention Program Coordinator - 1-800-648-0449 or 541-444-1030. The Tobacco Prevention and Education Program office is located in the Siletz Clinic. It can provide quit kits, information, support, and contacts to help with quitting. Support groups or individual counseling are available. Call the Oregon Quit Line - 1-800-270-7867. The Oregon Tobacco Quit Line offers free quitting informa tion, one-on-one telephone counseling, and referrals either for you or a loved one. The Oregon Tobacco Quit Line is offered by Oregon Health Services. Toothtalk by Teri (the tooth fairy) Coddington, RDH Do You Have Bad Breath? Oral malodor, commonly known as bad breath, causes embarrassment, frustration, and often despair. It can lead to social withdrawal and work place isolation. While it’s true that bad breath may result from physiological and patho logical causes of systemic or nasal/ throat origin, the principle origin of malodor is from within the mouth. Oral malodor is the byproduct of bacterial degradation of proteins that are present in the mouth, specifically in saliva, crevicular fluid, and tongue coating. More than 80 oral bacterial species can produce odorous volatile sulfur compounds. Malodorous compound-producing microorganisms have been associated with periodontal disease and the un pleasant and penetrating odor associ ated with these conditions. Highly volatile sulfur compound concentrations also may be associated with localized areas of gingivitis that result from inadequate plaque control. Substantial evidence exists that many individuals who suffer from periodon tal diseases have an unpleasant odor that emanates from the infected area. In a healthy mouth, the tongue is the primary source of odor and the presence of tongue coating plays a significant role in odor for mation. Indi viduals who have a coated tongue may have as much as 25 times more bacteria than those whose tongue is clear of any coating. The type of bacteria present will influence the extent of the mouth odor. Chemosensation, or detection of hygienist can help eliminate the odor. chemicals by sensory means (either The dentist can repair or extract heavily taste or smell), provides an early warn decayed teeth, which can harbor odor ing system for toxic substances in the producing bacteria. oral environment. The complaint of per Prescription mouth rinses, such as sistently unpleasant taste can be attrib Chlorhexidine, can be prescribed to uted to the continual deposit of qualifying patients if the odor is still metabolic byproducts by the present after treatment is performed. microbiota Chlorhexidine not only improves bad present on the tongue and breath, it improves periodontal health. teeth. This chemical Dentures also can harbor bacteria. may At the dental appointment, dentures are present itself as a cleaned by a method known as ultra bitter, acid, foul, sonic cleaning. Efferdent and a denture or metallic taste to brush are provided to the patient to take home. anaerobic concoction the tongue. So what can you do if you have Even if you don’t think you have bad breath, someone else might. If bad breath? You can you have not had your teeth cleaned in come in for a dental exam. Having your the last six months, you probably have bad breath. teeth cleaned by a professional dental February 2005 • Siletz News • 19
