Tooth Talk - A look back at protecting your teeth and the clinic’s move
By Mary Ellen Volansky, RDH, MS
Happy New Year! And no New Year’s
resolutions, I promise.
What is it about waking up one
morning, like we do every morning, but
this one morning having a sense of re
newal? Not a bad way to wake up every
morning and not with the proverbial New
Year’s hangover.
Looking at past years of Tooth Talk, I
was reminded of the broad range of dental
topics we covered.
The first one in 2010 was on Stem
Cells and Oral Health. This was not the
easiest topic I have ever covered, but it
was one of the most interesting.
The main idea of this article was that
stem cells other than the controversial
embryonic ones can be utilized. A second
aspect of this topic was the potential for
growing another set of teeth or just one
tooth, say if one has a tooth knocked out
in sports or loses a whole arch of teeth in
an accident.
This reminds me - if anyone gets
a tooth knocked loose, leave it in place
and go to your dental office/clinic. If the
tooth comes out completely, pick it up by
the crown. Rinse it off with water, don’t
scrub it.
If possible, gently insert and hold
the tooth in its socket with a clean wash
cloth or gauze. If this is not possible, put
the tooth in a container of milk, saliva or
water. Then go to your dentist. And don’t
forget to take the tooth with you.1
Mouth guards
Another topic covered last year,
related to the previous topic, was the im-
2-1-1 launches in Lincoln County
The new phone service 2-1-1 is
now operating in Lincoln County and
in Siletz. This is a one-stop help line for
social, behavioral and other life-needs
services - http://211info.org/update/
useful-resources-lincoln-county
Q: How does the Oregon 2-1-1
Network incorporate the needs of each
local community?
A: 2-1 -1 staff live and work right here
in Oregon, so they understand the needs of
Oregonians. Our shared software systems
make it easy to share resource information
and data across counties while preserving
local control over the resources and part
nerships. This ensures we have the most
accurate, up-to-date information.
Q: How is the Oregon 2-1-1 Network
and 211 info funded?
A: 211info is an independent non
profit that is funded by foundations,
local governments and large agencies like
United Way. The Oregon 2-1-1 Network
is composed of local partnerships that
raise funds locally while saving money by
utilizing existing 2-1-1 infrastructure.
Q: What benefits will regions derive
from being a part of the Oregon 2-1-1
Network?
A: 2-1-1 is an efficient way to serve
a broad cross-section of the community
while reducing the administrative cost of
providing referral services - especially
for small rural communities. 2-1-1 also
makes it easier to track met and unmet
needs across counties. This data gives
service providers and legislators the
information they need to direct services to
those areas that need them most.
portance of wearing mouth guards while
playing any sport where contact with
other players or objects is a possibility.
The concern with mouth guards is
not just to prevent knocked-out teeth or
broken teeth, but also to prevent what is
being called repetitive brain injury. This
is injury to one’s brain from multiple con
cussions. A mouth guard would prevent
the mandible from slamming against the
skull and causing a concussion.
What sports might be excluded from
needing a mouth guard? Walking and
maybe kite flying, if you’re alone on
the beach.
New clinic building
Then we, the Dental staff, moved into
the “awesome!” dental clinic in May. Digi
tal X-rays continue to be appreciatively re
ceived by nearly 100 percent of patients.
The computers have had their mo
ments. But they are wimps in the face
of the expertise of Sunshine Keck and
Ed Biancone, who come to our rescue
quickly and graciously.
Generally, the computers work
smoothly. The real awesome aspect of
the new dental clinic is the size and the
beautiful layout. The size means we can
serve more patients than we could at the
old clinic. Plus, the view is really awe
some from each operatory.
Another aspect that has received 100
percent positive reception is the new den
tal chairs. If you haven’t been in, please
schedule an appointment soon and see
what you’re missing.
Animal teeth
Do you remember Beavers, Horses
and More? This article arose from
activities and discussions that took place
at Culture Camp in July.
We learned about teeth that grow
throughout the animal’s life or during
most of it. Do you remember whether it
was horses’ or beavers’ teeth that really
grow throughout their lifetime? Hint, this
uncommon aspect of teeth was found in
the most common of the two. The other
animal’s teeth erupt very slowly over a
long time of use.
Periodontal disease
2010 came to a close with two articles
on periodontal disease, not the light hu
morous topic of December 2009 - Tooth:
Cartoons to Mouse. There I covered tat
toos for teeth, eye teeth helping someone
see and yes, tooth mouse - MI Paste. We
carry this paste/mouse in the clinic, too.
The main point of the last two articles
of 2010 is that periodontal disease is a
common one and is preventable. So if you
have questions, be sure to ask your dentist
or hygienist the next time you come into
the clinic.
We want everyone we work with to
know this disease is preventable and we
want you to know what is needed for all
our patients to have their teeth all their
lives, especially since we aren’t horses -
or beavers.
So if this past year saw you coming to
this wonderful new dental clinic, I hope
you found it and us up to your standards.
We love our work here and look forward
to another year and another chance to
serve you - OK, here it comes - in your
resolutions for health.
Happy New Year!
1
Handling Yo.ur Child’s Dental Emergency,
American Dental Association, 2008
Ecotrust awards $40,000 to indigenous leaders in Western US and Canada
PORTLAND, Ore. - Ecotrust has
awarded $40,000 to four innovative
indigenous leaders in the western United
States and Canada who work to improve
conditions in their communities.
The awardees were honored Dec. 2
at an annual ceremony at Ecotrust’s
Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center in
Portland. They were selected by a panel
of Tribal leaders and their work spans
youth advocacy, cultural restoration, film
making, political organizing, scholarship
and more.
The awards are granted with the goal
of catalyzing further positive change
within indigenous communities. The main
awardee, Kim Recalma-Clutesi, received
$25,000 and three finalists each received
$5,000.
The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership
Award is one of the pre-eminent programs
honoring and supporting Tribal, First
Nation and Alaska Native leaders in the
western United States and Canada. Tribes
and First Nations are more than an ethnic
or minority demographic; they are nations
and representative governments, major
land owners, committed co-managers in
natural resources and major drivers of
local and regional economies.
Tribes, First Nations and Alaska Na
tives hold long-range vision, sustainable
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Siletz News
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societal values and a history of the land
and marine and terrestrial ecosystems that
provide a sense of place in the growing
global economy.
Four Innovative Leaders
Awardee: $25,000
Kim Recalma-Clutesi, Ogwi’low’gwa
(Kwagiulth/Pentlatch - Qualicum Indian
Reserve, British Columbia) is honored
with the 2010 Ecotrust Indigenous Lead
ership Award for her work as an activist,
political organizer, consultant to govern
ment departments and elected leader of
the Qualicum Band of Indians of Van
couver Island, British Columbia. She is
a cross-cultural interpreter; a prominent
teacher, academic researcher and expedi
tion leader in the field of ethnobotany; a
recognized expert on intellectual prop
erty rights and the repatriation of sacred
artifacts and objects; and a reporter, pho
tographer, historian and award-winning
videographer and producer. Recalma-
Clutesi has worked for decades at every
level - Tribal, university, provincial and
Canadian federal - in the struggles for
indigenous language and ceremony recla
mation and the struggles to regain access
to Native lands and traditional foods. As a
member of the Ninograd Collective, in the
January 2011
role of potlatch recorder, she has devoted
herself to learning, teaching, interpreting
and preserving the Kwagiulth/Pentlatch
ceremonial heritage for her people.
Finalists: $5,000 each
Terry L. Cross, Hah-ne-ga-noh (Sen
eca Nation of Indians/Bear Clan - Port
land, Ore.) is honored for his leadership
as a steadfast advocate for Indian children
and their families. He is the founder and
director of the Northwest Indian Child
Welfare Association (NICWA), based
in Portland. NICWA provides culturally
sensitive training for Tribal child welfare
workers. Cross works at all levels of
government - local, state and national -
to implement effective public policy law
to protect Indian children. He’s a noted
teacher and author of books, articles and
training manuals for welfare workers.
Cross is of Seneca descent, a member of
the Bear Clan.
Jessie Housty (Heiltsuk First Na
tion - Bella Bella, British Columbia) is
honored for her leadership and creativity
as an outstanding emerging leader work
ing to improve cultural opportunities for
youth and the wider community. She is of
Heiltsuk First Nation descent. Her tireless
efforts to create the Thistalalh Memorial
Library in Bella Bella, on the coast of
British Columbia, brought her commu
nity its first public access to books and
reading programs. A student-of medieval
literature, researcher of native plants and
a volunteer in Haiti after the recent earth
quake, her primary work continues to be
creating programs to help youth succeed.
Her latest initiative is for a First Nations
Youth Corp of volunteers.
Sandra Sunrising Osawa (Makah
- Seattle, Wash.) is honored for her
visionary, award-winhing career as an
independent filmmaker, writer, producer
and director of projects that tell Native
stories from the indigenous point of view.
She is of Makah descent and has worked
tirelessly advocating for the inclusion of
American Indian film technicians, writers,
actors, producers and directors, literally
changing the nature of the film industry.
Her numerous documentary films have
aired on PBS and commercial television
and screened nationally and around the
world at film festivals. She co-founded
and co-owns Upstream Productions,
which explores contemporary images
of Indian people, explodes pernicious
stereotypes, preserves important unreport
ed history and mentors film students.
For information about Ecotrust,
please visit www.ecotrust.org.