Most contact sports require a mouthguard, and once all permanent teeth are present you may want to consider a custom mouthguard that protects teeth 9 times better than the boil and bite type.

School calendars: Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudon.

Special guest U.S. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly will participate in the town hall. The event will feature presentations and a panel discussion with county staff and two of the nation’s leading experts on Lyme disease.

“Lyme disease is on the rise in Virginia and the United States, according to the CDC,” said Bulova. “As people spend more time outdoors because of the warm weather, we want them to know how to protect themselves from the ticks that transmit Lyme disease.”

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Two leading experts from the U.S. Centers on Disease Control and Prevention will make presentations. Benjamin Beard, Ph.D., chief, Bacterial Diseases Branch, and Dr. Paul Mead, chief, Epidemiology and Surveillance Activity, will discuss a variety of topics, including:

• How ticks transmit the disease.
• How the disease is spreading from the Northeast into Northern Virginia.
• What people can do to protect themselves.

On April 30, 2010 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) together with manufacturer McNeil Consumer Healthcare issued a voluntary recall of specific children’s over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. It is important to note that the recall is specific for certain lots of Children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl and that the medicines being recalled are all liquid, drops or syrup.

Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl are safe medications – the recall is in effect for reasons of concentration or contamination.

• For complete information, please see the FDA web page on this topic, click here.
• Further information about a refund or coupon if you have one of these recalled products, click here.
• For additional information about the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) in children see this information from the American Academy of Pediatrics, click here.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey about doing your taxes: given the choice, 40% say filing out income tax paperwork is worse than going to the dentist. Forty-one percent (41%) view going to the dentist as worse.

I hope that visits in my office are FAR better than this, and if there is anything we can do to make your dental visits better please let me know.

There are times I hear people say “I hate the dentist”, and when I ask them if they actually liked their dentist most often they did. What they usually are referring to is everything surrounding a dental office experience, not so much their dentist personally. I certainly work to make sure you are comfortable and treat you as if I’m the patient, everything from the reception desk to paying your bill.

For those who truly have “issues”, a couple suggestions:

• people who have not had a dental visit in years because of anxiety and really won’t go unless they are asleep – I have a referral for a dentist I’ve known a long time who does every procedure with general anesthesia,
• people who are always a bit anxious, but tend to go less often do well to consider a mild anti-anxiety prescription AND rather than go less, go more often – at least every three or four months (much easier cleaning, catch problems in an early and small stage); in addition, be an absolute maniac about cleaning your teeth to reduce risk for cavities or gum problems (dry brush, floss every time you brush, rinse with salt water daily).

As you can imagine this technology is very expensive. The scanner that the Loyola Medical Center gave to the zoo was worth a million dollars new. Human dental 3D imaging machines cost a couple hundred thousand dollars, but an actual scan runs only about $600 currently. When needed it is definitely worth it.

Video of the aardvark CT scan, click here.

"Start small, think big!"

Make just one positive health change today. Maybe eat one more fruit or vegetable, take the stairs or schedule a checkup with your doctor. Make another positive change tomorrow and the next day. Before you know it, you’ll have made significant progress toward a healthier you and a healthier community.

• Wash Hands & Cover Coughs and Sneezes
• Increase Physical Activity
• Keep Vaccinations up-to-date
• Stay Tobacco Free
• Eat Healthy

Health Facts

• Almost 900,000 people die from deaths that can be prevented each year.
• Nearly 34% of all adults are obese.
• The average child gets less than 15 minutes of vigorous activity a day.
• Nearly 21 percent of all adults smoke cigarettes.
• Many children consume half their daily calories while at school.
• For the first time, American children may live shorter lives than their parents.

Childhood vaccines saves thousands of lives from preventable diseases, such as measles and rubella. However, each year 33,000 children die in the United States from diseases that could have been prevented with routine immunizations. Help protect your child. Now is a great time to ensure your child is up-to-date on all vaccinations.

See more information at the Fairfax County Health Department page, click here.

Get The Picture: Childhood Immunizations
Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Running Time: (6:27)
Release Date: 4/13/2009

After talking with parents across the country, CDC put together this short video to help answer the tough questions that real moms had about childhood immunizations. Understanding the importance of vaccines is crucial for you to protect your children’s health.

Those beautiful blossoms coming out now can be a source of pain for your teeth: sinus problems that are worsened with the onset of pollen season often show up as tooth pain.

Allergic rhinitis involves inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, eustachian tubes, middle ear, sinuses, and throat (pharynx), and is characterized by symptoms that consist of any combination of the following: sneezing, itching (of nose, eyes, ears, palate), runny nose (rhinorrhea), postnasal drip, congestion, dental pain (upper back teeth, and even lower back teeth), inability to perceive odors (anosmia), headache, earache, tearing, red eyes, eye swelling, fatigue, drowsiness, and malaise. Allergic rhinitis is the most common cause of rhinitis. It is an extremely common condition, affecting approximately 20% of the population.

A common sign associated with allergic rhinitis is “allergic shiners”, dark circles around the eyes (related to vasodilation or nasal congestion). [Symptom versus sign: a symptom can more simply be defined as any feature which is noticed by the patient. A sign is noticed by other people. It is not necessarily the nature of the sign or symptom which defines it, but who observes it.]

How can you tell if it is your sinuses making your teeth hurt?

Some simple things that can give you a clue whether your sinuses are causing your teeth to hurt:

• a change in position, tipping your head forward and back, and your teeth hurt,
• going down stairs and your teeth hurt,
• standing on your toes and forcefully dropping on your heels and your teeth hurt.

Of course, if your teeth hurt and you have any questions about whether it is a cavity, the nerve of a tooth or your sinuses call for an appointment.

What can you do if allergies are making your teeth hurt?

If you’re not congested, try taking just an antihistamine AND ibuprofen for at least 24 hours. If you feel congested, take a combination decongestant / antihistamine AND ibuprofen for at least 24 hours.

Pseudophedrine (decongestant)

You now not only have to ask a pharmacist for any over-the-counter product that contains pseudoephedrine, and you have to sign for it, too.

In March 2006, the United States Congress enacted Senate Bill 103: the “Combat Meth Act of 2005,” which requires any product containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine to be strictly regulated to help prevent the production of methamphetamine, an illegal street drug. Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in many cold and allergy relief products.

In April 2006, restrictions began limiting the number of packages of products containing these ingredients that can be purchased in one transaction and the number that can be purchased in a 30-day period. Since September 30, 2006, all products must be placed behind the pharmacy counter, and purchasers of any of the above items are required to show identification and sign a logbook.

In addition to the federal law above, many state governments have enacted their own laws regarding the sale of pseudoephedrine products. State laws may be more or less stringent than the federal law. Since pharmacies are required to follow the stricter law, pharmacies in different states may have different procedures to follow when selling pseudoephedrine products. If you have any questions about purchasing pseudoephedrine products, contact a local pharmacy in the state where the purchase would take place.