Your Health

How to Handle Kids' Dentistry and COVID-19

February is Pediatric Dentistry Month

BY ALISON JACKSON

Early every morning, before anyone else is in the office, I sit at my computer and review the chart of every patient I will be seeing that day. After each visit, I make notes about what we did, what we talked about and what we will do next time. Today, one of my notes read, “treated with silver diamine fluoride, reviewed hygiene routine, re-evaluate in 6 months after pandemic.” In hindsight, that was wishful thinking. Ten months later, pediatric dentists in our area have adjusted to this new normal. We’ve secured our offices and we’ve identified unique risks to oral health during these times. Prevention is our strongest ally and now it is more important than ever.

As time passes, we’ve noticed some patterns developing as a result of the stay-at-home orders and the changes in our normal schedules. Unfortunately, the result is an apparent increase in the number of cavities we are seeing. Routines have been disrupted. We don’t necessarily wake up and brush before we leave the house every morning anymore. Sometimes stress can lead to nighttime behaviors like grinding or clenching that are bad for our mouths and face muscles. Snacking is easier and more prevalent and we are tending to eat less healthy foods because of convenience and comfort. Further, we do not know how the COVID-19 disease itself might affect our mouth and teeth. We are finding that the corona virus disruptive on every level. We are in new territory, as parents. You are not alone.

Pediatric dentists have always emphasized the importance of prevention. Most of the problems we are seeing can be mitigated with a renewed dedication to all the things we already know and practice. Re-establish the habit of brushing after breakfast, before online school starts so you can flash your smile on Zoom. Grab an apple and skip the sweet treats. Try to stay under 20 g of added sugar per day. Drink lots of water and brush and floss after dinner. Try to relax and read a book before bed and put the screens down. Re-establishing these habits can make a big difference over time. Pediatric dentists are here to help you and your child. Call us if your child is overdue for a check- up or if you have questions and concerns.

If you’ve been to your dentist since the beginning of the pandemic, you will have already seen the obvious changes we’ve all adopted to keep everyone safe. We have reduced the number of daily patients we see to comply with social distancing. Our waiting rooms are closed and sadly, all the fun games, toys and magazines have been stored away. Airflow has been assessed,HEPA filters, oral suction devices and barriers installed. One thing we won’t miss is having to greet patients looking like astronauts in our N95 masks, shields, head caps, gowns and booties. We know we look scary! However, these procedural changes have been successful in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in dental offices. If you are reluctant to come in and see us, that’s okay, too. Sometimes we can schedule a teledentistry appointment to answer basic questions and develop a prevention plan. Often you can text us photos of problem teeth or injuries and we can let you know how best to proceed. Our number one goal is to keep you and your children safe. We will get through this together.

I updated my patient’s notes after today’s visit; “treatment remains stable, hygiene has improved, pt. plans to receive vaccine when available, schedule normal six-month recall.”

 Dr. Jackson is a pediatric dentist in Aptos. She emphasises preventive dentistry and patient education. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and has been practicing since 2000.

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Is a Cheaper Computer Really Better?

BY LUIGI OPPIDO

As the new year comes, and we close off whatever you wanna call 2020, deals abound for new computers with all new technology and brand new software. How do you know when a deal is a deal? Computers break down into four or five basic components. Processor, ram, storage, video card, and if a laptop, screen type. Without getting into each item and diving into the history of computing here’s a brief synopsis of each item:

PROCESSOR

The better the processor, the faster click-to-completion. Meaning, if I want to double-click on a program, how long does it take for it to launch, and allow me to use it.

RAM

Workers in the warehouse. They allow the movement of data and temporary storage of things from the processor to screen.

STORAGE (HARD DRIVE, HDD/SSD)

This is your garage space. This is where everything lives including the operating system, programs, and your personal data.

VIDEO CARD (GPU)

This is your graphics processing unit. As of today, even the lowest quality GPUs that come out as standard features on computers and laptops are pretty good. If you’re a gamer, then you need to look at your specific game and see what the best specs for your particular application would be and match that to this device.

LAPTOP SCREEN TYPE

This can run the gamut and also cost a lot of money depending on what you’re getting. Size also equals cost. The new MacBooks have retina screens which include a high pixel per inch ratio which cost more, but looks fantastic. If you don’t know what that, is you probably don’t need to spend more on a screen.

Lately I’ve been seeing amazing deals at some of our local electronics stores for machines that seem too good to be true. When looking into the specs, I find that the storage on the machines is less than an updated current version of Windows (the operating system). Meaning, if I were to purchase this computer and install all the current updates up to today, that machine would not have enough garage space to store all the data that I would need to put onto it. It would possibly freeze and stop functioning. That doesn’t count any software I want to install, or any of my data, pictures, videos, etc. So by buying this machine, I am setting myself up for failure because there’s nowhere to go.

WHAT TO GET?

Processor: at least intel i3 or equivalent

Ram: 4 gigabytes (gb) preferably 8gb

Storage: at least 128gb at minimum. I usually got for 1 terabyte which is 1024gb.

Video card: check the machine for an

HDMI port, if it has one on the side, you’re good. Screen type: look at the letters on the icons. Fuzzy? Clear? If it’s good to you, it’ll do!

Of course this is a brief run through of computers, but with these basic parameters you should stay away from the pitfalls of the dreaded sale and the doomed machine.

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