On October 9th, 2011 in Baldwin Wisconsin – Dr. Steven McCormack jumped out of a perfectly good plane! Dr. McCormack won the prize at an auction to benefit the St. Croix Regional Medical Center Foundation.
Accompanied by his supportive wife and daughter – watching from the ground, Dr. McCormack jumped from an altitude of 13,000 ft. (over 2 miles)
The Wisconsin Dental Association and the WDA Foundation wrapped up their third Mission of Mercy in the Wausau area, providing free dental care to more patients than originally planned. The Greenheck Field House and a high school gym in Weston were transformed into a large-scale, charitable dental clinic on June 24 and 25. Volunteers recorded 2,141 patient visits with adults and children receiving teeth cleanings, fillings, extractions, and more.
Dr. Steve McCormack and his wife Kris, from St Croix Falls, volunteered at the 2 day event. Dr McCormack saw patients on an emergency basis while his wife helped process thousands of instruments in the sterilization area.
Nearly 100 temporary dental chairs were set up in the gym and everything from extractions to fillings were done in what can easily be described as a M.A.S.H type setting. Patients were registered in one area, received anesthetic in another, then taken to a dentist who completed the necessary treatment in the hour or less time slot.
“I can’t say we had the best of equipment and supplies, but the logistics of setting up such a monumental dental setting are staggering. Miles of plumbing and electrical wires are needed for each dental chair. Since any patient might need a dozen instruments or more for their treatment, and you multiply that by over 2000 patients, it is amazing to see the teamwork of all the volunteers, “ said Dr. McCormack.
Kris helped sterilize instruments using over 20 large sterilizer units, all running full time. Buckets of instruments would arrive in the area, and all had to be processed quickly for the remaining patients.
“You feel a little hand tied by the portable equipment and wish you could be providing this care in your own office setting. I had a foot peddle for my drill that wouldn’t completely shut off. That meant I had a drill partially running as I would start the procedure. It was a little unsettling to do dentistry that way, since even at partial speed the drill is running at 30,000 rpm’s.
“Since I had to use my high power optics with a head lamp it meant my field of focus is about an inch wide. Moving a high speed drill, still running, past a patient’s lip and tongue was a unique challenge to say the least.” said Dr. McCormack.
The value of care exceeded $1.12 million. A team of 1,050 dentists, assistants, hygienists and support staff from 163 Wisconsin communities were involved. The first patients lined up on Wednesday, two days before clinic doors opened at 6 AM.
Originating in Virginia and spreading throughout the United States to over a dozen states, Mission of Mercy dental programs have provided 100,000 patients with nearly $50 million in free dental services and treatment since 2000. The Wisconsin MOM program provides care to the uninsured, the under-insured and anyone who otherwise has difficulty getting to a dentist.
A successful MOM event focuses on:
Wisconsin’s dental Medicaid and BadgerCare programs are grossly underfunded, which denies patients necessary economic purchasing power. Increasing access depends on additional financial investment by the state, because coverage alone does not equal care.
“It was a long day, what with a 3 hour drive over and back to Wausau, with all the dentistry in between. The patients were extremely grateful, despite the long lines and limits to care. Next year the event will be in Madison, so maybe the legislature can get a close up look at the needs of so many. It was great to see so many volunteers with a smile on their face throughout the day. It was frustrating though to get help to only 2000 people, but I know it made a difference to them. I’ll be back next year, “ said Dr. McCormack.
Use this web site to check out valuable information about your medications. You can use this resource to become better informed about the medications you use. It enables you to:
We use Opalescence whitening products in a take home formula.
It’s a very safe, affordable, and effective product that gives very nice results.
Visit the Link Below to get more information.
Look at these 3 web sites for impartial, evidence based testing of herbal and nutritional products.
Please note … garlic, ginger, ginkgo, and ginseng are among the many herbs that affect bleeding time. Your health care professional needs to know what supplements you may be taking, including natural herbs.
American Society of Anesthesiologists … Herbs & Their Side Effects
A child’s primary teeth, sometimes called “baby teeth,” are as important as the permanent adult teeth. Primary teeth typically begin to appear when a baby is between age six months and one year. They also hold space for the permanent teeth that are growing under the gums. Losing baby teeth early can lead to serious crowding with the permanent teeth.
The ADA recommends that a dentist examine a child around their first birthday. A dental visit at an early age is a “well baby checkup” for the teeth. Besides checking for tooth decay and other problems, Dr McCormack and his staff can show you how to clean the child’s teeth properly, make good diet choices, review appropriate bottle and sip-cup beverages fluoride recommendations, and how to evaluate any adverse habits such as thumb sucking.
The Teething Cycle
When teeth first come in, some babies may have sore or tender gums. Gently rubbing your child’s gums with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon or a wet gauze pad can be soothing. You can also give the baby a clean teething ring to chew on. If your child is still cranky and in pain, consult us or your physician. Most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth by the time they are three years old.
Primary Teeth Eruption Chart
Most primary, or “baby” teeth are erupted by age 2 or a little older.
The first permanent teeth to erupt are the upper and lower front 4 incisors. It is not uncommon for the permanent lower incisors to erupt just inside the baby teeth and then push the baby teeth aside. Your child will get their first permanent molars at about age 6 to 7.
They will continue to keep some baby teeth until age 11 or 12. By age 13 or 14 most children have only permanent teeth.
Motivating people to make positive changes to their behavior can be difficult. Direct attempts to persuade them may backfire and/or cause resistance.
But by empathizing with you about the difficulty of quitting and by offering you ongoing support, we may become a trusted ally.
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Let us help you learn various ways to quit smoking. Medications like Chantix and various QUIT programs may give you a fighting chance. Wanda Brown, RN at St. Croix Regional Medical Center specializes in various Quit Programs, too.
Use the Link at the bottom of the page to access information on Chantix … and feel free to ask us about helping you quit.
Have a look at this Oxyfresh or CloSYS web site. The Products section is helpful.
The active ingredient is Chlorine Dioxide … and it Works!
Obviously there can be several causes of bad breath, but the “volatile sulfur compounds” that accumulate on the tongue are the number one culprit. Click on a link below.
This is what clean teeth REALLY look like!
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This web site has various information on fluoride. It has the ADA’s policies, position statement, recommendations, references, current news, and other resources.
Please use the “dentist version” for the most information available.
INFANT FORMULA & FLUORIDE
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2006 announced that it will allow bottlers to claim that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of caries (tooth decay). The American Dental Association (ADA) agrees with the FDA that this health claim is not intended for use on bottled water marketed to infants, for whom lesser amounts of fluoride are appropriate. The right amount of fluoride is needed to help protect teeth and prevent caries. Fluoride intake above optimal amounts, however, creates a risk of developing enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before they erupt through the gingiva (gums). Most cases of enamel fluorosis result in faint white lines or streaks on tooth enamel that are not readily apparent to the affected person or the casual observer.
OPTIMAL FLUORIDE LEVEL
The optimal fluoride level in drinking water is 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million, an amount that has been proven beneficial in reducing caries. In some areas, naturally occurring fluoride may be above or below these levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires notification by the water supplier if the fluoride level exceeds 2 ppm.
People living in areas where naturally occurring fluoride levels in drinking water exceed 2 ppm should consider an alternative water source or home water treatments to reduce the risk of fluorosis in young children.
RECONSTITUTED INFANT FORMULA
The ADA offers these recommendations to reduce fluoride intake from reconstituted infant formula. Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends human milk for all infants (except for the few for whom breast-feeding is determined to be harmful).
For infants who get most of their nutrition from formula during their first 12 months, ready-to-feed formula is preferred to help ensure that their fluoride intake does not exceed the optimal amount. If liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula is the primary source of nutrition, it can be mixed with water that is fluoride-free or contains low levels of fluoride to reduce the risk of fluorosis. These include water labeled as purified, demineralized, deionized or distilled, as well as reverse osmosis filtered water. Many stores sell these types of drinking water for less than $1 per gallon.
Parents and caregivers should consult with their dentist, pediatrician or family physician regarding the most appropriate water to use in their area to reconstitute infant formula. Ask your pediatrician or family physician whether water used in infant formula should be sterilized first (sterilization, however, will not remove fluoride).
TOOTHPASTE & MOUTHRINSE
Unless advised to do so by a dentist or other health care professional, parents should not use fluoride toothpaste in children younger than 2 years, because they may inadvertently swallow the toothpaste. Children 2 years and older should use an appropriate-sized toothbrush with a small brushing surface and only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste at each brushing. They should always be supervised while brushing and taught to spit out, rather than swallow, toothpaste.
Fluoride mouth rinses have been shown to help prevent caries in both children and adults. Unless the child’s dentist advises otherwise, the ADA does not recommend the use of fluoride mouth rinses in children younger than 6 years, because they may be more likely to inadvertently swallow the mouth rinse. Fluoride supplements are not recommended for children younger than 6 months. Children should receive only dietary supplemental fluoride tablets or drops as prescribed by their dentist or physician based on the supplement schedule approved by the ADA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
(visit “www.ada.org”).
