Hand-foot-and-mouth disease affecting schools, creches and play schools in Cavan

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HFMD, is caused by a virus. Symptoms include ulcers, or sores, inside or around the mouth, and a rash or blisters on the hands, feet, legs, or buttocks. And while it’s not pleasant, it also isn’t serious.

Symptoms
HFM2Early symptoms may include fever and a sore throat. Painful blisters similar to cold sores can show up on the inside of your child’s mouth or on his tongue.

He might get a rash on the palms of his hands or the soles of his feet a day or two after the first symptoms appear. This rash may turn into blisters. Flat spots or sores may pop up on the knees, elbows, or buttocks. He could have all of these symptoms, or only one or two.

Mouth sores can make it hurt to swallow, so be sure your child gets enough water and calories.

HOW IS IT TREATED?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease should go away on its own after 7 to10 days. There is no treatment for the illness and no vaccine. You can ease your child’s symptoms with:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (Neurofen) ,Calpoll or numbing mouth sprays. Don’t use aspirin for pain — it can cause serious illness in children.

• Cold treats like ice-lolly, yogurt, or smoothies soothe a sore throat.

• Anti-itch lotion, like calamine, can help against rashes.

Stop the Spread
Your child is most contagious in the first 7 days. But the virus can stay in her body for days or weeks after symptoms go away and it could spread through her spit or poop. The best way to prevent that is to wash hands thoroughly. That applies to you, too, after you change a diaper or wipe a runny nose.

Dental Trauma in Children

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Beautiful Weather in Cavan and an increase in Dental Trauma in Children

Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime. Knowing how to handle a dental emergency can mean the difference between saving and losing your child’s permanent tooth. For all dental emergencies, it’s important to take your child to the dentist or an emergency room as soon as possible.

Here are some tips if your child experiences a common dental emergency:

  • For a knocked-out tooth, keep it moist at all times. If you can, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, place it in between your child’s cheek and gum, or in milk. Call your dentist right away.
  • For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area. Put cold compresses on the face to keep any swelling down.
  • 3.)If your child bites his tongue or lip, clean the area gently and apply a cold compress.
  • For toothaches, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between the teeth. Do not put aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
  • For objects stuck in the mouth, try to gently remove with floss but do not try to remove it with sharp or pointed instruments.

As Recommended by the ADA

Mouth Ulcers:

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Mouth Ulcers: Tips and treatment
Following on from my post on Sinusitis I decided to run a series of posts on the most common conditions I come across when treating my patients in my Cavan practice.
Mouth ulcers are small painful yellow/grey ulcers that appear anywhere in the mouth. They last between 10-14 days and most commonly effect women and those with a family history.
Mouth ulcers have many causes from trauma and allergy to systemic conditions. Read more

Sinusitis epidemic in Cavan

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The last few weeks we have had an enormous amount of Cavan patients presenting with sinusitis so I decided to post some tips on managing the condition.Natural methods of relieving sinus pain that reduce swelling, thin mucous secretions, and improve sinus drainage are often very helpful. Read more

Ireland’s Dental magazine

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Striking out on your own can be a daunting decision. Joanne McGarrity took the bold step and is now thriving in her own practice

Read the full Dentist profile in pdf  here  

To floss or not to floss

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The best laid plans of mice and men…….

Flossing removes the food and debris that builds up between your teeth. Tooth brushing cleans the tops and sides of your teeth but it cannot reach between your teeth. The food and bacteria left in these spaces between your teeth cause gum disease and decay.

So how can you develop a good habit?

The Stanford psychologist B.J. Fogg on how he started his flossing habit is related to in the following excerpt:

For me, cracking the code on flossing was to put the floss right by the toothbrush, and to commit to myself that I would floss one tooth — only one tooth — every time after I brushed.

I could floss them all if I wanted to, but the commitment was just one tooth.

[This works] because I was training the behavior. Maybe once every few weeks, I’d only actually floss one tooth, but a majority of the time I’d end up flossing them all.

Professor Fogg’s decided that less intimidating micro-steps are the best way to initiate any good habit.

Studies have found that if you start flossing after brushing that you are more likely to keep it up. The Theory is that you are adding to an existing habit (i.e. brushing) thereby creating a sequence of events. Try and not sabotage yourself in those moments where you are tired and you think ‘AHH SCREW IT’. If you stop flossing consistently soon you stop all together. Try and make it easier to floss. Use tape (oral B is my favorite), make sure that it is beside you toothbrush and toothpaste. So maybe flossing might make your January resolution list!!

The dreaded scale and polish

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A large amount of dental patients dread the scale and polish. Some people find it very painful, with others it is the copious amounts of water, noise and vibrations. I have tried to solve each of these problems for my patients. The use of topical anaesthetic designed for use prior to cleaning the teeth makes the procedure more comfortable and has transformed the experience for many people. Personal Entertainment Glasses can distract, entertain and minimize the noise of the ultrasonic scaler. The use of a high powered dual suction removes any water and allows a person to breathe freely. In some cases the use of ultrasonic is just too uncomfortable and using hand instruments to remove all of the tartar manually is the only way to treat my patients comfortably.