HealthBeat This month’s feature topics are
Chiropractic & Dental Health
HealthBeat October: Chiropractic & Dental Health
HealthBeat is an excellent
opportunity for you to reach a health-conscious audience of readers. Next Month’s Topics: Diabetes & Physical Therapy
To advertise your business, contact your advertising representative.
Spearfish: 642.2761 • Sturgis/Rapid City: 641.8636
Simple ways to maintain braces Many adults recall having braces as children. While braces have evolved dramatically over the last few decades, modern braces benefit teeth in much the same ways as those adults recall from their youth. Braces are often recommended to help straighten crooked teeth, correct misaligned bites and/or address overcrowded teeth. Maintenance is essential to ensure braces are effective and provide long-lasting benefits, and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) offers these tips to protect braces and prevent patients from developing tooth decay • Avoid certain foods. Hard, sticky, crunchy, or chewy foods should be avoided. Many candies and snacks fit that description, so parents of children with braces and adults with braces of their own should make sure these foods are not readily available around the house. The AAO specifically mentions foods such as caramel, gummies, licorice, jelly beans, and even soft drinks among the foods to avoid when wearing orthodontic braces. • Be extra cautious around Halloween. The days surrounding Halloween can be an especially difficult time to maintain braces. Candy is everywhere come the end of October, but people with braces must be diligent
in avoiding hard-shelled peanut candies and nut-filled candies. • Brush twice per day, but be careful. The experts at Oral-B® note that careful cleaning is required when wearing braces. Plaque bacteria can be easily trapped inside and around braces, so it’s especially important that people with braces carefully brush each day. Removable parts, including elastics, should be removed prior to brushing. Clean each tooth individually in a circular motion, tilting the brush as necessary to reach small front teeth. • Continue regular visits to your orthodontist as well as your dentist. Regular visits to the orthodontist are required when wearing braces. These visits are necessary so braces can be adjusted and orthodontists can make sure there are no signs of gum disease. But Oral-B® notes that it’s just as important to continue visiting the dentist while wearing braces. Dentists can perform routine services designed to protect tooth surfaces from decay while wearing braces, making dental visits a vital component of orthodontic maintenance. Orthodontic braces help people have healthy, beautiful smiles. Maintenance while wearing braces is vital to avoid disease and produce a mouthful of pearly whites.
HealthBeat October: Chiropractic & Dental Health
Chiropractors can help with various ailments
Anyone who has experienced pain understands that it can be debilitating. Pain can make it challenging to manage everyday tasks and can affect relationships and physical and mental health in many ways. Pain medications were once the norm, but with the rise of the opioid epidemic, it may be wise to take a different approach to pain treatment. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the United States Department of Health and Human Services reveal that as many as one in five people received prescription opioids long-term for noncancer pain in primary care settings in 2016. While opioid use for pain does not always lead to abuse of these medications, opioid addiction has become a widespread problem across North America. These
same agencies report that approximately 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments in the United States each day for misuse of prescription opioids. Chiropractic care may be one avenue to pursue as a viable alternative to pain medications. While chiropractic manipulations are most often associated with back and neck pain, there are many different benefits — some of which may surprise those unfamiliar with chiropractic care — for this type of care.
Migraines and headaches
Research shows that spinal manipulation can be an effective way to treat migraines, tension headaches and headaches that begin in the neck. In clinical trials conducted at Macquarie University, 72% of migraine sufferers had noticeable or
substantial improvement after a period of chiropractic treatment.
Accident injuries
Chiropractors can assess musculoskeletal anomalies caused by motor vehicle accidents as well as slips and falls. Whiplash is a common issue in car crashes, and this may be addressed by a chiropractor.
Anxiety and stress
The fight or flight mechanism that is activated when a person experiences stress and anxiety can take its toll on various parts of the body. Because stress involves nerve impulses, chiropractors may be able to work primarily with the spine where these impulses originate to help release tension and nerve irritation. In addition,
adjustments can improve blood circulation, which may help signal the brain to turn off its “rally to action” response to stressful situations.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is marked by widespread musculoskeletal pain in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. It can be combined with temporomandibular joint syndrome, or TMJ, as well as irritable bowel syndrome, among other illnesses. Chiropractors can remove subluxations, which are misalignments of the vertebrae in the spine and joints that lead to pain responses. A Florida State University study found that those with fibromyalgia who combined resistance training with chiropractic treatment two times a week saw improvements in their symptoms.
Let Our Family Care for Your Family!
Family Chiropractic Care, Acupuncture, Rehabilitation, Massage Therapy, Nutritional Counseling
Michael R. Dana, D.D.S., P.C. Monique M. Dana, D.D.S., MICOI Bradly R. Dana, D.D.S., MICOI Nicole D. Dana, D.D.S., MICOI • Digital & 3D X-Rays • Laser Cavity Detector • Drilless Dentistry
CosmetiC Dentistry • Cosmetic Dentistry • Veneers • Bonding • Tooth Colored Fillings • Tooth Colored Crowns • Braces
Dr. Jerrid Goebel
Dr. Stuart Johnson
Dr. Al Gunderson
• Latest Technology • Minimal Sedation for Anxiety • Hard & Soft Tissue Laser
General Dentistry • Implants • Fillings • Extractions • 1 Appointment Root Canals • Gum Disease Treatment • Dentures
Most Insurance Accepted • Care Credit Available
Clinics in Sturgis, Central City and Buffalo
STURGIS
824 1st St. 605-347-4003
BUFFALO
209 Ramsland St. 605-375-3744
CENTRAL CITY 136 Broadway St. 605-717-0074
WWW.STURGISCHIRO.COM • 605-347-4003
1306 Main Street Spearfish, SD 605.642.7727
200 Federal Avenue Rapid City, SD 605.342.6038
www.danadentalarts.com