Safe & Fun Halloween

Enjoy and safe and fun Halloween with these CDC tips:

• Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. WALK and don't run from house to house.
• Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks wherever possible.
• Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
• Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
• Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.
• Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

P.S.: Don't forget to brush and floss after eating candy!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Early detection of cancer can mean the utmost importance in a positive prognosis. Facts on breast cancer from nationalbreastcancer.org include: One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. The damaged cells can invade surrounding tissue, but with early detection and treatment, most people continue a normal life. See this guideline for self breast examinations: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps

Smokeless Isn't Harmless

Chewing tobacco and baseball have gone hand in hand for a long time in American culture. Unfortunately many young baseball players do not realize the health risks when picking up the habit. The price many chewing tobacco users pay is cancer, tumors, gum disease, loss of jaw or cheek bone, and loss of taste buds or the tongue. "Thirty-eight years after the end of his baseball career, chewing tobacco user Bill Tuttle had an ominous bulge in his cheek — a tumor so big that it came through his cheek and extended through his skin. Doctors removed the tumor, along with much of Tuttle's face. Chewing tobacco as a young man had cost him his jawbone, his right cheekbone, a lot of his teeth and gumline, and his taste buds. Cancer finally took Tuttle's life in 1998. He spent his last years trying to steer people away from smokeless tobacco". More on Bill Tuttle and smokeless tobacco can be read here: http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/tobacco/smokeless.html#

We are proud to see little leaguer Brexton Clubb, 12 years old, from Peoria, Ariz., was the winner of Oral Health America’s 14th Annual NSTEP (National Spit Tobacco Education Project) Slogan Contest. Brexton’s winning slogan — “Run bases, catch balls. Chew tobacco and risk it all!” — was featured during the 10-day Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Read more here: http://www.dental-tribune.com/articles/news/usa/25651_winning_slogan_educates_americans_about_the_dangers_of_spit_tobacco.html