May urges Corbyn to work with Government to agree Brexit deal
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said the ball was in the Labour leader’s court.
The Irish Dental Association says policy will be ‘ catastrophic ’ for adults and children in lower income areas .
Nationally, children in low - income families and at higher risk of caries are less likely to receive sealants than children in higher- income families, at Dental coverage under Medicaid is mandated for children , but state Medicaid programs’ approaches to oral health services for adults vary
© Catalyst Images A dentist with a model of teeth DENTISTS HAVE SLAMMED the government’s new oral health policy stating that key aspects of the public dental service are now to be privatised.
Last month, Health Minister Simon Harris announced the new scheme of dental care for Irish children under the age of six, as well as packages of care for children from birth to 16 years of age.
Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the Irish Dental Association, is set to tell the Oireachtas Health Committee today, that not only will the new policy fail, but it will be “catastrophic for patients in lower socio-economic areas with high treatment needs”.
Nearly three million British children face pollution risk with 6,000 UK schools in areas ruled to have high toxicity (including every one in London)
Data from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory found that every school in the capital is over the WHO limit of 10mg of PM2.5 per cubic metre.
Government and community agencies must have a role in developing short- and long-term strategies to address the needs of our most vulnerable and underserved populations. Low - income racial/ethnic minority populations, predominantly Hispanic and African American populations, are struggling with an
Oral health for adults in care homes. The Commissioning better oral health for vulnerable older people resource compendium contains a range of good practice examples in section 4: ‘Examples of wider health improvement programmes and resources that can support oral health improvement’.
The association, which represents 2,000 dentists nationwide, said it was – the not consulted on the new oral health policy, despite being the practitioners that will have to roll it out.
The new policy for the care and treatment of children and adults is “seriously flawed, economically unviable and operationally unworkable”, states the chief executive.
© Catalyst Images A toothbrush Under the changes, contracted local dental practices will replace the existing Public Dental Service (PDS) school programme.
Currently, the PDS provides emergency treatment to all children under 16 years of age and routine dental examinations for school children at certain periods.
Children are examined and given a grade depending on how quickly the child needs treatment. The child is then referred to a local HSE dental clinic to receive treatment.
It’s Time to Break Up Facebook
The last time I saw Mark Zuckerberg was in the summer of 2017, several months before the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. We met at Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., office and drove to his house, in a quiet, leafy neighborhood. We spent an hour or two together while his toddler daughter cruised around. We talked politics mostly, a little about Facebook, a bit about our families. When the shadows grew long, I had to head out. I hugged his wife, Priscilla, and said goodbye to Mark. Since then, Mark’s personal reputation and the reputation of Facebook have taken a nose-dive.
A federal government website managed and paid for by the U. S . Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Sign up for updates & reminders from HealthCare .gov. Subscribe to get email (or text) updates with important deadline reminders, useful tips, and other information about your health
Children ’ s Oral Health Guide. Children ’ s Dental Products. Although the NHS dental system is still subsidised by the government , most adults have to pay a fee for checkups and treatments. Only children who have a certain degree of malocclusion will be granted orthodontic treatment on the NHS.
Dentists not consulted on new plan
Hourihan will tell the committee today that it is “incomprehensible to our members in both the HSE public dental service and private practice that key aspects of the public dental service are now to be privatised”.
He states in his opening statement to the committee that the association’s members are concerned moving from a targeted, risk based model to a demand led model will pose risks in relation to the continuity of care and the provision of emergency care for children.
He added that dentists “fear that the public dental service will ultimately prove to be a dumping ground when the unworkable model proposed, which our members believe is based on a failed and discredited NHS experiment, inevitably collapses”.
Related: Mistakes you're making with your oral health [Photo Services]
Every day, knowingly or unknowingly, you may be making several lifestyle mistakes that result in tooth and gum decay. Click through to learn about some of those mistakes and ways to keep those pearly whites healthy.
Experts see Russia fingerprints on North Korea's new missile
The three new missiles North Korea has tested over the past week are eerily familiar to military experts: They look just like a widely copied missile the Russian military has been trying to sell abroad for years. While it's unclear if the North bought the missiles or built them itself, experts say they look like a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that was behind a U.S. decision to suspend a longstanding arms treaty with Moscow in February.
Your oral health can significantly impact your general health . Find out why keeping your teeth and gums healthy is so important. Children are highly susceptible to dental cavities and tooth decay, especially those who bottle feed. Cavities may be caused by too much sugar left on the teeth after
If your income is low and your state hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Each state has coverage options that could work for you – particularly if you have children , are pregnant, or have a disability. Health Insurance Marketplace® is a registered trademark of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Brush in rush
To save time during the morning rush hour, brushing teeth while taking a shower or while checking mail on the mobile is a common practice these days. Better to avoid this habit because it does not do a proper job. Rather stand in front of a mirror and make sure that the brush hits all the corners of your mouth for a thorough cleansing.
Drinking soda
Sodas, even the diet ones, are acidic in nature and erode tooth enamel in the long run. The sugar content present in them could result in cavities. So, cut down on such beverages as much as possible and replace them with water.
Calcium and vitamin D deficiency
Just like bones, our teeth also require sufficient quantities of calcium and minerals to maintain their strength and density as we age. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, adult women need 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400-1,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day from food, sunlight and supplements.
Julia Roberts' husband posts pic of rarely seen children
Julia Roberts and Danny Moder share three children, but they are rarely in the spotlight.
Heavy juice consumption
Whether homemade or bought off the shelves, everyone loves juices these days. But just like soda, fresh juices bathe your mouth with corrosive acids, while the sweetened ones could cause cavities. So, don’t forget to brush or at least rinse your mouth after every glass of the fruity drink.
Choice of toothbrush
Many of us believe that the harder the toothbrush bristles, the more efficient they are in removing plaque. However, hard bristles also lead to erosion of tooth enamel and exposure of nerve endings. Always go for soft or extra-soft brushes to keep your teeth clean.
Social media dental advise
You get all sorts of tips and health guides on social media. However, it is advisable to avoid them because they aren’t government-approved products and methods, and they may actually harm your teeth. Better visit a dentist than practicing DIY dental tips.
Tongue or lip piercing
Tongue or lip piercings can lead to fractured or chipped teeth from biting on the piercings. They can also cause soft-tissue injuries and gum recessions. Get rid of those piercings for good and try out other fashion instead.
May's new Brexit gamble: PM to put her withdrawal deal to MPs for a FOURTH time on June 3 in high-risk move as she bids to take UK out of EU before summer with or without Labour support
As the Tories continue to leak voters to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, the Prime Minister's spokesman today said she wanted a deal done before the Commons rises for its summer recess in July.
Smoking
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, other than bad breath and stained teeth, smoking increases the risk of developing gum diseases. And in case you already have a gum disease, nicotine inhaled while smoking compromises the body's ability to fight the infection and heal.
Wet toothbrush while you travel
Packing your toothbrush in a case while traveling is a common practice. Just make sure that your brush is completely dry before packing, as bacteria tends to thrive on moist surfaces, which could later cause gum infection.
Clenching and grinding teeth
Many of us have the habit of clenching our teeth or grinding our jaw while sleeping. If proper steps are not taken, this can lead to chipped and worn teeth, headaches, jaw trouble, and even changes in facial appearance. Visit your dentist as soon as possible or use a mouth guard to protect yourself from additional damage.
Removing retainer
Those who once had braces are recommended by orthodentists to continue wearing retainers for several nights a week to keep their teeth from shifting. For those with fixed retainers, make sure to keep the device clean, as they can become plaque traps.
Regular or heavy bleaching
Going overboard with bleaching could erode tooth enamel and expose the dentin layer beneath, which gives your teeth a shabby look. It's best to consult your dentist for the best way to get shining teeth, and using bleaching agents in moderation.
The lawyers suing Tiger Woods in a wrongful death lawsuit say crucial video evidence was destroyed
Lawyers for the deceased's family say video evidence that showed him drinking before driving his car "was destroyed shortly after" he died in a crash.
Not flossing the back teeth
Many people discount flossing the back teeth as it requires lot of patience and time. However, these teeth are more vulnerable to plaque buildup, which may later cause tartar, leading to cavity. So, don't neglect them!
Wrong mouth rinse
The market is flooded with cosmetic rinses that just control bad breath and leave a fresh taste in the mouth. Always reach for therapeutic rinses that contain ingredients like antimicrobial agents and fluoride, and help in fighting gingivitis, cavities, plaque, as well as bad breath.
Brushing right after morning juice
We all love to start our day with a glass of fresh orange juice, but remember not to brush your teeth immediately after. The acidic content of the juice weakens the tooth enamel, which can get eroded if brushed immediately. Either neutralize the acids by drinking milk or water, or simply wait for 30 minutes before brushing.
Cutting your gums while flossing
Snapping the floss down between your teeth could leave you with cut gums, and can even cause your gums to recede. Always slide the floss back and forth gently instead of moving it down to the gums. Also try waxed dental floss or tapes for easy sliding between closely set teeth.
You stop flossing when your gums bleed
Bleeding gums are a sign of gum disease, many a time exaggerated by the buildup of plaque between the teeth. It is recommended that you still continue because with the plaque's removal, the swelling and bleeding will stop over time.
You don’t floss every day
Dentists recommend regular flossing not just to remove stuck food particles from between the teeth, but also to remove the accumulated plaque. If the plaque is left for too long, it becomes tartar — a hard substance which would need a dentist's expertise to remove.
How a far-right politician’s scandal brought down Austria’s government
It involves a setup and an apparent attempt to collude with a Russian. VIENNA, Austria — Fake Russian collusion in Austria led to the demise of the nation’s government last weekend, and could result in criminal charges for a top far-right leader. The scandal has rocked Austria to its core, providing a blow to the growing clout of nationalist, anti-immigrant parties in Europe. While viewed as a local affair by some, it’s a political crisis that could potentially span the continent.
Ignoring the dentist
Nobody likes dentist appointments but avoiding them is not going to resolve your oral health issues. Also, when you go to a dentist after a long time, you're likelier to need to go through intensive treatment. It’s better not to skip dental visits and keep the problems in control.
Not drinking enough water
We all know that drinking water is good for health but what we don’t know is that the fluoride present in it helps keep your teeth healthy. Moreover, when you drink enough water, it rinses away accumulated sugars and acids from your mouth.
Excessive cleaning of the toothbrush
Are you worried about the cleanliness of your toothbrush and put it through dishwasher or microwave to disinfect it? Don’t, because it may damage your brush. Simply rinse, let it dry and put it upright in the stand. Also, make sure it doesn’t come in contact with anyone else’s brush. If you are still wary, just change your brush.
Avoiding x-rays
Some studies show the possible link between dental x-rays and benign brain tumors. If you are avoiding x-rays due to this, please don’t because not everything can be identified with a visual examination. Better, speak with your dentist to find ways to minimize the number of x-rays you might need.
Using toothpick
Using wooden toothpicks to remove food particles stuck between teeth may damage your teeth and gums. If you care for a healthy mouth, use dental floss. There’s no substitute for it.
Not flossing the teeth on both sides of the gap
To clean the plaque off the teeth properly, you need to floss the teeth on both sides of the gap.
Brushing techniques
Brushing side to side? Stop doing that, as it may weaken the enamel of your teeth. Always hold the brush so the bristles are at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the teeth, and move it in small circles. After the circles, clean the gum line to remove the loosened plaque and bacteria.
26/26 SLIDES
Public service dentists employed by the HSE play a critical, complementary
role in providing expert care primarily for children and special care children and adults, he says.
“Regrettably, based on our members’ analysis of the plan, it seems certain that oral health inequalities will increase rather than reduce with the plan’s proposals in regard to the provision of dental care and treatment,” says Hourihan.
He adds that this is “the inevitable consequence of moving from a targeted approach where HSE public dental surgeons directly target children at key age ranges of their development for dental services including, but not limited to, prevention, restorative care and referral to secondary services where eligible”.
This approach enables those who do not attend to be identified and followed up.
© Catalyst Images Girl at the dentist The policy’s proposal is to redirect this service into general practice where identifying risk will be dependent on attendance by the very groups who are both least likely to attend but also have the worst oral health and the greatest treatment need.However, the policy’s focus on prevention needs to be counter-balanced by the fact that prevention going forward cannot fix the significant amount of untreated oral diseases that are already present today.
Hourihan adds that dentists have long been calling for the replacement of the “unfit for purpose” medical card scheme, but the declaration from the Department of Health over
the years is that this couldn’t happen until the publication of a new oral health policy.
“This has been used as an excuse also for the delayed publication of new legislation to update and amend the Dentists Act of 1985.
“The publication of the oral health policy now clears the pitch and allows all parties to engage without delay in long overdue discussions on the state contracts and also the need for new legislation,” he says.
© Catalyst Images Girl at the dentist Moving towards privatisation
Highlighting the “most glaring weakness” in the policy is the proposal to extend limited “free dental care” to under 6s and eventually to under-16s.
“However, the plan offers no evidence to justify taking care and treatment of children from the HSE public dental service,” he says, adding:
It may seem easy to suggest taking work from the HSE public dental service when it has been hollowed out and left to crumble over the past decade.
The association also notes there is no mention made to the current crisis in arranging dental care for children who require to be treated under general anaesthetic. Hourihan states up to 10,000 children a year are undergoing painful operations because routine screenings are no longer taking place and issues are not being identified in time.
In addition, the new government policy offers nothing to the 60% of adults who do not have access to free or subsidised dental care other than very limited PRSI dental benefits, he adds, and questions why there no support or funding towards the cost of dental treatment provided to those adults.
No change in tax relief
Hourihan also questions why there is no change in the tax relief for those adults, adding that the provisions for adults represents “little more than repackaging of the existing suite of treatments which were savagely cut in 2009, a decision which everyone described as shameful at the time”.
Currently, there is 20% tax relief only for a limited number of dental procedures.
Hourihan adds that dentists first reaction to news of the new scheme was “disbelief and anger” at how few dentists in practice – within general practice, specialist practice or within the HSE – were consulted in the preparation of this new policy even though they are the ones it is hoped will deliver 95% of dental care in future.
“Therefore, we respectfully submit that this is not the last word on oral health in Ireland.
The association regards this as a starting point for a badly needed discussion on oral health,” he states.
MORE NEWS
Ana was 'struck several times with a weapon' as she lay on the ground, expert tells trial (Independent.ie)
Video shows garda being dragged by car driven by drunk-driver in Tipperary (Irish Mirror)
Renters asked to pay €550 a month for 'flat' in office block with shared kitchen (Independent.ie)
Banned American preacher says ‘Ireland will feel the wrath of God’ (Extra.ie)
How a far-right politician’s scandal brought down Austria’s government.
It involves a setup and an apparent attempt to collude with a Russian. VIENNA, Austria — Fake Russian collusion in Austria led to the demise of the nation’s government last weekend, and could result in criminal charges for a top far-right leader. The scandal has rocked Austria to its core, providing a blow to the growing clout of nationalist, anti-immigrant parties in Europe. While viewed as a local affair by some, it’s a political crisis that could potentially span the continent.
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said the ball was in the Labour leader’s court. 
Data from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory found that every school in the capital is over the WHO limit of 10mg of PM2.5 per cubic metre. 
The last time I saw Mark Zuckerberg was in the summer of 2017, several months before the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. We met at Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., office and drove to his house, in a quiet, leafy neighborhood. We spent an hour or two together while his toddler daughter cruised around. We talked politics mostly, a little about Facebook, a bit about our families. When the shadows grew long, I had to head out. I hugged his wife, Priscilla, and said goodbye to Mark. Since then, Mark’s personal reputation and the reputation of Facebook have taken a nose-dive. 
The three new missiles North Korea has tested over the past week are eerily familiar to military experts: They look just like a widely copied missile the Russian military has been trying to sell abroad for years. While it's unclear if the North bought the missiles or built them itself, experts say they look like a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that was behind a U.S. decision to suspend a longstanding arms treaty with Moscow in February. 
Julia Roberts and Danny Moder share three children, but they are rarely in the spotlight. 
As the Tories continue to leak voters to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, the Prime Minister's spokesman today said she wanted a deal done before the Commons rises for its summer recess in July. 
Lawyers for the deceased's family say video evidence that showed him drinking before driving his car "was destroyed shortly after" he died in a crash. 
It involves a setup and an apparent attempt to collude with a Russian. VIENNA, Austria — Fake Russian collusion in Austria led to the demise of the nation’s government last weekend, and could result in criminal charges for a top far-right leader. The scandal has rocked Austria to its core, providing a blow to the growing clout of nationalist, anti-immigrant parties in Europe. While viewed as a local affair by some, it’s a political crisis that could potentially span the continent. 
May urges Corbyn to work with Government to agree Brexit... 
Nearly three million British children face pollution risk with 6,000 UK schools 
It’s Time to Break Up... 
Experts see Russia fingerprints on North Korea's new... 
Julia Roberts' husband posts pic of rarely seen... 
May's new Brexit gamble: PM to put her withdrawal deal to MPs for a FOURTH time 
The lawyers suing Tiger Woods in a wrongful death lawsuit say crucial video... 
How a far-right politician’s scandal brought down Austria’s... 
