Do you know what the most common chronic childhood disease is? I bet many of you would guess asthma or allergies; but it is actually dental caries (cavities or decay). Children with poor oral health miss more than 51 million hours of school per year and can experience difficulties focusing in class due to tooth pain, leading to lower success in the classroom. Dental cavities can also increase risks for having other health problems.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has been observing Children's Dental Health Day in February since 1949; starting as a single day observance, then moving to a week long event in 1955, and by 1981 it was extended to be observed the whole month of February. The goal is to bring awareness about the importance of oral health - developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental check ups helps children a good start for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

One in five children between the ages of 5-11 have at least one untreated decaying tooth. Many parents argue, "they're are just baby teeth." While baby teeth will eventually fall out our baby teeth are very important - necessary to chew and speak, they also maintain the space for the permanent tooth. If a baby tooth is lost early due to untreated cavities it could leave a prolonged empty space leading to crowding of teeth making them more difficult to clean and the possibility of expensive treatment in the future.

What can parents/ caregivers do:

For Babies:

• Wipe gums twice a day with a soft clean cloth
• Start brushing when teeth come in, twice a day with a soft small bristled toothbrush and plain water
• Visit the dentist by your baby's first birthday

For Children:

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
• Help your child brush until they have good brushing skills
• Speak to your child's dentist about applying sealants when appropriate
• Drink fluorinated tap water

During Pregnancy you are more prone to gum disease and cavities when pregnant, which can affect your baby's health, so protect your teeth by:

• Seeing a dentist before you deliver
• Brush twice a day
• Floss daily

Risk factors for Cavities:

• Family history
• Eating and/or drinking a lot of sugary foods/drinks, especially between meals
• Special health care needs
• Wearing braces or orthodontic/ oral devices

The good news is cavities are preventable with good oral hygiene practices!

Burns can be caused by heat, flames, chemicals, or electricity - but school aged kids usually have burns caused by hot liquids (or hot glue around the JH age, not picking on anyone, lol). But in all seriousness, what is the correct care for burns?

For any burn caused by heat - remove clothing over affected area and cool the area with cool running water for at least two minutes. DO NOT apply ice! Ice causes vasoconstriction therefore decreasing blood supply to the area and possibly causing additional damage to the skin. In other words ice makes a burn worse.

Wet chemical burns require irrigation with water to remove the chemical from the skin. Dry chemicals should be brushed off before staring the irrigation process. Any chemical to the eyes should be flushed with water or saline for at least 20 min and then sent for evaluation by a health care provider.

The area should be kept clean by washing gently with soap and water and cover with loose bandage.

How bad is the burn - well burns are classified by 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns depending on how many layers of skin the burn penetrates. Burns can progress in depth for 48-72 hours.

• First-degree burns only effect the outermost layer of skin (epidermis)
• Skin remains intact but red
• Painful, but redness and pain improves around 3-5 days

• Second-degree burns go through the epidermis into the dermis (the deeper layer of skin) and cause blistering due to skin damage. There are two classes of second degree burns, superficial and deep. The exposed skin is pink and can be moist or dry depending on the depth of injury.
• Superficial second-degree
• Can take 7-21 days after the injury to form new fragile skin
• Usually does not form raised scars
• Deep second degree
• Can take 4-6 weeks to heal
• May require skin grafting and at risk for forming raised scars

• Third degree burns go through all layers of the skin to the subcutaneous tissue or deeper
• Can be painless due to destruction of the nerves in the skin
• Appear leathery and have no blanching
• Require surgical skin grafting

Should I pop the blister from a burn?

• NO - blisters should be left intact. Once the would is open to air (i.e. the blister is popped) pain will increase significantly. The blister also serves as a barrier to bacteria, the bodies way of protecting the area from infection. Once the blister pops the risk of infection increases.

Fun fact - frost bite is similar to a burn injury it is just caused by cold rather than heat. For example ice packs can cause damage to the skin if in direct contact for too long.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz gluten-free or whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs (trimmed and cut into bite size pieces)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 10 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 4 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta, drain and set aside

2. Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt, and pepper; cook stirring occasionally until just cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

3. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, lemon juice and zest, bring to a simmer

4. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and the cooked pasta. Cover and let stand until the spinach is just wilted.

5. Divide among 4 plates and top each serving with 1 Tbs Parmesan.

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/267768/chicken-spinach-skillet-pasta-with-lemon-parmesan/?print