Dentistry for Patients with Special Needs

by Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., Northshore Dental Associates

Patients who have special needs can sometimes present a challenge to providing dental care.

The simple things that most of us take for granted, like brushing and flossing, can be extremely difficult for patients and their caregivers. If the patient is not capable of self-care, the caregivers in daily contact with the patient must provide dental care in order to prevent dental disease. Modifications can be made with toothbrushes to help with patients with limited dexterity. Those with no mobility must have their dental needs met by others.

Many patients who have special needs have difficulty receiving needed dental care. These patients may be unable to cooperate with requirements of sitting in a dental chair, sitting still, or they may have extreme fear.

If dental care is needed for someone with special needs, inform the dental office of the patient's special health condition. Make sure the office is accessible for the patient. Changes in treatment can be made to accommodate whatever the need might be, whether it involves treating a disabled patient in their wheelchair or dimming the lights for autistic children. Some disabilities require the use of medications for sedation purposes.

Ask the dentist if he/she is comfortable with providing care to someone with special needs. Not all dentists feel capable of providing this type of care. Ask if the dentist has had any experience with treating patients with a specific condition. If the dentist prefers to refer the patient, they can contact the Academy of General Dentistry or the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry for a dentist who can complete the required treatment.

Another source for information would be the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH). This organization is an affiliate of the American Dental Association that facilitates the provision of dental care for needy, disabled, elderly and medically compromised individuals.

The dental schools at the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit would also be able to refer a patient to a dentist who can meet their needs. Many university settings have special clinics designed specifically for patients with special needs.

Patients with special needs do present a challenge for caregivers and the dentists who treat them but with a little extra care, they can have their dental needs met.

Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., at Northshore Dental Associates, 1179 Whitehall Road in North Muskegon, can be reached at (231) 744-6100.

Permanent Hair Removal Available at New Area Business

by Gary Scott Beatty, Editor, On the Shore Magazine

Kathy Storrer, R.E., CPE, Licensed Electrologist, recently opened a clinic specializing in electrolysis, the permanent hair removal treatment, at 4441 Grand Haven Rd., inside Pompa-Do's.

Kathy has been an electrologist for 10 years, with two private practice offices. Her daughter is the electrologist in the Adrian, Michigan office and she closed her Ann Arbor office to move to Muskegon with her fiancé. She said she became interested in the process when her own electrologist was retiring and was "lucky to get in at a time when there were lots of changes" with new technology. She is a Registered Electrologist, licensed with the State of Michigan and a Certified Professional Electrologist.

Kathy said the marketplace is flooded with temporary hair removal methods, but electrolysis boasts the longest track record for permanent hair removal. Patience and consistency are important elements of the treatment. "It is a process."

Is the hair gone permanently? "Yes, but there are many factors that play into that," Kathy explained. "You really need to call or come in, because there are many factors involved, everyone has a hair growth cycle and each person is different." Each area of the body is also different, said Kathy, and for almost everyone there are three factors for facial hair growth: heredity, race and stress.

Electrolysis is releasing an electrical current through a single needle into a single hair follicle. Treatments range from 15 minutes and up.

Does is hurt? "Everyone's pain threshold is different," Kathy explained. She has patient-specific suggestions for those worried about pain. "They always say, oh, that's not as bad as I thought. I've even had people fall asleep during treatment."

Kathy recommends those curious about electrolysis come in for a consultation. She can then set a plan to help those patients stay in budget. After a couple of times working on a patient, the treatment course can be adjusted to fit that patient's unique growth cycle.

"When that has been determined, then you need to maintain the look with your treatments properly spaced. So now you have the look achieved, you are maintaining the look, and then it is just a matter of patience, until the hair is permanently gone."

Kathy herself is a good example of the effectiveness of electrolysis. She had tweezed and plucked hair from her lip for 25 years. "Since hair is a living part of your body, when it is plucked, it grows a better root system so that it can remain," she said. "The moral of the story is, don't tweeze or wax hair. Results are just the opposite of what you want."

Kathy Storrer, R.E., CPE, Licensed Electrologist has a clinic specializing in electrolysis at 4441 Grand Haven Rd., inside Pompa-Do's. She encourages women and men to call her office at (231) 799-0344 to schedule a confidential consultation.

Creating Wellness Means Bringing It All Together

by Laurie Semlow, Semlow Chiropractic

We all want a longer, healthier, more quality life. But where do we find it?

The wellness industry can be a very confusing world. With all its empty words, hype and reckless claims, it seems impossible to put together a wellness program that covers all the bases and really does work.

Until now. The Creating Wellness System is a revolutionary new program that can change your life. It is a fully integrated system customized to your specific needs. We give you the tools, knowledge and support you need to achieve true wellness in your life.

Expect miracles. We do. Your potential as a human being is unlimited. Your body is an intelligent, amazing, self-healing and self-regulating organism. It was designed to express wellness. If it is not currently expressing wellness, there is something interfering with your body.

The Creating Wellness System was founded upon the principle that you have the capacity for higher quality of life experience. We can help you create a new vision for your life and make lasting changes in your lifestyle. We can help you to achieve true wellness.

Reclaim your life from the physical, bio-chemical and psychological dimensions of negative stress. Human beings literally experience their lives through their nervous systems. That is why the role of chiropractic care is foundational to wellness. Chiropractors adjust the blockages in the flow of the nervous system and unlock the body's natural healing potential.

Now for the first time, chiropractors have a powerful new tool to address the three dimensions of negative stress that cause those blockages. This revolutionary program empowers you to succeed through advanced science and personal caring.

Welcome to the new frontier in health and well-being. Start by calling us at Semlow Chiropractic today!

Laurie and Scott Semlow help patients through the Creating Wellness Center at Semlow Chiropractic, 5353 Grand Haven Road in Norton Shores. For more information visit www.semlowchiropractic.com or call (231) 798-WELL.

Keep Your Vision in Good Condition

by Eric Johnson, Manager, Health Hutt

Take care now to help prevent problems with your eyes later in life.

According to research there is evidence that following these suggested guidelines will help:

Load up on Lutein+ by KAL 24mg - A carotenoid found in most fruits and vegetables, Lutein+ helps provide nutritive support for healthy vision and it includes Astaxanthin, which is one of a few antioxidants that have been found to break the retinal/brain barrier.

Get support from Life Essence Multi - Protect your sight by taking a daily multivitamin containing beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and riboflavin.

Get a little sunlight every day - Contrary to popular belief, there are studies that as little as 15 minutes of sunlight a day actually may create a healing sensation to the eyes. Of course, be protective by wearing a hat or sitting in the shade and be very cautious. In this case, a little goes a long way.

Go for the Ginkgo Biloba - Research suggests that ginkgo increases blood flow to the eyes, and therefore helps prevent conditions such as macular degeneration. Take standardized ginkgo in the following forms: dried herb, fluid extracts, tinctures or capsules.

Say good-bye to smoking - Kick this habit to protect and help to heal the eyes of any damage that may already been done.

Stop in today at one of the four locations of the Health Hutt and get some of these products or more suggestions and ideas for healthy eyes and a healthy lifestyle.

To ask about natural remedies or other vitamin supplements phone the Health Hutt closest to you. In Muskegon call (231) 739-1568. Be sure to watch "Forever Young" Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Comcast Cable 97.