ORAL HEALTH FOR CHILDREN.(IN QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT)

How Do I Help My Children Care for Their Teeth and Prevent Cavities?
Teaching your child proper oral care at a young age is an investment in his or her health that will pay lifelong dividends. You can start by setting an example; taking good care of your own teeth sends a message that oral health is something to be valued. And anything that makes taking care of teeth fun, like brushing along with your child or letting them choose their own toothbrush, encourages proper oral care.

To help your children protect their teeth and gums and greatly reduce their risk of getting cavities, teach them to follow these simple steps:

• Brush twice a day with an ADA — accepted fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque-the sticky film on teeth that's the main cause of tooth decay.
• Floss daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and under the gumline, before it can harden into tartar. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed by a professional cleaning.
• Eat a well-balanced diet that limits starchy or sugary foods, which produce plaque acids that cause tooth decay. When you do eat these foods, try to eat them with your meal instead of as a snack-the extra saliva produced during a meal helps rinse food from the mouth.
• Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste.
• Make sure that your children's drinking water is fluoridated. If your water supply; municipal, well or bottled does not contain fluoride, your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe daily fluoride supplements.
• Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups.

What Brushing Techniques Can I Show My Child?
You may want to supervise your children until they get the hang of these simple steps:

• Use a pea-sized dab of an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Take care that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.
• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the inside surface of each tooth first, where plaque may accumulate most. Brush gently back and forth.
• Clean the outer surfaces of each tooth. Angle the brush along the outer gumline. Gently brush back and forth.
• Brush the chewing surface of each tooth. Gently brush back and forth.
• Use the tip of the brush to clean behind each front tooth, both top and bottom.
• It's always fun to brush the tongue!

When Should My Child Begin Flossing?
Because flossing removes food particles and plaque between teeth that brushing misses, you should floss for your children beginning at age 4. By the time they reach age 8, most kids can begin flossing for themselves.

What are Dental Sealants and How Do I Know if My Child Needs Them?
A dental sealant creates a highly-effective barrier against decay. Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of a child's permanent back teeth, where most cavities form. Applying a sealant is not painful and can be performed in one dental visit. Your dentist can tell you whether your child might benefit from a dental sealant.

What is Fluoride and How Do I Know if My Child is Getting the Right Amount?

Fluoride is one of the best ways to help prevent against tooth decay. A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride combines with the tooth's enamel to strengthen it. In many municipal water supplies, the right amount of fluoride is added for proper tooth development. To find out whether your water contains fluoride, and how much, call your local water district. If your water supply does not contain any (or enough) fluoride, your child's pediatrician or dentist may suggest using fluoride drops or a mouthrinse in addition to a fluoride toothpaste.

How Important is Diet to My Child's Oral Health?
A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. In addition to a full range of vitamins and minerals, a child's diet should include plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and proper levels of fluoride.

If fluoride is your child's greatest protection against tooth decay, then frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many foods and snacks like cookies, candies, dried fruit, soft drinks, pretzels and potato chips combine with plaque on teeth to create acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and may lead to cavities.

Each "plaque attack" can last up to 20 minutes after a meal or snack has been finished. Even a little nibble can create plaque acids. So it's best to limit snacking between meals.

What Should I Do if My Child Chips, Breaks or Knocks Out a Tooth?
With any injury to your child's mouth, you should contact your dentist immediately. The dentist will want to examine the affected area and determine appropriate treatment.

If your child is in pain from a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, you should visit the dentist immediately. You may want to give an over-the-counter pain reliever to your child until his/her appointment. If possible, keep any part of the tooth that has broken off and take this with you to the dentist.

If a tooth is completely knocked out of the mouth by an injury, take the tooth to your dentist as soon as possible. Handle the tooth as little as possible — do not wipe or otherwise clean the tooth. Store the tooth in water or milk until you get to a dentist. It may be possible for the tooth to be placed back into your child's mouth, a procedure called reimplantation.

TEEN TROUBLE....OR TROUBLED TEEN?? A TROUBLESOME AGE....!

Parenting is tough! Make no mistake about that, but there are a few things one must keep in mind to help the child grow into an adult. The most daunting time in a child’s life is adolescence. This is the cusp of a child being an adult. They don’t belong to the world of fantasy, nor are they ready to go face the real world.

Mistakes Parents Make with Teens Lecture rather than discuss. We want our teens to grow into responsible adults who are able to make decisions. Why then do we fall back on the old lecture, when we should be using any problem area as an opportunity to teach the child the process of making a good decision? This is not to say, they no longer need guidance, it just has to be handled in a more adult manner, with discussion, negotiation, and understanding of the conflicting needs of maturing teens.  Ignore the obvious: Your teen is suddenly sleeping late, missing classes, missing curfew, not introducing new friends, and we write it off as "normal teen behaviour."  Never assume! Just because grades are good, does not mean everything is okay with your child. Just because they do not confide in you with problems, does not mean they do not have any. Just because they do not seek you out to talk, does not mean they do not want to. It is important to talk to your kids and really spend time with them, to get to know them. Not following through on rules and consequences "You are grounded!" "That's it – no allowance this week!" Most parents have no problem creating punishments for breaking the rules. It's what happens a few days or so later, that creates the cycle of defiance: your teen drives you nuts until you back down on the consequences. If you set a rule, it is important to make clear in advance, the consequences for breaking that rule. If that rule is broken, and if you do not enforce the consequences you set, your teen has just learned that getting away with breaking the rules is really a piece of cake. Set expectations that allow the child to succeed, based on his or her abilities. Pointing out only the negative, expecting only the positive Some parents believe a job well done, is its own reward. While this is true, there is nothing that encourages a child more, than the positive feedback of a parent. This is not to say, you should jump up and down with joy just because your child didn't skip class this week. If you set consequences for bad behaviour, the reward is getting to do the things they normally enjoy. Leaving the educating up to "Someone Else" Assuming your child will learn about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and other risky behaviours at school or elsewhere, is a risky assumption at best. Studies have shown that kids whose parents talk to them about high-risk behaviours and who set clear guidelines about the consequences for engaging in these behaviours, are less likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, or have sex. Giving up on family time  Setting time aside every day, for the family to eat together and talk, is one of the best defenses against negative peer influences on your teens. Make time for your children on a daily basis, to keep communication open. Parents who spend time with their children will be more aware of changes in their demeanor and behaviour.

NOTHING IS MORE POWERFULL THAN TRUST.

Found this article on Linkeden...........therefore the perspective of company might be found at places.But all in all applicable in all walks of life.

Strength, money, intelligence, and confidence are all wonderful things, but if you have to name one trait that stands head and shoulders above all others, I hope you choose: the ability to earn the trust of others.
You may be powerful, but that power will threaten - not attract - others, unless they trust that you would never use that power to cause them harm.
You may be brilliant, but if you use that brilliance purely for your own benefit, then others will do their best to isolate and abandon you.
For several years now, I've been repeating incessantly the wise words of my friends Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, from their book Extreme Trust.

Do things right. Do the right thing. Proactively."

It's the proactively part that grabbed my attention, because this is where many people and companies fall short.
It means do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Even when no one may ever notice what you did. Even when plenty of others don't bother to adhere to such a strong moral code.
To make this clear, here's a common business example. Plenty of companies now charge a monthly fee for services, such as web access, music services, or video programming. These companies know which customers haven't used their service in, say, 15 months. The profitable thing to do is: nothing. This is how such firms make money, by charging people a monthly fee for a service that customers forgot.
The right thing to do is to proactively contact the customer and ask: is something wrong? Are you having trouble understanding how to use our service? Did you forget about it? Can we be of service to you?
Don't get me wrong, proactively contacting such customers may not be a profitable short-term strategy. But it is the best way to earn trust. It is absolutely the right thing to do.
In the long run, this will also be a profitable strategy.
In your personal life, trust is everything, and individuals can't get away with the nonsense some companies pull. You are either trustworthy, or not.
Your children learn about your trustworthiness from your actions, not your words.
Your colleagues learn about your trustworthiness when times get tough, not when you are having pleasant conversations in social settings.
When I turn my back on you, what happens? When you are under pressure, do your morals bend or break?
This I know for certain: although some weeks it can seem as though trust doesn't matter anymore, trust always matters. It's like saving money for retirement; some day, you are going to be so very glad that you saved wisely.
(ABOUT THE WRITER;Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs and executives. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.)

Ayurvedic Sinus Remedies You Can Try At Home

Sinusitis may seem like a relatively minor thing to worry about… until you have it. This type of congestion and pressure can really take a toll on your day, making it very difficult to concentrate and go about your tasks. Regardless of whether it is due to allergies, a cold or another bug, it is always highly uncomfortable.
This condition is characterized by trouble breathing, stuffiness and a heavy feeling in your head, along with sneezing and sometimes pain behind the eyes.
Ayurvedic medicine originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It is a holistic system of health which focuses on the well-being of the entire body and mind, as opposed to treating just one specific condition. Balance is one of its most important underlying principles, and the prevention and healing of illnesses through a nutritious diet and herbal remedies are crucial parts of the system.
For sinusitis or sinus congestion, many Ayurvedic practitioners recommend warm food that is easy to digest, along with plenty of fruits and veggies. Soups and stews fit well into this plan. Heavy meals, oily and fried foods, and cold foods and beverages are often avoided at this time, as they are thought to aggravate the problem.
Some foods and herbs that are often recommended to clear the sinuses are garlic, ginger, black pepper and honey. A warm preparation is best, so, for example, a fresh ginger tea sweetened with raw honey and a dash of black pepper added is a great sinus-friendly tincture. As an alternative to black pepper, cinnamon is also often utilized in Ayurvedic medicine.
Steam may also be quite beneficial to the sinuses. Boiling water, then adding a few drops of essential oil (such as clove, cinnamon and/or oils in the mint family), and inhaling the fragrant steam for up to 20 minutes can do wonders in clearing the congestion. The fragrance of freshly crushed garlic is also traditionally utilized to aid in sinus problems.
It is recommended crushing garlic cloves, combining with honey, and taking twice daily before meals to boost the immune system and relieve sinus pain. He also recommends freshly squeezed onion juice combined with honey to clear up stuffiness and nasal blockages.
If you want to find out more in-depth information about Ayurvedic remedies, you may wish to talk to a natural health professional you trust about recommending a specialist in this area. It has survived the test of thousands of years for a reason, and research is beginning to back up some of the methods Ayurveda has known for centuries.

BULLING; HELP YOUR CHILD HANDLE A BULLY.

Bullying was once considered a childhood rite of passage. Today, however, bullying is recognized as a serious problem. To help your child handle bullying, learn to recognize it — and understand how to respond.

Types of bullying

Bullying is a form of aggression, in which one or more children repeatedly and intentionally intimidate, harass or harm a victim who is perceived as unable to defend him- or herself. Bullying can take many forms. For example:

• Physical. This type of bullying includes hitting, tripping and kicking, as well as destruction of a child's property.
• Verbal. Verbal bullying includes teasing, name-calling, taunting and making inappropriate sexual comments.
• Psychological or social. This type of bullying involves spreading rumors about a child, embarrassing him or her in public, or excluding him or her from a group.
• Electronic. Cyberbullying involves using an electronic medium, such as email, websites, a social media platform, text messages, or videos posted on websites or sent through phones, to threaten or harm others.

The consequences of bullying

Being bullied as a child has been linked to:

• Mental health problems. Children who are bullied are at increased risk of depression, anxiety, sleep problems, low self-esteem, and thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
• Impaired academic performance. Children who are bullied might be afraid to go to school and are more likely to get poor grades. Targets of bullying are also more likely to receive school detention or suspension, miss, skip or drop out of school.
• Substance abuse. Children who are bullied are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs.
• Violence. Children who are bullied might be more likely to carry weapons at school. A small number of children who are bullied might retaliate with violent measures.

Warning signs of bullying

If your child is being bullied, he or she might remain quiet out of fear, shame or embarrassment. Be on the lookout for these warning signs:

• Lost or destroyed clothing, electronics or other personal belongings
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
• Poor school performance or reluctance to go to school
• Headaches, stomachaches or other physical complaints
• Trouble sleeping
• Changes in eating habits
• Distress after spending time online or on his or her phone
• Feelings of helplessness or low self-esteem
• Self-destructive behavior, such as running away from home

What to do if your child is being bullied

If you suspect that your child is being bullied, take the situation seriously:

• Encourage your child to share his or her concerns. Remain calm, listen in a loving manner and support your child's feelings. Express understanding and concern. Remind your child that he or she isn't to blame for being bullied.
• Learn about the situation. Ask your child to describe how and when the bullying occurs and who is involved. Find out what your child has done to try to stop the bullying, as well as what has or hasn't worked. Ask what can be done to help him or her feel safe.
• Teach your child how to respond. Don't promote retaliation or fighting back against a bully. Instead, your child might try telling the bully to leave him or her alone, walking away to avoid the bully, ignoring the bully, or asking a teacher, coach or other adult for help. Suggest sticking with friends wherever the bullying seems to happen. Likewise, tell your child not to respond to cyberbullying. If possible, use software to block the cyberbully.
• Talk to your child about technology. Make sure you know how your child is using the Internet, social media platforms, or his or her phone to interact with others. If your child is being cyberbullied, don't automatically take away electronic privileges. Children might be reluctant to report bullying for fear of having their cellphone or Internet privileges taken away. Your actions could prevent your child from telling you about a future incident.
• Boost your child's self-confidence. Encourage your child to build friendships and get involved in activities that emphasize his or her strengths and talents.

Responding to bullying

If your child admits being bullied, take action. For example:

• Record the details. Write down the details — the date, who was involved and what specifically happened. Save screenshots, emails and texts. Record the facts as objectively as possible.

• Contact appropriate authorities. Seek help from your child's principal, teacher or the school guidance counselor. Report cyberbullying to Web and cellphone service providers or websites. If your child has been physically attacked or otherwise threatened with harm, talk to school officials and call the police.
• Explain your concerns in a matter-of-fact way. Instead of laying blame, ask for help to solve the bullying problem. Keep notes on these meetings. Keep in contact with school officials. If the bullying continues, be persistent.
• Ask for a copy of the school's policy on bullying. Find out how bullying is addressed in the school's curriculum, as well as how staff members are obligated to respond to known or suspected bullying.

If your child has been injured or traumatized by continued bullying consult a mental health provider. You might also consider talking to an attorney. Taking legal action to disrupt a culture of bullying can make your community safer for all children.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND YOUR GUT:THE FINAL VERDICT.

Thanks to unhealthy processing methods, chocolate has earned a reputation as a ‘junk food.’ While the candy bars lining the supermarket shelves are certainly not good for you, organic, raw dark chocolate has many surprising health benefits, and is even considered a superfood. But do you know why it is so good for you?
The ancient Mayans referred to cacao, the raw, unprocessed form of chocolate, as ‘the food of the gods.’ Depictions of people drinking cacao are incorporated into their artwork, and the shapes of cacao pods are found carved into their stone templates. Ancient Mayans also grew cacao trees in their household gardens.
When cacao is processed into the chocolate that we commonly see today, it loses much of its health benefits, due to the high heat used in roasting and the chemicals added during processing, along with a huge amount of added sugar. Raw, unprocessed cacao is filled with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants.
Organic, raw dark chocolate contains minerals including magnesium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, manganese and calcium. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B8 and E, and is a good source of protein and fiber.The fats that raw cacao contains also support well-being. They include oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive and coconut oils, plus saturated fats, which the body needs to properly function.
The many known benefits of raw cacao
Up until recently, researchers knew that raw cacao was good for us but could not exactly pinpoint just why it was so. Some of the many known health benefits include:

• Cacao beans are rich in polyphenols called flavonoids, which have been found to have antioxidant properties. In fact, they contain eight times the number of antioxidants found in strawberries. Studies have shown that antioxidants protect the cells and combat the free radicals that contribute to aging.

• Flavonoids may also contribute to a healthy heart. They have been linked to improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the plaque that can build up on artery walls. The minerals in cacao also contribute to the health of the cardiovascular system.

• Theobromine, an alkaloid found in cacao, has been linked to stimulating the central nervous system and providing the body with a boost of energy. Cacao also contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which affects brain chemistry in a similar fashion to falling in love. Cacao has been linked to increasing the availability of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which can elevate your mood and even lessen depression.

• The serotonin content of chocolate also explains why larger quantities of chocolate are eaten in winter than any other season. As many people become deficient in vitamin D in the winter months, due to lack of sunlight, and may experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), chocolate can help balance out the winter blahs.

• A study published in the British Medical Journal observed that a daily dose (with a polyphenol content equal to 100 grams) of dark chocolate can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with metabolic syndrome. According to the research, if all study participants ate dark chocolate daily, 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events per every 10,000 people would be averted over a ten-year period.

New research now answers the question why
While you many not need another study to convince you to nibble on a piece of organic dark chocolate from time to time, we found this one particularly interesting in that it seems to have finally addressed just why this tasty treat is so good for us; and you may be surprised at the answer.
Researchers from Louisiana State University had a hunch, and they set about to test the effects that dark chocolate had on stomach bacteria. They compared three different cocoa powders in a simulated human digestive process.
We know that inside the gut there are both harmful and helpful bacteria. The helpful microbes, including Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, seem to find dark chocolate quite a scrumptious feast.
How it works
Study leader John Finley, PhD, explains that cocoa powder is rich in two flavanol compounds, catechin and epicatechin, along with a small amount of dietary fiber. Both flavanol compounds are poorly digested and absorbed, however, good gut bacteria begins to gobble them up as soon as they enter the colon.
The fiber is fermented and the large polyphenolic polymers are broken down into smaller, anti-inflammatory molecules which can be easily absorbed. In short, our gut bacteria become a fermenting factory, breaking down and releasing health promoting compounds.
Finley further states that consuming prebiotics (foods not digested that feed healthy bacteria) along with the fiber in cocoa could boost overall health by changing polyphenolics in the gut into anti-inflammatory compounds.
Prebiotics are probiotics’ friend
In simple terms, prebiotics and probiotics are both necessary for intestinal health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that keep your intestinal system in good working order and help your colon rid itself of toxic chemicals and pathogens.
Probiotics can be found in foods such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, kim chi and miso. Eating probiotics several times a week can help prevent colon cancer and improve the body’s immune response to colds and infections.
Health conditions that respond well to regular consumption of foods high in probiotics include diarrhea, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and asthma.
Prebiotics help probiotics do their job. Prebiotics can be found in foods such as leeks, raw garlic, onions, beans, lentils, chickpeas, asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes. They are also present in fiber supplements such as slippery elm and psyllium. Regularly consuming prebiotic foods several times a week can help maintain probiotic bacteria in your gut and encourage good bowel health.
How to feed your gut microbes right
To get the most health benefits from your chocolate, choose raw, non-roasted cacao beans. You can also find raw cacao in ‘nibs,’ which are cacao beans that have been peeled and crushed, and cacao powder (not to be confused with cocoa powder), which is created by peeling and cold-pressing cacao beans.
Initially bitter, you can use organic, raw dark chocolate in savory dishes, or combined with coconut crystals or crushed stevia leaf for sweeter recipes. Finley also suggests combining dark chocolate with fruits such as pomegranates and acai to increase the overall health benefit.

THE BLOOD TYPE DIET

Here's some information about the blood group based diet.Hope it will of use.

The Promise

Could eating a diet based on your blood type -- O, A, B, or AB -- help you trim down and get healthier? That's the idea behind the Blood Type Diet, created by naturopath Peter J. D'Adamo.

D'Adamo claims that the foods you eat react chemically with your blood type. If you follow a diet designed for your blood type, your body will digest food more efficiently. You'll lose weight, have more energy, and help prevent disease.

Does It Work?

It's hard to tell whether the Blood Type Diet works, because there haven't been any studies directly comparing weight loss and health in people who were on the diet against those who weren't.

Only one study has evaluated this kind of diet. It found that people with certain blood types got more of a cholesterol-lowering benefit from eating a low-fat diet. But it didn't prove that the Blood Type Diet works for weight loss.

What You Can Eat

That depends on your blood type. Here's what D'Adamo recommends for each type:

Type O blood: A high-protein diet heavy on lean meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables, and light on grains, beans, and dairy. D'Adamo also recommends various supplements to help with tummy troubles and other issues he says people with type O tend to have.

Type A blood: A meat-free diet based on fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains -- ideally, organic and fresh, because D'Adamo says people with type A blood have a sensitive immune system.

Type B blood: Avoid corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts, and sesame seeds.  Chicken is also problematic, D'Adamo says. He encourages eating green vegetables, eggs, certain meats, and low-fat dairy.

Type AB blood: Foods to focus on include tofu, seafood, dairy, and green vegetables. He says people with type AB blood tend to have low stomach acid. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoked or cured meats.

Level of Effort: High

If you don't already know your blood type, you'll need to find that out. The results will determine exactly what you need to do.

Limitations: Depending on your blood type, you may need to severely restrict the foods you eat.

Cooking and shopping: Your blood type will determine your shopping list and your choices when eating out.

Packaged foods or meals? None required.

In-person meetings? No.

Exercise: The Blood Type Diet recommends exercises based on your blood type. For instance, it suggests yoga or tai chi for type A’s, and vigorous aerobic exercises like jogging or biking for up to an hour a day for type O’s.

Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?

Because the diet dictates that you eat very specific types of food based on your blood type, it doesn't allow much for personal tastes.

For example, if you're a big fan of meat and potatoes, you won't be very happy on the type A diet, which is mostly vegetarian.

There are even recommendations about the types of spices and condiments you can use.

If you're looking for a diet that's gluten-free, you should know that this diet doesn't ban gluten. You may be able to make choices that are gluten-free, if you read food labels carefully.

What Else You Should Know

Cost: D'Adamo recommends a lot of specialty and organic foods (such as soy milk and carob chip cookies), which can be pricey. Vitamin and herbal supplements are also part of the diet.

Support: You do this diet on your own.

............This is just a preliminary introduction on the subject,i'am sure you can find out further details.

Namaste.

Dr Padamjeet Gulia,
Consultant Pediatrician,
http://thepaediatrician.blogspot.in