Family Resource Center encourages parents to feed babies' brains by reading aloud

Did you feed your baby's brain today?  That's a question the Aliso Viejo Family Resource Center and its partner, Read Aloud 15 MINUTES, want parents and caregivers everywhere to answer with a resounding, "Yes!"

The Aliso Viejo Family Resource Center is extending the important mission by sharing "Let's Talk: Nourishment," a series of messages during October that encourages parents to seize responsibility for nourishing their children's brains as well as their bodies.  The Aliso Viejo Family Resource Center and national nonprofit Read Aloud 15 MINUTES are united behind the idea that when children everywhere are read aloud to for at least 15 minutes every day, from birth, it will change the face of education in the United States.

"From the moment babies are born, parents devote so much energy to keeping their children well nourished," said Read Aloud 15 MINUTES founder Dr. Candace Kendle.  "We want parents to make the connection that babies' brains are also in need of food: brain food."

Brain food comes in the form of exposure to vocabulary; knowledge-building; and rich interactions with loved ones.  Reading aloud checks all of these "nutritional" boxes. 

"One of the best activities for nourishing a baby's brain is reading aloud together for at least 15 minutes every day from birth," she said.
   
During October, the Aliso Viejo Family Resource Center will join more than 900 other Read Aloud 15 MINUTES partners throughout the country to help spread this important movement by sharing the "Let's Talk: Nourishment" messages with residents.  As a Read Aloud 15 MINUTES partner, the Family Resource Center participates in three annual "pulses" centered around the importance of daily reading aloud.

Read Aloud 15 MINUTES is a nonprofit organization that is working to make reading aloud every day for at least 15 minutes the new standard in child care. For more information, visit: http://www.readaloud.org/.

Aliso Viejo Free Mammogram Screening For Uninsured at Iglesia Park Community Center

Start Date:Oct 04, 2014 8:00 AM

End Date:Oct 04, 2014 12:00 PM

 

Location: Iglesia Park Community Center
Address: 24671 Via Iglesia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Fee: FREE for qualified individuals
Phone Number: 714-953-5900
Coordinator Name: Julie Diaz, Latin Health Access

Details:
Have you had your annual mammogram yet?  The City of Aliso Viejo in collaboration with Latino Health Access is offering FREE mammogram screenings for women age 40 and older who have not had a mammography screening within the past year.

The free screenings will be provided at the Iglesia Park Community Center, 24671 Via Iglesia on Saturday, October 4 from 8: a.m. to 12 noon.

For more information or to make an appointment, please contact Julie Diaz of Latino Health Access at (714)542-7792. 

Source: http://www.cityofalisoviejo.com/ParksRecre...

Are you brushing right?

The first step is to choose a good toothbrush. You always want to use a soft brush with a small head. A soft brush is hard enough to remove plaque and soft enough not to damage your teeth or gum. The next issue is to choose a good toothpaste. In general any toothpaste that contains Fluoride will do the job, unless you have a special need that is determined by your dentist. Two of the best brands of toothpastes are Colgate Total and Crest Multicare. The first rule of brushing is to start from a specific location and work your way to the opposite side and all the way through the whole mouth so that you end where you started. This way you won’t miss any area. Also usually a pea size of tooth paste is enough. A good brushing should at lease take 2 minutes and ideally around 4 minutes. There are many different techniques for brushing your teeth but one of the most popular ones is described here: Hold the brush with a 45 degree angle toward the teeth and the gum. Gently press against the gum so the tips of the bristles go in between the gum and the teeth. Then apply lateral vibration for a few times and roll down the brush to sweep the plaque away from the teeth and the gum. Repeat this motion 6 to 10 times and move on to the next area of 2 to 3 teeth. If your mouth is full of foam, spit out and continue brushing. Your brushing is completed when you have brushed all the surfaces of your teeth and not when your mouth is full! On chewing surfaces, short strokes will work best to get the plaque out of the grooves and pits. Also when brushing the front teeth from inside, hold your brush vertically to be able to reach the teeth better. As far as frequency of brushing is concerned, ideally you want to brush your teeth after each meal. But if you can t, brush at least twice a day after breakfast and before going to bed.

Are people with whiter teeth smarter?

A new study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) reveals that people with a whiter-than-white smile are perceived smarter than duller-toothed counterparts! The study – carried out in the States via the internet – was aimed at ascertaining what impact attractive teeth have on perceptions of an individual's appearance and personality and used ‘before and after' pictures of people who had undergone cosmetic surgery.

No respondent ever saw the same person with both a ‘before' and ‘after' smile but all respondents viewed the same set of eight individuals.

After seeing each picture, respondents rated each person on the following attributes:

• Attractive • Intelligent • Happy • Successful in their career • Friendly • Interesting • Kind • Wealthy • Popular with the opposite sex • Sensitive to other people

Respondents used a 1 to 10 scale where a ‘1' represents ‘not at all' and a ‘10' represents ‘extremely.'

The statistical analysis demonstrates that there is a major effect of a smile on perceptions of all major attributes.

In each case, people are viewed as more attractive, intelligent, happy, successful in their career, friendly, interesting, kind, wealthy and popular with the opposite sex with smiles that have been altered by cosmetic dentistry versus their original smiles.

AACD awards best celebrity smiles

Never mind the Golden Globes and Oscars, we are more excited about the winners of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry's (AACD) 2008's Best Celebrity Smiles contest. And what a line-up they are.

Eva Mendes took the top prize in the women's category with 38 percent of the votes followed by Anne Hathaway who had 12 percent. Kate Hudson came in third.

Brad Pitt's famous grin was awarded first place, and David Beckham's was ranked a close second. Will Smith's perfect pearly whites earned him third place.

Are you a candidate for cosmetic dentistry?

If you have been thinking about improving your smile, take a few moments and ask yourself the following questions to see if cosmetic dentistry is right for you. Are you embarrassed about smiling in front of people? Do you ever put your hand up to cover your smile? Do you dislike your smile in photographs? When you look through magazines do you envy the models’ smiles? Do you wish your teeth were whiter? Do you think you show too much or to little of your teeth when you smile? Would you like to change the way your teeth or gums are shaped? Do you have gaps or spaces between your teeth? Are you considering braces for that perfect smile? Do you have crooked or misaligned teeth?

Blood Pressure Monitoring

Your health is important to us, which is why we take your blood pressure at each periodic check-up in our office. A blood pressure reading over 120/80 is considered high. One in three people have hypertension or high blood pressure and are not aware of it. We offer blood pressure monitoring at no extra charge, because we understand how important keeping your blood pressure under control is to your cardiovascular health within our office. Sometimes blood pressure is increased due to anxiety and stress associated with visiting the dentist. We may recommend using a sedative the night before or during treatment to make sure you are comfortable. In addition, our soothing atmosphere and special “pampering” features such as neck pillows, blankets and headphones with your choice of music or movies will help you to relax.If you have high blood pressure, we will advise you to do the following before your dentist appointment: .Get a good night's sleep .Avoid caffeine .Eat a regular meal .Allow ample time to get to your dentist appointment We take every measure to make sure you are comfortable during your visit. It is our goal to cater to the needs of each patient, and to provide the gentle, relaxing dental care that makes you forget you’re at the dentist!

Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease

Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease
The mouth is the window to the body. It is both an indicator of the body's overall health, and a potential starting point for inflammation of the gums (periodontal disease), which affects three out of four adults age 35 and over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Periodontal disease not only causes tooth loss-researchers have also linked it to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory problems, and premature birth. Conversely, researchers are making the connection that these diseases can make an individual more susceptible to periodontal disease.

http://www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.heart.htm