• HEALTHY CHILDREN MAKE BETTER STUDENTS
    BETTER STUDENTS MAKE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
     
     
    WELCOME
    To the Nurse's Office
     
    My name is Vicki Gust.  If you need to contact me, please call 376-4342 between the hours of 8am - 3pm.  I can also be reached by email  gustv@bcsc.k12.in.us
     
    I am happy to speak to you at anytime about your concerns or if you have any questions.  Please don't hesitate to give me a call.
     
     
     
     
     
    NURSES NOTES
    by Vicki Gust, School Nurse
     

    February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! Please take time this month to go over proper dental Talk about health practices with your children!

    Talk to them about proper brushing and flossing. When was the last time you replaced your toothbrush? This should be done at least every 6 months! When was the last time your child visited the dentist? Children and adults should see the dentist every 6 months! Good oral hygiene is crucial to good physical health! Please take the time to read Crest’s recommendations below!

    The Right Toothbrush

    There are so many to choose from! Children need to use a child’s size soft toothbrush. These are designed specifically for the size and shape of a child’s mouth and hands. Soft bristles with round ends provide gentle cleaning of the teeth and delicate gum tissue. Bright colors and fun patterns can help encourage brushing and make brushing fun.

    The right toothpaste

    One of the best ways to keep your child brushing is by having fluoride toothpaste on hand that is pleasing and easy to use. Let your child pick any flavor they would like! The taste can make brushing a more enjoyable experience, leading to more thorough brushing. Brushing twice a day results in increased fluoride applications to help strengthen tooth enamel and more opportunities to remove plaque.

    The Best Way to Brush

    - On the outer and inner surfaces, place the toothbrush at a 45degreee angle; start along the gum line; use gentle, short stroke brushing downward on the upper teeth and upward on the lower teeth.

    - On chewing surfaces, hold the brush flat and brush back and forth.

    - On the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush so the handle is vertical and up by your nose. Use gentle up and down strokes with the toe of the brush.

    - Brush the tongue to remove food particles and bacteria.

    - Brush teeth for about 2 minutes a day.

    Flossing

    Flossing daily removes plaque and food particles between teeth and below the gum line. Flossing is essential to good oral health! To floss properly, wrap an 18 inch strand of floss around your middle fingers and hold a one-inch section tightly, then ease the floss between teeth.

    Gently clean up and down several times while hugging each tooth with floss. Be careful not to push the floss into the gums. There are also floss sticks you can buy for convenience.

    Good diet = Healthier Teeth

    Healthy eating habits lead to healthy teeth! Many snacks that children eat can lead to cavity formation. When we eat sugary food, the sugar combines with the bacteria in our mouth and forms an acid. This acid is what causes cavities in our teeth. Choose nutritious snacks for your child to eat. Fruits and vegetables are important for healthy gums and dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are the best foods for teeth because they contain calcium. Calcium helps with the formation of adult teeth and helps to keep them strong.

    Remember: A world of healthy teeth is a world full of bright smiles!
     
     

    Nurses Notes:

                  Can you believe it is time for the holidays again?  When I think of the holidays, I think of sharing these times with family, friends, and loved ones!  As our families gather we all enjoy the tasty treats that are brought along.  I read an article the other day that said there are over 2000 calories in a typical holiday dinner.  Some of the healthier foods we can choose to eat are:

       Pumpkin – rich in fiber and Vitamin A

       Cranberries – packed full of Vitamin C and fiber

       Sweet Potato – rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium

       Turkey – rick in protein and offers the least amt. of fat among all other meats

       Green Beans – rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and iron

     

    As we plan our gatherings and we think about what tasty treats we would like to share, think about making healthy food choices based on the food pyramid and we need to prepare these food with low-fat or fat-free ingredients.  It is also important to remember that after spending a day munching on yummy treats, we also need to work in some exercise time.  Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand for both adults and our children to have a healthy body.  Children tend to adapt the habits of their parents. When a child’s example is a parent who is sedentary and a poor eater, then he’ll likely mirror that behavior and end up in the same state of health as the parent.  Parents, please be a good role model for the health of your children and, of course, for your health as well.

     

    Parents, if you have a 5th grader this year, your child will need new immunizations to enter 6th grade.  New CDC and State guideline will required all 6th graders next year to have a DTaP and meningitis vaccine.  Please start scheduling these appointments right now and when your child has had these immunizations, please bring in the paper work to the school!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
Last Modified on July 30, 2018