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By the time your baby is six months of age, your dentist should assess the likelihood of your baby having future dental problems, which may include a dental exam of the mother and her dental history, as the condition of her teeth can often predict her child’s teeth.  Be sure your child sees a dentist after the first primary teeth appear. After your first visit, schedule regular visits every six months or as your dentist recommends.

Experts recommend that your baby see a dentist by 12 months of age. Babies with dental problems caused by injury, disease, or developmental problems should be seen by a children’s (pediatric) dentist right away. If these dental problems are not limited to the surfaces of the teeth, your baby should also be seen by a children’s doctor (pediatrician) or your family doctor.

Question: What is Medicare Part A?

Reply: Part A (Hospital Insurance): Helps cover hospital inpatient care, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care.

Your baby’s first teeth usually begin to erupt through the gums at about six months of age, although the timing will vary among children. All 20 primary teeth should come between the ages of six months and three years. Your child will lose primary teeth between the ages of six and eleven. Your child’s first permanent teeth usually erupt behind the primary teeth at age six. The last permanent teeth typically erupt between the ages of 12 and 21.

If you move to a new city or state, you will need to change your address with Social Security.

Because Original Medicare is a federal program, benefits are the same nationwide. So, your benefits will stay the same.

However, if you enroll in a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan, you may be required to choose a new plan or pay a higher (or lower) monthly premium. If you are in the process of moving, our Medicare agents will be able to help you quickly find a new top-rated plan in your area.

Oral health care at home does not stop at brushing and flossing your teeth. Many people need to remember their tongues. However, the tongue is a haven for most oral bacteria. Using a tongue cleaner, you help to ensure proper and thorough cleaning of the accumulated bacteria, food particles, and dead cells. Another reason to clean your tongue daily is that it will also provide fresh breath

Stephen Burch, DDS, of 3D Dental Solutions in McLean, Virginia, can Provide Sleep Solutions. Snoring and Sleep Apnea can affect your personal life and overall health care. According to a report by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). An estimated 40% of adult men and 24% of adult women suffer from chronic snoring. In addition, the AADSM has found that 50% of snorers have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea is a dangerous, life-threatening disorder that affects nearly 20 million Americans. In addition, 75% of people with TMD/TMJ have sleep apnea, and 52% of sleep apnea sufferers have signs and symptoms of TMD. 3D Dental Solutions, located at 8270 Greensboro Drive, Suite 101, McClean, Virginia, can answer your questions about your sleep disorder, symptoms, and sleep deficit. Dr. Burch can provide patients with a solution to get tested, treated, and get the freedom to sleep better.

A study suggests there is an increase in tooth decay in young children. Even with the beneficial effects of fluoride and increased dental care, the study suggests that the increased use of sugary drinks and food in young children may cause tooth decay.

Are you asking the right questions regarding your kid’s dental health care?

Whether for your kids or yourself, it is crucial to communicate with the dentist. When dealing with your dental health, there are no dumb questions, yet some people feel embarrassed to ask even simple questions to the dentist about the suggested treatment plan. 

If you need help understanding the recommended treatment plan the dentist is advising, make sure to ask questions until you do. You will feel much better and be able to make better decisions for yourself and your family. If you do not ask questions before dental services are started, the dentist will think that you already understand the services and the cost of care.

Original Medicare coverage is automatically renewable each year you are eligible. Thus, you do not need to renew your Medicare parts each year.

Medicare Supplement plans work the same way. Once accepted, the plan is automatically renewable as long as you continue to pay the monthly premium.

Medicare Advantage plans work similarly. However, you can change your plan each year if you do not like the benefits of your current plan.

Dental checks are the standard twice a year but not always the rule. Many people see a dentist twice a year since most dental insurance plans provide free preventive care, including basic cleanings and checkups. Your oral health needs depend on how often you or your child go. The main goal of checkups is to catch minor dental problems early on. Usually, this means twice-a-year exams, typically once every six months. Depending on your dental needs, your dentist may suggest you visit more or less depending on how well you take care of your teeth and gums.

Question:  Is it necessary to take kids to see a dentist every six months? It seems overkill and just a way for the dentist to make more money. My kids go to the dentist once a year and, so far, are cavity-free. Even for myself, it has been more like three years since I saw a dentist, but I do not have any dental issues. I do not have current dental insurance for my family, but even if I did, I do see going to the dentist twice a year as necessary.

Reply: At the end of the day, you choose what you want to do for yourself and your kids. It is advised to see the dentist at least twice a year to maintain good oral health. It takes a short time for tooth decay to happen. Most insurance plans offer free to very low-cost preventive dental care so that you can visit the dentist at the recommended times. 

You will automatically be enrolled in Medicare at age 65 if you are receiving Social Security benefits or railroad retirement board benefits at least four months before you enroll in Medicare.

However, suppose you are not receiving Social Security or railroad retirement board benefits. You will need to contact your local Social Security office to enroll in Medicare up to three months before your 65th birth month.

If you must contact your local Social Security office, you can sign up for Part A and Part B simultaneously. Once you complete the application and provide the required documentation, you will begin receiving benefits on the first day of your 65th birth month.

Stress can do more than rattle your nerves. Stress can cause forgetfulness, lack of sleep, hair loss, and headaches. However, did you know it can also cause you to have dental problems?

People that are under Stress can tend to clench or grind their teeth. Teeth grinding can happen while you are awake or even in your sleep. Grinding or clenching your teeth over time can cause dental problems such as wear down, cracking, or breaking of your teeth, and even sometimes cause temporomandibular joint problems.

One often thinks of dental hygiene as brushing twice daily and flossing. However, the tongue can often be overlooked, even though it is a source of bacteria that can cause bad breath. When brushing your teeth, gently brush your tongue and use a mouthwash that kills germs. Brushing your tongue will help keep it clean and your breath fresh.

To be eligible for Original Medicare, you must be a permanent legal resident (green card holder) or an American citizen who has lived in the United States for at least five years AND one of the following:

• Age 65 or older
• Under age 65 and receiving Social Security Disability Income for 24 months
• Diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

To enroll in Original Medicare, you may be required to reach out to your local Social Security office in some circumstances.

How many proteins do you think you have in your body? The answer is in the billions. Proteins deliver oxygen to your tissues, defend against infection, digest food and even make new proteins. These molecules are uniquely designed to carry out their tasks. If we can understand how protein shapes affect what they do, we might be able to understand what goes wrong in some diseases and develop better treatments.

Proteins are made of long strings of amino acids. These basic building blocks are chained together in a specific sequence dictated by that protein’s gene. In less than a second, the chain twists and buckles into a 3-dimensional structure. Each protein’s shape is unique. The shape lets the protein interact with other molecules to trigger all the reactions that run our bodies.

Shape is so important that just one amino acid change can alter a protein’s entire structure—and its performance. These switches can lead to life-threatening disorders like sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing a protein’s shape can help scientists design drugs that fix the flawed protein or even block its activity.

Protein structures can also help pinpoint the Achilles’ heels of disease-causing viruses or bacteria. One structure-based success came in 1989, when NIH-funded scientists discovered the shape of HIV protease, a protein that helps the AIDS virus get into our cells. The researchers showed that the protein, like a butterfly, was made up of two equal halves, and the site at the protein’s center was essential for infecting new cells.

Eventually, other researchers used this knowledge to come up with a new class of drugs, called protease inhibitors, that are now widely used to block the action of HIV protease and stop the virus from infecting more cells. Protease inhibitors helped to revolutionize the treatment of HIV/AIDS, transforming HIV infection from a death sentence into a treatable condition that people can live with for decades.

Unfortunately, HIV is a moving target. When it reproduces inside the body, it can churn out slightly altered viruses with different protease shapes. The inhibitor drugs might not work on these altered proteins. Some researchers are now developing new generations of HIV protease inhibitors that will combat these drug-resistant viral strains.

Scientists have also been using their structural knowledge of HIV to develop other approaches for combating the virus. They recently identified an unchanging region on the HIV surface and isolated human antibodies that react with it. The antibodies were able to stop more than 90% of known global HIV strains from infecting human cells. This advance will hopefully let researchers design more effective HIV vaccines.

Many other scientific problems will benefit from a better understanding of protein shapes. NIH researchers recently used discoveries about the influenza (flu) virus structure to generate antibodies that attack a wide array of influenza viruses in mice, ferrets and monkeys. This accomplishment may point the way to a universal flu vaccine. Trials are already under way in humans to test the approach. In the future, research on protein structures could lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions that are more potent, more convenient to take and have fewer side effects.

Editor: Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
Assistant Editor: Vicki Contie

Contributors:
Emily Carlson, Vicki Contie, Alan Defibaugh (illustrations), Bryan Ewsichek (design) and Harrison Wein

Attention Editors: Reprint our articles and illustrations in your own publication. Our material is not copyrighted. Please acknowledge NIH News in Health as the source and send us a copy.

Readjustment counseling is a wide range of services provided to combat veterans in the effort to make a satisfying transition from military to civilian life. Services include:

• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Marital and family counseling (as it relates to the veteran’s military service)
• Medical referrals
• Assistance in applying for VA benefits
• Employment counseling
• Guidance and referral
• Alcohol/drug assessments
• Information and referral to community resources.

Family members of combat veterans can also receive readjustment counseling services if the veteran is receiving them.

Readjustment counseling is provided at community-based Vet Centers nationwide. In some cases, the Vet Centers can furnish services through other providers closer to a veteran’s home.

Bereavement Services
Bereavement counseling is assistance and support to people with emotional and psychological stress after the death of a loved one. It includes a broad range of transition services, including outreach, counseling, and referral services to family members.

Counseling can sometimes be made available in the family’s home or anywhere the family feels most comfortable.

General Program Requirements
Readjustment Counseling for Veterans and Families
Readjustment counseling services at the Vet Centers are not part of the Medical Benefits Package.

You don’t have to apply for health care to get these services.

To qualify for readjustment services in one of VA’s 200 community-based Vet Centers, you must have served in a war zone. Here are the qualifying periods and combat theaters:

• WORLD WAR II – Three eligible categories
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign-Medal (Dec. 7, 1941, to Nov. 8, 1945)
  • Asiatic – Pacific Campaign Medal (Dec. 7, 1941, to Mar. 2, 1946) or
  • American Campaign Medal (Dec. 7, 1941, to Mar. 2, 1946)
• AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINES – In oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict, Dec. 7, 1941 to Aug. 15, 1945
• KOREAN WAR – June 27. 1950, to – July 27, 1954 (eligible for the Korean Service Medal)
• VIETNAM WAR – Feb. 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975
• LEBANON – Aug. 25, 1982, to Feb. 26, 1984
• GRENADA – Oct. 23, 1983 to Nov. 21, 1983
• PANAMA – Dec. 20, 1989 to Jan. 31, 1990
• PERSIAN GULF – Aug. 2, 1990, to – a date yet to be determined
• SOMALIA – Sept. 17, 1992 to – a date yet to be determined
• OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR, OPERATION JOINT GUARD, AND OPERATION JOINT FORGE in the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, aboard U.S. Naval vessels operating in the Adriatic Sea, or air spaces above those areas).
• GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM – Veterans who serve or have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism on or after September 11, 2001, and before a date yet to be determined
  Campaigns include:
  • Operation “Enduring Freedom”
  • Operation “Iraqi Freedom”

Family members may also receive services if the veteran is receiving them.

Bereavement Services
Family members (including parents) qualify for bereavement services if a loved one died in the line of duty in active service The death need not be combat-related.

Service may have been in peacetime or wartime.

Family members of persons who died while in reserve or National Guard training also qualify.