CARERS & CANCER
I've added the more recent videos that are currently on the teeth4life App. I have included a copy of the text, as you can always add your voice to the video, as it must be more lively than mine, and you may be able to improve them. I made a brief video on how to manipulate them in iMovie and this is the link that can be found on the teeth4life YouTube Channel, customise App playlist. https://youtu.be/a9a9OV0UQs4?si=GR5hMjFNp5knUpq6
As you progress down through the videos, there are my initial animations that you and your patients may find more useful.
As you progress down through the videos, there are my initial animations that you and your patients may find more useful.
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Clinical Advice on self monitoring for oral cancer (YouTube link)
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The number of times people have said I couldn't do your job. I couldn't look down people's mouths. While I'm afraid this explains why you have to do it. You have to do it for yourself. So there's some pictures showing oral cancer. You have been warned that you should check. So you need good lighting, obviously a mirror and give your hands a good clean. So as it's demonstrated here, use your fingers to move the soft tissue out the way and have a good look. When if you want to go the extra mile, you can use a torch. Like all cancers, you're more likely to have mouth cancer if you smoke and drink heavily. Like most cancers, early diagnosis improves outcomes. In what in this instance is a largely preventable form of cancer. And these cancers can progress rapidly. So a six monthly check at your dentist actually isn't enough. You need to check yourself monthly. There's no need to panic. The most common cause of swelling or an ulcer in your mouth is probably trauma from a hot potato or some food that you've eaten and bit quick. But you now can take photos. And at least if you attempt to take the photo, you'll have it timed and contact your dentist if the swelling or ulcer disappears within the period, then just cancel your appointment. So set a monthly reminder in the app and also go through your risk factors, see if you can modify them and that will help reduce your risk of any form of cancer, not just oral cancer and so check your whole body for lumps and bumps. For all cancers, early diagnosis improves outcomes. And so it's up to you. If in doubt, check it out.
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videos and courses on Oral Health for Carers
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This video is to assist carers who may work in care homes. But often we can become carers looking after people at home. And it's equally applicable to everybody. In the main I just found resources that I thought were useful. So within this app, I would just pause the video., and just to take a note of where they are. The app is what's called an e health product. I didn't know but I did a course on it in Future Learn.
Prior to this I made a webpage and the web page still exists. And on it you can find the videos and the links that I find particularly useful. This is a great site that's recently been developed in Wales. And this is an older one, just giving advice for those who help people with dementia . With all these videos made, I also put them on a YouTube channel. Prior to COVID, we are well aware that people in care homes and the elderly in general are very susceptible to respiratory diseases. And everybody's general health is directly linked to their oral health which is why I made an app so you can actually monitor your oral health and improve it using these animation videos. So I hope you've downloaded the app you've pressed squeeze me to see how it works. And now you understand why it says this |
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assisted cleaning advice for carers
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If you have to care for someone at home in the short or long term? This is just some advice that we can give.
At work, it was always easy to treat people from behind. And it's the same for yourself. It's a lot more comfortable for anyone you're looking after. If you mimic your own tooth brushing action. This won’t be possible in every case, but generally this is the routine to follow. I’ve recommended power brushes for a long time now, they are better for you. And they're easy for a carer to use. We also advise on the high fluoride toothpaste, especially last thing at night. Don't rinse out because it just washes the fluoride away. We want that to sit on the roots of the teeth that actually are more prone to decay when you get older because you suffer from a dry mouth. The protective effect of the saliva is reduced because the mineral content has changed and there are some toothpastes available now that can help. For people living with dementia one of the best things is called mirroring where the person living with dementia will copy your technique rather than you trying and force the issue. The whole procedure will generally take a little bit longer, but why not make the event more pleasurable for both of you. Just try and make the environment nice and relaxed. This is a great resource, especially if you work in a care home and require further training. |
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oral cancer awareness 2
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Currently for health, we need to be monitoring ourselves more closely than ever.
We need to check our body regularly for lumps, bumps, or any abnormalities. This video concerns the mouth. Check inside your mouth, especially all aspects of the tongue. Like all cancers, oral cancer hasn't gone away with COVID and you should check yourself monthly this largely preventable but deadly disease. As with all cancers, an early diagnosis improves outcomes. Mouth ulcers are very common and usually resolved within a couple of weeks. If it feels hard, or lasts longer, take a photo and contact your dentist. If in doubt, sort it out. This photo was taken by my patient it was caused by a sharp tooth. You are responsible for your oral health, which is directly linked to general health. Download the free teeth4Life app now and use video advice to help improve oral hygiene for all ages. Personalise the app and set timely reminders to improve your habits. Press Squeeze me to start enjoying better health |
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oral cancer self check animation
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Sometimes this sensational headline can help promote what is deadly disease. We should be checking yourself for all cancers where appropriate, and oral cancer is one that we can check ourselves monthly for. So why not do it, it’s quite straightforward. It will only take a minute, once a month and that can have huge benefits. There are lots of useful sites for more information, just press the pause button just to look at the risk factors and symptoms here. The obvious place to do this is in the bathroom in front of a mirror with good lighting. But you can also check your body elsewhere for the lumps and bumps.
All you have to do is to record them. So these are the areas to look in the mouth. Wherever your lump or lesion just write down the size of it as it feels to you. Is it hard or soft, the size of a pea or grape or bigger than that. And all these details will help when it comes to diagnosing what the problem is. In your mouth for 99.9% You'll know what the cause was. If you have an ulcer that occurs and you don't know how it occurred, then that's when you need to just take a little bit more time and of course you can take a photo as outlined here. These phones are really useful now to help diagnosis. Because the photographs also timed. Use the app to set a monthly reminder just to check your mouth once a month is all you need. This is generally the advice for all mouth ulcers. But if you have one that's suspicious that you don't know how it arose. Then do this but also immediately make an appointment to see a dentist and simply cancel the appointment if the ulcer clears up. Personalised the app in the my teeth section and try to stay in the green, and please share the app. Together you may help save a life by sharing teeth4life. |
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DEMENTIA SUPPORT
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This video is to help those living with dementia. That includes the person with the diagnosis. More importantly, the person that cares for them. In an ideal world, we want both of you to attend as we discuss your treatment options, because they will have changed since you've been diagnosed as it's going to be more difficult for you to maintain a healthy mouth.
As your capacity will decline we need to take a little bit more radical approach, on what treatment options are available while you're still able to have the treatment. Ideally we want to maintain regular appointments with your regular dentist and hygienist because that helps with your cooperation. Medication that you're on often works against us because you end up with a dry mouth leaving you're more prone to oral disease. We all need to keep our fluid levels moist. We don't want sugar laden drinks. And this video explains why. As a carrier you may want to help maintain regular habits and get your person with dementia to copy you rather than you do for them. Power brushes have been shown to be more effective than manual brushes. So we strongly advise these and this is a different one and it makes it far easier for you as a carer in the future to clean your partner's teeth. You should get a prescription for higher concentration of fluoride in toothpaste. And occasionally you may need a mouthwash but there are other products available such as this toothpaste. This has been developed in the UK and has been licenced in the States. It works by adhering to the tooth and also releasing some of the minerals that we lose in a dry mouth. There are other products available elsewhere in the world. That help stop decay in the mouth and other innovations elsewhere. We all know about advertised clear aligners . The same technology for them can also help people in care homes. By applying fluoride varnish at the home or even better, some other solution is more than just add fluoride, as in the toothpaste that you saw earlier. The technology that we have in the dental surgery can now be taken to care homes. And this goes on in the States already. So why don't we do it more here. It's going to be cost. Through machine learning and AI these scanners can now augment diagnosis of teeth decay. And we can use our mobile phones. Probably not so much like this, its the best video I could find. But like this, using your mobile phone to scan the denture before you lose it ,so that we will print an exact copy if it happens. We can send files to dental labs to get dentures made within 24 hours. These cheap cameras are useful in sending photos to your dentist. The problems of poor oral health were highlighted during COVID. And elderly people are more likely to die because of poor gum health. But we can still apply these three aspects. We spent 36 billion on track and trace yet no one's done the follow up research to see how many of these people come back to have their teeth taken out. We do not live in an ideal world where everyone can afford optimum treatment, but we really should be looking after these people better than we currently are. So now, both these age groups are familiar with mobile phones and videos on them. So we should utilise them. And hopefully you've downloaded the app. This is where you're looking at the video at the moment. If not go to the website care4teeth.org.for further advice. We now know improved oral health is directly related to general health. The best support for those living with dementia is probably similar to those in fellowships such as AA. So join a group like this. Clearly I've got an interest and this is why, so made this for my Dad. I know he would have wanted people to have benefited from his experience. |
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DRY MOUTH RELEIF
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It’s very alarming when you diagnosed with cancer and you have to suddenly rethink about some major decisions. But don’t forget The Dentist because we can help. Such as with a mouthwash, and the best one is this, Your saliva, because that may well dry out.
I’m afraid when it dries out your teeth and gums take a hammering, but your tongue and cheek could be a lot worse, so try and keep your salivary flow up and keep your mouth moist so this can help. But also you just have to keep on top of your hygiene in general. There is plenty of support within the Teeth4life so just press info to see how it works, and use the videos to at least maintain your oral health and possibly improve it. Use the videos within the library. Keep your mouth moist with water. Don’t use anything with sugar in it, because I can major problems and a fluoride rinse after meals can also be a help. I don’t use the one for advertised for gums, this is the toothpaste recommend because it replaces the salivary minerals that are no longer there. See your dentist because a sharp broken tooth can play real havoc with your with your cheek or your tongue. Ask for your BPE, because if it’s high you may need some teeth out as some of the medication such as bisphosphate can really delay any healing, and make what is a bad situation worse. When your teeth and tongue dry out they can become red inflamed or white and fluffy, but they just extremely painful and it’s really difficult to treat. You probably struggle with your eating so you have to consider what you can do. So if you go to this website you can download the app but also type in cancer and cancer videos as I’ve made a longer video explaining what may be able to help you and what doesn’t help you, so it may help you save some time and help with your recovery. |
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REMOTE DENTAL ACCESS
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Traditionally, Dental examinations have been carried out with a mirror and probe, and more recently we use loops. However, the new technology used for implants and straightening teeth were able to store the high resolution images that we’ve looked at. These have huge implications for how we deliver our care, not only have these dental scanners come down in price, they are now portable. We can use these images to explain why it may need treatment, and how to avoid it. Scanners are used by non-clinical treatment coordinators in a different room to The Dentist as specific practices and The Dentist can check them later. With the minimal training, anyone can use a scanner . With a series of scans the computer will highlight areas of concern for Dental clinician to advise on preventative measures, and when treatment is required and how much time the procedure will take at the dental practice. These are the guidelines for dental practices with scanners. Do you have a dedicated team member. SPACE If you are able to clean a residents teeth correctly, you’ll be able to scan their mouth. Ultimately, this is a mouth screening service that will save time and discomfort for the residents and be cost-effective to enable professional supervision and care As the data can be checked anytime, anywhere, by anyone qualified in that particular country. Most care homes can afford the luxury of a scanner. Many dentist have underused expensive equipment. Ask them to help you, and we will all benefit. |
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Public Prevention Scandal
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Hi, This Video is all about prevention in oral health. As a dentist myself, I can remember having my own teeth taken out and then when was in my early 20s taken out lots of children’s teeth under general anaesthetic. It’s a deeply traumatic experience for all of us, and it’s deeply upsetting to be leaving the profession probably in the worst state than it’s ever been. The numbers keep increasing.
Why is that? Is there something that we can do about it. I think we can. This is it. All we have to do is just change our perspective a bit. Our money tree is called prevention and we know it should work because the government set up lots of quangos that regularly look into the advantages of prevention. It’s just a shame that they don’t implement it. Water fluoridation was considered in the 50s and implemented by both Britain and the States in the 60s. You can see the change into decay rate. In the States it worked more because they implemented the fluoride policy a lot better. We did it in the UK in a few areas and I grew up here in Anglesey where the divided the island into two, for those who got the fluoridated water and there’s didn’t. Those that had the fluoridated water less than half the fillings that were in the control zone. They had some admin cock up back in the 90s and stopped fluoridating the water and so this is the result now. It’s an appalling mistake, but on a positive note at least we know fluoride works. Press pause now just to see what the government states in this large report, and water fluoridation is mentioned in this document, we’re going to discuss it again. This seems to serve no purpose other than finance the people who make these reports. In theory there is a procedure for water fluoridation to occur, but governments. they tend to pass it down to local government. to pass it on to the smaller division to pass it onto a smaller office that eventually ends up at the water board. Local Water boards are potentially paid by the government showing the savings that could occur if the water is fluoridated. It goes back through this chain of offices and committees and so complex that is never implemented. If there’s a problem it’s always a small person who gets the blame. Our money pays for our health service, so if we put a little bit of money in, the rewards at the end are really good with prevention, but you can see the same is true in reverse when it comes to the cure. We pile money in and get very little out. Since 20006 instead of implementing the fluoride the contract we had made it uneconomical to employ hygienists. So as an individual advise you join a prevention plan your local dentist. And for society speak to your MP. Water fluoridation protects the most vulnerable children in deprived areas. For prevention to work on an individual basis, please download my app and press squeeze me on the front page to see how it works. and I’d like to trust Boris to go through the red tape and get water fluoridation done. Unfortunately we won’t be able to reduce the levels to this. It’s because of a different insidious disease that affects everybody lots of ways. This chap wonders over 2000 years ago, and I was reminded by this woman last week. She’s been a dentist longer than me. Listen to the Ted talk. Do you trust her, I do. |
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