A Foggy Day at Lake Willastein

Mumps Outbreak Highlights Importance of Vaccines
Jose Romero, MD, FAAP
Section Chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS
Why Choose a Dentist For
Botox and Dermal Fillers
By Dr. Bryan Austin
January/February 2017
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Here’s the takeaway from the
ongoing mumps outbreak in
Northwest Arkansas: Children
MUST be vaccinated against
communicable diseases.
We have been blessed in this country to
rarely see diseases like mumps. I’ve seen just a
handful of cases in the United States during my
time as a pediatrician
We live in a country where these diseases
don’t happen frequently. Families forget that
they can be life-threatening because they
haven’t heard about them in ages
But mumps is not just swollen jowls and a
fever. This is a disease that has serious consequences
like meningoencephalitis and deafness.
The good news is that this isn’t out of our
control. Ensuring children have received the
MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) is
the very best thing parents can do to protect
their kids.
Make sure your child is fully immunized
by following the CDC’s recommended vaccine
schedule.
We want toddlers to receive the first dose of
the MMR between a 12 and 15 months of age.
Pre-schoolers should receive an MMR booster
between 4 and 6 years old.
There’s a lot of conversation among parents
about pursing an alternative vaccine schedules
for their children. Don’t take the bait. Vaccine
schedules should not be staggered or altered.
The CDC-recommended vaccine schedule
has been researched – time and time again –
and proven to be safe and effective. By delaying,
you may be putting your son or daughter
at greater risk for mumps and other communicable
diseases.
I know parents have a questions about
mumps and the vaccine. I hope this info can
help:
How is Arkansas Children’s
protecting patients?
To protect patients we must first protect
their physicians, nurses and other care providers.
Here at Arkansas Children’s, we have verified
MMR status for all of our staff. We also ensure
that we have equipment on hand like special
masks that reduce the risk of transmission.
Of course, we could never stress good hand
hygiene enough. Wash hands thoroughly with
soap and water to prevent outbreaks of all illnesses.
But get the vaccine on time first and
foremost!
What should I do if my child isn’t old
enough to receive the MMR yet?
Families with children under a year of age
should be aware of any exposure their child
might have had to mumps. They should report
those to their pediatrician ASAP. Their
pediatrician can recommend any preventive
measures that might be appropriate in those
situations. This is why herd immunity is crucial.
We have to protect little ones who haven’t had
the vaccine yet or are immune-compromised.
How do I know if my child
is at risk for mumps?
First, were they exposed to someone else
who had it? If so, take note of the following
symptoms:
o Fever that lasts longer than three days
o Headache
o Tiredness
o Muscle aches
o Loss of appetite
o Respiratory symptoms
o Swollen salivary glands,
swollen face and/or jaw
My child has been vaccinated. Should
I be worried?
The vaccine is considered to be 88 percent
effective when someone has had both the
initial and second dose. We know, of course,
that nothing is 100 percent effective. But this is
our best line of defense. Parents who have vaccinated
their children should rest assured they
have done everything they can to keep their
family safe.
Why do people choose not to vaccinate?
My experience has been that it’s primarily
one of concern on a parent’s part. They’re worried
about giving something to their child that
could cause harm. That means their concern is
in the right place.
When I talk to them, I point out that vaccines
have been studied extensively – and
more so the MMR because of the alleged and
now to put to rest association with autism.
We know, without a doubt, that the MMR
doesn’t cause autism. That vaccine has been
very well studied. It’s very safe. It prevents
the disease. Most times in my experience,
when you explain this to parents, they understand
the benefits and decide to vaccinate.
What about exemptions?
There is only one good reason for an exemption:
Your child’s pediatrician has said that
he or she has a medical contraindication to the
vaccine. Those are very rare situations. Virtually
everyone else should get the MMR. Period. MM
Jose Romero, MD, FAAP
Section Chief of Pediatric
Infectious Disease at
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS
Well, it’s the beginning
of 2017 and those
New Year’s resolutions.
Most of those
resolutions include
looking better, feeling better, doing better
or not doing something ever again… Let’s
talk about looking better and feeling better.
Botox and dermal fillers are the two fastest
growing cosmetic treatments over the
last decade. The dollar amount exceeds the
combined amount spent on breast implants
and liposuction. In this uncertain economy
these procedures are popular because people
want to look better with options that are
more affordable and less radical than surgery.
Botox is typically used as a muscle relaxer
that reduces or stops the contraction of
a muscle. Cosmetically, this process is great
because if a muscle does not contract then
wrinkles are not placed in the overlying
tissue. It is typically used on the forehead,
between the eyes, on the corner of the eyes
and around the lips to prevent wrinkles. In
the dental office, it is also used to treat TMJ
and prevent gummy smiles where too much
gum tissue is shown while smiling.
Dermal fillers such as Juvederm and
Radiesse are used under the tissue to “fill in”
deeper lines and smooth out wrinkles. It can
also be used to fill in large concavities and
lift sagging facial tissue. One of the most
popular uses of dermal fillers is to enhance
the lips. It is also used to fill in the nasolabial
lines between the nose and the corner of
the mouth and the marionette lines below
the corner of the mouth.
So, why should you choose a dentist
to perform your Botox and dermal filler injections?
One of the main reasons is that
dentists have the ability to perform these
treatments in a completely painless manner
with dental injections to numb the area
before treatment. I know some of you are
reading this and can remember having your
lips done and the pain associated with the
injections. I hear all the time from patients
that they would never go back if they had to
experience the pain again. They are pleasantly
surprised when they find out how easy
and painless it is with dental injections.
Dentists also have a vast training in the
head and neck area and a comprehensive
knowledge of the facial muscle expression
and dynamics. Dentists have always paid attention
to the lips and facial muscles while
doing veneers, orthodontics, dentures and
other complicated prosthetics. Why would
a dentist want to deliver a beautiful set of
porcelain veneers that are framed by thin
wrinkled lips, creased marionette lines and
down turned corners of the mouth? We
now have the ability to correct all aspects
of the beautification process. Dentists consider
the teeth proportions and the smile
line before augmentation to achieve ideal
results. Dentists have been giving injections
their entire career and are very used
to syringes and procedures of injections.
And, the dentist always gives the injections
in a dental office. You always know a well
trained doctor will be giving the injections.
Another reason to choose a dentist for
these cosmetic procedures is convenience.
Most procedures last around four to six
months. It’s very convenient to have a Botox
or dermal filler every six months when
you come in for your cleaning appointment.
It usually only takes a few minutes for most
procedures and you can walk out with clean
teeth and a little extra beautification. On a
funny note, I’m shocked at the number of
wives that never tell their husbands that
they had any of the procedures done and
they just went to a dental appointment. I
can’t believe that the husbands never know,
but that’s a whole different topic…
Currently only about twenty percent
of dentists have extensive training in these
procedures and have decided to offer them
in their practices. So, call your local dentist
to see if you can enjoy all the comfort and
convenience of Botox and dermal fillers at a
place that you are already familiar with. MM
r. Bryan Austin graduated from Magnolia High School, University of
D Central Arkansas, and obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree
at Baylor College of Dentistry. He attends church at New Life. He has a wonderful
son Gene. His hobbies are numerous and include hunting, fishing, travel and
golfing. He also plays lead guitar in a band, and he loves to fly airplanes. He
belongs to the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Central
District Dental Society, Pulaski Dental Learning Society, Dental Organization for
Conscious Sedation, and the International Academy of Facial Aesthetics.
www.MauMag.com
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