Free dental care will pay for itself in the long run

  Photo: Flickr/Sergio Santos

Last month, I summoned enough internal fortitude to do the one thing I struggle with —seeing my dentist. As a youngster, a bad experience impacted follow-through on one of our most important health check-ups. My parents never pushed me to go after that though I did manage to struggle through.

It wasn’t until the early 90s that things changed for the better — so much better. A friend introduced me to her dentist. Up to that point, for five years I had been wandering around loose with a temporary filling that my dentist of record had put in place in advance of a root canal. I never returned for dental care!  Until I met the first Dr. Rowe — Dr. Ronald Rowe. 

Without appointment, when I joined my friend, he escorted me to a suite; we had a chat and he told me what was what. In the time it would have taken a previous dentist to fill one tooth,  Dr. Rowe the Dad, filled three, informing me that I did not need a root canal; tooth filled! A pain-free day. A great day!

I have a terrible oral defensiveness gag-choke reflex associated with the CP, so when I needed to sit up, the elder Dr. Rowe accommodated immediately. The same is true with his son, Andrew, who  currently provides my dental care.  On a recent visit, I had two teeth extracted as I knew they couldn’t be saved. Concerned about gagging and pain, it turns out I had nothing to worry about; there was no pain whatsoever. I was numbed up right n proper! Dr. Rowe was surprised I had no pain while eating given there was an abscess under one tooth. I’ve never had a toothache in my life which I attribute to brushing with the Sonicare toothbrush, using olive oil soap. 

I hold myself fully responsible for 3 extractions to date; had  I been less anxious much earlier on, I wouldn’t have been so deeply entrenched in dentist avoidance. It was the diagnosis of a heart defect in the 90s that smartened me up though I am still  somewhat dentist averse.

There are many conditions and diseases that originate in the mouth given it’s a breeding ground of bacteria.

For me, Grade Two Aortic Insufficiency is another reason for maintaining proper oral hygiene habits and that includes dentist visits. I require antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures. Endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart’s inner lining is a risk posed with dental work that’s not cushioned with antibiotics.

 

I’m hyper-vigilant about at home care; that and good genes have allowed me to chew and crunch with an almost complete set of ‘they’re all mine’ teeth for decades. I still have the wisdom teeth so I must be doing something right. 

At 67, to have lost 3 teeth is tragic, given I’ve been so careful about keeping them healthy even in the absence of routine dentist visits. Don’t do as I do — see your dentist regularly. If anxiety is a concern for those new to or revisiting the dentist experience, make the first part of the appointment a conversation before going forward with even minor procedures. It’ll be worth it.

Currently, the only source of dental care for low income adults is found through social assistance programs but only for emergency treatment; Canadian children under 17, who are recipients of support from social programs, benefit from free dental care. 

Most Canadians receive oral health care through privately operated dental clinics and pay for services through insurance or by paying for it themselves. Some dental services are covered through government dental programs.

The reality is that finances is a significant roadblock to proper oral health and it’s time for the Canada Health Act to change, to address with greater coverage, the needs of the poor and those living on the financial fringe; folks who will never save enough, paycheck to paycheck to support dental health, whether their own or that of young children or older parents in their care. Many procedures are financially prohibitive, though dentists will insist that treatment is urgent. 

Our current health care system provides coverage for treatment of issues of the lips, tongue and throat, but not for teeth and gums. I find that disconnect both confusing and disheartening given how many people suffer excruciating pain on a daily basis because they lack the funds to seek appropriate dental care in the absence of health care plans that include it.

Now’s the time to include dental care through our system of health care. Many Canadians are currently treating ongoing muscle and bone pain among other conditions with long-term pain management medications when the real culprit to all of it may lurk in the mouth. Many Canadians would enjoy better health if the government would open wide to include dental coverage within the current Medicare scheme. Cost savings over time would be significant.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at  Carla MacInnis Rockwell

My forty years with Victory

Victory Meat Market Under New Management

Photo/John Chilibeck

Well, it finally happened. Victory Meat Market has been sold. But — all the best parts of the shopping experience there will stay the same. Best is that all 43 employees will remain! It’s place in Fredericton is one that has created memories for young and old alike, and being in a ‘university town’, its clientele is diverse; with that, over the years, they expanded their foodie offerings with growth of international foods and condiments. That speaks volumes of their commitment to quality service. I am confident that those key features of their decades long relationship with the Fredericton community won’t change with the new owners. I look forward to meeting them.

I echo the sentiments of Lorraine MacLeod who expresses the wish that renovations include a ramp and power door for wheelchair users and others with mobility disorders. I find the high step extremely difficult to negotiate; as to the in and out door, I’m a rebel, not always by choice. In the case of access to a place of business, sometimes doors aren’t compatible with my mobility challenges as is the case at Victory which features a single railing on cement steps that have been a thorn in my side for decades. I buck up and get it done. 

A mainstay at Victory for as long as I’ve been a patron was Lynn Peters. Whenever she saw me at the steps, she’d rush to the door to hold it open. She then offered to collect my groceries, once she learned how I shop and why? I’d email her the list and she’d have everything ready when I went to the city. Plagued by the ‘fatigue factor’ associated with cerebral palsy, I combined several errands in one trip. When she retired, a huge hole was left in the fabric of Victory Meat Market as she set off on the next phase of her life.

As to my own Victory connection, my orders are quite substantial, as I cooked and baked in bulk and froze meals into portions to ensure I ate well each day. Lynn got to know my habits very well,  as did those she handed me off to when she was preparing to leave. We laughed about her training them for the ‘big shopping list’. Whenever there was any new baking or cooking items on the shelves, I’d get an email or phone call asking if I’d like to try this or that. Those ‘little touches’ are what made my Victory experience a great one. My latest thing is the small bags of frozen fruit; stand alones or blends. I’m addicted to smoothies. They’ve gone to the dogs, too!                     

The ‘we are family’ has been a theme that everyone, young and old appreciates as part of the shopping at Victory experience. Multi-cultural cuisine is extremely popular in Fredericton, and meeting the dietary requirements of those from other lands is testament to Victory Meat Market’s welcoming attitude. It’s also an opportunity for those new to international cuisine to enjoy diverse taste treats. Victory has a captive audience and that’s always a good thing for any business.

Long before I became a senior and still lived in Fredericton, part of my week was shopping at Victory.  Back then, they’d give out brown bags filled with a few marrow bones; dog treats. No doubt they had a lot of customers taking advantage of that largesse. Now, most stores tray those bones in pairs and have them available in their meat displays. A dog’s life has a price tag, too. Perhaps along with a senior discount, new management will consider a ‘pet discount’. Seniors and university students would love that. 

As for me, wider aisle would be great. From time to time I like shuffling around on my crutches, checking out the ‘new stuff’.  Victory floor staff make every effort to meet the needs of senior shoppers and those with special needs that impact their shopping experience. Under this new management there is opportunity to go that extra mile and address long-standing issues of exterior access as well as interior freedom of movement.

Widening the aisles to accommodate slim mobility scooters and wheelchairs would be a huge boost to Victory as it moves forward with expanded food offerings, targeting the city’s immigrant  and aging populations.  In any planned architectural changes addressing accessibility, I encourage Victory management to consult with Ability New Brunswick and/or the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation; when it was the Forest Hill Centre for Rehabilitation, I was their first child patient back in the 60s, so Victory renovation team  could consult with me, too. I know a lot about accessible bathrooms. Soap dispenser location is critical! Ask me about grab bars. I know you want to.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Giving teachers a role in psychoeducational testing is a change that makes sense

Photo: Brunswick News Archives

Marie Cashion’s letter of 17 April is right on the money. She’s absolutely correct when she says that psychologists should back Education Act changes in support of resource teachers being positioned to administer and interpret student tests. Who better?

Certainly, some of the tests are complex and demand a higher/finer degree of understanding of the mechanism of assessment than just a numerical one. 

Educators involved in the day to day of student life are uniquely situated to learn about the key points of test interpretation with an ability to apply the processes in a timely manner. Many psychologists, often functioning outside the school system/setting are disadvantaged by lack of proximity to the guts of the issues. With more collaboration and with psychologists not getting hung up on the ‘alphabet tag’ after their name, they can actually be more effective in their professional capacity. Educators and psychologists have one shared goal — to help students be their best selves in the school setting and out in the ‘living in it’ world.

To be blunt, psychologists need to get over themselves and accept that educators have equal if not superior qualifications in certain areas of of the process of testing. Experience in the field, actively teaching children, must count for something. Psychologists historically focus on emotional/mental wellness and issues that may negatively impact it. Their skill set may include the qualifications and ability to administer tests to students in the school setting, but they are not the only professionals who capable of doing that. 

Frankly, teachers are actually better positioned as they’re in ‘the thick of it’ each and every day and are able to observe interactions of students with classmates, with teachers, with young or older students. What they observe can and does impact student performance on tests; something that psychologists don’t get to appreciate on a consistent basis given they’re outside the bubble. It’s counter-productive to duplicate services when teachers can be trained to administer tests and are eager to learn how to effectively do so without bias.

Early testing, being mindful of the uniqueness/special needs of some students allows teachers to keep their finger on the pulse of the process going forward which in turn, allows them and their colleagues to adjust curriculum to accommodate different learning styles. Persons like me, living with neurological insults like cerebral palsy, may require certain considerations with regard to test time completion. Some of us by virtue of challenges to dexterity, fine motor skills, may take longer to complete a test and some administrators/assessors may misinterpret extra time requirement as a function of a learning disability. Teachers get to see us in those raw states, something psychologists don’t appreciate until a real problem arises - like temper tantrums, etc. What is the source of the tantrum? Is it a daily thing or driven by situations outside the school setting? Teachers and psychologists must present a united front when dealing with students who are frustrated by unpredictable home lives when parents are at odds with differing styles of communicating with children. Psychologists would function to counsel all involved in the family dynamic and provide tools to correct course that would improve school performance. Teachers will benefit from that expertise as they see a child’s behaviour stabilize and learning potentials enhanced, free of stress. 

Dr. Cashion’s point are valid ones and bear on the success of expanding testing mechanisms to include input from resource teachers, the very people who often get to know students on levels not available to psychologists. Psychologists are typically called upon when there’s already an active crisis. Teachers, on the other hand, can, from the outset, steer students around crises with non-threatening conversations about what’s going on in their world that makes learning difficult for them. 

Psychologists and resource teachers don’t need to compete with each other; that only creates conflict and mistrust of motives. The only focus should be on student outcomes and what each, psychologist and teacher, can do to improve success rates. 

With shortages of psychologists in the school system, a  reasonable person would assert that teachers can fill the gaps. Children want to be heard and understood. Teachers do that. Psychologists do that. Why is is so difficult for psychologists to just let go and let grow. They’re adults and should be able to accept that they and teachers are able to provide youngsters with the same things but in different ways.  They get to the same place but from different directions. That’s called learning life.

In the end, the expansion of the role of resource teachers to function as test administrators must not be seen as taking something away from clinical psychologists. On the contrary, they actually serve to compliment each other with their shared vision of health and wellness of students.  

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell