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3 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M ay 13,2021 insidehalton.com For a Free consultation call oakville: 905.842.2022 ToronTo: 416.644.3999 Denied Disabled Benefits? I canhelp. My teamof experienced lawyers can help youwith: •Disability Claims Short-TermDisability, long-TermDisability, CPP •Car accidents •Slip and Falls •Wrongful Dismissal Injured? I don't get paid unless I getYoumoneY. oFFiCeS in oakville and ToronTo eMail: sspadafora@slspc.ca Disability and EmploymEnt law Most people understand that diet and exercise play a large part in keeping our bodies healthy. Besides diet and exercise practicing positive oral hygiene habits and keeping our mouths healthy go a long way in keeping our body healthy. Deficient oral hygiene habits and poor oral health can affect one's quality of life. Infec- tions within the mouth, pain and missing teeth can affect the way a person speaks, eats and talks. These oral health issues can negatively impact a person's quality of life by affecting mental, physical and social well-being. Oral infection and disease, like any other condition in the body needs to be treated at the first signs to prevent progression and super infection. Infections in the mouth can be acute or chronic. Typically, acute infections produce marked symptoms such as pain, bleeding, pus and swelling while chronic infections these symptoms may present they are less likely to do so. Chronic infections in the mouth may show symptoms such as mild bleeding, swelling and tenderness which may not be as alarming as an infection that shows up overnight. Both are equally as important to treat in a timely man- ner. A chronic infection is a serious problem that should not be ignored. Research in the last 10-20 years has proved the association be- tween oral disease and other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and pre- term/low birth weight babies. Evidence from research also shows that oral infection and disease can aggravate other health conditions and keeping a healthy mouth is important part of a healthy body. Follow these 5 tips to positive oral health! 1. See your dentist as recommended. See- ing your dentist every 6 months does not work for everyone, for some who have a chronic oral disease like periodontitis they may need a visit every 3 months. Frequency of dental visits is dependent on the health of the oral cavity, follow your dentists' recommendations to keep your mouth healthy! 2. Practice good oral hygiene at home! Brushing is important 2-3 times day, but did you know that flossing is one of the most im- portant things you can do for your oral health? Flossing cleans the area where sticky plaque laden with bacteria resides. This sticky bacte- ria laden plaque can cause cavities and gum disease. The goal is to floss your teeth 1x day. 3. Eat a healthy varied diet! The vitamins and minerals that come from healthy foods may help you fight oral diseases as well as keep your gums, bones and jawbone strong against bacteria. 4. Check your own mouth regularly. You can identify potential problems in your own mouth. Look for signs of gum disease such as red, shiny, puffy, sore or sensitive gums. Check for areas that bleed when you brush or floss or bad breath that won't go away. While you are in your mouth look for signs of oral cancer which may show as sores that do not heal within 2 weeks, white/red patches, numb- ness or tingling, small lumps and thickening on the sides/bottom of the tongue, the floor or roof of your mouth the inside of the cheeks or the gums. If you identify any of these see your dentist as soon as possible for an oral examination. 5. Do not smoke or chew tobacco. Smok- ing and chewing tobacco are both dangerous to your oral health. Tobacco in general is a major cause of tooth loss through gum disease and may lead to oral cancer. Tobacco can increase your risk of heart disease and a variety of systemic cancers. NICE TO MEET YOU ADVERTORIAL ALifetime ofOralHealth By Dr. Vineet Bhandari www.bhandaridental.com 289-813-8239 2525 Old Bronte Rd. Suite 470 Bhandari Dental With COVID-19 out- breaks persisting in work- places throughout Halton, the region's medical officer of health has released fur- ther instructions that busi- nesses must follow. The new directives, which came into effect Sat- urday (May 8), also specify that if more than five per cent of a company's on-site workforce is affected by an ongoing COVID-19 out- break, Halton Public Health has the ability to order par- tial or full closure of the workplace. The instructions from Dr. Hamidah Meghani in- clude specific actions that business owners and opera- tors must take: • If they're aware that a staff member has COVID-19; • If they're aware that two or more employees have had COVID-19 within the past 14 days; • To protect all workers from COVID-19. "These additional re- quirements are being issued as Halton continues to see cases of COVID-19 among those who cannot work from home and more workplace outbreaks," states a pre- pared release from Halton Region. "With COVID-19 variants of concern circu- lating in the community, it is prudent to take a conser- vative approach to cases in- volving workplace and com- munity exposures." There are currently 22 workplace outbreaks in Hal- ton, impacting hundreds of workers. The instructions, which supplement existing rules, spell out business require- ments to send an employee home immediately if they have COVID-19, inform them to self-isolate and noti- fy those who were in contact with the person. There are additional measures to be taken if more than one employee has COVID-19, including im- mediate notification of Hal- ton Public Health. The directives will be en- forced by public health offi- cials and provincial offenc- es officers. According to the instructions, failure to com- ply is an offence and can lead to charges and penal- ties, including fines, impris- onment and/or closure of the premises. For further details, visit halton.ca/COVID19. NEW COVID PROTOCOLS ISSUED FOR BUSINESSES MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com NEWS