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The Oakville Beaver W eekend, Sunday N o ve m b er 11, 2001 - 11 An Oakville Beaver Feature Health To advertise in this section call 845-3824 Fax:845-5516 Put an end to bad breath problems Diabetes Expo Wednesday Two Canadian Olympic athletes will extol the positive effects of activity on mind and body at the second annu al Diabetes Expo. Olympic canoeist Larry Cain and downhill skier Kate Pace Lindsay will lead an interactive workshop following a presentation by Dr. Barry Simon, a psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. Dr. Simon is highly regarded for his work in empow ering people with diabetes to make appropriate changes in lifestyle, particularly related to their weight. Diabetes Expo 2001, to be hosted by the Oakville and District Branch of the Canadian Diabetes Association, will be held on Wednesday Nov. 14, International Diabetes Day, at the St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre. The event, open to the public at no charge from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., is designed to educate people with diabetes, their family members, healthcare professionals and the community at large about diabetes and its management. There will also be vendor displays and refreshments. This year's theme is `You Need to Know More -- Take Action' focusing on some of the non-medical aspects of diabetes. The St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, is a 1280 Dundas St. W., near Lions Valley Park between Neyagawa Boulevard and Third Line. Organizers are anticipating about 1,000 attendees. D o you find yourself avoiding people because you worry that your breath smells bad? If so, it is time to take action, help is available. Bad Breath or "halitosis" is a very com mon problem. In fact, almost everyone suffers from it now and again. Whether it is bare ly noticeable or strong enough to turn people off, bad breath can spoil your self-confidence and cause embarrassment. There are many things that can cause bad breath, but the most common one is an over growth of bacteria in the mouth, throat or sinuses. These bacteria, in the pres ence of plaque and pieces of food left in the mouth, pro duce foul smelling gases, which cause bad breath. Therefore, poor oral hygiene or lack of proper mouth care can make this problem worse. Gum disease as well as mouth and throat infections can be another source of bad breath, as can unclean dentures and Asm*. HEALTH NOTES poorly fitting dental work. Other factors that contribute to bad breath include: certain foods, especially onions and garlic not eating regularly or fasting smoking and alcohol consumption some drugs and prescription medications sinus infection mouth breathing illnesses such as diabetes or kidney disease anxiety and stress A visit to the dentist or dental hygienist will help you find the cause of the problem, and professional cleaning will remove odour causing plaque and tartar. If you have gum disease, this can be treated as well. If poor oral hygiene is the cause, you will be advised to brush your teeth properly two or three times a day as well as floss your teeth once a day. Cleaning your tongue by gently brushing or scraping should also become a daily routine. This removes bacte ria that collect in the grooves and crevices of your tongue. To stimulate the flow of saliva, which helps to keep your breath fresh, it is impor tant that you eat regular, wellbalanced meals and drink plenty of fluids. Fibrous veg etables such as parsley and celery also work well. Chewing sugarless gum does help, as do many of the sugarless breath freshing products, but most of these products are only effective for a short time and do not get rid of the cause of the problem. Some mouthwashes are quite effective because they kill some of the bacteria that cause odour. Your dentist or dental hygienist can give you more information about these products. If your bad breath still does not go away, see your doctor to rule out a medical problem. If you are taking medica tions that cause your mouth to be dry, ask your doctor if there is an alternative. If you smoke, consider stopping. As you already know, bad breath can limit your desire to be social with people, but you do not have to put up with it. In the past, bad breath was a misunderstood and misdiag nosed problem. However, we now know that help is avail able for this problem. For more information, call the Halton Region Health Department at 905-825-6060 ext. 7809; visit our website at www.region.halton.on.ca/hea 1th. Health Notes is prepared by s ta ff o f the H alton Regional Health Department. Freedom from unw anted hair! 50% OFF * on a single treatm ent or package f it - Laser hair removal for men and women Simplify your life by permanently reducing unwanted hair. Laser hair removal is the easy choice. Free Consultation Dr. M . Nowak Dr. A. Arani Dr. R. Knowtton H SU HJPillllll E llllE S (9 0 5 ) 8 4 2 -8 3 4 6 Oakville (416) 9 2 3 -0 0 9 2 Toronto 87 A venue Rd. H azeK on Lanes ivm /w. la se r clinics. com N o v e m b e r 11 435 Reynolds SL O akville September 11 G et P rotected R e m e m b e r . A tte n d O u r FLU SHOT CLINIC fought a n d d ie d Ca n a d ia n s ho no ur tho se w h o have Thursday, November 15th from 3 - 7 p.m. D o n 't forget y o u r O H IP card! D E F E N D IN G O U R V A LU E S , F R E E D O M A N D D E M O C R A C Y . O n t h is d a y , N ovem ber 11, let's h o n o u r them a n d remember T H O S E W H O C O N T IN U E T O D E FE N D THESE V A LU E S . W Ca e in v it e all n a d ia n s t o p a r t ic ip a t e IN T H E IR LO C A L R E M E M B R A N C E D A Y C E R E M O N IE S . ^ TH E DO CTO R'S O FFIC E OAKVILLE TOWN CENTRE I 280 North Service Rd. W. (beside Oakville Guardian Pharmacy) For further information call C anada -- L -- L _ --J (9 0 5 )3 3 8 -3 7 3 0 See you there!