Why Your Oral Health Matters

Smile! Say, "Go Hawks!"

We all have those beautiful pearly whites called teeth. We have 32 by the time we reach adulthood, which means that we have 32 reasons why we should take extra special care of them. It is a good idea to develop healthy oral habits now, as the decisions we make now will and can affect us later.
 
It begins in the morning at the beginning of each day when we awake from our slumber - brushing our teeth that is. We should brush our teeth at least two to three times per day (morning, afternoon, and evening), or after every meal for a minimum of two minutes. To ensure that you are brushing correctly, your toothbrush should be held at a 45-degree angle while moving your hand in a small circular motion.
 
In addition to brushing, flossing your teeth is as equally important, flossing helps to remove food particles that may be invisible to the eye. Leftover food particles can cause an unpleasant odor, cavities, gum disease, which can contribute to heart disease, as well as more serious diseases.
 
To help you, your family, friends, and coworkers stay on track; check out my list of healthy oral tips.

1. Brush, Brush, Brush
It is imperative that we brush our teeth two to three times daily or after every meal, by doing so we minimize our chances of bad breath, teeth discoloration, cavities, gum disease and other serious issues. As mentioned previously, you should hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle (see diagram A) where your toothbrush is slightly pressing against the gum line. This allows you the opportunity to brush your gums as well. One more thing, your tongue must not be neglected, your toothbrush is a great tool to ensure that food particles are removed. If you would like to take it up a notch, you can purchase a tongue scraper at your local drugstore.


Diagram A

2. Selecting a toothbrush
When selecting a toothbrush, soft bristles are the way to go, or medium if necessary.  Hard bristles can do more harm than good as they can cause damage to your gums.  Select a size that fits into your mouth comfortably, and one that allows the toothbrush head to cover at least two teeth at once.  Be sure to replace your toothbrush, or toothbrush head for electric/battery operated toothbrushes, every three months.


3. Dentist visits
When was your last visit to the dentist?  Insurance can be very costly, so why not take advantage of your benefits?  Semi-annual cleanings are all the rage these days, and most insurance plans cover two*. By checking in with your dentist, you can stay abreast of your oral health and can catch gum disease or cavities early, and manage the integrity of your teeth.

*Note: IIT's plans through Delta Dental cover two cleanings per year for most individuals.  However, members with certain health conditions may be eligible for four cleanings per year. For additional information, please visit the HR Portal Dental Benefits page. You will be required to log in to MyIIT to view this page.
 
I hope these tips have been helpful. Until next time, let's brush to the left, right, up, down, and swish all around, rinse, and repeat!  

Latasha Cattouse~  

Nutrition

Healthy eating is a lifestyle choice. Choosing good nutrition and a healthy diet has many benefits. It helps overall health, and helps to reduce your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and certain kinds of cancer.

Summer is a great time of year to focus on renewing your commitment to healthy eating. Whatever your age, the nutrition habits you choose now can affect your health for the rest of your life. According to Dietary Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), you can keep a healthy diet if you:

• Make smart food choices
• Find a balance between exercise and eating
• Get the most nutrition from every calorie

 Ways to keep a healthy diet and lifestyle include:

• Choosing lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and beans
• Choosing high calcium foods such as broccoli, kale, low-fat cheese and milk
• Including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Using few if any fats, salt or sugar or reduce amounts of these
• Enjoying your food, but eating less
• Avoiding big portions
• Making half your plate fruits and veggies
• Choosing foods with low salt/sodium numbers
• Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
• Exercising for at least 30 minutes on most days
• Slowly raising the intensity and amount of time you work out

You may eat something unhealthy now and again but then you should go back to your healthy eating habits. For most people, healthy eating makes the most sense because it promotes long-term weight loss and health. The amount of calories you may need each day depends on your age, gender and activity level. For example, a relatively active 20 year-old woman would need more calories than an inactive 55 year-old man.

Your body mass index (BMI) combined with your activity level is used to find the right calorie amounts for you. Your BMI is a number that represents your body fat based on how tall you are and how much you weigh. This helps to let you know if you are underweight, healthy weight, or overweight. To calculate your BMI and your recommended caloric intake, adults can use a BMI calculator (simply do an internet search and a variety will come up).

You should talk with your doctor about how best to keep a healthy lifestyle and whether you may need to lose weight. Your doctor can recommend other ways to live and eat well.

Illinois Tech employees have extra resources to help them develop and keep up healthy habits:

• Life Coaching: Life coaching services are available through the Lifeworks Employee Assistance Program. Simply call the toll free number or log in to get started.  Additional information can be found on the HR Portal Employee Assistance Program page.
• Health Coaching: Blue Cross Blue Cross Blue Shield offers several health coaching areas such as nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation.  To connect with your coach, log in at www.bcbsil.com, click on the Well on Target link under the Quick Links, and then click on the goal most appropriate for you.
• Naturally Slim: Blue Cross Blue Shield's new mindful eating and weight management course available to Illinois Tech Health Plan members at no cost. For more information, or to sign up for a notification when the next application window opens, visit www.naturallyslim.com/IIT.

For questions on any of these options, please visit the HR Portal or contact Human Resources at hr@iit.edu.

Article by: Viktoria Rill
Resources: Blue Cross Blue Shield Nutrition Health Topics article