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Q&A on stopping dental problems before they start

Doug Harvey, dental program manager at FDOH-Polk, talks preventive care to help you remain the picture of oral health FIRST IMPRESSIONS are the currency of our culture, and you want yours to be worth a million bucks, right? But we all need a little help sometimes keeping our pearly whites in tip-top condition. Central Florida…
Reason to say ‘Cheese’

Technological advances and affordability give local patients more options in dental care DIANNE TANNER was wearing dentures at 21. Her family couldn’t afford regular dental visits when she was growing up — and her teeth suffered. By the time she was working and able to afford it, she was ready for false teeth. The “regular…
Chat and Chew group meets to address heart health and diet

Cookbook authors offer wisdom to attendees over Skype at this free event IF YOU THINK olive oil is the healthiest way to add flavor when cooking healthy meals, you might want to expand your culinary tool belt and attend the upcoming Chat and Chew session. Even olive oil is technically processed — meaning it is…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…