The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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Dental Care Timeline for a Lifetime of Healthy Teeth

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By Dr. Aki Shirakura

Good oral hygiene is critical – especially for children. Following this basic timeline can insure a lifetime of healthy teeth!

Baby Steps (0 – 6 mos)

RELAX, no need to worry yet.

Stop Teething Me! (6 mos – 1 year)

As soon as that first tooth breaks through, time to start brushing. Using a baby tooth brush with soft bristles and water, gently brush the teeth and gums.

Open Wide – First Trip to the Dentist (1 – 2 years)

Your child’s first trip doesn’t have to be traumatic. Leading up to the appointment prepare your little one, get them excited about it. This is what to expect:
• The dentist counts your child’s teeth, making sure everything is developing properly.
• Teeth can be cleaned to remove any plaque or stains – the kids usually enjoy this part!
• Fluoride treatment to strengthen teeth and prevent decay.

X-Ray Vision (6 years)

To make sure everything is progressing properly, the dentist will recommend a panoramic x-ray. This shows the entire mouth including future adult teeth.

Seal the Deal – Sealants (6 – 7 years)

To prevent cavities, we recommend sealing your child’s six-year-old molar teeth. The application is fast and comfortable and can effectively protect teeth for many years.

The Tooth Fairy Years (7–11 years)

These are the years of great changes. Every time you look in your child’s mouth, another wiggly tooth! Most of your child’s teeth will change from baby teeth to permanent.

Sign, Sealed, Delivered (12 – 13 years)

At about 12 years old, 2nd molars come out. They need to be sealed like 6-year-old molars.

Uncharted Areas – Periodontal Charting (17+)

Periodontal charting is a procedure to detect signs of gum disease. The gums are measured, watching for signs of inflammation, recession, and gum disease. Early detection of Periodontal or Gum
Disease is critical in treating it.

Most importantly, children and adults should always visit their dentist at least twice a year. With proper dental care, you can insure the health of your teeth and gums for a lifetime.

Dr. Aki Shirakura and Associates is located in the heart of Armonk Village at 40 Bedford Road. Call us today (914) 273-9280 to take the first step to a lifetime of healthy teeth for your whole family.

Keep smiling!

Mindful and Compassionate Parenting and Communities

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By Jeanette Sandor and Jan Fielder

When it comes to creating a career, we usually get years of training. When it comes to creating a peaceful, happy life as parents, we get far less training. Much of our parenting is based upon personal experience which can oftentimes leave us feeling ill prepared or inadequate to handle the myriad of challenges we face daily.

We all want to be the best parents possible, but sometimes we fall short of our expectations. With all the pressures and stressors we encounter as we strive to manage work, school and social obligations, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed making it difficult to parent. And it’s difficult to parent well when we feel overwhelmed.

Is it possible for parents to thrive despite overscheduled and stressful lives? Is it possible for children to thrive given their obligations and pressures? Absolutely!

There are evidenced based practices grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion that will help you be the skillful parent you want to be. These practices can also help your children become more resilient in the face of the pressures they face in their plugged in, competitive and overscheduled lives.

Jeanette Sandor RN, MA and Jan Fielder, MS, MA, are Life and Wellness Coaches as well as mothers. Together they empower parents with tools and practices so that parenting becomes less stressful and more joyful. Their goal is to help create a more mindful and compassionate world, one family at a time and one community at a time. Their workshops for parents, families and children teach skills for life… a mindful and compassionate life, so that there can be competition with peacefulness, devices with boundaries, and schedules with spaces for breathing and being.

Back to College

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By Scott M. Kahan CFP®

It’s that time of year when summer draws to a close and your children are going back to or starting college for the first time. Often, families have figured out how to pay for the current year and put off planning how to pay for the next year. Well, if you are like most families you probably have not saved enough to afford that $65,000 per year price tag that comes along with a private school education. Now is the time to get a jump start on planning how to pay for the next few years’ college tuition for your child.

When thinking about funding sources for your children’s college education, you may assume your family earns too much to qualify for Federal grants, loans, and work-study job assistance. However, families with higher incomes are frequently eligible to receive some form of financial aid from the Federal government.

Start with the FAFSA

For most financial aid and loan programs, it is required for you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the initial part of the process. In addition to determining your family’s eligibility for Federal assistance, the FAFSA is the primary qualifying form used by many college, state, local, and private financial assistance programs. The first step in applying for financial aid is filling out the FAFSA. The simplest way to complete the FAFSA is by applying online at fafsa.ed.gov.

The start date to file is October 1st and there is no reason to delay the filing. When completing the FAFSA, you will use your financial information from 2016. This is called prior-prior year since you are filing forms for funds for the 2018-2019 school year.

There are numerous programs available to assist you in paying for college. Stafford Loans, which are student loans and PLUS Loans, which are in the name of the parents are a few of the most popular loan programs offered. Pell Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid.

It can be confusing, but the sooner you get started in planning and preparing, the easier it will be!

Scott M. Kahan, is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and President of Financial Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth management firm located at 26 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900.

A Local Healer’s Journey with Lyme Disease

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By Sharon Okun

Sharon Okun

After trying everything, Armonk Licensed Massage Therapist & Wellness Coach Sharon Okun says she researched and benefited from alternative healing modalities in her battle against Lyme. Here, in some answers to our questions, she shares her experience and resources.

1. When were you first diagnosed with Lyme Disease?

I was accurately diagnosed at the beginning of 2014 by a Lyme-literate doctor, after suffering with symptoms for 10 years. My overall quality of life now is excellent, although occasionally I still having challenging days.

2. What treatment did you try initially?

I was given antibiotics, which were partially effective for four to six months but then they stopped working. I than tried alternative therapies which helped greatly. Please keep in mind that whatever works for me may not work for you.

I advise that you first consult your doctor before attempting any alternative methods that are mentioned in this article.

3. There has been a lot of press about debilitating symptoms from the disease that can linger. Can you describe what symptoms you had and how they impacted your life?

My symptoms included fatigue, dizziness, significant neck pain and headaches, tremors, nerve pain and numbness, brain fog, and extreme chemical sensitivities. I stopped working full time as a licensed massage therapist until I could figure out what was wrong.  For a time, I had limited activities outside of the home and primarily focused on managing my family, except that I pushed myself daily to exercise no matter how I actually felt.

4. What made you try alternative medicine to treat your disease? What types of alternative therapies did you use that led to improvement?

I understand the mind-body connection. Through my work as a licensed massage therapist and wellness coach for the last 20 years, I have seen firsthand how alternative therapies transform people’s lives. I needed to find the right combination to start healing my Lyme Disease, so I continued to persevere. I researched extensively and experimented with different supplements and gentle modalities while under strict supervision by a medical doctor. These are the alternatives that I used and continue to use to manage symptoms:

  1. Acupuncture
  2. Cranio Sacral work
  3. Lymphatic Drainage
  4. Meditation
  5. Qigong
  6. Somatic healing
  7. Life coaching
  8. Daily exercise
  9. Paleo Diet

All the above worked. However, once I learned to incorporate mindfulness practices into my life, I started to see more definitive results.

Mindfulness practice is developing an emotional intelligence. It is about creating strategies to readjust expectations of oneself and of others. It is also about managing daily stress by slowing down the body and truly listening to what it needs to feel empowered–even through challenging times. Also, as a massage therapist, I have learned that emotional stressors are stored in the body as well as in the mind. My holistic practice helps people move through ‘stuck pain,’ whether physical or mental, that is held in the muscles, nervous system and the rest of the body.

 I am not a doctor. I do not advise about, diagnose or treat Lyme. As a wellness coach and massage therapist, I champion my clients to find their own inner strength by asking powerful questions that engage them. I actively listen to people’s stories and facilitate awareness to help them design action plans that propel them forward to reach their goals.

 I offer clients massage therapy and teach them meditation and qigong (a formless style of energy movement). I help clients release pain that is held in their bodies, making room for them to truly heal.

Sharon Okun is a licensed massage therapist and wellness coach in Armonk, in practice for more than 20 years. She trained at the Swedish Institute and the Center for Coaching Mastery. She is part of the Global Lyme Alliance and Lyme Connection. After a long journey with Chronic Lyme Disease, Okun says she has successfully learned to manage her illness holistically. Visit www.bodycenteredhealing.massagetherapy.com.

Sharon’s Resources:

Authors

Healing Lyme by Stephen Harrod Buhner, Master Herbalist

This book includes extensive research on Lyme Disease and effective herbal medicine treatments. Stephen Buhner has written several books on Lyme Disease and on alternative medicine in general along with mind/body techniques.

Why Can’t I Get Better by Dr. Richard Horowitz, M.D.

Dr. Horowitz has been instrumental in changing laws to support Lyme Disease testing and treatment. He has designed Lyme Disease education for medical schools (including at Harvard).

Websites & Facebook Page

(Many of these organizations offer important Lyme prevention advice, too.)

Goodbyelyme.com: Research and information about Chinese medicine for Lyme

TiredofLyme.com: General Lyme information

Gaianstudies.org: Stephen Buhner’s institute

Globallymealliance.org: Patient advocacy organization

Lymeconnection.org: Local patient advocacy organization out of Fairfield County Connecticut

Town of New Castle Task Force on Health & Wellness Facebook Group

Inside Press Disclaimer: The opinions presented here reflect the experience and views of the author; please consult your own doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Play Care Early Learning Center Aims to Ready Kids for Kindergarten and Beyond

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The Director of the Play Care Center, Xann Palmer
Ask any working parent with young children what their number one concern is and most will say finding quality childcare. As someone who attended a daycare center in Chapapaqua as a young child, I can attest how important it was for my parents to find a day care for me that allowed them both to relax on the job and not have to worry about my safety and wellbeing. They wanted to find a place that would also inspire a love of learning in my formative years. Luckily, there is a great option here in town for Chappaqua parents called the Play Care Early Learning Center.

Play Care on Orchard Ridge Road in Chappaqua was established in 1971 as a cooperative and a mission of the First Congregational Church, allowing mothers the opportunity to participate in various community events and activities. The Director of the Play Care Center, Xann Palmer, who’s had more than 20 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education, views this origin as a big reason why Play Care has evolved into what it is today.

“The church, in 1971, started a co-op here, church members helping each other, where the moms took on shifts, so to speak”, said Palmer. “One person maybe watched kids on Monday and Tuesday and the other person did Thursday, Friday, in that kind of capacity. And we’ve grown into a licensed program by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.”

Since that time, Play Care has developed into a fully-equipped day care facility and preschool with a large experienced staff of teachers, aides and of course the Director of Play Care, Xann Palmer. While the center isn’t affiliated with the church in any way, the center has maintained a close relationship with families by continuing the robust volunteering program that birthed the program in the first place.

“We’re not affiliated in any way with the church, there is no faith-based learning.

We serve everyone. We have all kinds of cultures and people from diverse backgrounds in our program and we honor them all. But, we have held on to where the parents play a part in the program in a volunteer component”, said Ms. Palmer. “We like having the parents present and a lot of them can be present in the morning and some can’t, so we find other ways for them to participate as well.”

The center has two levels of classroom spaces, both of which are above grade so the classrooms are actually filled with natural light. Over the past two years they have updated the spaces by putting in new tile flooring and renovating parts of the main level.

Additionally, Play Care provides a high level of security with a centrally wired alarm system and locked security doors at the program’s entrance. Only staff members and enrolled families are assigned access keys eliminating the entry of unauthorized visitors. The center also has a spacious and gated outdoor playground area that children use for outdoor activities and games.

The Play Care Early Learning Center’s goal is to be the program that families turn to in the Northern Westchester community to provide their children a quality early childhood experience. The employees recognize that these early learning years are crucial in laying the foundation for all future learning environments and they take pride in providing the resources to families in a nurturing and respectful manner, especially Director Xann Palmer.

“Our goals are just to help children have that first school experience be a positive one,” said Palmer. We want them to want to come to school. We want them to enjoy learning. And we want to offer them as many good experiences as they can while they’re with us,” she continued. “Most of all, we want to ensure that every child leaves the program ready for kindergarten and all other future endeavors.”