Hills Independent #90 December 2022 | страница 23

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Excessive screen time can affect oral health

with Miranda Huxtable Practice Manager Round Corner Dental
Kids and teens are using screens a great deal more , especially since the pandemic with education shifting to the online space . The good thing is the internet is being used more and more as a positive tool for learning rather than just entertainment . So , screen time in itself isn ’ t necessarily a bad thing … if it ’ s under control .
Prolonged and excessive internet use , termed ‘ internet addiction ’ is growing in prevalence . This is particularly obvious among teenagers and younger children and has been shown to have various behavioural , mental and physical consequences .
Recently an interesting , though perhaps not surprising connection has been made between internet addiction and oral health . It turns out , too much time on screens increases the risk of decay in our teeth .
At first , I was surprised to hear this , but studies conducted in Britain , the USA , Saudi Arabia plus the countless journal articles published explain the links quite clearly . Unsurprisingly , internet addiction can lead to bad sleeping habits , physical inactivity and an increase in snacking and consumption of foods high in sugar and fat . Toothbrushing frequency reduces as well , which makes matters worse .
Teens can be a bit harder to wrangle , so making sure there isn ’ t too much junk food available in the house and setting timers to make sure screen time is kept under control can be useful . Often teens become nocturnal and are left to browse their phones or play online games into the night , which can greatly reduce their teeth brushing in the evening .
For kids , timers work great too – but also toothbrushing and oral health apps and YouTube videos can be found easily . DJ Brush , Toothsavers and the Disney Magic Timer are just a few great options to make a routine chore fun and engaging .

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Nominations open for second round of Blue Plaques

Castle Hill residents are being encouraged to nominate the local people or events that helped to shape the rich heritage of the State in the second round of the $ 5 million NSW Blue Plaques program .
Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams MP said the program is a fantastic opportunity for communities to learn about and celebrate local heritage .
“ This initiative is all about recognising the eclectic characters , personalities and important public figures that have made or become part of the history of our state ,” Mr Williams said .
“ I am very pleased to announce that of the 14 new recipients announced , we
have been successful in obtaining one for Australian novelist Patrick White who is the only Australian Nobel Prize winner for literature and was a resident of Castle Hill .”
“ I encourage people to research the Castle Hill region ’ s local history and nominate diverse and unique individuals and stories for a Blue Plaque in the second nominations round .
“ The second round of nominations for Blue Plaques opened on 13 November , and will close on the 21 December 2022 .”
To be eligible , each Blue Plaque must meet eligibility criteria and go through an extensive factchecking process carried out by independent historians to verify the story behind the plaque . Minister for Heritage James Griffin said the second round of nominations opens as 14 new Blue Plaques are announced . “ Our newest 14 Blue Plaques recipients helped shape our State ,” Mr Griffin said .
“ Among them , we have Australia poet and author Dorothea Mackellar who , at the age of 19 , wrote the words we all know and love , ‘ I love a sunburnt country , a land of sweeping plains ’. “ We ’ re recognising the
1965 Freedom Ride , which was pivotal in highlighting the racial discrimination experienced by Aboriginal people , challenging a ban on Aboriginal ex-servicemen at the Walgett Returned Services League , and local laws barring Aboriginal children from the Moree and Kempsey swimming pools .
“ We ’ re celebrating the life of Dr Thomas Fiaschi , who migrated to Australia from Italy at the age of 22 , and went on to become a pioneering surgeon whose expertise significantly improved the survival rate of patients after surgery .
“ The 35 Blue Plaques announced so far are just the beginning of this fantastic program , which is reinvigorating community connections with our rich NSW heritage .”
The previously announced 21 Blue Plaques are currently being installed in locations including Albury , Wagga Wagga and Canowindra , and the 14 new Plaques will be installed in 2023 , with exact locations to be revealed when they ’ re installed .
For more information on Blue Plaques recipients , installation locations , and to find out how to nominate a Blue Plaque , visit the Blue Plaques website .
Patrick White
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 90 // DECEMBER 2022 23