Dr. Ricardo Yap, DDS

Time seems to go by quickly. It’s been almost 4 months since we have reopened on June 1st. It’s good to be able to see our patients/customers again!

Happy Mother’s Day again! I sent one out yesterday mainly for friends and relatives in Asia (HK, Taiwan & Japan). Think of that one as a pre-celebration! Actually I think everyday should be Mother’s Day!

Hope everyone safe and healthy during the shelter-in-place!

My cousin (and also my optometrist) Dr. Faye Yap just posted this and I would like to share it with my friends/relatives/customers...hopefully we will get over this pandemic soon...stay safe and healthy! This is From an RN:. If you should get the corona virus: I know we’re all tired of hearing/talking about it, but one thing WE HAVEN’T really seen going around is advice for what happens if you DO get coronavirus (many of us will), we're only seeing advice for how to try to ...AVOID it. So as your friendly neighborhood RN, a wee thread: Things you should *actually* buy ahead of time (? not sure what the obsession with toilet paper is?): Tissues, Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in 325 mg tablets, Ibuprofen (Advil) in 200 mg tablets, Mucinex, Robitussin or DayQuil/NyQuil, or whatever your cough medicine of choice is. If you don’t have a humidifier, that would also be a good thing to get. (You can also just turn the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom breathing in the steam). Also a good time to make a big batch of your favorite soup to freeze and have on hand. If you have a history of asthma and you have a prescription inhaler, make sure the one you have isn’t expired and refill it/get a new one if it is. You basically want to prepare as though you know you’re going to get a nasty respiratory bug like bronchitis or pneumonia. You just have the foresight to know it’s coming. For symptom management, use the meds mentioned above. For a fever over 101, alternate Tylenol and Advil so you’re taking a dose of one or the other every 3 hours. Use cough expectorants like Mucinex. Don’t suppress your cough you want to loosen that chest congestion and get that mucous OUT! Drink a ton, hydrate hydrate hydrate; electrolyte drink ( Powerade, etc) half and half with water. Rest lots. If you're sick, you should not be leaving your house except to go to the doctor, and if you do, wear a mask (regular is fine, you don’t need an N95). You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE ER unless you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high AND unmanaged with meds. 90% of healthy adult cases thus far have been managed at home with basic rest/hydration/over-the-counter meds. We don’t want to clog the ERs unless you’re actually in distress. The hospital beds will be used for people who need oxygen/breathing treatments/IV fluids. If you have a pre-existing lung condition (COPD, lung cancer) or are on immunosuppressants, now is a great time to talk to your PCP or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get sick. They might have plans to get you directly admitted and bypass the ER entirely. One major relief to you parents is that kids do Okay with coronavirus they usually bounce back in a few days, no one under 18 has died, and almost no kids have required hospitalization (unless they have a lung disease like CF). Just use pediatric dosing of the same meds. (If you want to share, copy and paste.).

When was the last time you saw your dentist?

Wondering about sparkling water? Read more about this fizzy beverage on MouthHealthy.

Have you made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier this year? Make sure you're making smart food choices with this slideshow of 9 foods that can be harmful to teeth. Find more free resources at MouthHealthy.org.

When you come down with a cold or the flu, taking care of your body is top priority including your mouth. From sugarless cough drops to proper toothbrush hygiene, here are some simple ways to care for dental health when under the weather.