Dentists recommend that each child should have their first dental visit by the time they turn one. But isn’t it also important that mothers also have access to quality dental care while pregnant with their children?

According to Farmers’ Advance, many pregnant women lack proper affordable dental care. Mert Aksu, D.D.S., dean of University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, says it’s extremely important for pregnant women to have access to regular dental care during their pregnancy, as the results can have a positive impact on both mother and child.

“Hormonal changes during pregnancy put women at increased risk for periodontal disease, cavities and a condition called ‘pregnancy gingivitis’ — tender gums that bleed easily,” Aksu said. He explained that mothers’ oral health during pregnancy could have an impact on babies, adding, “Pregnant women with cavities can transmit cavity-causing bacteria to their infants.”

Detroit Mercy Dental is partnering with six medical sites throughout Michigan to provide oral care to pregnant women with the help of a grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Kathy Stiffler, acting Medicaid director of the DHHS, spoke about the grant and how it can help those in need.

“We are pleased to work with Detroit Mercy Dental on this important initiative. The gap in dental insurance coverage for this population that this effort will fill is crucial to ensuring oral health … this partnership could establish a model for future programs of this nature,” Stiffler said.

The grant totals $969,400 over 15 months and is designed to help women and their physicians understand the importance of oral care during pregnancy. A registered dental hygienist will work with prenatal medical professionals to help incorporate oral health checks into regular visits. The hygienists will then work with expecting mothers to emphasize the importance of pre- and post-natal oral health care.

For Detroit Mercy Dental, this is more than just an opportunity to help those in need. It’s the perfect chance for them to stick with their mission of its religious founders.

“We’re pleased to have a new opportunity to reach patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks,” Aksu said.

Around 78% of businesses agree that art in the workplace can help reduce stress, but arts programs are often one of the first on the chopping block in schools. Not surprisingly, art classes have been absent from the majority of Detroit public schools. Until recently, only 24% of the district’s schools had an art class and 27% had a music class, with only 18% of schools offering both. But now, the district is taking steps to embrace art’s place in public schools, echoing a changing attitude that’s becoming more widely accepted nationwide.

District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is leading the charge to restore the arts in Detroit public schools. When the district was mostly under the state’s control, the predictable cuts were made to art and music courses. The idea was to focus more succinctly on core classes like math and reading, but these cuts don’t always produce the results officials hope for. In addition to the obvious boost in creativity that children experience when they participate the arts and related classes, a recent report conducted by Americans for the Arts found that art education improves problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It also helps to build confidence in students who may not be academically inclined in the traditional sense. And involvement in the arts can help develop a host of other skills that translate into other areas of education and life in general.

Over the next year, Vitti plans to make art and music programs accessible to students in every one of the district’s school. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, all K-5 schools will have either a music or an art class for students. This will require budgetary restructuring to the tune of $3 million, but the end goal is to ensure all schools have both art and music programs. And in the spring, Detroit schools will launch their Cultural Passport program, a partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Michigan Opera Theatre. This program will allow students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade to experience some of the city’s most extraordinary cultural events. Vitti’s goal is to show that every student has an affinity for the arts.

The decision to put the arts in the spotlight mirrors programs being created and embraced all across the nation. Art Feeds, a national, not-for-profit program that serves everyone from preschool children to teenagers, brings all kinds of arts programs to communities around the country. The lessons they provide in dance, drawing, sculpting, music, and other art forms are “designed for consistent expression for mental and emotional wellness,” per the organization’s website. And in addition to the fun kids experience in these programs, their curriculum has reportedly been “proven to reduce fear, stress, and anxiety; increase creative problem-solving skills; and increase self-efficiency and self-worth.”

Those effects can have big implications for all students, but particularly those who are economically vulnerable. Around 45.6% of children living below the federal poverty level are enrolled in preschool, and experts say that the arts could help these children in ways other subjects cannot.

According to Tarrell Davis, Director of Early Childhood Programs at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia:

Research suggests that high quality arts programming can decrease stress levels for children facing economic hardship. In comparison to regular homeroom classes, music, dance, and visual arts related to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This is a meaningful finding, particularly for economically disadvantaged children, who are disproportionately likely to face dangerous or chaotic neighborhoods and frequent residential moves, as well as family financial strain … We now have evidence that the arts can ‘get under the skin’ and lower children’s stress levels.”

With that in mind, it seems like Detroit public schools are making moves that other districts may need to emulate in the coming years. Although some are quick to dismiss the arts as frivolous, the data shows that these subjects are integral to emotional and mental development.

For most potential disasters, there is a team of professionals ready to handle the impact. From wildfires to floods, emergency crews have plans to minimize damage and protect resources. And digital disasters are no exception — particularly in Michigan.

Governor Snyder has signed a law to form the Michigan Cyber Civilian Corps, Michigan Radio reports. This group is essentially a team of volunteer IT pros who are on call in the event of a cyber attack. Program manager Ray Davidson said in a statement to Michican Radio that the team currently has around 70 volunteers.

“Right now, [our mission] is to respond in the event of a governor-declared cyber emergency,” he told Michigan Radio. “We’d like, though, to be able to expand that – to be able to respond to incidents that are of a lower level than that.”

Since about 58% of businesses are worried about cyber attacks, this group may also be able to help with non-government attacks as well.

“We want to have some benefit from this,” Davidson told Michigan Radio. “So we’re looking to be able to respond to things that are sort of at a lower level of severity, as well as perhaps be able to be able to do some proactive activities. It’s no good to just be reactive, right, if we’re all lucky, none of this will ever happen.”

The formation of government-sponsored IT teams has become a trend at the state level due to the increasing sophistication of hackers. GCN reports that small, local governments are receiving cyber protection assistance from the state government, citing Michigan, Washington, and Virginia as examples.

“There’s a growing awareness that the key to states being more prepared is ensuring that municipalities and counties are also improving their awareness,” Timothy Blute, program director of the National Governors Association’s homeland security division, said in a statement to GCN.

GCN points out that of the states taking cybersecurity initiatives at the state and local level, Michigan is the only one to form a volunteer team.

Detroit residents have struggled with many issues over the last few years, everything from unfair legislation to financial troubles, but another problem is rearing its head throughout the community.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 100% of all types of mold have the potential to cause some severe health effects. These health issues can be quite minor, but they can also result in fatalities in some instances. Now, mold has become a serious issue throughout Detroit’s homes and other structures.

Recently, just three months after moving into a home with their newborn baby, Matt and Alyssa Blaies discovered a destructive amount of mold inside their new residence. The city’s inspectors took a look at the home and still allowed the move to happen. The Blaies had even hired their own private inspector to take a look, but they say the inspector didn’t because… he was afraid of spiders.

Despite the private inspectors lack of inspecting, he still charged the family $300 and passed the home for inspection.

A few months later, the couple noticed the bedroom floor sinking and a strange odor coming from the home’s crawl spaces. Matt went to look for himself and noticed more mold than he could have ever imagined.

The couple is nervous about the health concerns if the the mold goes untreated, but getting rid of the mold and fixing all the damage will cost roughly $40,000.

The City of Westland is looking into financial aids that could potentially help this young family.

Additionally, Detroit Metro Times reports that Michigan’s prison system is suffering from mold issues at the hands of its food supplier.

Prison officials and inmates have found maggots, dirt, and mold in their food over the last few months.

Trinity, the Florida-based private food vendor that the Michigan Department of Corrections works with, has been under investigation for serving poor quality food to Ohio and Michigan’s prisons since February 2016.

According to Crain’s Detroit, open enrollment for individual health insurance is officially underway, and with it comes some changes for Michigan residents, primarily, increased premium rates.

Healthcare insurance premiums are expected to rise an average of 27% in Michigan, and in addition, the enrollment period has been sliced in half and is now just 45 days.

Meanwhile, open enrollment for small and some larger businesses won’t change much at all, with the state Department of Insurance and Financial Services citing average premium increases of 4%.

Enrollees are warned to proceed with caution, however, because some employer-sponsored plan benefits may very well have undergone changes from the previous year, whether small or large.

Crain’s Detroit also reported that the Trump administration has “made things more difficult” for the individual seeking affordable healthcare.

“Open enrollment provides families the important opportunity to ensure they’ve got the health care coverage they need for the year to come,” said Cheryl Gibson Fountain, M.D., president of the Michigan State Medical Society, in a statement. “Nothing is more important than the health of the people we love. Taking advantage of the open enrollment period is a critical step on the path to a healthier family.”

Before you decide on a healthcare plan for you and your family, experts recommend checking to see if your plan or medical needs have changed, gathering all necessary medical info from the previous year, and trying to foresee your medical needs for the coming year. Soma https://shlclubhouse.org/soma-online/ is a very famous drug. It helps to calculate your out-of-pocket costs for the year and determine where you stand in terms of your deductible.

“For 2018, ask yourself: Do you expect to see multiple doctors, get a colonoscopy, eye exam or periodontal or orthodontic treatment? You may need to lower or increase your deductible,” writes Jay Greene.

Taking the time to choose your plan is worth it once you find the plan that’s right for you and your family. Don’t forget to consider vision and dental insurance as well; only 64% of adults between the ages of 18 and 64 have had a dental visit within the last year. Not just that, but the average time people wait for another dental appointment is three years. Fortunately, Greene says 96% of employers offer dental insurance. Vision ranked slightly less, at 88%.

Jerry Konal, senior consultant of health and benefits with Willis Towers Watson in Southfield, ultimately says that even though the process of choosing the right plan may be difficult, there are a number of resources available to help people take control of their healthcare needs and find a plan that financially and medically suits them.

“There are a host of tools out there, but there is a price tag for this,” Konal said. “Small businesses don’t often offer decision support tools. But they are helpful in selecting an optimal plan for self or family.”