The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M arch 17,2022 insidehalton.com With proper home care and regular examinations by a dentist, cavities can be prevented and detected before they cause serious damage. Cavities are caused by certain strains of oral bacteria and may not cause any symptoms until there is a serious problem.To catch themearly, it is essential to schedule checkups as recommended by your dentist, advises Dr. Vineet Bhandari, whose practice includes general family dentistry and cosmetic and restorative services. Dental decay starts in the deep pits and grooves of teeth that are hard to clean and provide a place for cavities to develop. Owner of Bhandari Dental, he recommends the application of sealants in these areas to prevent decay by protecting teeth from harmful dental plaque. Dentists and dental hygienists are able to perform this quick and painless procedure without the use of anesthetic. The pits and grooves of the teeth are cleaned and treated with a dental bond. The sealant is then painted on as liquid and hardened with light activation into a solid shell on the tooth. "Sealants are a preventative dental procedure and should be a part of total preventative dental care including brushing, flossing, healthy food choices, optimal fluoride exposure and regular dental visits," says the Oakville dentist. Sealants usually hold up quite well under the force of normal eating and chewing. They may last several years before another application is needed. Typically, sealants are placed on children's teeth as soon as they erupt to prevent a cavity from forming. Some adults who are high risk for dental decay may also be candidates for sealants. Unprotected teeth can be prone to developing cavities and it's important to check for symptoms. Here are some things to look for at home: white or brown spots on the teeth; sensitivitywhen eating or drinking hot, cold or sweet foods; holes or pits in the teeth; pain when chewing; toothache. Depending on where you live, you may be at a higher risk of dental decay as some municipal water is not fluoridated. Daily fluoride both through ingestion and topical application is vital for prevention of cavities. Fluoride and dental sealants are both a part of preventative dental care. ContactBhandariDentalat289-813-8239or bookonline for dental treatments or to arrange for a free tooth whitening consultation. Consider sealants to prevent cavities -- ADVERTORIAL --NICE TO MEET YOU Dr. Vineet Bhandari dentist 2525 Old Bronte Rd. Ste. 470 Oakville 289-813-8239 www.bhandaridental.com The Halton District School Board released on Thursday, March 10 an up- date on COVID-19 protocols that includes graduation plans, cohorting, masking and other measures. These and others are now changing after the Gov- ernment of Ontario an- nouncement March 9 that some COVID-19 health and safety measures will be lift- ed effective Monday, March 21 and will impact all Onta- rio schools. International Travel Requirements "As a reminder, upon re- turn from international travel, the Government of Canada requires individu- als to wear a mask at all times when in public spaces (including schools and child care), maintain a list of all close contacts for 14 days upon return to Canada and monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19," the board said. "The COVID-19 school screening tool has been updated to align with recent changes made to fed- eral travel requirements." Masking Masks will no longer be required for students, staff and visitors in schools, school board offices and on student transportation such as buses. "We know that many stu- dents and staff may choose to continue to wear masks at times, or consistently for the remainder of the school year," the board said in its notification to parents and students. "Masks will con- tinue to be available for stu- dents and staff who wish to continue to wear them." Cohorting and Physical Distancing Requirements Grouping students to- gether and ensuring physi- cal distancing to limit expo- sure is no longer required in classrooms or during outdoor breaks, the board said. School assemblies may resume and shared spaces such as libraries, tech labs, music rooms, etc. can be used without dis- tancing, the board said. Isolation Requirements Individuals with symp- toms of COVID-19 are pre- sumed to have COVID-19, whether or not this is con- firmed by a rapid antigen/ PCR test, and they should "self-isolate immediately," the board said. But, household mem- bers without symptoms of COVID-19 who live with a confirmed case or someone with symptoms, are no lon- ger required to isolate if they: are 17 or younger and fully vaccinated, are 18-plus and fully vaccinated and have received their CO- VID-19 booster, or have test- ed positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days and com- pleted their isolation peri- od. Children under five without symptoms who live with a confirmed case or someone with symptoms are required to isolate for five days, the board said. COVID-19 School Screening Requirements All students learning in person must continue to complete the Government of Ontario online COVID-19 school screening tool prior to attending school each day, the board said. But, providing daily con- firmation of completing the screening tool will no lon- ger be required. The screen- ing tool has been updated to reflect updated isolation and self-monitoring re- quirements. COVID-19 Case and Contact Management If school absence rates rise to approximately 30 per cent (above baseline), prin- cipals will continue to noti- fy Halton Region Public Health and families will be made aware. Schools will continue to report absence rates to the Ministry of Edu- cation daily. Graduations/End-of-school- year Celebrations "At this time, these activ- ities will be able to occur," the board said. "Schools will move forward with plan- ning for these end-of-year celebrations. Future com- munication will be provid- ed by schools." PUBLIC BOARD GIVES UPDATE FOR REST OF SCHOOL YEAR LOUIE ROSELLA lrosella@metroland.com Here's what students and parents should know about plans for the remainder of the school year. Metroland file photo NEWS DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE TO MASK ON A BUS? WHAT WILL GRAD LOOK LIKE?