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A tooth extraction presents a risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 79-year-old female who's in good health. I am 5 feet tall and weigh 95 pounds, and I'm very active. I've been taking Prolia for the past two to three years for osteoporosis, which has since improved to osteopenia. Right after this past Prolia shot, I developed discomfort in my mouth and was told that I have a cracked root in a molar. I previously had a root canal on this molar and was told that this tooth should be extracted. I realized that it would be best to wait five more months to do this to be safe, out of concern of getting osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). ...

Mobile grab bar keeps elder steady

Dear Heloise: I am 82. When we travel, I pack a suction-cup grab bar. In hotels or other places, I stick it to the shower wall and have something sturdy to hold and steady myself with. These things work well. My wife likes it, too. The hardest part is getting it unstuck before we leave, but I ...

Choosing peace over an endless battle

Dear Annie: I have read your responses to letters about barking dogs and neighborhood noise, and I appreciate the calm, compassionate way you approach these conflicts. You encourage people to start with empathy, assume good intentions and try to work things out neighbor to neighbor. That ...

The long history of the UP’s indigenous people

When the 13 colonies in the east began their push toward independence from Britain, Michigan was more than a half-century away from becoming a state and the people of the Upper Peninsula still primarily indigenous. To tell their history in the region, Northern Michigan University in 2019 ...

Managing online medical portals

Dear Heloise: There was a reader who was having difficulty keeping track of the different patient portals for each of her doctors when she wanted to email them or check an appointment or a test result. She indicated that she knew how to use the portals once she navigated to the appropriate one ...

Standing firm with family

Dear Annie: My husband has three children from his first marriage. For the first 20 years of us being married, everything was great. But the last 15 years have been hell with two of the children. They became super religious and political to the point they are always pushing their way of life ...