Jasele Oita's Blog A weblog about everything

One or more missing teeth negatively influence a person’s appearance, emotions, and also physical comfort while eating and socializing. Because of the aesthetic issues caused by missing teeth, many solutions can be found in cosmetic dentistry procedures. Missing teeth also lead to shifts in alignment, which can cause improper bites, speech impediments, and even a greater risk of gum disease and tooth decay. It is very common for patients to seek dental implants to replace teeth because implants are permanent and look and feel natural. The more traditional method of replacing lost teeth is a dental bridge—this method is also very commonly used. Dental bridges last about 15 to 20 years or more if properly cared for. Bridges are done over the course of a few office visits.

Steps for Bridges

The first step for patients looking to get a dental bridge is to be examined to ensure that the overall health of teeth and gums make him or her a viable candidate for the procedure. The next step for those who are qualified is to prepare the teeth that will support the bridge. (This generally involves each tooth on either side of the missing tooth.) These teeth are prepared by being filed down to a small size, as they too will be covered by the bridge. (One of the main reasons some patients opt for dental implants in Canada and the US is to avoid the step of filing down existing, healthy teeth.)

First visit: The dentist then makes an impression of the teeth and sends it to a dental laboratory where the bridge is made. Designing bridges from a replica of the patient’s teeth ensures a precise fit. This is critical to avoid decaying of the supporting teeth and other issues that can arise when there are gaps between gums and teeth or between natural teeth and a bridge. While the bridge is being designed, the dentist provides a temporary bridge. This protects the nerves of the teeth that have been filed so that the patient remains comfortable during the transition.

Second visit: During this visit, the dentist fits and cements the bridge firmly in place. Initially patients feel aware of the bridge due to the prior absence of a tooth in its place, but the appearance of teeth is transformed by the end of this visit, as patients leave the office with their once-missing tooth fully restored!

Candidates who need tooth replacement can contact local family or cosmetic dentists to ask questions or schedule an evaluation to find out if they have the required overall health needed to be eligible. Patients should be sure to go with an experienced professional to ensure the best aesthetic and functional results.

According to the American Dental Association, approximately one-third of adults grind their teeth while sleeping. Over time, this habit can wear teeth down, chip teeth near the gumline, damage the jaw joint, and even lead to tooth loss. Fortunately, the reasons patients grind teeth can often be corrected. For patients who only learn of their habit after their teeth sustain damage, cosmetic dentistry can restore the look and feel of teeth.

Most often, tooth grinding is a result of stress and issues with a patient’s bite. In a proper bite, a patient’s teeth come together and sit comfortably, protecting both the teeth and jaw joint. Many factors can lead to an improper bite, including the way teeth have naturally grown, such as crowded teeth, or tooth loss caused by periodontal disease, which leads to shifting of remaining teeth. For patients who have proper bites, stress can cause tooth grinding regardless. Ironically, patients are often unaware that they grind their teeth during sleep, even in cases in which teeth have been obviously damaged by repetitive grinding. Traditional and cosmetic dentists can correct this damage, but often patients need to take additional measures to protect their teeth or try to minimize grinding.

The good news is that there are effective ways to remedy tooth grinding. One way is using a bite guard, and another is orthodontics. Some bite guards that are sold in pharmacies have been shown to increase the problem; for this reason, it is recommended to get custom night guards instead. An added benefit of custom guards is that they can help the muscles relax, as well as protect teeth. The other method of treatment—and the one that is highly effective—is orthodontics. A cosmetic dentist can advise patients on orthodontics like Invisilign or braces, but an orthodontist might recommend corrective surgery for serious cases.

Dietary supplements such as vitamin pills are big business, raking in about $23 billion per year according to The New York Times, but recent studies have shown that extra vitamins are not as effective at preventing chronic diseases, cutting cancer risk, or prolonging life as people think. In early February, the Women’s Health Initiative study found that multivitamins provided no heart disease or cancer-mitigating benefits among more than 161,000 older women over eight years of use. Similar studies have revealed that ingesting high doses of vitamins E and C and selenium in pill form have almost no cancer-risk-reducing effects.

There have been a few exceptions, such as the clinical trial which found that calcium appeared to lower the recurrence of precancerous colon polyps by 15%. Vitamin D has also shown some promise. But most trials have shown no cancer benefits associated with vitamins, and some cases, vitamin studies have actually revealed higher cancer risk among vitamin takers than a placebo control group. This may be due to antioxidant vitamins’ ability to fight free radicals, which are linked to disease and aging but are also necessary to healthy immune function. The conflicting data points to a need for further testing and, perhaps, a shift in consumer expectations as well. For more information about cancer types and treatments, be sure to read through the Dale & Frances Hughes cancer treatment center website.

Federal and State lawmakers keep a close watch on research organizations by constantly enforcing new rules and regulations concerning clinical and basic research procedures. Research organizations, whether large or small, must, therefore, be properly educated on government regulations, as well as institutional policies and procedures, to protect themselves from undermining confidence in their enterprise. Online research integrity and compliance courses are a great way to introduce these regulations to employees that perform, supervise, or support clinical or non-clinical trials.

Online research integrity courses are much more efficient than classroom setting courses. Online courses are typically tailored to the specific job function performed by the employee, rather than a general course that may cover numerous job functions. In addition, all coursework can be tailored to fit institutional branding and policies. Online courses are also very convenient. Companies such as HCCS offer research integrity learning courses that are available 24-7 via both the Internet and Intranet. HCCS offers courses on following topics: grants and contracts, human subject in research, conflicts interest and scientific misconduct, and professional relationships and data issues. The company also offers other types of compliance courses, including HIPPA compliance and JCAHO training.

In order to fully utilize a new EMR system and take advantage of the efficiency, accessibility, financial savings and patient safety benefits, the older medical billing and other records that are still recorded on paper need to be incorporated. Unfortunately, the process of digitally scanning these hard copies to convert them for use within the EMR system is often both time-consuming and expensive. The conversion must be done to stringent standards in order to ensure that the exact content is preserved. One of the problems that often occurs with conversion to electronic health records is the fact that the extensive handwritten records may not be legible after the conversion (or even before). Because the original records may be in a wide range of media types, formats, and sizes, the process of accurate conversion might be even more difficult. Of course, any hard copies that are destroyed after conversion must be handled in a manner that ensures the patient’s confidentiality.

Today in Toronto, dental implants are commonly requested by patients and recommended by dentists. This wide popularity can be attributed largely to the work of two professionals: Per-Ingmar Branemark, a pioneer in the field who began studies on dental implants in Sweden the 1950s and Georg Zarb, who brought the practice to Toronto.

As with many pioneers in the field of health and medicine, Branemark did not gain instant recognition for his early studies on using titanium dental implants. While he began his studies in the 1950s, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Branemark attained success rates that professionals considered noteworthy. At that time, more scientists began experiments similar to his and record results systematically. Eventually, a professor at the University of Toronto named George Zarb, who is now recognized as a pioneer in Toronto implant dentistry, gained faith in Branemark’s methods, and sent the first international team to Sweden to be trained in implant placement.

In 1982, Zarb followed up by initiating a conference to which he invited attendees from all the major dental schools in Canada and the United States. Seventy percent of them attended a conference for dentists–Toronto Conference on Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry. The American Dental Association gave 11 different dental implant systems a coveted seal of approval by the mid 1980s. Since then, Branemark’s findings have gained wide acceptance by North American dentists. Now, dental implants have become a billion-dollar industry with a very high success rate among common procedures in cosmetic dentistry. Toronto and international patients who benefit from implants have Dr. Branemark to thank. Dentists all over North America owe a thank you to Dr. George Zarb for bringing the practice to Toronto and beyond.

Many companies provide a variety of medical emergency systems. What factors make one alert system or program preferable to another?  As with all products, clients should consider reliability, features, and price when purchasing a system.

Medical alert systems typically have two components—the base unit and the panic button, usually in the form of a medical bracelet or necklace. A reliable system should provide back-up for unforeseen power outages. In addition, the equipment should provide for a reasonable range of distance between the subscriber and the base unit. The typical distance range of an alarm system is 300 feet, but at least one company called Alert Rescue offers devices that can be used at distances of up to 600 feet.

Finally, the price is an important consideration. Generally, clients can lower the monthly cost in two ways–by purchasing the base unit rather than renting it, or by subscribing to a plan for multiple months. In this case, the cost can range from $0 to $16 a month. For clients who feel it is more economical to avoid upfront and long-term costs, alert systems can be purchased for as little as $28.95 a month (including free shipping of the alarm and base unit) through companies like Rescue Alert. Medical alert bracelets are widely available on the market today, so customers can choose from a number of systems and price ranges to find the one that best meets their needs.

Like many cities worldwide, Toronto has seen a large expansion of professionals and offices offering cosmetic dentistry. Services range from simple procedures that require one or two office visits to more intricate services that involve several steps. For a first-rate Toronto smile makeover, local patients have many offices and procedures to choose from!

In recent years, local patients have sought a broad range of methods to improve the health and appearance of their teeth. Processes such as teeth whitening and veneers have become very commonplace in Toronto and worldwide because they can dramatically improve a person’s appearance and boost self-confidence. Many patients have discovered that procedures like these are a relatively simple means to a beautiful smile, replacing past methods that were more bothersome and often yielded inferior results. In Toronto, dental implants in particular have gained popularity, as this procedure allows treatment of only the affected tooth, whereas the traditional method of using a bridge necessitates filing teeth adjacent to the missing or damaged tooth.

Where can patients find the right Toronto dentist? Toronto Smile Makeovers is an office that has become quite well known due to the participation of its doctors, Dr. Andrew Charkiw and Dr. Armagon Afsar, on the television show called Style by Jury. These doctors have expertise and years of experience in cosmetic dentistry, along with dozens of before and after photographs of patients who have benefitted from their services. Toronto residents considering cosmetic dentistry should keep the name of this office handy!

Women who have experienced childbirth or injuries may have had symptoms of pelvic relaxation. This occurs when muscles in the pelvic region weaken due to damage or stress. The muscles along the pelvic wall generally hold pelvic organs in place such as the bladder, rectum, and uterus. When the pelvic wall weakens, these organs can drop or sag. This can cause conditions which range from slight to serious in severity.

One condition that can occur due to weakened muscles in the pelvic region is called bladder prolapse. Characterized by a sagging of the bladder into the vaginal canal, this condition can result in difficulty emptying the bladder and the feeling that the bladder is always full due to external pressure. Occasionally this sagging causes discomfort and even embarrassment for women. In some cases, a protrusion of the bladder into the vaginal wall is visible near the vaginal opening. In other cases, urine leakage can result even due to minor pressure on pelvic muscles when a woman laughs, coughs, or sneezes.

Fortunately, physicians recommend several corrective measures that can bolster support of the bladder to hold it in place despite the weakened muscles. Depending on the stage of the prolapse, physicians may recommend pelvic floor physical therapy, medication such as Vesicare to relieve frequent urination, or behavioral therapy. An example of a surgical procedure that can be performed involves inserting a mesh sling under the bladder to provide support. Once a physician diagnoses the condition, he or she can discuss the options a patient has, as well as recommendations as to why one solution may be preferable based on the patient’s specific medical needs.