Day: November 24, 2017

The Tooth Of The Matter: Top 5 Reasons Why People Hate Going To The Dentist

Possibly not your favourite place to be of an afternoon! (source)

Hands up who loves their dentist? Anyone? Nobody? Oh sorry, there’s one lady at the back, but she doesn’t count. She’s married to him! Let’s be honest, not many of us love our dentists. It’s not their fault. They are only doing their jobs, after all, so let’s hope they don’t take it personally when you say you hate them. We’re sure you don’t really mean it. It’s probably the experience you don’t enjoy, and not the actual dentist themselves.

Here are the top five reasons why people hate visiting the dentist.

  1. The pain. From the ‘needle of doom’ to the ‘drill of all fear’ ©, we don’t want to face the pain the dentist can cause us. The fact that you haven’t kept your teeth in tip-top condition is another matter. Remember when your dentist told you to floss regularly? You will when you return to the dentist with an agonising toothache.

    2. The invasiveness. You lie back in the seat, open your mouth, and let the dentist prod and poke away with wild abandon. It’s as if they are looking into your very soul while you’re letting them explore your mouth as if they were on a caving expedition. If you value your personal space in any way, a visit to the dentist is sure to annoy you.

    3. The assault on your senses. Why is it dentists all smell the same? It could be the smell of fear from the other patients in the waiting room, but it’s also that weird chemical smell that pervades the room. In case you were wondering, the answer is right here. Then there are the sounds. The sound of the drill growling in the dentist’s chamber, and the foreboding sounds of the dental nurse’s footsteps coming towards you. “It’s your turn for the chair,” she says, with imagined glee. And of course the taste. From the metallic flavour of the dentist’s instruments to that weird green mouth rinse you are told to swill, your senses are being assaulted at every turn.

    4. The expense. It’s not only your mouth being stretched open; it’s your bank balance too. Dentists can be expensive, but let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be feeling the pinch if you had bothered to go for those check-ups earlier in the year. You really do need to book an appointment! Your dentist will sort out any problems before they get worse, and more expensive, down the line!

    5. The lecture. You know you haven’t looked after your teeth, so you don’t need the dentist to drone on longer than his drill. “Oh dear, look who hasn’t been brushing their teeth,” they say. “Didn’t we tell you to floss?” “Have you looked in the mirror recently?” You can only hang your head in shame and pray that the lecture and the whole hellish experience will be over soon.

And yet…

You couldn’t live without them. When you need help, they are always there to ease your pain. In fact, some of your hate may only be based on childhood experiences. Dentists have moved on a lot since you last visited them twenty years ago, and decent practitioners such as Armstrong & Eshleman, P.A. have the accreditation and technology to prove their worth. So, no matter how much hate you have inside, ask yourself two questions. Are you overreacting? They may not be as bad as you imagine. And then… Why didn’t I take better care of my teeth? You won’t need to visit as often if you cut down on all your tooth decaying habits. Food for thought? Yes, but not of the sugary kind! Thanks for reading.

Osteoporosis: Understanding The Bear Bones Of This Condition

Many people have heard the term osteoporosis, but do they really understand what it means, and the effect it can have on their health? Probably not, and that is why my post below outlines the basics of the condition, as well as what can be done to prevent and alleviate it. Keep reading to find out more.

What it osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a bone condition. It occurs when the structure of our bones lose density. Something that means the spaces within the bone structure get larger and the actual fibers of bone get smaller. This is often described as them being porous.

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Unfortunately, the symptoms of osteoporosis are often not detectable until the damage has been done. This is because it is a largely silent and gradual disease, and only when it reaches an advanced stage where breaks and fractures become much more likely does it start to be noticeable. That is why it is often associated with older people. Obviously, bone breakage is painful and can be debilitating, meaning it’s something that is best to avoid if at all possible. Especially if it is frequently occurring, as can present with this condition.

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Over time osteoporosis can cause major problems in any of the bones in the body, and especially the spine. This is because individual vertebrae can fracture, something that is known as kyphoscoliosis. This causes pain and a hunched over appearance that makes mobility very difficult.

What causes it

Believe it or not, our bones are not static elements of our body. In fact, old bone is reabsorbed into our system throughout our lives, and new bone is created. However, if there is a disruption or imbalance in this process, it can lead to osteoporosis because not enough new bone is created to support the body.

This imbalance is more common in people with a calcium deficiency as this is an essential nutrient to help develop bone growth. It is also common in women because hormonal changes after the menopause cause a rapid loss of bone density which is often never completely balances out, causing them to more at risk of this disease.

Treatment and prevention

Obviously, if you have developed, or been identified as being at risk of osteoporosis, your doctor will advise you on the best course of treatment to stay well.

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However, there are some things that you can do that will minimise your risk of suffering from this condition in the first place. Ths includes using supplements, calcium in particular, as this can help to increase bone density.

Although some folks do have concerns about the safety of putting nutrients into their body in such high quantities. That is where consulting with your doctors and doing your research comes in as you can find out more about this in the AlgaeCal safety study on Pubmed. There you will find all the facts you will need to help you decide whether calcium is the right supplement to help you in your quest to prevent osteoporosis.

Takeaway: So in summary osteoporosis is a condition where the bones aren’t dense enough. It’s caused by a lack of calcium and an imbalance in bone production and reabsorption. Also in addition to medical treatments, calcium supplements may be helpful in preventing this condition.