Archives for September, 2010

Friendly Bacteria, Tremendous Toxins

September 22nd, 2010

There are enough Yakult lovers out there for you to hear all about the great things that friendly bacteria has done, and to be fair, fermented milk is far from the only good-thinking, good-doing, piece of earthy biomass out there.

Take Botulinum Toxin for example first used nearly 30 years ago, this ‘friendly’ toxin has helped people with muscle spasms and upper motor neuron syndrome for years.  Since then, Botulinum Toxin – commonly known as its brand name; Botox – has been used as a much, much simpler version of cosmetic surgery… so simple in fact, it doesn’t even require surgery!

A minute quantity is all that’s needed to relax the facial muscles that otherwise create wrinkle lines… lines that are caused by overactive muscle movement – a lifetimes worth if you like – wearing away the collagen in the skin.  The procedure is beyond safe and best of all, it takes no time at all however, be prepared to make a return visit once every three months or so, as your body will very gradually break it down.

Botox has become widespread as people quickly cottoned on to how easy a procedure it is.  And with many celebrities tagging it as less intrusive and less artificial than types of plastic surgery, it was destined to hit the big time.  I bet it’s more widespread than you think too… yet so subtle unless you’re with someone day-in day-out you’d barely even notice!

…And who ever said toxins were harmful!?!

TD.  x

D is for Deficiency…

September 17th, 2010

Thanks to the DentalBlog.com

Check out this very interesting article; originally aimed at the dentist, there is no reason why you can’t look out for your own supplement Deficiencies.

The reason why so many Europeans also suffer from a lack of Vitamin D…?  It’s most major source – the Sun – so often hidden by clouds in the northern hemisphere and with our undercover lifestyles??  Think about it; you’re in a car or train on the way to work; sat in an office most of the day; to come home too late for any substantial sun-hours so you cook, eat and relax indoors(!); as a result, it is probably a good idea to top-up by using some surprisingly inexpensive supplements.

Vitamin D regulates the calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood and helps to absorb these minerals from food in the intestines.  As well as the above advantages in the article, did you know that balancing your vitamin D levels can help with depression?  Food for thought…?

TD.  x

Historic Headwear?

September 15th, 2010

Did you know that the first crowns known to be used, actually date way back to somewhere between 166 – 201 AD?  In my eyes, that gives us a period of around 1800 years for our dental specialists to have worked their magic on the development of these kings of covering!

Of course I’m talking about the dental crown who’s purpose – despite being the royalty of our mouths – is to strengthen those of your teeth that may have been damaged by decay or are fractured and as a result weakening.  Although there are many different types of crown, the two most popular, for their aesthetics and durability, are the all-ceramic and the metal-ceramic versions.  In my experience, the all-ceramic is the way to go.

Although both types can be matched to the colour of your existing set of gnashers, the metal-ceramic versions to tend to leave a simple black line at the base of the tooth… so lets save that kind for the teeth towards the back of your mouth!

One of the greatest advancements for these regal porcelain pieces though is their durability.  You can expect to have crowns last between 5 and 15 years… however, and do listen carefully; these gems, when looked after right, have been know to last a lot, lot longer.  So as ever, we are back to the key behind healthy teeth and gum’s.  IF you look after them, they WILL look after you!

I won’t stop until I have you all brushing   ;-)

TD.  x

A Breath of Fresh Air

September 10th, 2010

Let’s be honest, even without the onion and garlic consumption only usually found in middle-Mediterranea, we all suffer from bad breath at some point and although there are plenty of ways to get rid of it – mouthwash, mints and even milk among the most common – but how about preventing it?

The best way to do so is pure and simple dental hygiene!  Halitosis, as bad breath is known in the dental world, is basically the breeding of bacteria in your mouth.  Bacteria spread FAST and in no time at all after you have brushed, flossed and rinsed with mouthwash will they be back to their smelly ways.

The tongue is a part of oral hygiene that is often overlooked however, it can hide some of the most offensive smells.  You see, your tongue is covered in millions of tiny filaments that harbor food particles and bacteria as if it was their second home.  The secret’s now out that the most simple way to overcome this is to brush you tongue(!) – many toothbrushes now even come with a tongue-brush on their reverse side.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, then don’t fret; you probably just skipped your last toothy grinned examination!  The body is a finely tuned machine; if something is wrong, it will let you know in the most polite way possible and in some cases, a bout of bad breath can mean the beginnings of a cavity, broken filling or maybe an infection.

Do check it out.  Masking potential problems can often lead to more serious issues down the line; so get things sorted, then begin the prevention process with Time!

I have a Sweet Truth…

September 8th, 2010

So the kids are finally back to school, and after 6 weeks of fun in the sun I am sure it wasn’t the easiest task getting them there on time for that first day!

Many of us enjoy the certain indulgences that come with summertime, and our kids are no exception!  Things like ice-lollies and those lovely chilled fizzy drinks on a hot summers day are commonplace, while deserts and pick n’ mix become a more regular treat.  But now daily routine is back for our young ones, should we be keeping a close eye on their sugary intake?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released guidelines of the recommended daily sugar consumption for all ages.  I won’t shock you with the adult versions; I’m sure you know if you have a sweet-tooth (and you have probably been trying to ‘kick the habbit’ for the last decade or so!) but when it comes to the health of our children; information is key!

The guidelines suggest that children aged 4-8 years old with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons worth of sugar per day.  As you can imagine, this increases as your child grows into his pre-teen and teen years, and his caloric range increases to 1,800 to 2,000 a day.  At this point, the maximum amount of added sugar included in his daily diet should be between 5 to 8 teaspoons worth.

Are you ready for the scary truth?  A study conducted by the AHA found children as young as 1-3 years already bypass the daily recommendations, and typically consume around 10-12 teaspoons of sugar a day. Okay, sure, this is in America, but when results suggest that the UK isn’t too far behind and with figures from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey marking the average person to consume about 355 calories of added sugar a day, or the equivalent of 22.2 teaspoons – almost triple the recommended amount! – one has to be a little concerned.

So do keep an eye out and where possible avoid offering those sugary treats between meals… it’ll be a saving grace in the long run!

If you do need to register the family, give the team at Time Dental a call to find out what the latest family offers available are.

Take care… brush well!  x

Grinding to a Halt?

September 2nd, 2010

Is that constant grinding giving you a headache at work?  – Or is that headache at work initiating the constant grinding?

…According to a recent report by The Guardian‘s Health Corespondent – Denis Campbell, there has been a surge in teeth grinding.  Usually caused by stress, dentists are blaming the upsurge on job insecurity – many would link this directly to the recession.

Teeth grinding can lead to a number of issues such as constant headaches, oral pain and even eating problems; these can lie untreated for a very long time and will often result in cracking of the tooth, or the loss of a tooth or two!

But teeth grinding, known as Bruxism in the medical world, is also commonplace in children.  As many as 30% of children will grind or clench their teeth during the night and although most do eventually out-grow it, it’s the ones who continue into adulthood that need to take a closer look at things.  As an example, many people actually grind their teeth in an attempt to relieve stress – a bit like rubbing a muscle when you bruise it – but all this grinding and clenching throughout the day can put your teeth and jaw under unnecessary stress which will just lead to more pain – the aforementioned splitting headache – and maybe most surprisingly, few people realise they are doing it!

I’m not a huge fan of day-to-day stress and for the most part I manage to keep fairly relaxed throughout however, I also know all to well what working 60 hours a week and non-stop travel feel like.  So if you’re finding constant headaches a problem, or your teeth and jaw are aching, book an appoointment to find out the appropriate advice for you before things deteriorate a little too far and you really do grind to a halt!

TD.  x