What Military Families Should Know about moving to Hawaii

March 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment

From its peaks and craters to the picturesque beaches, Hawaii is one of the best places to live. Moreover, your family will enjoy all that the island has to offer when it comes to exploring.

 

Here are some things that you need to know:

 

Climate

Thanks to the trade winds, the temperatures in Hawaii average about 85 degrees all year round. However, the landscape in this place varies depending on where you are. For instance, the west side of Oahu is drier than the east side. The North Shore is mostly made up of a rocky shoreline and many surfing events take place there, while Central Oahu is mostly a farmland.

 

Traveling to Hawaii

Moving to this state is more complicated than your average Permanent Change of Station because you have to plan everything, including the shipping of cars and pets in advance.

 

Unaccompanied Baggage

Service members who are relocating to Hawaii are usually allowed to ship a few household goods before they send their regular shipment. Known as the express shipment, this shipment will count towards your household weight limit and usually includes things like clothing, small appliances and kitchen items. You should take this opportunity to ship outdoor kids toys and scuba gear for yourself.

 

Depending on where you are moving from and the moving company you will use, unaccompanied shipments might arrive after the HHG shipment, so you should be ready.

 

Vehicle Shipping

When it comes to cars, the military usually pays to ship just one car to Hawaii. Also, check with your shipping company whether it is possible to ship motorcycles with your other household goods. When it comes to shipping a second vehicle, you can either pay out of pocket or sell it. You can ship your car to Hawaii with Executive Auto Shippers for example, if you are willing to pay out of pocket.

 

Pets and Lodging

If you want to move to Hawaii with your pets, you should look at Hawaii’s website for animal quarantine regulations. If your pet qualifies, you can pick it up from the airport’s quarantine station and take it home. However, if your pet does not qualify, it will have to complete the standard quarantine time of 120 days before you take it home.

 

You also have to look for temporary housing that allows animals before you get a house. Remember that fees and weight limits might apply, so be sure to double check.

 

Housing

You will get a house depending on whether you are in the army, navy, coast guard, air force, or Marine Corps. You should also consider living off base as long as there is a reasonable commute to your military base. The most popular off-base places to live include Salt Lake, Hawaii Kai, Ewa Beach, and Windward Side.

 

Schools

If your children are of school-going age, the best place that you can start is by contacting a School Liaison Officer from your branch. This person can help you to register your child. Although there are no DoD schools in this state, Hawaii has many good charter, public, and private schools.

 

If you prefer homeschooling for your kids, there is a large homeschooling community at this place. Before your child can be enrolled in any school, he/she should submit a negative tuberculosis test.

 

The Beaches are Amazing

Lanikai Beach – known for its beautiful blue water and white sands, this beach is ideal for boogie boarding and sunbathing. Moreover, your kids can surf here thanks to the low surf.

 

Hanauma Beach – this is the most popular spot for snorkeling on the island. You can pay several dollars for a shuttle ride down the hill to the parking lot.

 

Packing up your whole life to start over afresh is never easy, even if you have a new job assignment. Hopefully, the above tips will make your move much smoother and easier on you and your family.

 

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GOTRAX Releases Limited Edition GALAXY Versions of its Best Selling Hoverboards

March 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment

GOTRAX™, a Denver-based brand of electric rideables driven by imagination and innovation with a focus on science and education, today announces limited edition GALAXY versions of two of its most popular hoverboards for sale, the off-road ready HOVERFLY XL, and the budget-friendly HOVERFLY ECO.

The limited edition GALAXY versions feature a durable and unique colorful water transfer graphic wrapping the board, consisting of signature space-themed GOTRAX characters.

GOTRAX engineered the HOVERFLY XL to take riders beyond the pavement with dual 350-watt motors and 8.5-inch rubber all-terrain tires for maximum traction in dirt, sand, gravel and grass, and the ability to scale slopes up to 30 degrees.

The HOVERFLY ECO is one of the best values available on a hoverboard for sale, featuring powered by dual 250-watt electric motors capable of propelling riders up to 7.4 miles-per-hour for 12 miles on a single charge.

Both are fully UL 2272 certified for electrical and charging safety.

In addition to the limited edition GALAXY graphics, the XL is also now available in Neptune Blue, Planetary Purple and Pulsar Pink for a total of seven cosmic colors.

The GOTRAX HOVERFLY XL and HOVERFLY ECO retail for $299 and $199 respectively and are available now at GOTRAX.com for $229 and $169 for a limited time, as well as onAmazon.com.

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Think You’re Not a Chef? You Can Prepare Gourmet Meals at Home – We Promise!

March 15, 2018 by 1 Comment

You don’t have to be a good cook to make great meals. The thought of coming up with your own recipe might boggle your mind, and you might be confused about what some of the fancy kitchen gadgets you see on cooking shows are even for, but even you can create delicious, gourmet meals that your family will love and that will impress your guests. 

Here are the easy things you can do to prepare your own gourmet meals at home:

Start with the Best Ingredients

You’ll elevate your cakes with gourmet vanilla syrup. You’ll create mouth-watering roasts with high-quality, grass-fed beef. You’ll actually love vegetables again with organic asparagus grown in season and artisanal cheese. Just choosing the highest-quality ingredients that you can get will make your food taste amazing.

Don’t limit yourself to what’s at your local grocery store. Shop at the farmer’s market, find small specialty shops in your area or order online. If you aren’t sure what makes ingredients good, do a little research online or get to know your grocers and ask them a lot of questions. Knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have about the ingredients you use, the more powerful you will be in selecting the best ones and in creating delicious dishes.

Get a Few Basic Tools

Besides the ingredients you use, the tools you use will have a big impact on the quality of your meals. You need the best basics to get started: A high-quality knife set, cookware set, and baking materials. A few notable choices include a stand mixer, a culinary torch, and a thermometer. If you really want to get fancy and throw down some big cheddar, you can upgrade your oven, as well. 

Know that you can work miracles with utensils you find at the dollar store, but having high-quality tools at your disposal will make your work easier. You aren’t Gordon Ramsay, so you can’t expect to get top results with little more than your skill and innovation. You need the help, so get it in the form of great kitchen tools.

Find Great Recipes

Most recipes that you will find on popular websites are designed for mass audiences. They are typically for meals that are easy to cook and that will be ready quickly. These are not the kind of recipes you want to use if you want to make gourmet meals that will elevate your everyday menu. Instead, you should search for gourmet recipes provided by reputable chefs.

Know that you will most likely need to pay for access to these recipes. You may be able to get a subscription for online access, or you may have to buy a hard copy of a cookbook. Just do your research first to make sure you are getting recipes that are truly gourmet and that have been created and vetted by experienced and celebrated chefs.

Follow Directions to the Letter

You aren’t Julia Child yet, so don’t try to be. You should not be trying to experiment while you are in the kitchen — at least not until you master the basics. If you want to cook a gourmet meal successfully and you don’t have the formal training to do it, you need to let the recipes created by the professionals guide you. That means that you need to follow the directions to the letter. If the recipe says to sift the flour first, do it and don’t just dump the flour in straight from the bag. If the recipe says to marinate the meat for two hours, leave it for exactly two hours. Don’t try to rush the process, and don’t let it sit for too long.

You may not have disastrous results if you cut a few corners or make a few changes to the recipe, but any success you have will be luck. You’ll be able to improvise once you’ve gained some experience and have a lot of successes under your belt.

Follow these simple tips, and you’ll soon be creating meals that your guests will think you had prepared by a gourmet chef. You don’t need culinary training — you just need to have the right tools and the right recipes, and you need to follow directions.

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What Are Some of the Diagnosis Related Issues That Can Lead to Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?

March 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Medical malpractice and medical negligence related compensation claims are a big deal in the UK. In 2016, £1.7 billion was paid out by the NHS as a result of claims for medical negligence, up from £1.4 billion the previous year. Statistics from 2008 show that during that year the NHS’ bill for medical negligence claims UK was at a comparatively low £583 million, which means that in the past decade the value of medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits has more than doubled and is continuing to rise.

Of course, those figures are for the NHS alone, and don’t take into account all of the medical negligence claims against private facilities and practitioners. One area of medicine where negligence claims tend to be high is in cosmetic surgery, where nearly all procedures are carried out on a private and elective basis. Add to that privately-run clinics, hospitals and nursing homes, and it is clear to see that medical negligence solicitors have their work cut out at the moment.

Medical Negligence Claims in the UK

Medical negligence claims can arise for a huge number of reasons, from surgical errors to negligence during pregnancy. The outcome of a situation, in order for it to be a case for a compensation claim, must be that the patient was injured or otherwise negatively affected by the practice they are claiming against failing to adhere to the expected standards or normal medical protocols, and so as you might expect this can cover an enormous range of things, from birth defects in children to botched plastic surgery.

There is a very large number of different niches to medical negligence claims, considering the amount of things that can possibly go wrong when receiving treatment. For example, many specific medical negligence firms such as The Medical Negligence Experts even go as far as to take claims related to medical negligence in dentistry. However, here we are going to look at one of the more common areas of medicine where medical negligence solicitors often deal with claims – medical diagnosis and treatment.

Missed Diagnoses and Medical Negligence

One situation where medical malpractice laws can be invoked is where a patient’s condition progresses because a diagnosis was missed. This can have serious consequences, particularly with things like cancer which can advance rapidly, and where survival rates are directly related to how early the condition is spotted.

Naturally, in order for a diagnosis to be considered ‘missed’ there would have to have been an opportunity for it to be made, where this would normally have happened. A patient whose cancer wasn’t diagnosed but who never went for any tests or spoke to a doctor about any symptoms would be unfortunate, but not a victim of medical negligence. Negligence becomes a matter when the patient wasn’t offered tests that are routinely done for people like them, or people with their symptoms, where tests were done but the results misread, or where the doctor didn’t take the initial symptoms seriously and didn’t recommend any further tests. These are not the only situations where a missed diagnosis could be considered a medical negligence issue, but they do give you an idea of where a doctor’s responsibility to diagnose conditions begins and ends.

As you might imagine, sometimes symptoms simply don’t present themselves until later in the advancement of a disease, or tests don’t show anything that is cause for alarm even though a disease is present, and in these cases the hospital, doctor or other professional is not at fault for the missed diagnosis. However, when the diagnosis is missed in error, or the patient hasn’t been offered the service in terms of tests that would be expected as normal medical protocol for their risk level and symptoms, it can be realistically suggested that the condition would have been diagnosed or diagnosed earlier were it not for their negligence.

These types of cases can result in very large pay-outs, and understandably so, as in some cases a missed diagnosis will lead to a previously treatable condition becoming inoperable, untreatable or indeed terminal.

False Positives

The opposite of a missed diagnosis is a false positive, and this can also be a scenario where medical negligence lawyers may get involved. Some false positives are an unfortunate inevitability of a lot of diagnostic processes, and so a false positive diagnosis of a condition a patient does not have will not usually be grounds for a compensation claim. However, in some cases, a patient may actually start to undergo treatment for a condition they don’t actually have because further testing in line with protocols was not done after the initial diagnosis. This can be where a false positive can become something physically harmful and a matter of negligence.

In some situations, a false positive can cause trauma even when treatment has not yet begun, and if it can be shown that this false positive was a result of diagnostic negligence (for instance, results that were mixed up or misread) rather than the normal margin of error in the tests, or that the information about the diagnosis was presented in an unnecessarily disturbing way (for instance giving a patient a confirmed diagnosis of a life threatening condition without doing further tests), then there is still the potential that this may be grounds for a malpractice claim.

Misdiagnoses

Misdiagnoses are where a condition is present, and a diagnosis is given, but it is wrong. As with missed diagnoses and false positives, this can happen as a matter of course in medicine even when everything is done right, due to the complexities of biology and the limitations of medicine, but in some cases, misdiagnosis can be a medical negligence matter and, when this leads to harm to the patient, it can be grounds for a claim for compensation.

 

Examples of when incorrect diagnoses occur as a result of negligence can be similar to cases of missed diagnosis and false positives – test results or patient records that get mixed up, doctors not taking patients’ symptoms seriously and recommending the right tests, or failures in the processes of taking and analysing samples.

A misdiagnosis can be a serious problem – for similar reasons to other diagnosis related medical negligence. On the one hand, a patient may begin undergoing invasive treatment, such as surgery or aggressive medicine, for a condition they do not have. On the other, they may be diagnosed with a less serious condition than they actually have, and their illness may progress.

The Importance of Medical Negligence Law

Some conditions have very similar symptoms or very broad, vague symptoms and can be notoriously hard to diagnose, and nobody wants doctors to be afraid of doing what they can to help get to the bottom of what a patient is potentially suffering from for fear of lawsuits against them. However, where resources are stretched, or standards are not high enough, cases like those described here put people in harm’s way. It is important that people who are the victims of medical negligence do come forward with the help of the best medical negligence solicitors, so that accurate data can be gathered on how frequently these issues occur, and things can be done from a regulatory perspective to improve healthcare over all.

If you are concerned that a diagnosis you received was related to medical negligence for any of the reasons we have talked about here, your best first step is to talk to a lawyer in the field.

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Check out some newly revealed features of Nintendo Labo!

March 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Nintendo recently unveiled Nintendo Labo, which combines the magic of NintendoSwitch* with the fun of DIY creations. Nintendo Labo kits offer interactive build-and-play experiences designed to inspire creativity and discovery in people of all ages. And there’s much more left to discover about Nintendo Labo.
Today, Nintendo revealed three new videos that showed off some more details about Nintendo Labo, as well as additional features of the first two Nintendo Labo kits – the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit – which launch on April 20.
All three videos can be viewed here, here and here.
One particularly cool feature that’s part of the software included with each NintendoLabo kit is Toy-Con Garage, which can be accessed in Discover mode. Toy-Con Garage introduces basic principles of technology in a fun and accessible way, allowing you to combine various simple inputs and outputs to invent new ways to play with your Toy-Con projects.
In addition to Toy-Con Garage, the Toy-Con projects in each kit offer numerous ways to have fun as you Make, Play and Discover different experiences.
Robot Kit
  • Build your own wearable Toy-Con Robot suit and assume control of a giant in-game robot, completing challenges and destroying in-game objects to unlock powerful new abilities.
  • If you’re feeling competitive, you can even challenge a friend in two-player local battles or compare your high scores/rankings with other players! (An additional Robot Kit and Joy-Con controllers are required for two-player mode; sold separately.)
  • Nintendo Labo encourages you to use your imagination and creativity to customize your cardboard Toy-Con creations in a variety of ways. The Robot Kit even allows you to customize and level-up your in-game robot.
  • Learn more about the Nintendo Labo Robot Kit in this new video.
Variety Kit
  • Toy-Con Piano: After assembling your 13-key Piano, you can host an impromptu recital or record your songs and play them back for your biggest fans-in-the-making. Experiment with different sounds and pitches to create something truly unique – even a song composed entirely of cat noises!
  • Toy-Con Motorbike: Grab ahold of your newly constructed handlebars and race through different tracks, challenging CPU opponents or collecting targets across mountainous terrain. You can even create your own custom tracks, so start planning your designs now!
  • Toy-Con Fishing Rod: There are many exotic fish to discover, and some of the deep-ocean fish are particularly tricky to catch. Show off your collection in Aquarium mode and have fun creating your own fish with different shapes and colors – simply insert and scan different cards in the Toy-Con Piano to get started. (Assembled Toy-Con Piano is required to access Aquarium mode.)
  • Toy-Con House: Befriend the cute creature living in your Toy-Con House (shown on the Nintendo Switch screen) and discover different ways to interact and play with it. There are a variety of experiences to discover, including mine cart races, bowling and jump rope.
  • Toy-Con RC Car: The RC Car is full of unique and surprising features. Since the Variety Kit includes materials to build two Toy-Con RC Cars, you can race against a friend, set up obstacle courses or even compete in a sumo-inspired challenge to try to knock your opponent’s RC Car over (additional Joy-Con controllers are required; sold separately). Create a path using the reflective stickers included in the kit, and set the car to auto-drive along a specific route using the IR Motion Camera on the Right Joy-Con controller.
  • Learn more about the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit in this new video.

For more information about Nintendo Labo, visit https://labo.nintendo.com/.

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How to Address Signs of Aging

March 12, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Aging is an inevitable natural process, but everyone would like to keep their smooth faces for a longer time. Thanks to science and technology, you can now maintain your good looks well into old age. Of course, you still need to take care of your health since these procedures only reverse the physical aspects of aging. Here are some ways for you to address aging.

 

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are used to smoothen the face and help it regain shape. Parts of the face that sink as you age can be filled so that you look a lot younger. The benefit of this procedure is that it is painless and does not have any downtime. This is because no surgery is involved.

 

Parts of the face that can be rejuvenated using dermal fillers include the nose, lips, cheeks, and chin. The procedure will only take you about 30 minutes, although the actual time would depend on the specific areas being filled. You will have to be put under local anesthesia, and this can be in the form of cream. Then, the dermatologist will administer the treatment using a sterilized needle. You will then be allowed to sit for a while with a cold pack over the treated area.

 

Once the procedure is over, you can go back to your routine immediately without having to wait for recovery.

 

However, the procedure still has some minor side effects. You should expect some redness on the site of the injection. This may be coupled by swelling. These side effects will typically fade within a day or even a few hours. If you fail to follow your dermatologist’s instructions before the day of the filling, you might also experience some bruising. It is important to always get your dermal fillers from a qualified professional.

 

The results of this treatment will last for between 6 months and two years. If you go for permanent fillers, the results can even last for five years.

 

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is meant for people with wrinkles, acne scars, or non-responsive skin, usually resulting from a facelift. It is important to note that the treatment is not recommended for people with acne, dark skin, or stretch marks. Ideally, you should consult your doctor before choosing to go for laser resurfacing.

 

So how does the procedure work?

 

The doctor will direct short light rays to the affected areas of your skin, and this will get rid of the skin cells that are damaged on the surface. The procedure will involve carbon dioxide or erbium lasers. Using erbium laser beams results in fewer side effects. If you have dark skin, you would be better off using these rays. This specific treatment also burns the surrounding skin cells less.

 

Patients can even recover from erbium resurfacing in a week. For CO2 laser beams, the recovery will take up to 2 weeks.

 

This procedure is not free of side effects. Typically, you should expect some bruising, redness, and swelling. These side effects are more pronounced in patients who go for CO2 laser resurfacing.

 

Before going for this procedure, your doctor will consider your medical history and the results you expect. You will also need to avoid drugs that can affect the clotting of blood for at least ten days before the treatment. It is also important to note that smoking can increase the healing period.

 

Facelift

Another sign of aging is the development of loose skin and jowls on the lower part of the face. These problems can be addressed through a surgical procedure known as a facelift. The procedure aims at lifting your facial skin and muscles to make them firmer.

 

If you only have little sagging on the face, you can go for a mini-facelift. This involves smaller incisions, usually above the ear and along the hairline. Mini-facelifts can be performed under local anesthesia, although most doctors choose to go with general anesthesia. This procedure can help you get rid of early signs of aging, and, therefore, reduce the need for a standard procedure in the future.

 

People who are already showing extreme signs of aging around the neck and face can opt for a standard facelift. This procedure is more extensive, and this means you will have to get general anesthesia. Again, the surgeon will have to make incisions along the hairline and other areas on the face. Through these incisions, they can reposition the tissues under this skin and get rid of excess skin.

 

Being a more extensive procedure, a standard facelift will require a lot more recovery time. You will be able to get back to your normal routine after about two weeks, but the side effects will take a whole year to resolve. Your doctor will give you instruction on how to manage your side effects. Following this advice will make sure you don’t take too long to recover.

 

Neck Lift

This procedure is similar to the facelift, except that it is done in the jawline and neck. Neck lifts can get rid of excess fat under the chin, loose skin in the neck and muscle banding. If your face is still in perfect condition, but your neck and lower jaw are starting to show signs of aging, a neck lift can be a good solution.

 

People normally combine neck lifts with procedures such as brow lifts, fat transfer, and eyelid surgery. With advances in technology and medicine, these procedures have grown to be very safe. Like facelifts, this treatment will require your surgeon to make incisions in your skin; then, they will remove excess fat and skin.

 

For a safe procedure, you will have to avoid alcohol, anti-inflammatory drugs, excessively fatty foods, and excess sugar for about ten days before the treatment.

 

Conclusion

These four procedures will help you regain the good looks of your youth. It is important to follow the advice of your doctor, and answer all their questions truthfully. This way, you will get a safe and proper procedure. Since these treatments don’t stop the aging process, you should still take care of your body and drink a lot of water regularly.

 

Andrew Jacono, MD is a renowned plastic surgeon based in New York City. Dr. Jacono has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has made frequent appearances on Oprah’s Face to Face and Discovery Fit & Health.

 

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How to Prevent Periodontal Disease

March 12, 2018 by 1 Comment

Periodontal disease is a type of inflammation that occurs along the gum line. Also known as gum disease, this condition can be very dangerous and painful. If left untreated, it can result in tooth loss, and a growing amount of medical research is showing that the inflammation and infection of gum disease can lead to heart problems and diabetes. Periodontal disease might sound scary, but you will be happy to learn that it is entirely preventable. Follow these steps to keep your gum line as healthy as possible.

 

Make Sure You Brush Your Teeth the Right Way

Of course the most obvious step to preventing periodontal disease is simply brushing your teeth twice a day. However, this can actually be a little trickier than it sounds. You need to make sure you are brushing your teeth for two minutes, which is a little longer than it might seem, so it is a good idea to set a timer. Many dentists find that their patients are not paying enough attention to the gumline while they brush their teeth. You need to put your brush at a 45 degree angle where the brush is half on the teeth and half on the gums. Then you need to gently move it back and forth to clean the gumline. This is important because most of the bacteria that cause gum disease collect along the gumline.

 

Never Forget the Importance of Flossing

Though regular tooth brushing may be the most important way of preventing gum disease, it cannot thoroughly clean your entire mouth. Flossing is essential because it cleans the spaces in between your teeth that cannot be reached by a brush. It is best to floss first and then brush, so your toothbrush can remove the debris loosened by flossing. You only need to floss once a day to get the gum disease prevention benefits of flossing. Keep in mind that it is not normal for the gums to bleed heavily while flossing. If they do, this is a sign that you are already in the early stages of gum disease.

 

Use the Right Type of Toothbrush

While brushing your teeth, it is absolutely essential that you are using the correct type of toothbrush. A brush with stiff bristles can cause degredations and microscopic scratching along the gums that further advances disease. You need a very soft brush to clean the gums without causing your gum line to recede. It is important to use a toothbrush that has time to dry in between uses because a constantly damp toothbrush can harbor bacteria that worsen gum disease. If you are brushing your teeth more than twice a day, like many dentists recommend, you may need to buy two toothbrushes and alternate between them.

 

Eat a Mouth Healthy Diet

Gum disease is so dangerous because the infection easily reaches your jawbone and causes the bones in the jaw to decay until they cannot properly hold onto the teeth. You can help to avoid this dangerous part of gum disease by making sure that your jawbone is as healthy as possible. To do this, eat a diet high in calcium and vitamin D. Calcium, which helps to build more bone cells, can be found in dairy, nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium properly, and you can find it in eggs, fatty fish, and other animal proteins. Vitamin D is also helpful because it has anti-inflammatory effects. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that subjects with high vitamin D levels were 20 percent less likely to have gingivitis. Another helpful nutrient for preventing periodontal disease is vitamin C which helps to reduce inflammation and keep your gums from bleeding while you floss.

 

Find a Proper Mouthwash

You can further ensure that your mouth is clear of the plaque and buildup that cause gum disease by swishing a mouthwash around your mouth after you brush your teeth. This helps to kill any bacteria that you miss, and it can dislodge bits of food that are still stuck in the mouth after brushing and flossing. Mouthwashes that contain either domiphen bromide or cetylpyridinium chloride are most likely to reduce dental plaque.

 

Realize the Dangers of Tobacco

One of the biggest risk factors for gum disease is using tobacco in any form. Smokers have twice as high a risk of periodontal disease as nonsmokers. Smoking tobacco is so dangerous because it impairs circulation throughout the body. Without the ability to get nutrient and oxygen rich blood cells, the gums struggle to fight off infections. Once your body’s weakened immune system is defeated, bacteria that cause gum disease can flourish in the mouth. Because people who use tobacco heal so much slower, normal treatments for periodontal disease may not be as effective. It can be hard for some people to stop smoking, but many people find that modern e-cigarettes are helpful because they can slowly reduce nicotine levels over time.

 

These methods can all help to prevent gum disease from happening in the first place, but it is still important to seek medical treatment if you are dealing with periodontal issues. If you want a happier and pain free smile, look no further than King of Prussia Periodontics and Dental Implants. Our talented team of doctors is led by Dr. Melissa Cruz, a leading expert in periodontal surgery and dental implant therapy. Call us today at 610-783-7800 or reach us at www.kopperio.com to learn more about how we can help you achieve your best possible smile.

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Dental Amalgam: Is it a Health risk?

March 12, 2018 by Leave a Comment

An amalgam in dental terms is a silver filling. It is actually not silver but a mixture of silver, mercury, tin and copper. Approximately 50% of this compound is mercury; this is the substance which binds the others together and creates a strong filling.

The Problem With Mercury

Unfortunately, research shows that mercury can be very dangerous for your health. Although it is a naturally occurring element it can have a toxic effect on your nervous system, lings, kidneys and even your eyes.

Your first thought will be to check your local amalgam removal service. But before you rush to your dentist it is important to understand the true effects of mercury:

The Form Of Mercury

Mercury can exist in a variety of different forms; the seriousness of your exposure will depend upon the type of mercury you are consuming. There are 3 main forms of mercury:

 

  • Elemental Mercury

 

In its standard form mercury is actually a liquid. It has been used in this form in a variety of items, including fluorescent lamps and thermometers.

 

  • Inorganic Mercury Salts

 

Mercury can be dissolved in water which creates a salt, but it is still filled with mercury. If these are swallowed they can cause intestinal distress and kidney damage.

 

  • Organic Mercury

 

This is the worst form of mercury, you can actually experience mercury poisoning just by having a few drops land on your skin. The effect will be poor balance and your speech will suffer. IT can kill you in just a few months!

Why Have Amalgam Fillings?

If mercury is such a dangerous substance then you must question why it is included in fillings. The answer lies in toxicity levels and the way this mineral changes when mixed with others.

In effect, because the mercury has been mixed with other minerals to create your filling it has been rendered harmless.

A little mercury will be released under the daily pressure of chewing your food and grinding your teeth. This amount has been shown to be less than you would be exposed to in the normal course of a day through the air, food and even water.

Experience

It is also worth noting that dental amalgam has been used for in excess of 150 years and it is considered the safest, most cost effective and durable material to work with.

In addition, it is much easier to work with that other filling materials; it can be easily added to your tooth cavity and shaped to ensure a perfect repair in minutes.

The alternatives

There are alternatives. These include gold or porcelain. However, these materials are much more expensive and difficult to deal with. They will also take longer to make and require at least two visits to your dentists.

The other option is a composite filling can be used to match the appearance of your teeth. This is becoming the most popular solution although it is not as strong as an amalgam. However, it does not carry the associated health risks and is a good reason to have your amalgam fillings replaced.

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