Bad Breath - Why Does Your Breath Smell After Tonsillectomy

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils and generally occurs in children. It is caused by either a virus or a bacterium, which is known as streptococcus, the same bacterium that causes strep throat.

What are tonsils

The tonsils are organs which are small and almond shaped that are located in the mouth on both sides of the throat. Tonsils are seen as the main defense against disease which cause germs to enter the body through the mouth, nose and throat. They protect against germs during early childhood by producing antibodies. By attacking bacteria and viruses, antibodies play an essential role in the immune system. The only problem is that, when going through the process of protecting the body, the tonsils can become in actual fact infected themselves. This can often result the need for tonsillectomy.

What is tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy is a process whereby the tonsils are surgically removed. They are masses of lymphatic tissue which are located in the back of the throat. Tonsils are generally only removed when the patient has inflammation or infection in the tonsils.

It is one of the most common operations performed on children in the United States today, and new methods such as laser and electrosurgery have been introduced and continue to be developed to improve the technique of tonsil surgery in order to decrease pain and discomfort.

Side effect of tonsillectomy

By having tonsillectomy, the patient can suffer afterwards with bad breath. This is due to the healing process in the back of the throat. It is also caused by the fluid which comes out of the infected lymphatic tissue. This fluid can in actual fact coat the teeth and inner mouth which will result in bad breath.

Tips to speed up recovery after tonsillectomy

It is always essential that after undergoing a tonsillectomy, you rinse and gargle with a solution of salt water to improve bad breath. By chewing gum you can also decrease the smell of the breath. It is common that most patients breathe through their mouth when sleeping and snore during the recovery period. This is due to the swelling in the back of the throat. However, this generally only lasts for two to three weeks.

Though the patient may be inclined to rinse the mouth with an everyday mouthwash to help eliminate bad breath, it is advised that such mouthwashes be avoided whilst going through the recovery period. It is important to continue with the salt water solution. This is because such off-the-shelf mouthwashes can in actual fact cause the patient to have a dry throat and mouth which will cause discomfort.

Another reason for the bad breath after tonsillectomy is that the consumption of solid food is not possible. Therefore different dietary needs are required, which means that you will be eating different foods than your body is normally used to, which may also result in bad breath.

Do you suffer from bad breath after tonsillectomy? Learn how you can eliminate bad breath today with our free resources.

See Also : Health Secret

 

101 Tattoo Facts

1: An Ohio restaurant specializing in cheeseburgers offers a lifetime 25% discount for anyone who has a tattoo of a cheeseburger and at an unrelated tattoo studio in a nearby town, they’re offering a 25% discount on cheeseburger tattoos- Sounds suspicious.
2: Tattoos are rarely done in ink, what is commonly called inks, are actually suspended solid color particles, mostly metal salts and plastics, but not vegetable dyes as commonly believed.
3: There are no reported cases of HIV infection from a tattoo in the U.S., but there are three from dentist’s offices.
4: More women than men are getting tattooed today.
5: Tattoos are considered a minor medical procedure.
6. Until 2006 it was illegal to get a tattoo in Oklahoma
7: Lucky Diamond Rich of New Zealand is the most tattooed person in the world, and after running out of space, has started putting lighter tattoos on top of the darker ones, and vice versa.
8: Robbie “the coon” Koch recently broke the world’s record by inking 577 tattoos in 24 hrs. The old record was held by Kat Von D of the television show, “LA Ink.” Update- Hollis Cantrell actually owns the record as of 2009 (801 tattoos) but Robbie the coon sounded better. Hollis’s final tattoo was on his thigh.
9: The first recorded tattoo is believed to have been found on a mummified iceman in 3300 BC. He had 58 tattoos, mostly dots and lines.
10: In 1876 Thomas Edison invented a machine that ultimately became the tattoo machine, but it took modifications by Samuel O’Reilly in 1891 to adapt the device for tattooing.

11: The record for the longest tattoo session is 43 hours and 50 minutes and was completed by the very observant and talented artist Melanie Grieveson, of Australia. The tattooed was Stephen Grady.
12: In 2005 Kimberly Smith was paid $10,000 to have Golden Palace.Com tattooed on her forehead by the casino, to help pay for her daughter’s education. The casino is noted for its outlandish promotions.
13: Thomas Edison had five dots tattooed on his left forearm, similar to the dots on dice.
14: Lip tattoos only last 1 to 5 years and need to be frequently retouched, the most common a cosmetic lip liner.
15: The second most common reason for tattoo removal is mistranslation.
16: In 2010 Channel will unveil its new line of fashionable temporary tattoos. The set of 55 tattoos sells for $75.
17: Most Tattoo machines hold between 1 and 10 needles and some ancient methods using rakes hold up to 27.
18: Anil Gupta is considered NYC’s most expensive tattoo artist at over $350 per hour.
19: In the majority of cases, the outline of a tattoo shouldn’t bleed at all, and the shading for only a few minutes.
20: As of 2006, 1 in 4 women aged 18 to 50 have at least one tattoo.

21: U.S. President James Polk is said to be the first white man to have a Chinese character as a tattoo.
22: A brothel in Cologne, Germany is offering any patron who gets a tattoo of the businesses logo, by their in house artist, free entrance for life ($6.25 US) and discounts on lap dances ($25.00 US. ea)
25: The word “tattoo” has been in the top ten searched terms since Lycos started tracking search engines.
26: Democrats are more likely to have a tattoo then republicans, 18% to 14%.
27: January 23, 2010. A new US Marine Corp directive prohibits anyone with a full sleeve tattoo from becoming an officer. It also prohibits tattoos on the hands, wrists, fingers, and the inside of the mouth.
28: July 17th, 2009. 18 year old Kimberly Vlaminck sues a Romanian tattoo artist over the 56 stars that she awoke to, scattered across her face, 53 more than see asked for. She later admitted that she lied in the lawsuit and had asked for all fifty six.
29: Blues singer Janis Joplin had a wristlet tattoo and a small heart on her left breast.
30: In Oregon, it is a felony to practice tattooing without a license or in an unlicensed shop.

31: Heiress and socialite Paris Hilton had one tattoo to her credit, the name of then boyfriend Nick Carter on her right butt cheek. It has since been removed by laser.
32: The traditional Samoan tattoo, pe’a, covering the body from mid torso to the knees, takes 3 months to complete and up to 1 year to fully heal. A typical session lasts from dawn till dusk, or until the pain becomes too great, and resumes the next day unless the skin needs a few days to heal.
33: In a 2002 survey, 8 of the top 10 voted, “most beautiful people in the world” had tattoos.
34: Tattoos done today don’t turn blue when they age, unless they were originally blue, the inks are much more stable.
35: The first occurrence of the word tattoo in the Oxford English Dictionary came in 1769 and is credited to Captain John Cook.
36: A rooster tattooed on one leg and a pig on the other is said to protect a sailor from drowning. Neither animal can swim.
37: Queen Kamamalu of Hawaii (1808-1824) was the first woman to have her tongue tattooed.
38: Most tattoo artists will not tattoo a pregnant woman.
39: Some tattoo artists claim that if you shield a new tattoo from sunlight for the first two years it will remain brighter and clearer for decades.
40: Over 40 million people in the U.S. have tattoos.

41: 26% of Americans with a tattoo say they make them feel more attractive, with women voting that way almost 2 to 1 over men.
42: Tommy Lee of Motley Crue holds the record for highest altitude tattoo, having been inked in 2008 at 45,000 feet. The tattoo was said to cost $150,000 dollars.
43: 73 year old Isobel Valley, the world’s most tattooed women, has every square inch of her body tattooed, except her face, and also has fifty piercings, 15 of which are visible. The majority of the piercings are below the belt because she wants to jingle when she walks, she says.
44: An increasing number of people are having medical alerts tattooed to aid doctors in case of an emergency.
45: 43 year old former soldier Shawn Clark has the names of all 232 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan tattooed on his back.
46: At one time red ink was known to fade; not so with today’ inks.
47: The title of The “Hardy Boys” #47 is “The Mystery of the Whale Tattoo.”
48: When Cortez landed on the Mexican coast in 1519 he was horrified to find the natives practicing devil worshiping and had somehow permanently marked images of their idols on their skin. He called it the work of the devil.
49: A tattoo of an anchor on a sailor indicates they have sailed across the Atlantic.
50: One third of Americans with tattoos say they make them feel sexier.

51: Tattoo ink is injected into the second layer of the skin, the dermis, and become encapsulate by the body as a defense mechanism, leaving the image stable and intact.
52: Gabrial Carbona, an American teenage hit man for a Mexican cartel, has his eyelids tattooed so they never look closed. His idea is not working as well for him in prison.
53: Jimmy Buffet sings about tattoos in this song of the same name, “It’s a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.”
54: In the 1920’s, American circuses employed more than 300 people with full body tattoos and paid them up to $200 a week, a lot of money during those times.
55: The percentage of males and females with tattoos is now statistically equal.
56: Tattoo equipment is sterilized in an autoclave, a high pressure steam machine, similar to a pressure cooker and how hospitals do theirs.
57: 57% of people without a tattoo feel that those with them are more rebellious and threatening.
58: 35 0f the first 43 U.S. Presidents reportedly have tattoos.
59: Tattoo inks are not regulated by the by any government agencies so there is no way of knowing exactly what’s in them.

60: Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, had a tattoo of a snake on her wrist. They were popular for rich aristocrats during that period. She chose a snake because it could be easily covered by a bracelet.
61: U.S. President Andrew Jackson had a giant tattoo of a tomahawk that ran down the length of the inside of his thigh. No one knows exactly why.
62: Almost all U.S. corporations have some form of restrictions or policy regarding tattoos on the job.
63: As of Sept. 29th 2009, the 19 year old ban on tattooing was lifted in DeKalb, Illinois.
64: Actress Halle Berry has a tattoo of a sunflower on her rear end covering up the name of her ex, baseball player David Justice.
65: The popularity of tattooing during the latter part of the nineteenth century and first part of the twentieth century owed much to the circus sideshow.
66: People with antisocial personality disorder are more likely to have a higher number of tattoos in more visible locations, and covering a larger percentage of their bodies.
67: Ancient Egyptians used tattoos to differentiate between slaves and peasants.
68: During the late 18th century in Europe, collecting the tattooed heads of Maori people became so popular that many were murdered to meet the demand. The heads were commonly paid for in guns.
69: In the 1870s the Japanese government outlawed tattoos forcing the practice underground where it flourished.
70: 3% of Americans say having a tattoo makes them feel more athletic.

71: The world’s most tattooed women, Isobel Varley got her first tattoo, a flower, at age 49.
72: 4% of consumers spend over $1000 on a tattoo.
73: When you see someone’s tattoo you are viewing it through the first layer of the skin, the epidermis.
74: 50% of all tattoos are not covered up by clothing and are openly visible.
75: Tattoo machines can make upwards of 200 hits per second, that’s up to 12,000 times a minute and 720,000 an hour.
76: In ancient Greece and Rome, tattoos were considered barbaric and were only used to mark slaves and criminals.
77: 52% of those in prison are tattooed.
78: In recent studies, memorial tattoos have been shown to overwhelmingly turn grief into joy and morning into celebration by creating a lasting memory.
79: A 2009 study conducted at Liverpool Hope University found that people with three or more tattoos had significantly lower levels of self esteem.
80: 4% of Americans say that their tattoos make them feel healthier.

81: It is untrue that white or lighter colored inks are more painful to use.
82: A tattoo is art, only, if the person doing the tattoo is an artist and a skilled technician.
83: President James Buchanon had a tattoo of a scantily clad woman on his chest with the initials BFL (bachelor for life).
84: In 2002, 18 year old hair dresser Lee Becks was shocked to find out the tattoo he thought said, “Love, honor, and obey” actually translated to, “at the end of the day, this is an ugly boy.”
85: New York City outlawed tattoos from 1961 to 1997 because of a tattoo related outbreak of hepatitis “C”.
86: In a 2002 study a group of male high school and college students viewed pictures of models with and without tattoos, and graded them in 13 categories. The models with tattoos scored much lower in 9 of the 13 ratings.
87: Some people experience pain or a burning during sensation during an MRI because of the metallic particles in some inks.
88: The US Navy prohibited tattoos of naked women during World War II, so many future sailors had to get their tattoos reworked to include cloths.
89: The first recorded instance of death following tattooing was reported in 1837 in France. The young woman, a prostitute, was covering up another unwanted tattoo and died from the infection that followed.
90: Apr. 30, 2009. To celebrate Barbie’s 50th birthday Mattel comes out with the new “Totally Stlylin’ Barbie, complete with a set of place able tattoos, one a lower back tattoo featuring the name Ken.

91: 35% of all NBA players have tattoos. Michael Jordan has none and teammate Dennis Rodman has at least 22.
92: Lorette Fulkerson was the last woman to work the circus sideshows, retiring in 1995 at the age of 80.
93: Eyeball tattoos are not done with a machine, but rather, the ink is directly injected into the eye with a syringe.
94: Urine was sometimes used in early ink mixtures.
95: 5% of Americans with a tattoo say they make them feel smarter.
96: The first case of a syphilis being transmitted by a tattoo came in 1853. The artists ink was drying up so he spit in it, transferring the disease.
97: Never go back to the person who gave you a bad tattoo to have it fixed, it will not get better.
98: The time to ask questions is before you get a tattoo.
99: Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.
100: Women are more than twice as likely to have a tattoo removed as men.

101: Over 50% of the tattoos created today will be removed by laser at great expense, intense pain and permanent minor scaring. Think before you ink.

If your interested in learning more about feminine tattoo designs and avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes visit Noel Christian at Angel Heart Tattoo. Think before you ink.

Related : Health Secret

 

Grapes, Nuts, and Your Dogs Health - Foods that Fido should Avoid

“Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who often got himself into sticky situations…”

So begins a story in the latest report from the ASPCA on foods that may be toxic to dogs. It turns out that Magoo got into the pantry and snagged himself about a pound of raisins. He ate the whole thing, of course.

The ASPCA never mentions Magoo’s fate. But they do tell us that as little as a handful of raisins can impair a dogs health and has been fatal for some. Ditto for the grape.

Who Knew?

Growing up, I regarded our family dogs as “the first cycle of the dishwasher”. They were good about waiting their turn for whatever we left on our plates, and we weren’t too concerned about offering them “people food“. It never crossed our minds that our dogs health could be affected by a few measly table scraps. What was safe for us, we figured, was safe for our pets.

What’s more, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to give one or two to our German Shepherd “Tiffany”. The grapes always popped out of her mouth when she tried to bite into them and Tiffany, ever the good sport, refused to give up until she’d squashed each one into submission. It guaranteed at least 60 seconds of harmless fun.

Tiffany was also fond of chewing gum (she chewed it — wrapper and all — but didn’t swallow it!) We had the sugarless kind, which is often sweetened these days with xylitol.

Little did I know that I might have been poisoning our family pet! (More on xylitol below).

Why are grapes harmful?

As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is sure why they’re harmful. It’s been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. But not to every dog, and not every time. It’s also not known whether small amounts eaten over a long time period could have a cumulative effect.

What we do know is that the end result in nearly all reported cases of grape or raisin toxicity is acute kidney failure. (The term “acute” means that the condition is severe and comes on quickly.) The dog ultimately can’t produce urine, which means they can’t filter toxins out of their systems — a process essential to life.

During the twelve-month period in which the effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled 140 cases involving one or more dogs. Over a third of the dogs developed symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs died. The ASPCA based their study on reported cases, so naturally there may be cases where a dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating grapes. But until they know all the facts, the Society advises against feeding pets grapes or raisins in any amount.

An ounce of prevention

So, your dog just scored himself a big box of raisins. What’s a pet owner to do?

The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins were eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the GI tract). Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in trouble, so skip right to the activated charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. (In a pinch you can make your own activated charcoal by charring a piece of toast until it’s blackened and crumbles easily.) Then call your vet right away.

Can’t reach the vet? Call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435

The vet will keep your dog on intravenous fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood chemistry daily. Normal blood work after 3 days usually means your dog is in the clear.

Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, is the best way to keep your pet out of trouble. Like children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack for getting into mischief when we’re not looking.

It’s Not Just the Grapes…

There are other foods your dog should be kept away from, and some of them may surprise you.

Here are some other foods that can put a dogs health in harms way:

Chocolate

Who can resist chocolate? Like it your not, your dog.

Chocolate is made with cocoa beans and cocoa beans contain a chemical called Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Different types of chocolate have varying effects on dogs health. Dark chocolate has the largest theobromine, coming in at a whopping 450mg (compared to 1mg for white chocolate). So on Valentine’s Day, you’re actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself!

Cocoa Mulch

Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of chocolate production (which is how mulch made it into the “foods” category) and are popular as mulch for landscaping. Homeowners like the attractive color and scent, and the fact that the mulch breaks down into an organic fertilizer. However, some dogs like to eat it and it contains Theobromine.

Fatty foods

Fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and can can overtax the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. This can threaten your dogs health and is potentially fatal.

Nuts

Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most nuts are not good for a dogs health since their high phosporus content is said to lead to bladder stones.

Mulch

Mulch isn’t food, but there’s one type tempting enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are attracted to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in varying quantities. The coca bean shells can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (the toxin ) as compaired to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.

Onions

Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman, D.V.M. ’s book: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine vol. 2 pg 1884.) Stay away from onion powder too.

Potatoes

Potato poisonings among people and dogs are rare but have occurred. The toxin, solanine, is poorly absorbed and is only found in green sprouts (these occur in tubers exposed to sunlight) and green potato skins. This explains why incidents seldom occur. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a dogs health, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Artificial Sweeteners

Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, especially sugarless gum and candies. Ingesting large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs, resulting depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. According to Dr. Eric K. Dunayer, a consulting veterinarian in clinical toxicology for the poison control center, “These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product” states Dr. Dunayer, “…therefore, it is important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately.”

Turkey

Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs, partly due to it’s high fat content.

Other foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful:

Alcoholic beverages

Avocado (the only “fatty” member of the vegetable family)

Coffee (all forms of coffee)

Moldy or spoiled foods

Salt

Yeast dough

Garlic

The Bottom Line

Thanks to a more educated public, fewer fatalities from foods like chocolate are being reported these days. But it’s important to keep up with what’s currently known about foods and their effects on dogs health. Grapes and cocoa mulch, for example, were only discovered very recently to have harmful effects.

Check frequently with sources like the ASPCA, or sign up for the “Cold Noses News” and we’ll keep you informed. (You’ll also get a bunch of cool dog stuff along with your free registration).

Of course, being alert and getting your pet to the vet promptly will help assure a happy outcome if something unfortunate should happen.

Here’s to your dogs health and good nutrition!

© 2004, Carolyn Schweitzer. Lifelong dog-lover and family dentist Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor of DevotedToDogs.org where she offers a wide range of information on dog training, dogs health, and other topics near and dear to dog owners everywhere.

You can reach Carolyn by email at carolyn@netbrainer.com.

Recommend : Health Secret

 

10 Reasons Why We Need to Clean Water

If your clean water dilemma is how to clean water marks from glass vases, you’re just touching the tip of this iceberg. If your water is clean, should it leave water marks on glass vases?

SECRET: You can clean water marks from glass vases. I don’t guarantee this will work on every vase, and urge you to use these ideas at your own risk, but here they are. Mix equal parts of cold tea with vinegar, and dissolve a denture cleaner tablet in the mixture. Or fill the vase with water and drop in 2 Alka Seltzer tablets. Soak your vase overnight in either solution, rinse, and dry.

Ten Reasons Why We Need to Clean Water

1. Clean water is vital to the human body.

The human body is 50 to 70 per cent water, and needs a regular supply of clean water to maintain health. We need clean drinking water. We need clean water for cooking and making beverages. Healthy eating and clean water go hand in hand. We must work to clean water worldwide in order to maintain sufficient sources to supply this need.

2. Clean water is vital to our food.

If we fail to clean water and keep it clean, we will be shut up to a diet of contaminated food. Not only fish, but other meats, fruits, and vegetables will deliver contamination to us. If we want healthful, clean fish to leap forth from rivers, streams, and oceans, we will have to clean water. If we want healthful, organic produce, we will have to clean water used to irrigate produce.

3. Clean water is vital to human health.

Clean drinking water is vital to health, yet the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) report that 1.1 billion people around the globe lack access to clean drinking water. The health consequences are devastating. The UN attributes 2.2 million deaths annually to poor water and sanitation. If we clean water, provide better sanitation, and teach people how to keep water clean, future generations can enjoy longer and healthier lives.

4. Clean water is essential for water sports.

A swimmer in clean water is safe from illnesses and diseases produced by contaminated and toxic water. A surfer does not have to fear swallowing water in a wipe out. Boaters and others who use our water for recreation can relax without concern about pollutants. Yet, 27 years after the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act, 40% of our rivers, lakes, and estuaries were still too polluted for safe swimming and similar water sports.

5. Clean water is essential for fish and other wildlife species.

As humans, we must consider the needs of fish, whales, water fowl, and other wildlife species that live in water. We must clean water when there are oil spills, of course, but we must also work to clean water flowing into our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. We must clean water for wildlife that does not live in the water, but depends on clean water for health and cleanliness.

6. We need to clean water to cut down on our carbon footprint.

The emissions involved in producing bottled water are astounding. Pablo Päster, Sustainability Engineer and MBA, did a thorough and exhaustive study of the cost of bringing a single liter of Fiji Water to America. He found that bottlers use nearly seven times as much water to bottle it than you actually drink. The total amount of water used to produce and deliver one bottle of imported water is 6.74 kg! In the process of making the bottle, getting water into the bottle, and delivering it to you, 250g of GHG emissions were released.

7. We need to clean water to cut down on refuse.

Each plastic drinking-water bottle takes hundreds of years to biodegrade in a landfill. Many plastic drinking-water bottles litter the countryside. Some will be recycled, but the recycling process is said to pollute the environment with toxic carcinogens. If we clean water so that it is truly free of contaminants, additives, bacteria, and virus, people are less likely to rely on bottled water.

8. Clean rain and snow are not givens.

Rain is just one step in the water cycle. Pure rain does not automatically fall through the universe, filtered by the atmosphere and delivered from pure clouds. Neither does pure snow. The rain, snow, and other precipitation we receive find their way into the sky from bodies of water on earth. If we fail to clean water on earth, we will have increasingly polluted precipitation. Polluted precipitation is harmful to everyone and everything on which it falls.

9. We need clean water for all-around cleanliness.

Whether it’s your laundry in the Maytag washer, your carpet beneath the cleaning machine, or your body under the shower, clean water is necessary for all-around cleanliness. From early preschool years onward, children are taught proper hygiene - and it depends on clean water.

10. The consequences of inadequate access to clean water are too great.

Many have expressed growing concern that water wars are more likely in the future than current battles for oil. Where access to clean water is the very essence of life, “no water” may mean “no peace.” A failure to clean water now may result in global warfare for future generations.

You may be able to add more reasons. You may substitute different reasons, but the bottom line is still the same. We need to clean water.

It is wiser, and less costly, to keep water clean than to try to clean water that has become dirty and polluted. Will we develop such wisdom for the remaining clean water we have?

© 2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about healthy drinking water at http://www.healthydrinkingwaterblog.com. Anna continues to post additional valuable information on that site about understanding clean water’s importance and making sure you have the best drinking water. If you are eager to learn more about the importance of clean drinking water, you won’t want to miss Anna’s articles.

Tags : Health Secret

 

What is a "Normal" Bowel Movement?

With every new exam I ask the same question…

“How many bowel movements do you have each day? Do you see any mucous, blood, diarrhea or constipation?”

Feces, crap, stools, shit, poop, manure, BM, #2, dung, droppings, and bowel contents are all the same thing. I use all these terms as sometimes my clients don’t know what feces or stool is. If I can’t communicate with my clients, I can’t help them.

Feces contains water, indigestible fiber, undigested food, sloughed off intestinal cells, living and dead bacteria, bile, and worn out red blood cells. A normal stool should be brown to light brown, formed but not hard or too soft, cylindrical but not flattened on any side, fairly bulky and full bodied but not compact, easy to pass, and it shouldn’t have an extremely foul smell. Each bowel movement should be in one piece, about the size and shape of a banana being tapered at the end. Sometimes this will not be discernable if the feces breaks up in the toilet. Some people feel that if the body is absorbing all the minerals from the food that the stool will float. Others believe that the stool should sink. I think the important thing is that there are no air bubbles in the stool and that it doesn’t drop like a brick in the toilet. It should be somewhere in between.

An occasional deviation from this pattern is acceptable. Any chronic deviation from the above pattern is not healthy and should be dealt with.

It’s amazing how many people don’t even look at their stools in the toilet. It’s so important. Stools can reveal a lot about your health if you learn to read them. Digestion happens. It’s a shame that few of us are unable to talk about them without embarrassment. For instance:

o Air or bubbles in the stool can mean that we have a gut or flora imbalance and that gas producing bacteria are overgrown and competing with the healthier flora.

o Alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation can be cause by irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, red meat, spices, sugar, alcohol, stress, lack of fiber, irregular bowel habits.

o Color: Stools are usually the color of the food.

o Constipation can occur leading to impaction–the presence in the rectum of a mass of feces too large to pass. Fecal impaction is usually the result of poor bowel habits, a diet with too little liquid and roughage, too much protein and inadequate physical activity.

o Diarrhea, whether acute or chronic, can disrupt the bowel’s normal rhythm and lead to irregularity. It can mean that your large intestine is not functioning properly. The large intestine is in charge of removing excess water from the feces. Rule outs can include food poisoning, lactose intolerance, anxiety, stress, too many antacids, antibiotics, parasites like Giardia or Coccidia, Balantidia, Coccidoidiomycosis or other parasites, viruses, bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. A healthy bowel will take about a quart and a half and condense it down to 1 cup of stool. That’s pretty amazing.

o Frank red blood (obvious bright red bleeding) can be a sign of hemorrhoids, colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer or be caused from impacted stools passing through the rectum telling us we need to drink more water.

o Horrible smelling stools–too much protein, flora imbalance.

o If the stools are black, tarry and sticky (called melena), this can mean that there is bleeding from the small intestine. These types of stools usually have a distinctive bad odor. If you’ve ever smelled a dog with Parvo, corona or rotavirus, you know what I mean.

o Light green stools–Too much sugar, fruits or vegetables and not enough grains or salt (or in the case of animals, too much grass)Mucous can reveal diverticulitis and gut inflammation due to allergies or parasites.

o Oily or greasy looking stools that usually float and can be large can mean that your pancreas or small intestine are not functioning well enough and not releasing enough digestive enzymes. Normal stools are about 1% fat. When this percentage increases to about 7%, the stool will look oily and greasy. This is called steatorrhea. High fat meals can cause this to happen but should be temporary.

o Pale or clay colored stools can mean that your gallbladder or liver is not working correctly.

o Pencil thin or ribbon-like stools can mean you have a polyp or growth on the inside of the colon or rectum.

o Presence of food: If the stool breaks up easily and you can see bits and pieces of the food you ate, maybe you are not chewing your food thoroughly enough. This can cause GERD, acid reflux, abdominal bloating and diarrhea.

o Red or magenta stools– ingestion of beets.

o Very dark stools: Too much red wine, too much salt in the diet, not enough vegetables. Blueberries, Pepto Bismol (the bismuth in it) and iron pills can also be responsible for dark stools.

Normal bowel habits not only improve the quality of life, they help prevent several common diseases–for example, diverticulitis and fecal impaction. Gall stones, appendicitis, colon cancer, hiatal hernia, diabetes, and heart disease have also been related to the quality of bowel movements and the foods that affect them.

Number of bowel movements: Healthy bowel activity is considered one or two movements of moderate size every day. Every other day or once or twice a week bowel movements can harm you because the bowel contents release toxins back into the body through the mucous membranes. You’ve got to keep that waste moving!

Fecal incontinence (uncontrollable diarrhea) should be dealt with by a professional. Often with this particular symptom (and irritable bowel syndrome) I will pick up a bowel parasite. A bottle or two of Bowel Pathogen Nosode drops does an awesome job most of the time in clearing up these cases.

Healthy bowel habits:

There is usually a time of day when bowel movements are more likely to occur. In anticipation of this time, the patient should participate in activities that stimulate a normal bowel movement. It is also important for the patient to recognize the urge to defecate and to respond right away to that urge. The longer stool sits in the rectum, the more water the rectum will absorb from it, making it harder and more difficult to pass.

The urge to defecate is often strongest in the morning: Just getting up triggers the movement of the large intestine. The stomach also sends a signal when it expands after a meal. This gastrocolic reflex is the reason many people, and especially children, need to go to the bathroom soon after eating. The reflex gets weaker with age, which is one source of constipation problems and the reason why good and consistent bowel habits are helpful.

Laxatives: Some patients are so convinced they need daily laxatives that they are afraid to do without them. It takes time for a changed diet to affect the bowels and for the bowel to regain its normal rhythm. Be patient. Enemas are a better solution.

Healthy bowel movements require ingestion of a large amount of liquids and bulk foods. The patient should drink two to three quarts of liquids every day. Bulk comes from unrefined foods. Oat bran, wheat bran, brown rice, green vegetables, apples, and pears are a few examples of high residue, high fiber foods.

Some patients will benefit from adding bulk preparations of psyllium, but others find that psyllium will cause extreme amounts of gas. For these people, the addition of WHOLE flax seeds (eat without chewing them) and bran will help. And one single 8-ounce cup of coffee in the morning often helps people get a regular bowel movement.

Natural Laxatives include:

o Anti-Constipation Paste

o Coffee

o DSS (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate)

o Glycerine suppositories

o Nature’s Sunshine LBS II (excellent)

o Oil enemas

o Prune juice

o Saline purges

Fleet enemas are used only for people and dogs. They are very toxic to cats and can kill them. These are OK to use occasionally, but the other enemas we are talking about are better for healing purposes.

Soap suds enemas can be a little harsh to the intestine. Use these only occasionally if necessary

Some Notes on Intestinal Bacteria Replacement: Inside a healthy lower intestine are billions of beneficial intestinal bacteria or microflora. These bacteria are of the Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bifidus strains and were transferred by breast-feeding into our intestines as newborn infants. The body uses L. acidophilus and L. bifidus in the final stages of digestion reproducing themselves as necessary to keep in total harmony with the body.

When the good bacteria can’t keep up, bad bacteria overpopulate the gut to give a gut flora imbalance resulting in lower bowel diseases, gas, diarrhea, IBS, and Crohn’s. The devitalizing effect caused by harmful bacteria in the intestine is rarely diagnosed near the beginning of this imbalance. Headaches, skin infections, weakness and constipation can also be symptoms of depleted intestinal bacteria.

What Causes A Gut Flora Imbalance?

o Toxins, especially drugs such as antibiotics and narcotics.

o Severe diarrhea can damage or destroy these beneficial bacteria, allowing harmful bacteria to take over producing by-products like ammonia, purines and ethionine, which can eventually cause colon cancer.

o Fasting can also deplete the beneficial bacteria because large quantities of toxins are dumped from the lymph glands into the colon at the time of the fast. Also during a fast, with certain diets and with eating disorders, there is an absence of foods that the good bacteria thrive on.

o Using enemas also depletes the beneficial bacteria, especially if chlorinated water is used.

To reestablish intestinal bacteria, do a couple enemas with liquid acidophilus or live acidophilus. These products should be stored and purchased refrigerated. Off-the-shelf products are not so effective for replacing gut flora. You can also mix a couple tablespoons of active plain yogurt to your enema mix along with a tablespoon of the liquid acidophilus. Add some warm water, but do not heat the mixture or use chlorinated water. After blending the mixture, pour it into the enema bag. Use less water for these types of enemas (only 1-2 cups) and try to retain the liquid within the colon for ten minutes to allow the beneficial bacteria to pass up through the intestine. This procedure will ensure that a healthy culture will propagate within the intestines.

You can also start adding L. acidophilus and L. bifidus to your foods a day or two before you break a fast. Use repeat dosages as per bottle instructions once a week for about 5 weeks.

FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) are also good for reestablishing gut flora. These are long-chain sugars that feed friendly flora. You can purchase this in concentrated pill form or eat lots of apples, Jerusalem artichokes, or pears. These foods have high amounts of FOS in them.

Well…That’s the scoop on poop. (Some people take things so seriously.)

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her telephone consultation practice established in 1995. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com. Sign up for her free internationally distributed newsletter to receive a bonus report containing over 150 tips to improve your health starting today or follow her on Facebook for all the latest health updates and discussions at http://www.facebook.com/NaturalHealthTechniques. And yes, people email her poop pictures all the time. That’s life in the fast lane!

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Dental Malpractice - A Dental Implant Nightmare

[A true story.]

The oral surgeon in New York promised to give a patient a set of perfect teeth. All he needed to do was get 10 dental implants on his upper jaw, and 10 dental implants on his lower jaw. The patient, who never had implants before, agreed. He wanted a beautiful set of teeth. It had been many years since he had good healthy natural teeth, and when he arrived in the oral surgeon’s office for that first consultation, he had only seven decaying teeth remaining in his mouth.

WHAT IS A DENTAL IMPLANT?

It is usually a titanium screw that gets screwed into the jaw. It creates the foundation upon which a permanent bridge or crown will sit. Once the implant is screwed into the jaw, it takes months to heal. After the healing period, a healing collar is placed around the implant, and then a post is placed on top of the implant. Once a post is put on, a fixed bridge or cap (also known as a crown) can be attached to the post.

THE COST TO PLACE IMPLANTS

My client had been to a few different implant dentists and was told that for six implants it would cost anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000. Since this man did not have the money to pay for these implants, he held off, and continued to use his ill-fitting denture that would fall out at the most inopportune times.

One day, while at work, my client saw an ad by this oral surgeon promising inexpensive dental implants and great results. The ad was intoxicating and held the promise of a great set of teeth for only a fraction of the cost that most other dentists were charging.

“IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE…IT IS”

This patient was quoted a price of $22,500 to put in 10 implants on his upper jaw, and 10 implants on his lower jaw. Twenty implants total. All for the low, low price of $22,500. That price also included the restoration for full porcelain fixed bridges on both upper and lower jaws. What a bargain.

What the patient got instead was botched dental treatment. To begin with, the oral surgeon failed to properly evaluate whether this patient had sufficient bone for all these implants. He failed to identify where the nerves were in relation to where he was going to insert the implants. Unfortunately for the patient, the implants were put in too close together; they were improperly angled; there were too many implants; he put an implant into the patient’s sinus and never realized it; he created a hole in the sinus and despite trying to fix it twice, failed.

THE RECORDS DON’T LIE

The doctor’s dental records were worse than scribbles. They had no useful information. The notes reflecting the doctor’s comments after the dental implant surgery simply said “Observe.” That’s it. No notes about patient complaints, what type of examination he performed on that visit or any other visit for that matter. No notes about what his treatment plan was. Incredibly, while the patient was having the implants inserted the doctor claimed that he would take one to two intra-operative x-rays to determine if the implants were in the correct place. Once he decided they were in the right place, he would then inexplicably throw away the x-rays he had taken. The doctor attempted to explain that he had no use for the intra-operative x-rays once the implants were embedded into the jaw.

The fact that the x-rays were technically the patient’s property had no impact on this oral surgeon.

A DENTIST ABANDONS HIS PATIENTS

Months after the patient had his implants placed into his jaw, he received a letter from this New York dentist announcing that he could no longer continue to provide dental services, giving various excuses. Incredibly, the dentist failed to refer this patient, or any other patient, to another oral surgeon to continue their dental implant care. As a result, this dental victim remained without any teeth in his mouth for two full years.

Calls and letters to this oral surgeon requesting a refund of cash that had been paid went unanswered. All efforts to recoup money for the improper work and unfinished work were ignored.

THE PATIENT FILES A LAWSUIT

This dental malpractice victim sued this New York dentist for failing to properly insert his dental implants. A dental implant expert was prepared to explain to the jury how this New York dentist’s planning, execution and post-operative care deviated from good and accepted dental standards here in the State of New York. As a result of those departures from good care, this patient suffered significant dental injury, requiring extensive sinus surgery to correct the hole, and the implant lodged in the sinus. He will require most of the implants to be removed, and will have to start over again. All at an astronomical price. Removing the implants may also cause damage and injury to the jaw and nerves running through his upper and lower jaw.

This patient agreed to settle his case on the day jury selection was scheduled. The successful settlement will now allow this traumatized man the chance to surgically correct the botched dental treatment he received from this oral surgeon. Hopefully in the near future, after all of his dental treatment has been completed, he’ll be able to look in the mirror, and for the first time in many years, smile and say “Good morning,” without feeling self-conscious and worried what someone will think of a man without teeth.

Gerry Oginski is an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, New York, Staten Island, Nassau & Suffolk. He has tirelessly represented injured victims in all types of medical malpractice, wrongful death and injury cases since 1988. As a solo practitioner he is able to devote 100% of his time to each individual client. A client is never a file number in his office.

Take a look at Gerry’s website http://www.oginski-law.com and read his free special reports on malpractice and accident law. Read actual testimony of real doctors in medical malpractice cases. Learn answers to your legal questions. We have over 250 FAQs to the most interesting legal questions. Read about his success stories. Read the latest injury and malpractice news. I guarantee there’s something for you. For more information, call him personally at 516-487-8207.

Also, go over to http://medicalmalpracticetutorial.blogspot.com for Gerry’s free instructional videos on New York Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death & Accident law.

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What Are Root Canal Headaches

Root canal headaches can be extremely painful; so much so that they may deprive you of your sleep. They are mostly caused due to a flawed root canal treatment, or any new infection that sets in after sometime since placing the crown/completing the root canal treatment. Often, in order to stop the pain, you are forced to resort to a regular dose of pain killers for some relief. However, it is best not to consume pain killers for too long and you should seek medical attention quickly.

To further understand how root canal headaches are caused, here is a brief look at the cause and procedure of root canal treatment itself. Root canal - as the term indicates - is a treatment methodology to cure the infection that sets in the canal of a human tooth. The damage can be the result of an untreated cavity, gum disease or trauma to the tooth, but if left untreated, the infection could affect the nerves and kills the dental pulp, and spread to the other parts of the mouth, destroying the jaw bone and leading to other complications, even to a life threatening extend. If you do not do a root canal treatment, there is not other choice left, but to remove the damaged tooth.

The root canal treatment involves removing all the affected pulp, bacteria, puss, and any other decay from the cavities of the damaged tooth and filling the resulting space with neutral, medicated dental materials; so that, after the treatment, the tooth can stand on its own and perform almost all of its normal functions as if it were a live tooth. The entire procedure of root canal treatment may involve 3-4 sittings with an endodontist, and it may cost a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending upon the complexity of the situation.

If everything goes fine and the root canal treatment nearly perfect, the tooth will cure within a week’s time and it will function almost normally as any other tooth. But if the dentist or endodontist, who had performed the cleaning of the canals, failed to cleanout the canals fully or missed a canal by accident, the infection or bacteria within the canals remains, and within few days, it’ll again spread to the jaw bone or nearby tooth, resulting in uncontrollable pain. If someone who has recently undergone a root canal treatment feels persisting pain in the operated tooth that increases in intensity with time, it can be a budding root canal headache, and hence must consider consulting a specialist immediately.

The treatment for root canal headache includes antibiotics to kill the inflammation and pain, and a second root canal treatment to cleanout the newly set in infection.

Tail Piece: Root canal headache is more of a common man’s slang than a technical term. Medical science often refer it as the headache due to a miscarried out root canal treatment.

Overconsumption of drugs for headache relief can result in rebound headaches and worsening migraines. Get more information on natural headache remedy or remedies [http://www.naturalheadacheremedies.com] here on this site at www.naturalheadacheremedies.com [http://www.naturalheadacheremedies.com]

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Pulsating Nasal Irrigation - A Comparison Of Two Products

I have used pulsating nasal irrigation for about 5 years in an effort to obtain sinus relief after having gone through two sinus operations, both rather ineffective. My experience is that pulsating nasal irrigation is much more effective than other systems, such as using a squeeze bottle or neti pot. Until a few weeks ago I used a Water Pik machine with a special adaptor for pulsating nasal irrigation. The Water Pik machines seem to last only about a year or so, and I have gone through about 4 of them. When the latest one broke down, I went to purchase another and noticed that the design has changed since my last purchase, and my nasal adaptor no longer fit. I thus decided to purchase a device called the Hydro Pulse Nasal/Sinus Irrigation System and have been using it for my daily nasal irrigation routine for several weeks. This article will discuss the pros and cons of these two pulsating nasal irrigation systems.

The Hydro Pulse is designed specifically for nasal irrigation as well as throat and tongue cleansing, and the Water Pik is of course a dental hygiene product. Both produce pulsating streams of water to accomplish their intended purposes. It is not surprising that the Hydro Pulse seems to be a bit better for nasal irrigation than does the Water Pik. The main reason for using pulsating nasal irrigation as sinus therapy is to clean out the nasal cavities and especially to help the nasal and sinus cilia oscillate and thus do their job of cleaning out the nasal system by moving mucus and creating proper drainage. I assume the Hydro Pulse has a frequency more closely matched to the natural frequency of cilia movement than does the Water Pik, which would never take cilia movement into consideration in its design, as its goal is to clean teeth and exercise gums. The fact that the frequency of pulsating water jets in the Water Pik is relatively close to that of normal cilia movement is a lucky coincidence. My impression is that the Hydro Pulse stream of saline solution is also a bit softer than that of the Water Pik, yet it seems to complete the job of rinsing 16 oz. of saline solution through the nostrils a bit quicker and a bit more comfortably. This could be because the Hydro Pulse might be easier to regulate than the Water Pik since it has two controls, one on the machine itself and another on the nasal adapter. In general I give the edge to the Hydro Pulse for comfort and ease of use.

The Hydro Pulse also comes with an adaptor for throat irrigation and tongue cleansing. Some people have problems with bad breath, and using this adapter can help clean the mouth and eliminate small food particles which can contribute to bad breath. The throat cleansing can be done with the same saline solution that is used for nasal irrigation, with plain water, or with a mixture of water and mouth wash. Until now I have just used water, but it would seem that the mouth wash mixture would make the most sense for people with bad breath. In any case, plain water needs to be run through either machine after each use to clear out any saline solution in the system, as this could lead to corrosion over time.

As for clean-up after use, the Hydro Pulse is slightly easier, although its 16 oz. water tank is a vertical cylinder, and its small opening makes it a bit hard to get a tissue into it to dry it out.

For years I stuck with the Water Pik because it not only accomplished the pulsating nasal irrigation I was looking for, but it also helped clean my teeth and exercise my gums, which is what it is designed for. I am a person who tends to accumulate a lot of build-up on my teeth between semi-annual cleanings, and the dental hygienist would have to spend a lot of time scraping off buildups of calculus. This situation has greatly improved since I started using the Water Pik. In fact a dentist recommended that I use the machine many years ago, and I wish I had taken his advice.

It would seem that the best overall solution for pulsating nasal irrigation would be either a Hydro Pulse with the tooth and gum cleansing action of a Water Pik, or a Water Pik with the throat and tongue cleaning adaptor. I’ll probably end up using both machines, but ideally I’d like the ease of one for both purposes.

Walt Ballenberger is founder of http://www.postnasaldrip.net a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers like himself. For a free report entitled “Sinus Treatment Success Stories”, visit http://www.postnasaldrip.net and click on the Free Report link. This resource can be of significant help to chronic sinus sufferers.

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The Rules of Society - To Follow or Not to Follow

Who makes the rules? Do you ever get tired of “this is required” and “that is required” no matter what it is you are trying to accomplish? How can someone let out his or her creative streak if there are always invisible stop signs?

What am I talking about?

I’m talking about everything … college requires you to take classes that are irrelevant to your interests and major or minor. They say that it will make you more “well-rounded”. Come on now. How does attending a math class half baked from the night before and listening to a teacher read the book to you make you more well rounded? Not to mention, the tests. The tests are multiple choice and you have to buy your own damn Scan-trons. If you want to know the truth, the learning process is the budgeting of your money and getting all the details right. Which Scan-tron do I buy? Where can I get the best deal on my textbooks — eBay or Amazon? How much money will I have left for Ramen Noodles if I buy this package of pens? If it’s not A and it’s not B, it must be C. Let’s get real. I’m not completely dissing college. I understand that there are professions that need the degree — doctors, dentists, architects — you know, jobs in which the public’s health depend on them. (I said architect because we don’t want buildings to come crashing down on us.) But even they are subject to taking required courses that don’t matter. It’s about making extra money for the larger entity, not necessarily about making well-rounded students.

Rules. I even had them at massage school. Aren’t they forgetting that some of their students are adults, not teenagers that just graduated high school and haven’t an inkling about what it’s like to live in the real world? I’ve worked jobs that pay two times more than what the people teaching me get paid, and they were telling me what to do and when to do it. I don’t appear to have a problem with authority, and really I don’t (I swear), but whenever I hear a condescending note come out of someone’s mouth, I can’t help but roll my eyes and wonder why I subject myself to such things. It makes my stomach sour when I see a woman old enough to be my mother clam up because someone basically yelled at her or “put her in her place”. It’s not right. We are adults. We know how to do our work along with taking on a full-time school schedule. Give us a break please. Don’t mark down that I am five minutes late for my clinical when I am there ten minutes before my scheduled shift, don’t charge me $260 for NOT attending one day of an elective for being sick, and then not have that elective available to me until after I graduate, don’t have the “principal” come in and yell at my class for being too noisy or forgetting to turn off our cell phones … we have lives, we are human adults, and we make mistakes. These rules only make the school look less of what they are trying to be, which is holistic, caring and open-minded.

Rules. Who ever decided what the format of a book or novel should be? Oh, uh … it HAS to be 70,000 to 100,000 words, it HAS to be 12-point Times New Roman (I DESPISE 12-point Times New Roman!), you have to have some “things under your belt” or “some articles published” before even considering writing something of that magnitude. Why? What does it matter? Isn’t someone who takes the time … perhaps years … to write the perfect novel, more persistent than the person who writes piddly articles for a Health & Fit Magazine? I would think so. And doesn’t it take more balls to write something from the heart than about politics, sports or the newest way to lose weight? But guess what folks? It all boils down to one thing — you guessed it — money. People make money writing about arbitrary subjects, because for some reason that is what the majority of people want to read. I just have to hope that there will be some people out there who will want to read something absorbing, frightening, interesting and unusual. Will there be? Who knows. But I’m going to break the rules to find out.

And having the college degree to succeed — that is the final “rule” of America that I will discuss today. I have met so many people that have college degrees that have no more good to say than someone that just graduated junior high. I have also met many people who do and don’t have degrees that are so wise beyond their years that my heart opens up to them and lets them in immediately. But for some reason, the ones with degrees (even advanced degrees) that are shallow, annoying and ignorant, tend to piss me off the most. I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that I wanted school to be a part of my life at the time right after high school, and I didn’t go. I know that is part of the reason. The other part is that some people just assume that having the eduction makes them better, smarter and more important than people who don’t. They can’t even give you a good reason why. It’s just what they think. When I meet people like this, I want to scream in their faces, “SO WHAT!” So they went to school for 4-6 years full-time and did homework, went to parties and listened to interesting teachers for hours a day. SO WHAT. The majority did not work full time while doing this. Some didn’t work at all. THAT was their job — to go to school. How is that accomplishment compared to someone working and living in the real world instead of going though school? How? Yes, I know some people complete degrees as adults WHILE working full time … and those people I do commend very much. It’s the after high school crowd that annoys me. And I’ll say it many times before I die, I’m sure. It’s just a bone of contention, but I can honestly say it’s not because I want the experience now, I don’t, it’s because the ones that are having the experience don’t appreciate it, and they do not understand what the real world is until they are at least 25 or 26 years old. I confirmed yesterday that I no longer want to pursue an English degree when I met the strangest individual that talked for an hour about her hamster friend and how he speaks three dialects and sleeps on her pillow at night. She has a Master’s degree in English. Yikes. I’ll stick with where I’m at, thank you.

These are “A” Rules. Paying taxes. Not drinking and driving. Stopping at a stop sign. Don’t kill anybody. Don’t drink bleach. These rules make sense.

These are “B” Rules. Don’t walk across the street until the blinking light says so. Pay the city money for a sidewalk they decided to replace. Pay money to school when you change your mind about a class. Take yoga classes at school because it’s required. Don’t cuss in front of children. Don’t change careers or jobs too often. Don’t write a book, that’s stupid. Eat slowly. Don’t open a massage practice until you graduate. Go to the dentist twice a year. Get your eyes checked once a year. Go to the gyno once a year. Get all the tests and labs done that your doctor tells you even though you don’t understand why. Get your dog licensed in your city. Declaw your cat. Don’t eat eggs after the expiration date. Pour milk down the drain on the day it expires. Don’t move in with someone too soon. Get married before you live together. Getting married is the best day of your life. Kids change EVERYTHING. You have to buy gifts for people you don’t know because, well, it’s “expected” of you. Drive the speed limit in residential areas. Don’t let it be known that you spoil yourself sometimes … or god forbid, that you love yourself! Don’t write fragment sentences. Don’t question authority, even if it’s 86 years old.

“A” Rules are meant to be followed. “B” Rules are meant to be broken.

Have a very “B” day.

Jen Burmeister is a freelance writer, dog walker, author of “Ralphie – Being the Weird Girl” (Coming 2008) and soon-to-be mommy in Troy, Michigan. To read more articles of this nature or learn more about Jen, please visit [http://www.girlfromasmalltown.blogspot.com] or http://www.thedogjogger.com

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Try a Dental Flipper For Your Missing Teeth

Dental flippers are one type of removable partial dentures, or “removable partials.” All removable partials, including dental flippers, use standard acrylic denture teeth to replace missing natural teeth. The pink base or “plate” portion of a partial denture is an acrylic material identical to the base used in standard full dentures.

The Fabrication

The fabrication of dental flippers requires several steps. The dentist or dental technician first takes an impression of the patient’s mouth. A plaster cast is then poured using that impression. The plaster cast and a prescription specifying the appropriate tooth color are sent to a dental laboratory for the actual fabrication.

The laboratory’s technician selects the proper shape and number of acrylic teeth in a shade that most closely matches the specifications in the dental flipper prescription. An acrylic plate is then carefully molded to fit the patient’s palate (for an upper flipper) or to fit just inside the tongue side of the patient’s teeth (for a lower flipper).

Some dental flippers are secured in the patient’s mouth by the pink acrylic plate snapping between the teeth. For a slight additional cost, a dental flipper can be fabricated to be secured in the mouth using wires with small balls on the ends.

Uses for partial dentures

As mentioned earlier, dental flippers are relatively inexpensive dental appliances used to replace one or more missing teeth. Often, they are used on a temporary basis while the patient waits for a more permanent dental crown or bridge to be fabricated. They can also be used to aid the healing process after dental implants have been put into place.

Although a dental flipper is intended to be a temporary solution, some are designed so well that it is not unheard of for people to wear them for many years.

Dental Flippers Have Some Distinct Advantages

Dental flippers are far less expensive than fixed dental bridges, implants and other types of dental appliances. In fact, they are the least expensive way to replace a missing tooth. The difference in their cost means that dental flippers offer a distinct advantage to patients with tight budgets.

Several missing teeth can be replaced at the same time by using a single partial denture. A partial denture can therefore avoid or at least postpone the need for individual bridges or dental implants when several teeth are missing. In addition, a fixed dental bridge might not be appropriate if three or more teeth in a row are missing, or if the teeth on either side of the missing teeth are not healthy. These issues do not present any difficulty when a dental flipper is used.

Despite being considered a temporary solution, many people wear partial dentures for many years. If the patient uses good oral hygiene and the dental flipper is properly maintained, it can provide an outward appearance similar to that of a more expensive permanent dental appliance.

Partial dentures can also serve as “immediate” partial dentures. A flipper can be fabricated before unhealthy teeth are extracted, and then be inserted immediately after the extraction. In addition, if a patient is already wearing a flipper but an additional natural tooth must be extracted, an impression can be made with the flipper in place. The dental lab uses this impression (with the flipper embedded in it) to insert a false tooth in place of the bad one. This is a one-day procedure, enabling a patient to have a good replacement tooth the same day the offending tooth is extracted. Aside from the cost advantage, the fact that new teeth can easily be added to an existing plate is perhaps the biggest advantage of using a partial denture.

Disadvantages

Partial dentures may not be quite as aesthetically appealing as a permanent bridge because the clasping wires often used to secure them may not be completely concealed. Due to being removable, they are not as stable as bridges. They can also impair gum health if worn for extended periods, making good oral hygiene essential. Their irregular shapes also make them somewhat brittle and eating requires care or even removal to prevent breakage.

All in all, however, dental flippers are a viable and relatively inexpensive treatment option for people with missing teeth.

Virginia Jacobs kindly invites you to visit www.dental-care-advisor.com, a comprehensive dental care website where you will find answers to your questions about dental care and oral hygiene, as well as a free newsletter with oral health tips and advice.

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