Healthy Living

Enjoy Life With Dental Implants

Despite advancements in dental treatment, a large number of Americans suffer tooth loss — largely as a result of tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma. In the past, the only treatment options available for individuals with missing teeth were dentures and bridges. However, now, dental implants are readily available.

What is a dental implant?

An implant is a titanium root that is surgically placed in the jaw bones. Once in place, the titanium surface bonds to the jaw bone. A titanium post called an abutment, goes from the implant through the gum and act as the tooth part. Implants offer a solid foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. They can support crowns and bridges. They also stabilize fixed and removable dentures.

What Are the benefits of implants?

Implants offer an improved look, as they have a profile and emergence similar to natural teeth. They preserve adjacent natural teeth as there is no need to trim a healthy tooth to place a bridge crown. As the implant surface bonds to bone, it provides solid foundation for replacement teeth. Dentures stabilized with implants are secure and have a better fit than conventional removable dentures. Implants function like teeth, letting you eat your favorite food with confidence. They improve the overall quality of life. With immediate implant placement, you can have an implant placed in a fresh extraction socket without having to wait for months for the bone to heal. This technique usually results in better esthetic outcome, especially when front teeth are involved.

Who is a candid to dental implants?

To receive an implant, you must have healthy gums and adequate amount of bone to support and stabilize the implant. You must have an overall good health. If you do not have enough bone at the implant site, a bone graft can be placed to augment the area. A bone graft can even be placed in the sinus to augment surgical sites for replacement of upper molar teeth. You must also commit to keeping your dental implants healthy with meticulous hygiene and regular dental visits. Implants can develop gum disease as natural teeth.

How expensive are implants?

Implants are usually more expensive than conventional crowns and bridges. Most insurance plans do not cover implant treatment. However, considering the benefits of implants, they are a better investment than conventional methods of tooth replacement. They also have a higher success rate than conventional bridges.

The Root Canal Procedure Explained

The root canal procedure is recommended by the dentists for saving badly damaged or infected teeth. The root canal procedure prevents the removal of teeth. Apparently, no one will be interested in losing their teeth. Getting a suitable replacement is very costly. When carrying out the root canal procedure, the dentists will target affected tissues. The tissues are commonly referred to as the pulp in dentistry. The dentists will remove all of the infected pulp. After removing it, they will clean the canal and disinfect it. The space that was once covered by the pulp will be filled with filling materials before it is sealed. The name root canal originated from the cleaning of the canals.

What results in pulp infection is a cracked tooth and deep cavity. The cracks and cavity make it possible for bacteria to reach the nerve area. Repeating the same treatment on a particular tooth can affect the pulp. Urgent treatment of the tooth is vital. That will prevent it from spreading to other teeth. That would be a serious dental problem. With the aid of competent dentists, patients can be assured of safe procedures.

What to expect during root canal procedures

Do not opt for root canal treatment without consulting the dentist. The dental experts must examine the affected tooth. Their findings will determine whether you should obtain the treatment or not. Listed below are the steps performed by the dentist during the procedure.

X-Ray – The first step is getting an X-Ray of the infected part. The purpose of the X-Ray is to show the exact part of the tooth that is affected. It is impossible to detect the decay with normal eyes. The image will reveal the extent of the decay. Using the image, the dentist will know the exact way to remove the decay.

Anesthesia – The procedure cannot be done without local anesthesia. That is because it is very painful. The local anesthesia is injected into the infected tooth. That will make the tooth to become numb. The procedure will, therefore, be less painful. It is advisable to discuss with the dentist on the appropriate anesthesia. Get information regarding the types of anesthesia before picking the best one.

Pulpectomy-The dentist would need an opening to reach the pulp. Pulpectomy is the process of creating an opening. Via the opening, the infected pulp will be removed. Cleaning and disinfection will be done via the same opening.

Filling-After cleaning, the space left by the removed pulp needs to be filled. The dentists use the gutta-percha material to fill the space. Unlike the removed pulp, the filling material is not a living tissue. That is why teeth are dead after this procedure. After filling, the opening is sealed with cement.

The Composition of a Tooth

How much do you know about your teeth?

Your teeth begin to grow while you’re still a baby inside your mother’s womb. While they aren’t visible until a few years after birth when they “erupt” or come up from within the gums, they are there. Baby teeth, or primary teeth grow in and fall out in the same order and are replaced with permanent, or adult teeth. Your permanent teeth will be the teeth you have for the rest of your life. If you lose an adult tooth, it may be able to be re-attached at the root if you see a dentist immediately. In many cases, a lost permanent tooth means a fake tooth, such as a dental implant will be needed to replace the lost, natural tooth.

Your teeth are able to withstand much wear and tear as well as grinding and pressure. What makes teeth so hard and long-lasting? It likely has something to do with their composition.

Each tooth is made up of enamel, dentin and cementum and each tooth has a dental pulp.

Tooth Enamel

The part of the teeth you’re most familiar with is the tooth enamel. This is the hard, translucent, outer covering of the tooth. It is this part of the tooth that cavities can destroy and leave the tooth vulnerable to further decay and disease. The enamel is said to be the hardest and most mineral-packed substance of the body. Tooth enamel is made up of mostly minerals, with some organic compounds and water. The enamel is the thickest (and strongest) at the cusp of the tooth and is weakest along the tooth edges.

As we age, the years of use, abuse and wear and tear, the enamel slowly wears off in what is called attrition.

What is enamel made of? Crystalline calcium phosphate called hydroxyapatite accounts for most of the minerals found in tooth enamel. These minerals give teeth their strength, as well as their brittleness. Enamel also doesn’t contain collagen like other parts of the tooth. Tuftelins, ameloblastsins, ameloblenins and enamelins are proteins that help develop enamel.

Dentin

Underneath the enamel is a porous, yellowish material called dentin. It is this material that gives teeth their classic yellow, or preferably white color. Dentin is made up of inorganic and organic materials as well as water. It is made of mineralized connective tissue and collagen proteins. Dentinogenesis, or the process of forming dentin involves the secretion by odontoblasts of the tooth pulp. Dentin contains a matrix of microscopic tubules that don’t criss-cross each other. The length of the tubules are determined by the radius of one’s tooth. Dentin is the substance between enamel or cementum and the pulp chamber.

While dentin isn’t as strong as enamel, it still gives your teeth extra strength, support and protection. Because it is softer than enamel, it decays more rapidly and is subject to severe cavities if not properly treated, but dentin still acts as a protective layer and supports the crown of the tooth.

Cementum

The innermost layer of the tooth is called the cementum. This part of the tooth resembles bone and it covers the tooth pulp. Like the tooth enamel and dentin, the cementum is made of inorganic (mostly hydroxyapatite), organic (mostly collagen) and water. Cementum is softer than the enamel and dentin and is secreted by cementoblasts that are in the root of the tooth. It too has a yellowish color and is the thickest around the apex of the tooth root. This part of the tooth has the purpose of being a medium through which the periodontal ligaments (the ligaments of the gums) attach to the tooth, giving the tooth stability.

Tooth Pulp

In the center of each tooth is the pulp. The pulp consists of connective tissue that contains nerves and blood vessels. The tooth pulp supplies the tooth with blood and nutrients as well as infection-fighting macrophages and T lymphocytes. It is in the pulp where the odontoblasts which make dentin are located as well as nerve endings, which give the tooth the ability to react to hot or cold food and drink.

12 Local Foods That Amazingly Boost Metabolism

Metabolism is the chemical processes in the body that involves the break down of food substances into useful nutrients for the build up and repair of body cells and organs and their proper functioning. Apart from water which is known universally to be one of the essential components for excellent body functions, there are other foods good for boosting your metabolism.

1. Legumes

Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils contain proteins which takes longer to digest hence increasing the rate of metabolism. They are rich in fiber too, which helps in efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body.

2. Nuts

Nuts are suitable antioxidants and thus help in bringing down sugar and fat levels in the body. They are rich in energy which keeps the body fueled up without eating much, and this leads to weight loss.

3. Berries

These are good in bringing down the much-loathed belly fat by burning huge calories and at the same time maintaining high energy levels. Berries are also known to be useful in fighting diabetes.

4. Citrus

Anybody can attest to the fact that fruits and especially citrus ones are fantastic for losing excessive weight. They are useful in digestion too and boosts the body metabolism to great lengths.

5. Seafood

Fish is very rich in omega-3 which is essential in the body for increasing metabolism and burning calories which is a suitable weight management mechanism.

6. Spinach

Spinach is one green vegetable known for its richness in iron which in turn boosts the amount of oxygen intake to body tissues through the blood.

7. Avocado

Avocado is rich in omega-3 and contains essential fats that increase the rate of metabolism in the body and keeping the body weight in check by lowering excessive sugars.

8. Spices

Although spices are not everyone’s darling, there are very good for burning calories and also aids in digestion thus boosting metabolism.

9. Chocolate

Chocolate is good in adding up energy levels and lowering the intake of unnecessary fats and sugars. It helps to reduce the body weight and increase metabolism.

10. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil unbelievably helps to lower unnecessary fats because it contains fatty acids which limit the accumulation of lipids and boosting the rate of metabolism in the body.

11. Vegetable Soup

Among the numerous benefits of veggie soup is the ability to aid the body in digestion and uptake of nutrients and boosting metabolism.

12. Green Tea

Green tea is useful in breaking down the excess glucose stored up in the body. It lowers calories and boosts metabolism too.

Herbal Teas – A Gentle Way to Assist Your Health

Herbal teas are a great alternative to the usual black tea cuppa. However they are more than just a nice warm drink on a cold night. Herbal teas can have a wonderful positive effect on your immunity and help prevent illness. Herbs have been used in various ways for centuries to help people improve their health. Why not try a few on this list to see how they can help you?

Rosehip will help raise your immunity as it is full of Vitamin C.

Ginger is well known for helping nausea and to settle the stomach but it is also good for colds and flu.

Chamomile will help you sleep better as it calms your nervous system. It is also good for digestion.

Green tea has become a substitute for normal black tea with many people. Green tea will help boost your immunity as it is an anti-oxidant. If the taste is not to your liking then add a bit of lemon to give it a bit of a lift.

Fennel is a great tea to help you with controlling that sweet tooth. It tastes like liquorice so it can satisfy your cravings for sweet feeds as well as help suppress your appetite.

Lemon grass tones your skin and is also good for digestion and fever.

Peppermint is a great stomach tea for digestion and to help with bad breath, congestion and fluid buildup. Peppermint is a stimulant so is a great tea to have in the mornings instead of that cup of coffee.

Spearmint is a good stand in for peppermint if you find peppermint too strong. Or you can add spearmint in with peppermint and chamomile if you want to make a great mix.

Brahmi tea will help your memory become a lot clearer

Dandelion is for fluid buildup and puffiness as it helps cleans the liver. If you feel unsettled when you drink it though see a naturopath as your liver function may need attention.

Raspberry leaf tea is for expectant mothers suffering from morning sickness and can also make for an easier delivery when baby is due.

So as you can see there are many teas to choose from each with their individual way of assisting you to get healthy. Maybe tomorrow instead of that cup of coffee or black tea, which both contain caffeine, which can be bad for you, try a cup of herbal tea and help clean up your body at the same time.

8 Tips For Eating Healthy While Traveling

If you travel for work or pleasure, you know that healthy food can sometimes be hard to come by. Or I should at least say there are so many temptations out there that the healthy options seem few and far between. Being prepared is 75% of the battle when it comes to eating healthy while traveling. It definitely requires a little planning and a special nutritional strategy. Luckily, you can adhere to your healthy eating plan with a little extra work. These 8 tips for healthy eating while traveling provide some solid ideas to staying on track while on the go.

1. Location – When you’re choosing where to stay, it’s all about location. Let’s say you’re traveling for work and you’ll be in the same location for at least a few days. Finding a spot that’s close to healthy resources is key. Is there a grocery store nearby that you can run to for healthy snacks and/or meals? Are there healthy cafes or restaurants within walking distance that you can stop in for a bite to eat? It’s easy to make the excuse that you can’t eat healthy while on the road if there aren’t good options around you. Don’t make that your excuse. Choose as wisely as you can to set yourself up for success.

2. Accommodations With A Kitchen or Kitchenette – One of the best ways to ensure healthy eating while traveling is to have access to some type of kitchen. Extended stay hotels, vacation rentals and Air B & B are all great options if convenient to your location. If a kitchen isn’t available, having a refrigerator in your hotel room for some healthy options is a great alternative. The point being that if you have either a kitchen or a refrigerator, you have the ability stock up with good snacks and easy meals. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables, bottled water, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, nuts, natural peanut butter, rotisserie chicken and canned fish are fantastic options that are easy to store and don’t require a lot of prep work to create a quick meal or snack.

3. Ship Items Before – Another strategy would be to ship your favorite dry goods to your location before hand. Protein powder, beans, nuts, canned tuna, bread and quick cooking oats are all items you could have sent prior to your arrival so that you have some healthy options waiting for you.

5. Research Restaurants In The Area – Do your research before you go. Even if you have access to a kitchen or a refrigerator, you still may want or need to eat for a few meals. Find out what restaurants are in the area and which menus offer healthy options that interest you. You can plan any outings to one of these restaurants and know what you’re going to eat when you walk in the door.

6. Protein Powder – Protein is often the hardest thing to come by. Healthy eating on the go is made much easier if you can bring some protein powder with you. Even it it’s a back up, you know you have a good protein source to go to if you can’t find a viable option. Sometimes your healthy eating strategy might require using a combination of options. For example, finding some fruit and vegetables might be easy but grabbing a protein source might be pretty expensive. In certain cases, protein powder can fill in the gaps.

7. Supergreen Supplement – It’s often times very difficult to get the correct amount of vegetables in when traveling. This is the perfect time to incorporate a great supplement like Amazing Grass, Green Defense or Greens +. A supplement is just that – a way to supplement your diet. While this shouldn’t be your mainstay to getting in vegetables, it can always be used as a way to up your micronutrient intake and get some greens into your diet.

8. Bring Homemade Snacks – Bring homemade non-perishable snacks with you. Homemade granola or protein bars, protein muffins, kale chips and homemade granola or trail mix are all wonderful options to take with you. If you have healthy food with you, chances are that you’ll eat that healthy food rather than seeking out the junky stuff.

If you’ll notice (or maybe you already have), the common theme here is that you need to be prepared. If you’re committed to a goal of weight loss, a health goal or just want to ensure you’re eating good quality meals, you’ve got to set yourself up for success. Healthy eating while traveling is totally doable but it does require a bit of planning and strategy to make it work.

4 Secrets to Pick the Right Yoga Pants for Yourself

Yoga is a spiritual practice that rejuvenates your mind, body and soul. Yoga exercises, when done properly, make you feel relaxed and centered with yourself. To experience these benefits, and to achieve the best workout, it is vital to wear right yoga pants that offer free movement, allowing you to focus on your exercise, not discomfort. Here are 4 secrets that will help you pick the right yoga pants for yourself.

Be yourself

Yoga is not same as other kinds of workouts. It does not focus on the competition, opinions or beauty standards. Instead, it is a process to know oneself. You should wear what makes you feel comfortable, beautiful and gracious.

Choose yoga wear that allows easy movement

Pick yoga pants that is comfortable and offers modest coverage. Stretchable, cotton-blend pants that perfectly hug your body are the right choice. Pants with an elastic waist that conform to the shape of the body are also good to go. Capri-style yoga pants are the most popular among women.

Yoga wear comes in different fabric types, such as cotton, linen and bamboo, thus making it important to consider the quality of fabric as one of the things while choosing yoga pants. In addition, light colours and earthly tones match well with yoga’s Zen effect.

Layer yoga clothing to beat micro-climate

Practicing yoga early morning can get chilly. Likewise, some yoga classes are conducted in a gym, where air conditioning systems are installed. To beat the cold, wear yoga clothes in layers and stay warm and cozy.

Yoga pants can go from the mat to the office

There is no secret that yoga can relieve stress and benefit work life. With more businesses offering yoga classes at the workplace, employers are noticing the benefits, such as higher employee satisfaction and increased productivity.

Entrepreneurs and executives practicing yoga believe that pants are great to wear to a meeting, family outing and grocery shopping. Those made of thicker fabrics can pair well with a longer length top or a tunic and can be worn to office.

Choosing the right yoga wear begins with knowing the options available. Find out the different types of styles, sizes, patterns, colours and fabrics that your pants come in. Once you are aware of them all, consider your needs and preferences and then make the right choice.

The main objective of choosing the right yoga pants is to ensure that y

Find the Better You With the Home Suspension Trainer

Do you wish to lose your weight? Do you dream of staying fit? Are you looking for a trainer at your place? Here is the solution to all your fitness worries. You don’t have to search for a trainer at your place and you don’t need to go anywhere to stay fit. Apart from all, you don’t have to shell a lot of money to stay fit. There is a home remedy or an easy solution possible at your own space with minimal cost. The solution to all your worries is the Home Suspension Trainer.

It is a system of workout plan or it can also be called as the original workout system that leverages your body weight with gravity which would help you lose a lot of calories in just no time. However, for doing the workouts you got to use your body to the maximum extent so that the results will be much brighter compared with other types of exercises. The trainer is one of the most acceptable work out systems ever as it has already received acceptance of many athletes, players, and normal individuals.

Home Suspension Trainer is one of the easiest workouts as it just needs you and your body along with few stretchable items. It helps athletes in staying fit while it assists a non-sports person in staying healthy and fresh all the time. The body under the same becomes more flexible and develops an inherent strength and balance.

There are 100s of exercises that ranges from simpler to the hardest; making the work outs much customized and fun filled. The Home Suspension Trainer kit uses your own body and provides greater performance which is not the case with other large exercises. The Home Suspension Trainer kit consists of few ropes and webs that assist you throughout the workout.

These ropes and webs help you in working against your own body weight. The Trainer helps you in losing weight very easily with minimum risk. The major benefit is that it develops the strength of your muscles, bones and the overall body without much or no injuries which means that it makes your work out time hassle free and fun filled. There has been a lot of proven benefits upon the usage of this system.

Fitness Equipment – How Often Should You Be Changing Your Running Shoes?

When most people think of workout “gear,” it is relatively simple and straightforward. You need…

• workout clothes,
• headphones,
• a music player,
• a water bottle and
• a pair of running shoes.

Sounds simple enough right? When it comes to running shoes, though, you need to remember you need to get good quality shoes built for the type of activity you are doing. Plus you need to ensure you are changing your shoes often enough, so they are providing the cushioning and support you need.

How often should you be changing your running shoes? Let us go over a few things, so you are aware of the best time to switch to a new pair…

1. Your Running Mileage. The biggest factor determining your running shoe lifespan is how many miles you have traveled. Consider the average pair of running shoes should give you around 300 to 500 miles worth, this can give you a relatively good indication of how long you can go. If you are running an average of 20 miles a week, this should amount to around 15 to 25 week’s worth of usage.

Keeping track of your miles, both those run and walked, is important so you know when your time is up with that pair of running shoes. If you are doing most of these miles on the treadmill, your shoes may look brand new, but keep in mind the padding in them may be anything but new!

2. Your Body Weight. The next factor to think about is your body weight. Generally speaking, the heavier you are, the faster your shoes will wear out. There will be more stress coming down with each step you take, mostly wearing out the padding as you run.

If you are over 150 pounds, you might only get the 300-mile mark with your shoes, while if you are under 150 pounds, you may be closer to the 500-mile mark.

You will need to judge for yourself how your shoes are feeling as you run in them day after day. If you start noticing sore and achy joints, this is a good sign it may be time to change those shoes for a new pair.

3. Where Are You Running? Finally, think about where you are running. Are you running primarily in open areas or are you running in forests and off-road trails? If it is essentially flat ground running you are doing; you may get a little more life out of your shoes compared to if you are running on terrain not as even. The support and stabilization of your shoe will be tested more in those scenarios, thus leading to faster wear and tear.

Keep these points in mind as you go about your workout sessions. Having a good pair of running shoes is vital to your success, so it is essential you do not overlook this critical element.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine – include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

Why the Right Fit of Shoe Is Important

Chances are, you know your shoe size, or hopefully you know your shoe size. The correct shoe size is key to ultimate comfort for your feet. After all, you don’t want shoes that are too small or so big that the shoes easily slip off your feet.

However, you may not be able to find the right shoe for your foot going based on size alone. If you have abnormally shaped feet or feet that aren’t typical, you will know that simple size won’t ensure a comfortable fit. For instance, your feet may be narrow and “swim” in a standard size shoe or your foot is wide and need more width than a traditional shoe.

Besides comfort, why is the right shoe size important? Here are some reasons to not try and cram your foot into a cute flat or be content with wearing loose sneakers:

Constant, unpleasant wear. Aside from being uncomfortable to wear, improperly fitting shoes can also make walking unbearable and embarrassing. Always having to stop and get your foot back into the shoes or needing to constantly stop to rest your aching, swollen feet from tight-fitting shoes, makes walking around a chore. The constant worry about your shoes falling off or causing you discomfort can be embarrassing as well as keep you from enjoying the moment.

When your feet hurt, you are less motivated to use them, which can lower your desire and ability to exercise and take care of the rest of your body.

Increased risk of foot issues. Blisters aren’t fun and depending on the size and location, they can make moving around difficult. The excessive rubbing of loose-fitting shoes and the overly-tight confines of shoes with a small fit can cause additional foot issues such as corns, bunions and ingrown toenails. The foot problems not only hurt and cause discomfort, they can also make your feet look bad, enhancing some self-consciousness for some people.

Foot issues associated with ill-fitting shoes can also lead to back, hip, knee and ankle problems which can lead to decreased mobility and quality of life.

Things to Keep in Mind When Shoe Shopping

While shoe shopping may seem like a straight-forward event, it is worth being reminded that our feet do change over time. Feet specialists recommend getting your feet measured once a year. Certain life events such as having children and aging can make feet widen, lengthen or shorten. In many people, there is usually one foot that is longer than the other. When shopping for shoes, plan your trip later in the day when the swelling of your feet has gone down. It is estimated that one’s feet swells 10-15% during the course of the day, with the most swelling occurring in the middle day when you’re likely on your feet the most.

Different shoe manufacturers design and style their shoes differently. The fit of each pair of shoes can also be significantly different. It isn’t uncommon to fit one size in one brand of shoe and be a different size in another. It’s important to spend time trying on different shoes from manufacturers to get a feel for whether each pair is suitable for your feet.