Posted by drgracesun on September 27, 2009 under Children, Current News Events, Information, Smart Smile | 
How could this be happening? Medication that is supposed to help and make a patient feeling better produces a deadly reaction?
Simple outpatient surgical procedures – which are performed in clinics, doctor offices and dental practices on a daily basis – which require mild to moderate painkillers is customary and routine may turn out to be fatal. The case in question occurred last weekend when an otherwise healthy 2-year-old boy died after being prescribed codeine to relieve pain from having his tonsils removed. The sad fact is that cases like this even the protocol of post operative was followed, and very little could have been done to avoid such a tragedy.
The child mentioned above had a history of snoring and sleep apnea (when a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep throughout the night). In an effort to clear the boy’s airway, he had a routine tonsillectomy outpatient surgery and was sent home. Doctors prescribed codeine syrup and told the boy’s mother to give it to him for pain, but two nights later, the child developed a fever and wheezing. He was found dead the next morning, according to the report.
Although the coroner’s office noted that toxicology tests showed the mother had given the child the proper dosage, the boy had high levels of morphine in his system, which is metabolized from codeine. Further investigation determined that the child had an ultra-rapid metabolism genotype, which causes the body to metabolize codeine at a faster rate than the norm. The only true way to have avoided this tragedy would have been to keep the child in the hospital overnight, for 24 hours, for observation to see whether his breathing had improved, and whether pain medications (such as codeine, which suppresses the respiratory system) could have put him at risk.
The take home message here is that common, routine dental procedures which involve pain relievers (like wisdom tooth extraction or implant surgery) must always be treated with the utmost care and attention.Be aware the potential risk of toxicity and allergic reaction of any medication . If you are unsure of your body’s reaction to certain medications or pain relievers, consult with your dental professional or primary care physician. If you have a child who is about to undergo an outpatient procedure, speak with his or her physician before the procedure. Are there any potential risks associated with the procedure, or with the post -operative medications ? Know your child and know their body – proper supervision is essential, especially with children.
Posted by drgracesun on September 14, 2009 under Beautiful Smile, Healthy Smile |
Full, sexy and luscious lips! It’s something that nearly all women – and some men – long after, some even go to the plastic surgeon to obtain them! Full lips are attractive and can make you look younger and more full of life. When lips spread wide to reveal beautiful smiles, accentuating cheek bones are the perfect accessory for an attractive and healthy image. Save your money and peace of mind, try these easy lip exercises to stimulate collagen production and get a fuller looking lips. These exercises will train your facial muscles and can actually give you the full pouty lips you’ve always dreamed of – without requiring a doctor (and without making your purse lighter)!
There are ways to gain full lips if you weren’t lucky enough to be born with them! For woman, lip-plumping make up is one option as well as lip augmentation (implant surgeries or injections) which artificially give sexy lips, but for some women, the results are not very natural looking – or even attractive. The first exercise works the Musculus Levator Anguli Oris (or Caninus), which is located immediately under the lower medial rim of the orbital cavity 
(which lifts the corner of the mouth). Lift the corners of the mouth by pulling your lips in and over your teeth (almost making your lips disappear into your mouth). From this position, pull up both corners of the mouth into a pseudo-smile. Repeat this exercise ten times!
The second exercise works the Musculus Orbicularis Oris, which consists of the sinewy fibres of the corners of the mouth. These muscles start above the upper and below the lower lip, providing the basis for the structure of the lips (and also function as the opening and closing mechanism of the mouth). To exercise this muscle and help bring out fuller lips, with forceful tension, pucker your lips as if getting ready for a kiss. Repeat this exercise ten times, holding the pucker for at least one full second. You can support the exercise by tightly pressing your nostrils together. Repeat ten times!
The third and final exercise works the same muscle group (Orbicularis Oris Muscle) but the exercise is different. Press your lips tightly together, as if pursing them tightly to prevent something from parting your lips. To avoid creating wrinkles, position the tip of your middle fingers at the corners of your mouth and pull slightly to the outside. Again, repeat ten times! By following these simple and easy “facial yoga” exercises, you will begin to develop fuller, stronger lips. Keep in mind that water intake will help maintain your lip plumpness (8 glasses of water every day is essential for your body to maintain itself), and keeping your lips moisturized will help as well. These exercises stimulate collagen production in your lips and will eventually build up your smile to a beautiful one! These exercises can also help to improve muscle tone and skin elasticity!
Tags: Anguli, collagen, exercise, face, full, implant, Levator, lip, lips, Luscious, mouth, muscles, Musculus, Oris, pouty, sexy, smile, surgery
Posted by drgracesun on under Children, Current News Events, Information, Smart Smile |
Redheads feel more pain! New research published in the July 09 Journal of The American Dental Association found that painful experiences at the dentist might cause more anxiety for men and women with red hair, who were twice as likely to avoid dental care than people with dark hair. Red-headed children or adults might avoid dental visits and might be at a higher risk of affecting their dental health!
A child that has an unfounded fear of the dentist (or even a founded one, instilled by parents who aren’t very fond of their dentist or past experiences in the dental chair) are common, however due to a scientific quirk (thanks to mother nature), redheaded individuals do feel pain more intensely than non-red-headed persons. These extra sensitivities to pain might lead to negative experiences with dental visits, which as being parental health care providers, we should be aware of these phenomena.
There are two studies that exist. In 2004, research showed that people with red hair need twenty percent more general anesthesia than blonds or brunettes. A 2005 study indicated that redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain and are more resistant to the effects of local anesthesia. Researchers believe variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene play a role. This MC1R gene produces melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes their color.
While blond, brown and black-haired people produce melanin, those with red hair have a mutation of this receptor. It produces a different coloring called pheomelanin, which results in freckles, fair skin and ginger hair. About 5 percent of whites are estimated to have these characteristics. The relationship between MC1R and pain sensitivity is still under study, researchers have found MC1R receptors in the brain and some of them are known to influence pain sensitivity. Non-redheads can also carry a variant of the MC1R gene. In this dental study that had 144 participants, about a quarter of the non-redheads had variants of the MC1R gene. These people also experienced heightened anxiety and avoided dental care compared with others who did not have the variant. There is no commercial test available for variations of the MC1R gene.
The best tips for redheads are to work on the prevention of dental problems, inform your health provider that you are highly sensitive, use TLC and be patient, wait a bit longer to let the anesthesia start to work and finally inform your doctor that you might require additional amounts of local anesthesia – because you are a special redhead!
Tags: avoid, avoidance, child, Children, dentist, ginger, health, kid, kids, nutrition, pain, parent, parents, red head redhead
Posted by drgracesun on September 9, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information, Smart Smile |
As we’ve learned time in and time out, the oral cavity is integrally and systematically linked to the health of various other bodily systems – here we are focusing on kidneys. The kidneys serve for the production of urine as their primary function, excreting unnecessary bodily fluids and compounds. Kidneys also have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. If you have kidney problems, apart from the well-advertised urinary and homeostatic problems, your oral health could deteriorate as well!
People with long-lasting (or even recently discovered) kidney problems often times have a bad taste in their mouths. Also related, they often have bad breath (halitosis). These problems – both of which are indicators of a serious problem in your system – occur because the kidneys fail to remove the organic compound urea from the blood. Urea breaks down to form ammonia, which has a pungent odor that is quickly noticeable; bone changes may also occur because the body cannot absorb calcium properly. Imbalanced calcium levels will weaken your bones, loosing bone from your jaw. Teeth may become loose or eventually fall out because of the calcium deficiency often resulting from kidney disease. The best way to help prevent bone loss is to make sure calcium and phosphorus levels stay within the goal range.
Anorexia, anemia, xerostomia, high blood pressure and heart disease, inflammation of the mouth, salivary glands and gum disease can all be symptoms and complications when dealing with kidney disease, apart from the influence of medication. When you have these symptoms, not only should a dental professional be contacted to provide dental examinations and treatment, but also a physical examination is needed. If you have kidney disease or are on dialysis, you should plan to receive any dental treatments on non-dialysis days for those on hemodialysis. Heperin, administered during hemodialysis, may cause some people to have prolonged bleeding. Kidney disease can also weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to infection, so prophylactic antibiotics maybe needed before invasive dental treatment.
During the work up for a kidney transplant, a person will need to have a thorough oral examination. Any infection or disease of the gum or tooth can prevent someone from being eligible, or delay the transplant until the patient is free of gum and dental infection .
Keep up your home care program, brush and floss after every meal and follow a properly designed diet by your dietitian. Special dietary needs must be met if you have a compromised kidney condition. Regular visits to the dentist can also reduce the risk of oral infection and dental disease.
Tags: acid, base, bile, blood, dentist, disease, doctor, electroylytes, health, homeostasis, kidney, kidneys, mouth, oral, physician, pressure, teeth, urine
Posted by drgracesun on September 5, 2009 under General Dental Knowledge, Information, Smart Smile |
How much water do you use in a day? A gallon? Five gallons? Sadly, few people at all know how much they use, but the amount is estimated to be as high as 60 gallons per person per day, including showers and toilet flushes. This figure has tripled since 1900! What also may seriously surprise you to learn is that the average American (who leaves their tap water on while brushing their teeth) wastes an average of 3.75 gallons of water every time they brush his or her teeth! If you brush your teeth with the tap running, you waste an average of 4 gallons. With tap off you only use 0.25 gallons.
Turn the water off!
With water shortages becoming more and more of a serious problem for more and more Americans in drought areas, conservation efforts must be stepped up if we expect our water supply to last. One of the easiest and simplest ways to do this is to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth! A person doesn’t actually need all of the water flowing out of a faucet head while brushing his or her teeth – a full cup of water will suffice just fine for an entire brushing session, including rinsing.
Whether you are concerned about ever-rising utility bills, the environment or even if you aren’t concerned with either, turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth is a simple, easy step everyone can take to make his or her lifestyle more sustainable. Just wet your toothbrush, brush thoroughly for two minutes and then rinse your mouth with water from a cup. Clean your toothbrush in the cup with the remaining water and then rinse off again with a short spurt of running tap water. Shake off the excess water on the toothbrush, rest your toothbrush in an upright position and let it air dry until next time.
Any homeowner or apartment-dweller can take a multitude of steps to save both water and money in their homes by installing a low-flow shower head in your bathrooms, replacing leaky faucets and placing a brick or a gallon-sized milk jug in his or her toilet reservoir. Newer washing machines (both clothing and dishes) also have “high efficiency” water ratings which guarantee that a specific amount of water will be used when running the appliance. Save the planet, save your wallet and save our water by turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth!
