Posted by drgracesun on October 14, 2009 under Beautiful Smile, Healthy Smile, Hygiene, Nutrition and Diet, Smart Smile | 
Anti-Aging is something of a buzzword in today’s marketplace: the medical community, the marketing community and nearly every community in between seems to have been captured by this craze. What exactly is anti-aging? The concept is to reduce the visual signs of a person’s age to make one appear younger, more vibrant and more beautiful. While there are a range of methods and procedures available to the public to accomplish anti-aging, the patient themselves must be willing to make changes to his or her lifestyle in order to sustain the changes provided by his or her physician.
I recently attended the 5th European Congress in Aesthetic Dermatology and Surgery in Anti-Aging Medicine, hosted by the European Masters in Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine (or EMAA) in Paris, France. The conference focused on a plethora of anti-aging information and news in the field, but what I found interesting were the procedures tailored toward dental medicine. Botox, or Botulinum toxin, is a neurotoxic protein that is in fact one of the most poisonous substances known to man! Despite the dramatic definition, the use of very small amounts of this toxin to treat muscle spasms in anti-aging medicine is widespread. Botox relaxes muscle spasms in a way that can reduce wrinkles, by training specific muscle groups to relax and lower tension. Botox effects wear off between three and six months, and will need to be re-administered to maintain results.
From the dental aspect, Botox can be used to control a gummy smile. Botox relaxes the muscles in a person’s upper lip – known as hyperactive upper lip – which contributes to a gummy smile. When Botox is injected into the muscle group in a person’s lip, the toxin actually relaxes the muscles and restricts the muscle’s ability to overly contract upward thus showing excessive gum tissue . Botox can also be used to control facial muscle spasms that contribute not only to wrinkles and frown lines, but to headaches as well. By undergoing Botox therapy, the muscles in the lips and face can be trained to eventually relax on their own.
Although Botox may sound like a miracle drug for reducing the appearance of gummy smiles, fine lines and even headaches, one must remember that any anti-aging treatment plan is dual-fold: the patient must be committed to their health in order to achieve long-lasting results. Patient compliance is key in any medical treatment plan, but when it comes to anti-aging, a healthy lifestyle can make all the difference in the world. Diet is one of the most important factors in patient compliance. Everyone has heard the age-old saying “you are what you eat,” – it is absolutely true.
A patient who is concerned with his or her physical health and appearance – and is willing to go through Botox therapy to achieve anti-aging results – must realize that his or her diet is vital to achieving long-lasting results. Vegetables, lean proteins and minerals are all vital in achieving healthy skin, bones and organ function. A poor diet high in refined sugars, fat and carbohydrates with poor habits (like alcohol consumption and smoking, staying up late and no exercise) all will contribute to a faster aging process. We all wishto be young and healthy forever – it all starts with healthy choices.
Tags: aesthetic, age, aging, bone, change, commitment, communication, compliance, dental, dentistry, diet, drug, drugs, eat, eating, face, function, groups, gummy, headache, health, healthy, injection, injections, lip, lips, man, medication, medicine, mineral, mineralized, muscles, organic, patient, physical, physician, poison, poor, procedure, relax, relaxing, smile, sugar, surgery, therapy, treatment, US, vegetable, vegetables, wellness
Posted by drgracesun on June 27, 2009 under Current News Events, Information |
We were all stunned and saddened with the passing of Michael Jackson – it’s natural that we have a hard time accepting the early lost of such a talented person. Why did Michael past away in such sad and unexpected circumstances? Questions surrounding his prescription medications are being raised and the toxicology report might take up to eight weeks to reveal the facts. It is times like these that remind us to be cautions about using prescription drugs, especially potent painkillers, which should be discussed and brought to the public’s attention, to lower the risk of potential abuses.
Michael Jackson at The White House, 1984
Suffering from intense physical pain is one of the most unpleasant life experiences a person can go through. Modern medicine allows us to manage pain with over-the counter and prescription medications. When the pain level is intense and acute, prescription drugs will “take the edge off” of pain, and risks of adverse effects is low. On the other hand, when the physical pain becomes chronic, or repetitive, pain management with prescription drugs can become a very difficult task to sustain one’s physical and mental health and facing high risk of abuses. In America, problems of abusing prescription drugs can often times be bigger than street drugs.
The two narcotic analgesics (pain medications) mentioned in the media which were prescribed to manage Michael’s physical pain were Oxycontin and Demerol (from when he had suffered burns and over the years never stopped using prescription pain meds). Both of these drugs are opioid agonists which include such pharmacological effects as anxiolysis, euphoria, feelings of relaxation, respiratory depression, constipation, cough suppression and analgesia with abuse liability similar to morphine. When the 911 call happened, the description of ” not breathing”, which was respiratory arrest, could have been a consequence of the adverse effects of opioid agonists. There should not be any speculation as to what really happened to Michael as the toxicology report will not be ready for many weeks – he was under the care of a private physician, although an experienced cardiovascular nurse could have been an important person on staff for better patient monitoring and care.
The PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference) states that Oxycontin tablets are to be swallowed whole and not to be broken, chewed, or crushed (which can lead to the rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal dose of oxycodone). When Demerol is intravenously administered, overdose can lead to circulatory collapse, cardiac arrest or death.
We need to be sympathetic with one’s suffering and pain – everyone should have an individualized pain management program depending upon certain physical and mental conditions, physical activity, diet and other habits. As for any health care provider, one needs to think about the long term health and well being of a patient, which at times might mean saying “no” to excessive requests for potent narcotics. Seeking solutions to correct the root of the problem and prevention should be at the forefront of any physician’s agenda. Initiating therapy at the appropriate point along the progression from non-opioid analgesics, like anti- inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) to opioid in pain management must be considered.
Michael, we all miss you! Strenuous 8-hour day rehearsals for shows set to open in London, combined different medications for treating chronic pain combined with ongoing mental stress proved a fatal combination for a true genius of our time.
Tags: agonist, agonists, anxiolysis, celebrity, demerol, drug, drugs, injection, injections, jacko, king of pop, michael jackson, mj, morphine, opioid, oxycontin, pain, pills, pop, prescription
Posted by drgracesun on June 5, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information, Smart Smile |
Meth mouth refers to the state of a meth user’s mouth, the psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug considered by many to be the most addictive and dangerous drug in existence, worse than crack-cocaine. Although most users of the drug are not concerned about their oral health, it is important for parents and caregivers to understand how meth can harm the oral cavity 
, and pass the information along to their children and young adults.
The mouth of a meth user.
The relatively inexpensive cost to produce meth and its highly addictive nature make the drug highly popular with young people of all demographics, income levels and races. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine inducing intense euphoria, with high risks for addiction. The drug causes damage to the central nervous system often causing jitters, nausea, increased risk for heart attack and heart disease, as well as widespread tooth decay.
Many meth users complain about stained or blackening of the teeth in early stages of addiction, with teeth often becoming rotted after periods of neglect, leading to necessary extraction (if the addict has access to dental care). The widespread tooth decay caused by meth is mainly attributed to the highly acidic content of the drug – ingredients like bleach, cough syrup and chlorine are common additives to home-made meth. The very-long-lasting effects of the drug can often leave users unaware of the state of their oral health. Because meth causes users to crave salty, sweet and carbohydrate-rich foods, the bacterial factor of meth mouth is only further hazardous.
The statistics of meth use in America leave the drug’s risk to all children undeniable: over 5% of Americans age 12 and older have used the drug (12.3 million Americans in 2003 according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health), and of those users the majority have had severe oral health problems. “Say no to drugs” – talk to your kids about the dangers and consequences of drug abuses. If you feel there is need for professional to get involved, get the appropriate help you need to make sure your loved ones stay healthy and enjoy a high quality of life.
Tags: acid, acidity, adults, brush, california, Children, decay, dental, dentist, doctor, drug, drugs, extraction, floss, hygiene, los angeles, meth, Methamphetamine, mouth, Prevention, rot, rotted, rotten, sun, weho, west hollywood
