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.
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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 April 5, 2009 under Information |
Is there a hidden secret to beat the economic crunch on health care? Ha Ha Ha! Laughter is one’s best nature’s medicines! Research has shown that laughter offers tremendous health benefits, from strengthening the immune system to increase the pain threshold. Laughter is one of the body’s most common natural responses to stress management, setting in early in a person’s life. A child can laugh before he/she can speak! But how many of us have forgotten how to laugh? Hopefully very few!
This is “National Humor Month,” it reminds me to talk about how important laughter is and its ability to chase the blues away. Laughter is a real, beneficial preventative medicine which helps us deal with overarching stress. In particular, cortisol is a stress hormone involved in your body’s responses to anxiety. Laughter can reduce this hormone’s secretion levels and also increase your endorphin levels, which counter stressful reactions and bring about relief and a sense of power. Chronic pain sufferers will benefit dramatically from increased endorphin levels.
Stress kills, and a stressful mind can lead to a stressed mouth: gritting and clenching your teeth lead by stress can break your teeth and dental restorations, breaking down the periodontal structure, leading to an increased susceptibility to gum disease. Stressed pulp 
can lead to root canals – no laughing matter!
We need to laugh to fight our stress and stay healthy! When you laugh deeply, many groups of muscles get a workout, including your diaphragm, shoulders, and abs. Have you ever laughed so hard you almost ran out of breath? I love that feeling! University of Maryland researchers have also found that laughter increases blood vessel dilation (a 35% increase in dilation of the brachial artery was observed after 20 minutes of laughter) – increasing blood flow is always a good thing! Japanese researchers have even found preliminary research data showing laughter could potentially reduce glucose levels, a good thing for diabetes sufferers and non-sufferers alike!
Laughing is also an important factor of your dental health, as laughter can increase your blood flow and circulation! When this happens in the oral cavity , saliva flow is stimulated (dry mouth can cause gum recession and halitosis) which prevents problems associated with a dry oral cavity. Blood flow will also keep your gum healthy and prevent periodontitis. When you are about to visit your dentist, bring a comic book or watch a funny movie on your iPod! Think of funny things to talk about with your dentist.Bring a light mood into the dentist’s chair will not only benefit your health, but your stress levels will reduce and you will have a more relaxing, holistic experience.
If you have a serious health condition, dental or otherwise, it is of course always necessary to visit your physician or dental care professional – however, laughter could be just the right preventative medicine you need to lift your spirits or even your physical health! Tell a joke, laugh a little – you’ll live longer!
Tags: ca, california, dental, dentist, healing, health, laughter, medicine, sun, weho, west hollywood
