TOOTH DECAY AND ORAL HYGIENE

Tooth decay is the softening of the tooth enamel and refers to the damage of the structure of the tooth caused by acids that are created when plaque bacteria break down sugar in the mouth. If loss of mineral from the enamel is left untreated, it forms a cavity, or hole in the tooth. Without treatment, these holes grow larger over time and may destroy the whole tooth.  

Plaque acids can also eat away at the next layer of the tooth (dentin) and eventually cause what is known as a root cavity. As a result, nerves in the teeth become exposed and one may feel pain when eating or drinking. When one feels pain near the root of the tooth, chances are you may have some form of tooth decay and should consult with a dental professional.  

Good teeth care  is an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness. A dental cavity is one of the most common results of tooth decay and could be a sign of poor oral health and hygiene. 

CAUSES OF CAVITIES AND TOOTH DECAY

Major causes of tooth decay are sugary, sticky foods and beverages. The more sugar consumed, the more acid, which gets produced leading to decay. Sugar combines with plaque to weaken the enamel leaving you vulnerable to tooth decay. Each time you eat a sugary snack, your teeth are vulnerable to damage from the acids for the next 20 minutes. It is important to understand the causes of tooth decay so you can learn the proper way to care for your teeth and care for your health. Cavity and tooth decay factors to watch out for:

·         Poor Oral Hygiene:  Not brushing your teeth regularly allows plaque to build up and attack the tooth enamel. 

·         Plaque Formation:  Plaque is caused when bacteria, acid, food particles, and saliva all combine in your mouth. This plaque adheres to your teeth and builds up over time. The acid in plaque attacks the enamel of your tooth and eventually can cause holes in your teeth, otherwise known as cavities. 

·         Dry Mouth:  Saliva helps wash plaque from the teeth. If you have a dry mouth with very little saliva, plaque may build up more quickly. 

·         Eating and Drinking:  This is where it all begins. Since we all have to eat and drink to live, there’s no way to avoid this, but it does play a significant role in the formation of cavities. When you eat or drink, carbohydrates remain on your teeth until you brush. Even after brushing, you may not be able to remove all food particles or carbohydrates from your teeth. Foods that tend to cling to your teeth can increase your risk for a tooth cavity. Be sure to brush your teeth regularly, especially after drinking milk or soda, or after eating dried fruit, dry cereal, hard candy, caramel, taffy, raisins, sugary cereals, cookies and breath mints. 

·         Bacteria and Acid:  While most people don’t like to think about it, bacteria naturally live in your mouth. When these bacteria digest the carbohydrates that linger on your teeth and in your mouth, acid forms. 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

As tooth decay progresses, cavity symptoms start to appear. If you notice any of these common cavity symptoms, see your dentist:

·         Pain: A toothache is one of the most common cavity symptoms. 

·         Pressure: Both increased tooth sensitivity and pain when biting down can indicate a cavity. 

·         Pits: Cavity symptoms may include a noticeable hole or pit in the affected tooth. Sometimes the holes are only visible on a dental x-ray. 

·         Pus:  One of the more serious and obvious cavity symptoms is pus around a tooth.  

·         Toothache: This is a sign that something is wrong, this could range from cavity forming or a bacterial growth.

PREVENTION:

Prevention is the best way to avoid a cavity. The first step in preventing a dental cavity is by keeping a good oral hygiene routine. While there are many options for oral hygiene these days, here is a basic checklist of core items you’ll need to incorporate into your daily routine to help prevent a dental cavity.

·         Toothbrush: Everyone knows you need a toothbrush, but very few care if the toothbrush actually gets to every corner of their teeth. Some brushes are curvy, some are straight, find one that best gets to clean you more evenly.

·         Toothpaste: This is a critical component of your oral hygiene routine. Get dentist recommended toothpaste.

·         Dental Floss: Flossing on a regular basis is very important. By removing food particles from your teeth, flossing can help prevent dental cavities.

·         Mouthwash: Mouthwash is often the final step. Mouth wash leaves your mouth feeling clean and your breath fresh, it kills the bacteria that can cause plaque and gingivitis.

ORAL HYGIENE ROUTINE

·         Brush more often: Just because your dentist says to brush twice a day doesn’t mean you have to stop there. One great way to prevent the formation of plaque that causes cavities is to brush after every meal or snack. This is the golden rule of oral hygiene. Brushing after you eat or drink with a fluoride-based toothpaste can help keep your teeth clean and free of plaque that leads to tooth decay and cavities.  

·         Limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks: Candy, sodas and other sugary foods contain sugars that help plaque-forming bacteria survive in your mouth. In addition, sugary foods or candies that stay in your mouth for longer periods of time can also have a greater impact in the formation of plaque and tooth decay. If you do indulge, brush your teeth after eating to help prevent the progression of tooth decay. 

·         Floss and Rinse daily: While good brushing is critical, it won’t necessarily do the job alone. Flossing removes the food particles that get lodged in between your teeth and slowly cause plaque build-up that leads to cavities. 

·         Visit Your Dentist: No matter how diligent you are about your daily oral hygiene routine, see a professional twice a year for routine cleanings and examinations.

TREATMENT

The most basic form to treat cavity is filling. This is done by drilling the decayed portion of the tooth and replacing it with a strong filling made of either composite resins, porcelain, silver, gold, or amalgam. Treatment for more extensive cavities includes advanced techniques such as crowns and root canals. Fillings will stop the cavity from growing any larger.

FINAL THOUGHT

In order to keep your mouth healthy throughout your life, learn what causes a cavity, what a cavity is and the impact even a single cavity can have on your long-term oral health. 

6 WAYS TO RESIST TEMPTATION TO CHEAT

 Infidelity can be easily explained as a violation of a couple's assumed or stated contract regarding emotional and/or sexual exclusivity.

Infidelity, which is the action of being unfaithful to a spouse, is relatively as old as marriage itself.

In the past, people used to assume men have an irreversible reputation for being unfaithful, but studies have shown that women also cheat on their husbands just as much.

However, the difference, according to studies, is that women are more discreet when they cheat while men on the other hand boast about it. Some men even have the belief it elevates their status.

The damage infidelity wreaks in homes can be huge. It’s seen as betrayal of trust, but findings have also shown that the act is not always deliberate, which makes such persons to feel guilty when caught, mainly because it could have been avoided. This is even more important as it has been established that men hardly forgive their cheating spouse.

Here are tips to help couples overcome the temptation of cheating:

BE OPEN: People who are genuinely not interested in extramarital affairs, experts say when they start liking someone of the opposite sex, or when someone of the opposite sex starts getting too close or sending questionable signals, they inform their spouse about it. This step naturally puts you in check. It makes your spouse to keep asking you about the person in question and also gives you advise on what to do at any point in time, the issues seizes to be a private issue. Openness is very important in a relationship, never you wait for your spouse to find out him/herself. Confiding in a partner that there is such possibility lurking around the corner might be a difficult strategy, but it helps. Your partner may be hurt, of course, but hopefully he or she will also be grateful that you felt comfortable enough to open up about it rather than doing something that the relationship could not survive.”

KEEPING AWAY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL: One other key way to stay faithful to a partner is to avoid the source of the temptation (the individual). Constant contact with the individual would likely increase the pressure on the person, which is usually natural. Once you realize you have a soft spot for someone of the opposite sex, the best thing is to keep away as much as possible from that individual. Reduce communication via texting and calling, and if possible, stop entirely.

THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCE: It’s advisable to think about the consequences of cheating when the temptation starts lurking. This is an act which bridges trust. Given the common saying that betrayal of trust is hard to repair, perhaps one good way married persons can overcome temptation to cheat on their spouse is the harm it could do to their partner, the relationship, their children, image, and sexual health. One can contract sexually transmitted infections by cheating, in some cases, it could result in an unwanted pregnancy and even a child. Some who are pushed too hard and they succumb at times say “this time will be the only time, or the last time”. This is unlikely majority of the time. Consider that if you give in to temptation this time, you are more likely to give in the next time, and before you know it, you’ve established a pattern. But if you anticipate that pattern from the beginning, and realize how bad the consequences of it will be, you will be more likely to stop it before it starts.”

SHARE WITH A TRUSTED FRIEND/PERSON: Findings have shown that talking to a friend, counselor, religious leader, or anyone who knows better could help. This is because they could have passed through such or they could know a better way to deal with it, and this should be done before ‘anything’ happens and not after, because once it has happened before, it might happen again. Also giving the person updates on improvements could also help. Social support and pressure, whether from friends or strangers, can be enormously helpful in fighting temptation.

BE SINCERE TO YOUR PARTNER IF ANYTHING HAPPENS: This step is actually a hard step to take, especially with the usual feeling that such things are better kept in the secret. But, according to experts, this could be dangerous, because not only would it give the person the freedom to do it again, since no one found out about the last one, but also that it would be more difficult to deal with if the partner finds out on their own. The best thing is to confide in your partner, instead of hiding it, because the more you hide it and if he or she is the type that wants to blackmail you, once that person realizes you are hiding it, the person might keep pressurizing you for more. But if your partner is aware, they might no longer have an edge over you for blackmail.

MEET IN THE OPEN: Beyond avoiding the person, people who are having soft spot for an opposite sex are also advised not to meet with them in lonely places. If the person in question is a business partner whom you must meet or must be meeting regularly, the rendezvous should be fixed in a public place. Also, it’s advised you meet him/her with the company of your partner, this helps to deter the person from acting up and portraying actions that could lead to cheating. If there is a possible way to avoid meetings with the person entirely, it’s the best option.

HYPERTENSION AND YOU

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted against the walls of the arteries as blood flows through them.

High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

High blood pressure generally develops over years, and it affects nearly everyone. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

SYMPTOMS

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach so high.

A few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.

TYPES

There are basically two types of high blood pressure.

Primary (essential) hypertension

For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure, called primary (essential) hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

Secondary hypertension

Some people have high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions and medications can lead to secondary hypertension, including:

·         Kidney problems

·         Adrenal gland tumors

·         Thyroid problems

·         Certain defects in blood vessels you're born with (congenital)

·         Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs

·         Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines

·         Alcohol abuse or chronic alcohol use

 

RISK FACTORS

High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:

·         Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age. High blood pressure is more common in men from age 45 and 65 in women respectively.

·         Race. High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites.

·         Family history. High blood pressure runs in families.

·         Being overweight or obese. The more you weigh the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.

·         Not being physically active. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries.

·         Using tobacco. Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls.

·         Too much salt (sodium) in your diet. Too much sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.

·         Drinking too much alcohol. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart. Having more than two drinks a day for men and more than one drink a day for women may affect your blood pressure.

·         Stress. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.

·         Certain chronic conditions. Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of high blood pressure, such as kidney disease, diabetes and sleep apnea.

Sometimes pregnancy contributes to high blood pressure, as well.

Although high blood pressure is most common in adults, children may be at risk, too. For some children, high blood pressure is caused by problems with the kidneys or heart. But for a growing number of kids, poor lifestyle habits, such as an unhealthy diet, obesity and lack of exercise, contribute to high blood pressure.

COMPLICATIONS

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to:

·         Heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications.

·         Aneurysm. Increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening.

·         Heart failure. To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, your heart muscle thickens. Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure.

·         Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys. This can prevent these organs from functioning normally.

·         Trouble with memory or understanding. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may also affect your ability to think, remember and learn. Trouble with memory or understanding concepts is more common in people with high blood pressure.

 

TREATMENT

Changing your lifestyle can go a long way toward controlling high blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend you eat a healthy diet with less salt, exercise regularly, quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight. But sometimes lifestyle changes aren't enough.

In addition to diet and exercise, your doctor may recommend medication to lower your blood pressure.

Your blood pressure treatment goal depends on how healthy you are