By : Ray Massie

What would you invest to buy yourself or a loved one a great smile?  An investment in cosmetic dental surgery can bring a full, gleaming, properly straightened white-toothed smile.  A smile that lights up a room in an instant. As much as we might like to dismiss the idea that looks play a part in our everyday life, they do.  Nothing affects a persons look or the way they are perceived by other people like their smile.  Correcting dental imperfections that make your smile less than perfect is the goal.

There is nothing like the pain and self consciousness of a poor smile.  Through personal failings (I hated going to the dentist to the point of irrational fear), I lost a tooth right in the middle of my smile.  It literally just fell out of my face one day while eating spaghetti.  You know it had to be in bad shape if that’s all it took for a tooth failure.  For the next 18 months, I literally kept my mouth closed around anyone I knew.  My mouth looked like the what you might expect from someone out in the country who never saw a dentist in their life.  A missing tooth, in the lower middle part of my mouth, reduced me to feeling like a real hillbilly with little or no personal value.  I avoided meeting new people.  Those I was forced to meet in the course of business, I kept the interactions short.  I didn’t want anyone to see my smile.

Finally, I dragged myself to the dentist to see what could be done.  To my delight, he suggested a couple of cosmetic dental surgery procedures that would fix my problem.  The only issue then became the cost.  Unless you have dental issues that affect function, most insurance will cover about 50% of the cost in the United States.  Here’s a range of costs for cosmetic dental surgeries and procedures that you can expect.

A dental bridge, which was the work done in my case, will cost from $1,000 to $5,000 per tooth.  The bridge is pretty much what you can imagine.  Its a permanent device that bridges the gap between an open or missing tooth.  A small 3 unit bridge will cost you between $3,000 and $10,000.  The larger bridge, and the one I had installed 16 years ago, is five units and costs run to $15,000.  The bridge is installed by filing the teeth near the opening into points to provide the anchors for the unit, taking a mold of the mouth, and building the device.  Installation and bonding of the bridge to its anchor points is pretty painless, and my smile is back to as normal as it gets.

There are a number of specialties dental surgeons can use to affect the “perfect” smile.  Tooth whitening in all its various forms is one.  Orthodontics to straighten teeth using some form of braces are another.  Dental veneers, implants, bonding, and bridges are all additional methods that can be used to fix teeth.

Their are other forms of cosmetic dental work that don’t involve cutting the gum, filing teeth, or inserting strange devices into the mouth.  One of the most popular, and you can tell by the number of searches it gets is tooth whitening.  The yellowing and staining of teeth is something that comes naturally over time.  If you feel it affects your looks and the way you think of yourself, you may want to make a change.  Costs for tooth whitening vary greatly, as do the costs for all the procedures we will discuss.  You can expect to pay around $650 for an in-office whitening procedure to as little as $20 for over the counter teeth whitening kits.  The over the counter kits are the ones you probably are most familiar.  They include gels, whitening strips, and one size fits all trays to work on clearing the stains from your teeth.  Keep in mind, your results will vary depending on the quality of the procedure you use.

One other method of tooth whitening, and the one many dentists prefer, is the professionally dispensed take home kits.  These are delivered to you by your dentist and are in the form of a specially fitted mouth guard like device.  The device is filled with a low concentration peroxide gel that can stay on your teeth from one hour to overnight.  The low concentration makes it safe for your teeth, and a great method to improve your smile. Expect to pay $100 to $400 for this kit.

You can use porcelain veneers to whiten your teeth as well.  Expect to pay from $900 to $2500 per tooth for these.  Veneers fit over your teeth to improve their strength and whiten them.  The procedure to install veneers is similar to bridges, without the extensive filing. These products are glued onto your natural teeth after a very small portion of the tooth has been removed.  Usually, sedation is not required for this procedure.  Veneers are the cure for teeth that are severely discolored, chipped, have small holes or pits, misshapen or crooked, or for the correction of unwanted or uneven spaces. Unlike crowns, veneers won’t require the dentist to remove much of the tooth itself in most cases.

Another procedure, and this DOES include heavy duty cosmetic dental surgery, is dental implants.  These are replacing a tooth by inserting a titanium screw into your jaw bone, then attaching the new tooth onto the post.  This would have been another way I could have cured my issue.  The cost for implants can run to $5,000 per tooth, and sometimes higher depending on the nature and complications that might be faced before surgery.

These are a few of a wide range of procedures your dentist can do to improve your smile and the function of mouth.  Using these cosmetic dental surgery procedures is not an expense.  Its an investment in great health, both physical and mental.

You’ve seen it before.  You are at your child’s school.  The kids are picking teams for some kind of event.  It may be an athletic event.  It may be a scholastic challenge.  The results are almost always the same.  The best looking children are picked first.  The ones who are last to be selected appear to have a flaw.  Maybe its their clothes.  Maybe their hair.  Or maybe its the way they do or don’t smile.  As adults, we make choices in very much the same way.  Its not a prejudice, at least not a conscious one.  Its a form of “natural selection”.  Modern dental technology, through cosmetic dental surgery, has given us a way to fix at least the smile portion.

R. Massie is a freelance writer on health and other issues that interest him. Read more of his writing at http://hubpages.com/hub/Cosmetic-Dental-Surgery-Is-An-Investment-Not-An-Expense

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Massie

Digital technology now makes Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging available to all. There now is a completely safe test that can aid in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring with absolutely no risk or radiation exposure.

DITI, or digital infrared thermal imaging, is a noninvasive diagnostic test that allows a health practitioner to see and measure changes in skin surface temperature. An infrared scanning camera translates infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface and records them on a color monitor. This visual image graphically maps the body temperature and is referred to as a thermogram. The spectrum of colors indicates an increase or decrease in the amount of infrared radiation being emitted from the body surface. In healthy people, there is a symmetrical skin pattern which is consistent and reproducible for any individual.

DITI is highly sensitive and can therefore be used clinically to detect disease in the vascular, muscular, neural and skeletal systems. Medical DITI has been used extensively in human medicine in the United States, Europe and Asia for the past 20 years. Until now, bulky equipment has hindered its diagnostic and economic feasibility. Now, PC-based infrared technology designed specifically for clinical application has changed all this.

Clinical uses for DITI include, defining the extent of a lesion of which a diagnosis has previously been made (for example, vascular disease); localizing an abnormal area not previously identified, so further diagnostic tests can be performed (as in Irritable Bowel Syndrome); detecting early lesions before they are clinically evident (as in breast cancer or other breast diseases); and monitoring the healing process before a patient returns to work or training (as in workman’s compensation claims).

Medical DITI is filling the gap in clinical diagnosis; X-ray, Computed Tomography, Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), are tests of anatomy or structure. DITI is unique in its capability to show physiological or functional changes and metabolic processes. It has also proven to be a very useful complementary procedure to other diagnostic procedures.

Unlike most diagnostic modalities DITI is non invasive. It is a very sensitive and reliable means of graphically mapping and displaying skin surface temperature. With DITI you can diagnosis, evaluate, monitor and document a large number of injuries and conditions, including soft tissue injuries and sensory/autonomic nerve fiber dysfunction. Medical DITI can offer considerable financial savings by avoiding the need for more expensive investigation for many patients. Medical DITI can graphically display the biased feeling of pain by accurately displaying the changes in skin surface temperature. Disease states commonly associated with pain include Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD, Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Medical DITI can show a combined effect of the autonomic nervous system and the vascular system, down to capillary dysfunctions. The effects of these changes reveal an asymmetry in temperature distribution on the surface of the body. DITI is a monitor of thermal abnormalities present in a number of diseases and physical injuries. It is used as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as therapy follow up and rehabilitation monitoring, within clinical fields that include rheumatology, neurology, physiotherapy, sports medicine, oncology, pediatrics, orthopedics and many others.

Results obtained with medical DITI systems are totally objective and show excellent correlation with other diagnostic tests.

Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com.
Brenda Witt is co-owner of Proactive Health Solutions in Southern California. She is an American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) certified thermographer in the Orange County area.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Witt

At 18, Stephanie Kuleba had everything: She was head cheerleader, had a near-perfect grade-point average and was planning to be a pre-med student in college.
The only thing the stunningly beautiful high school senior thought she was missing?
Perfect breasts.
So the Florida teen decided to have cosmetic surgery – a decision that cost her her life.
Kuleba suffered a rare fatal reaction to the anesthesia at an outpatient facility and was rushed to an area hospital.

Read More at : NYDailyNews 

Decorated eggs are the highlight of the Easter holiday for many, but they can also be a potential pathway for food borne illness, a U.S. dietitian warns.Dietitians at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas say egg artisans can help prevent illness — and possibly a trip to the local emergency room — by deciding prior to coloring whether they plan to eat their works of art.”If you want to eat decorated hard-cooked eggs, be sure that all the decorating materials are food-safe and that you wash each egg beforehand,” Vickie Vaclavik, a registered dietitian and clinical nutritionist says in a statement. “Also, wash your hands between all the cooking, cooling, dyeing and decorating processes and keep the finished hard-cooked eggs refrigerated as much as possible.”

Decorating, hiding eggs can pose hazard – UPI.com

Teens and adolescents who eat breakfast every day are less likely to become overweight or obese in the near future and they typically lead a more active, healthier lifestyle than their peers who skip breakfast, according to the latest research published by Project EAT.Researchers followed the dietary habits and lifestyles of 2,200 adolescents for five years to identify any possible link between body weight change and breakfast. The study was conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Project Eating Among Teens (EAT).

In the last twenty years, obesity in children has doubled and tripled for adolescents. Estimates are that as many as 12% to 24% of children and adolescents skip breakfast on a regular basis.

Skipping breakfast and other unhealthy weight-control choices are frequently made in 57% of the female adolescent population and 33% of the males. The number of breakfasts skipped increases at an alarming rate as children grow up.

The Project EAT study, titled “Breakfast Eating and Weight Change in a 5-Year Prospective Analysis of Adolescents: Project EAT,” started five years ago when study participants were adolescents. Now in their teens, those who ate breakfast daily are thinner and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those that frequently skipped breakfast. BMI is a measurement used to determine risk of obesity.

Many people, including teens, think skipping breakfast is an effective way to limit calories but the opposite is actually true, according to Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, Project EAT’s principal investigator. Skipping breakfast leads to overeating later in the day, especially in the evenings.

Full details of the Project EAT study are to be published in the March issue of the journal, Pediatrics, the official publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Source: University of Minnesota

A drug made by Genentech Inc. received federal approval Friday to treat breast cancer, which could represent a major shift in standards for assessing the effectiveness of cancer medicines.

Going against the recommendation of its panel of advisers, the Food and Drug Administration cleared Avastin, which is already approved for treating lung and colon cancer, based on findings that it slowed tumor growth.

Approval shift: Approval for late-stage cancer treatments usually depends on a drug showing it extended or improved the quality of patients’ lives. Avastin showed neither in a study, according to Genentech.

Wall Street analysts believe the decision opens the door for other cancer drugs to be approved for their tumor-shrinking capabilities.

The Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization called Avastin an important new option for patients.

Read  their Press release here.

Also called: Iron overload disease

Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. It is one of the most common genetic diseases in the United States.

Iron is a mineral found in many foods. Your body normally absorbs about 10 percent of the iron in the food you eat. If you have hemochromatosis, you absorb more iron than you need. Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs. Without treatment, it can cause your organs to fail.

The most common treatment is to remove some blood, just like when you donate blood. This is called therapeutic phlebotomy. Medicines may also help remove the extra iron. Your doctor might suggest some changes in your diet.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The rate of breast cancer among postmenopausal women with high blood pressure (hypertension) who are taking antihypertensive drugs is comparable with that seen the general population, researchers report, although there may be some risk associated with untreated hypertension.

“Elevated blood pressure has been proposed to be a risk factor for breast cancer but the results remain controversial,” Dr. Annamarja Lindgren, of Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, and colleagues write in the International Journal of Cancer.

The researchers used data from the Finnish Cancer Registry to assess the rate of breast cancer among 9,112 postmenopausal women with hypertension included in a community-based hypertension register.

Of the 9,112 women, 7,314 were using antihypertensive drugs and 1,782 were not. (The report does not indicate the status of the remaining 16 subjects.)
The average diastolic blood pressure (the lower number in the blood pressure reading) in the two groups was 98.4 mm Hg and 103.5 mm Hg, respectively, and the average systolic blood pressure (the higher number) was 175 mm Hg and 184 mm Hg, respectively.

The women were followed for an average of 27 years. During follow-up, 251 cases of breast cancer cases were diagnosed. The overall frequency of breast cancer in hypertensive women was not significantly different from the rate report for women in the general population, the investigators report.

Of the 251 women with breast cancer, 199 were in the group taking antihypertensive drugs at the beginning of the study and 52 were in the group not. The use of antihypertensive drugs at the beginning of the study was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, Dr. Lindgren and colleagues found.

However, a positive association was observed between diastolic blood pressure and cancer risk among women who were not using antihypertensive drugs when the study began – these women had a 26-percent increase in risk per 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure.

Women who were using antihypertensive drugs at the start of the study had a 10-percent reduction in risk per 10 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure.

Apart from these observations, the team concludes, the findings “can also be taken as a piece of evidence for the safety of antihypertensive drugs used by these women over three decades.”

SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, August 2007.

DID YOU KNOW…
In 2000, Miss Venezuela 1999, Martina Thorogood Heemsen did not accept by Miss Universe Organization. Why? Because Miss Miranda and Miss Venezuela went to Miss World 1999. She was the 1st runner-up in the Miss World. Claudia Moreno,a model, went to Miss Universe 2000. Martina Thorogood, who lived in the United States, was long considered one of the most beautiful Venezuelan women of all time.

DID YOU KNOW…
During the civil war (1977-1979), Miss Nicaragua, Patricia Pineda Chamorro, escaped unharmed when a bomb exploded on a street in Managua, Nicaragua´s capital. From 1980 to 1990, Miss Nicaragua pageant was forbidden by Sandinista government.

DID YOU KNOW…
Miss Universe 1981 pageant was scheduled to be held in Guatemala City, a small Central American country. However, for financial and political reasons, Miss Universe was moved to New York City.

DID YOU KNOW…
In 1982, Miss Venezuela 1980, Maria “Maye” Xavier Brandt Angulo, killed herself.It was tragic that Miss Venezuela 1980 died when she was only 20 .

DID YOU KNOW…
Different from Vietnam and the People´s Republic of China, Cuba did not participate at the Miss Universe since 1959.The dictator Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz has forbidden the Miss Cuba pageant.In 1957, Miss Cuba, Maria Rosa Gamio Fernandez, was the 3rd runner-up in the Miss Universe in Long Beach,California. Cuba is one of the few socialist States in the world. Ironically, Osmel Sousa, president of Miss Venezuela Organization since 1980, was born in Cuba.

DID YOU KNOW…
In 1981, Lucia Isabel Vinueza was the first Miss Ecuador to be a semifinalist in the Miss Universe history.Ironically, Miss Ecuador 1981 had been eliminated in the finals of Miss South America-Universe in Lima, Peru´s capital.

DID YOU KNOW…
In Lima, the capital city of Peru, Miss Guam, Patty Choung Kerkos, was the 1st runner-up at the Miss Universe in 1982. In Peru, hosted the Miss Universe 1982, she was very friendly. Patty Chiung Kerkos, was born in South Korea, had the highest final score, but she did not win. The island of Guam is a small American possession in the Pacific Ocean.

DID YOU KNOW…
In Miss Universe 2004, Miss Ukrania, Oleksandr Nikoyalenka did not qualify for the semifinals. She was a big favorite until last minute. Since 2004, she is a top model in Europe and the United States.

DID YOU KNOW…
In 1987, Miss Chile, Cecilia Bolocco, was elected Miss Universe with the most popular support of any Miss Universe candidate in recent history. Millions of people from Australia to the United States watched Cecilia Bolocco´s life change. Before she became famous, Miss Chile 1987 was a professional dancer for a while.

DID YOU KNOW…
Since 1979, Miss Venezuela has missed the semifinals only four times: 1980 ( Maye Brandt), 1982 (Ana Theresa Oropeza), 2004 (Ana Karina Añez Delgado) and 2006( Jictzad Nacarid Viña Carreño).

DID YOU KNOW…
For the first time, Miss Union Soviet, Evia Stalbovska, competed at the Miss Universe in 1990.Unfortunately, Miss USSR, a nurse from Riga (Latvia), did not even make the semifinals.For political reasons, the USSR did not competed at the Miss Universe.

DID YOU KNOW…
For the first time, Miss Peru, Gladys Rosa Zender Urbina, became the first Latin American woman to win the Miss Universe contest (1957).

DID YOU KNOW…
Miss France 2000, Sonia Rolland, is of Rwandan ancestry. She once said: “I come from Rwanda, Africa. My mother is African and my father is French, and I came to France when there was a war on Rwanda and Burundi.”

DID YOU KNOW…
In 1995, Miss Universe pageant took place in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia (Africa). Namibia has been a republic since 1990.After two years, Miss Namibia, Michelle McLean, was crowned Miss Universe 1992 in the Thai capital of Bangkok. At the age 15, Michelle went to Europe to begin her career in modeling.

DID YOU KNOW…
During Miss Universe 2002, Miss Colombia,Vanessa Alexandra Mendoza Bustos, was a big favorite, but she did not even make the semifinals.She was the first black Miss Colombia.

DID YOU KNOW…
Miss Canada, Natalia Glebova, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th Annual pageant help in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand.In a visit to Swaziland, a small country in Africa, Miss Universe 2005 stressed the importance of continuing AIDS treatment programs. An estimated 380,000 Swazilands are infected with HIV, according to the United Nations. The Kingdom of Swaziland is now one of the world´s porest countries. Like Miss Universe 2005, Natalie went to Malaysia, Ukrania, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, India, Saint Maarten, Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Nicaragua, South Africa, Russia, Brazil and the United States. When Miss Universe 2005 left her title, she did not stop fighting AIDS.
ALEJANDRO GUEVARA ONOFRE: My name is Alejandro Guevara Onofre, best known as “Alex”. I have studied political science, journalism and international relations. I am a writer and professor. I spend a lot of time writing and researching about Third World countries, olympics sports, biographies and Peruvian gastronomy.

One of the most memorable moments in my life was in fact when I published my first book: an encyclopedia called Mundototal. After, I published a book about History of Women in the United States (Spanish). At the moment, I am working a book about Third World. In the future, I would like to publish books about Olympic Games, democracy, ecology and nations of the world.

I am very interested in projects about democracy, olympics sports and women´s rights. My hobbies are drawing, doing sports and learning about Third World cultures. I am passionate about 1970s Music. I like reading, especially political books. My favourite book is “Murder in A Gentle Land” by Anthony Paul and John Barron. My idol is Jimmy Carter. I really admire him is because he´s so positive and enthusiastic about Third World democracy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alejandro_Guevara_Onofre

Finding a good melasma treatment can be one of the most difficult things. Anyone who suffers from brown spots, hyperpigmentation, age spots and uneven skin tone has probably experienced the frustration of not knowing how to effectively treat their problem.

Cosmetic procedures can be helpful in some cases of hyperpigmentation, but are generally not recommended for melasma. In addition, they are costly, and your brown spots will probably come back in a year or two any way.

Beauty creams from the drugstore can be hazardous to your health – especially those containing hydroquinone. And if you have been fortunate enough to find a healthy, natural, skin-enhancing whitening cream, you may still be frustrated that it fades your brown spots only to an extent.

Skin creams are a vital step in your regimen, but what many sufferers of brown spots don’t know is that there is a lot more that they can and must do to supplement their creams. There are simple, natural and little known remedies you will need to do in addition to applying your cream alone. Some of these are things you can buy at the store and add to your cream, some are things you can buy at the store and apply to your face before and after your cream, and some are nutritional supplements you can take internally.

Pycnogenol, a supplement you can find locally or through online suppliers, is a well-known powerful antioxidant. Not only will it help improve your overall health, studies have shown that it is effective in decreasing the size and pigmentation of your melasma. Pycnogenol is known for its effectiveness in fading your age spots, and improving the health and even tone of your skin.

Take one 25 mg tablet with meals three times a day. Using Pycnogenol internally can very possibly enhance the results of your melasma treatment routine. Remember, these spots always want to come back, so even after your melasma and brown spots are gone, keep treating your skin a couple of times a week, and don’t forget to take your Pycnogenol.

For your complete melasma, pigmentation and age spot treatment system, always use a potent, natural lightening cream with antioxidants on your skin, and supplement this with certain other ingredients you can find at your supermarket and drugstore. In several weeks to just a couple of months, you can get rid of the brown spots on your skin, and enjoy a fresh, natural, glowing, healthy face.
To learn more about effective, low-cost and safe treatment of melasma, age spots, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, including free information on natural remedies you can make at home, and what you absolutely MUST avoid, visit http://skinbrightening.googlepages.com/home

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alicia_Green