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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Dental implants are painless Fitness — importance of stretching Penicillin and Amoxicillin’s days are numbered Chocolate is good for you
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Dental implants are painless This is a facet of the modern science that has taken the dental profession by storm because it has made possible creating “artificial roots” on which a dentist can place a tooth or attach a denture. This means recreating in a patient’s mouth the teeth that may have originally been lost as a result of trauma, dental ailments or neglect. You need dental implants if you have missing teeth and wish to eat your favourite foods, increase chewing ability and improve your appearance and speech. While for many cases implants may be the only way to recreate your “perfect smile”, the implants are especially indicated for the persons who cannot adjust to the routine dentures. Let me first tell you what is an implant. A natural tooth consists of two parts: Crown or the visible part which can be seen above the gum tissue; and the root that is hidden below the gum tissue, within the bone. It is the root that holds the tooth to the jawbone. Dental implants act as substitutes for tooth roots. Implants are made of alloys of titanium. Being very complicated structures, they are made with the help of lasers and computers in highly advanced laboratories. They are of different shapes, sizes and designs. Depending upon the number of teeth being replaced, one or more implants are placed in the bone. Inserting the implants:
Dental implant surgery is a painless procedure and is worth it if you want to feel good about yourself and your smile. Implants can restore your ability to chew and also enhance your appearance and smile. The implants are surgically placed into the jawbone. For a previously extracted tooth, a hole is drilled into the patient’s jaw. An implant can also be placed in the cavity caused at the time of extraction of a tooth. After complete healing of the wound the tops of the embedded implants are exposed and small posts, which protrude through the gums, are attached onto them. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement. The procedure causes little discomfort and does not involve any more risk than what is common for minor surgeries. While the jawbone is getting fused with the implants, the patient is able to wear a temporary denture and eat a normal soft diet. It takes the jawbone about two-three months to get fused with the implants. After two-three months permanent restorations or teeth are given and the patient can enjoy the lost confidence, proper chewing and good aesthetics. Now for the patients who find it difficult to wear conventional dentures . Also some patients have the problem of loose dentures because of the loss of bone. because the denture simply rests on the gums and does not offer much support when chewing. This problem is worsened everyday because the bone under the gums continues to resorb (disappear) as time goes by, making the dentures more difficult to wear and becoming loose day by day. Overdentures provide a solution to this problem. Overdentures are done when a patient is already wearing a denture and would like to have the denture secured in his or her mouth, or when a patient’s remaining teeth need to be removed and he or she needs to have dentures. By placing even two implants in the jaw, a denture can be rigidly secured in the mouth. This provides the patients with the ability to chew foods they desire and smile and speak without the fear of losing their teeth. Cost factor: Getting dental implants is rather cheap when compared to other things you do to improve you looks, confidence, and social status. But it is certainly more costly than the traditional methods of the tooth replacement. The metal titanium, of which implants are made, is very costly. Some cheaper implants may crack while eating some hard food, or may refuse to remain integrated with the bone for long (foreign body rejection). The simplest - one implant with one crown on top of it - will cost you $1,500 in the US; but in India it costs only a fraction of it. So, if you are missing the confident smile, are loosing looks and cannot enjoy the food of your choice, you are the person for dental implant(s). Right age for getting dental implants:
Age is not an important factor for dental implants. Many children as well as very old patients have been given implants successfully. However, as in other medical procedures, health of the patient, especially with regard to the healing power of the body, is important. Also, the patients should observe good oral hygiene. Implants are permanent:
Yes, almost; the majority of implants last 15-20 years. With most recent techniques and materials, they can be expected to last even-longer. Their longevity does depend upon their quality, but more important is the skill of the implant dentist. Their after-care is also important. The writer is Head, Department of Dentistry, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana.
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Fitness — importance of stretching Fitness is the ability to perform a moderate-to-vigorous level of activity without undue fatigue and injury. Speed, stamina, flexibility and strength help a person to have a fit and healthy body. We mostly skip the flexibility routine due to lack of time, or because we feel that we have already completed our training by doing cardiovascular exercises for speed and stamina and resistance training for improving strength. Stretching, in fact, improves joint mobility and flexibility of the muscles. Before starting any physical exercise, warming up for approximately five minutes is mandatory. This can be achieved with moderate continuous movement as in walking, slow jogging or bicycling. The aim is to increase blood circulation and prepare the muscles for stretching. A warm muscle is more flexible, which protects you against injury and enhances performance. Stretching, if done before the warm-up exercises, increases the chances of injury. As one grows old, the muscles are more prone to developing stiffness. Some people lose muscle elasticity over a period of time that adversely reduces normal muscle length. This happens when the body assumes a rigid, fixed position such as during sitting in the office resulting in muscle pain and excessive tension. This is described as “Creeping rigor mortis”, a slow but continuous loss of flexibility over the years. With the gradual loss in flexibility, our muscles become tighter and we are less able to accomplish things we once did with ease. It has been mentioned that an individual starts losing flexibility by age eight. If this is true, then stretching should be taught at the elementary school level. Flexibility of different parts of the body can be assessed as under: Neck: Turn your head towards the shoulder as far as possible. In case one is able to turn one’s head up to 80-90 degrees then flexibility is very good. Motion less than 75 degrees means poor flexibility. Lower back: Lie on your back with the arms spread out at right angles. Keep one leg bent straight, the other leg at 90 degrees crossing it over the body, trying to touch the knee to the floor. Stop at the point where the shoulder starts lifting from the floor. If one can move the knee more than 75 degrees, then flexibility is very good. In case it is less than 45 degrees then flexibility is poor and one is more prone to having a low back problem. Arms and shoulders: Raise one arm up by the side of the head with the elbow straight and hands facing inwards. If the degree of motion is more than 180 then the flexibility of the shoulders is very good. In case it is less than 170 degrees, it is graded as poor and one needs to do a lot of stretching exercises. Correct stretching is not an exercise involving rhythmic extensions and contractions of muscles as in walking, running, swimming and so on. It involves holding a muscle in a comfortable stretched position for various lengths of time. There should be no bouncing or bobbing up or down or other movement. When stretching correctly, one is almost as still as a statue. Proper stretching elongates the muscles slowly to a point where mild tension is felt. Some important stretching exercises are as under: Neck stretch:
Gently tilt the head to one side so that the stretch is felt on the other side of the neck. Hold on for 10-12 seconds. Lower back stretch: Lie on your back. Bring both knees towards the body. Hold on for 10 seconds. Spine rotation:
Lie on your back, arms outstretched at the shoulder level. Bend both legs at 90 degrees and slowly drop your knees to the left until the left knee is touching the floor. Keep your shoulder blades flat on the floor. Don’t force the stretch. Hold on for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Hamstring stretch: Lie on your back with one leg bent. Hold the other leg behind the thigh with both hands. Keeping your left leg as straight as possible, gently pull it towards you until you feel the stretch down the back of the thigh. Hold it for about 10-15 seconds. Quadriceps stretch: Stand straight facing a wall for support. Bend one leg, hold the front of your foot and pull up towards the bottom. Hold on for about 10 seconds and then repeat for the right leg. Calf stretch: Stand at arm’s length from the wall and place your hands on the wall at the chest level. Stand with your feet together, then step back one foot without lifting the heel. Intensify the stretch by stepping further back with your rear leg. Hold on for about 10 seconds. Repeat three times and then stretch the other calf. Most people have the tendency to overstretch with the intention of becoming more “flexible”. They, therefore, stretch as far as possible and in doing so over-stretch. This tightens the very muscles that they intend to stretch and causes microscopic tears of the involved tissues and scar formation. As scars are non-elastic, muscle elasticity is reduced, contributing to muscle pain and making it vulnerable to injury. Stretching exercises not only improve flexibility but also bring a spring in one’s steps due to renewed vitality and feeling of well-being. The writer is a former doctor/physiotherapist, Indian cricket team.
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Penicillin and Amoxicillin’s days are numbered WASHINGTON: Researchers have found that long-time antibiotic stalwarts like penicillin and amoxicillin should be set aside when it comes to the treatment of strep throat, as they aren’t as effective as newer antibiotics known as cephalosporins. Doctors, who reviewed the treatment given to 11,426 children, showed that even a short course of the newer drugs is more effective than the traditional 10-day dose of the older antibiotics. Pediatricians at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that 25 per cent of children treated for strep throat with penicillin ended up back in the doctor’s office within three weeks of treatment. Children treated with amoxicillin returned 18 per cent of the time. The numbers were 14 percent for older-generation cephalosporins, and just 7 per cent for newer ones like cefpodoxime and cefdinir, which are given for just four or five days. “Most doctors are shocked to learn of the high failure rates of the older medications. The treatment paradigm for treating strep sore throats has been changing slowly, and endorsing the use of cephalosporins as a first-line treatment is something that needs to be seriously considered,” said Pichichero, a professor of Microbiology and Immunology. While the newer short-course cephalosporins are only available in brand-name form and are much more expensive, older ones such as cephalexin (better known as Keflex) cost about the same as penicillin or amoxicillin but are more effective against strep. — ANI
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London: It is a research finding that will gladden the hearts of chocoholics. A few squares of the dark stuff every day cuts the risk of serious cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately the finding only applies to smokers who avoid consuming other foods that might possibly do them good such as onions, apples, and cabbage. These foods, like dark chocolate, contain high levels of antioxidants which are known to be good for the heart. However, dark chocolate contains more anti-oxidants, gram for gram than other foods better known for their health-giving properties such as red wine, green tea and berry fruits, the researchers say in the journal Heart. — The Independent |
Much is being heard and said about implants for the restoration of one’s lost teeth, especially as a substitute for partial or complete dentures. This being a new field and rather lucrative one, the public at large and even many dentists are confused about it. What implant dentistry is all about and who is a qualified dentist to practice it?