Medical

As we continue our path on this journey we call aging, knowledge is power.  We are a research savvy society with the growth of the Internet, especially when it comes to healthcare or continuum of care choices for ourselves or our loved ones.  I want to encourage you to tune in to “Aging with Power,” every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on our local AM1220, or stream us live at www.hometownstation.com and click “listen live.”

Orthodontic treatment can have life changing benefits.  I can improve one’s smile, restore proper function (i.e. chewing and eating), and establish a proper bite for healthy gums and jaw joints.  More and more people are now undergoing orthodontic treatment to achieve a beautiful and healthy smile.
With today’s economy however, many people that could greatly benefit from orthodontic treatment are delaying or refusing care because of the cost of treatment and because many perceive it as just a cosmetic procedure. 

To begin, let’s first talk about Amalgam fillings.  Sometimes referred to as “silver or metal colored fillings,” an amalgam filling is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements.  Constant pressure from chewing, grinding or clenching can cause dental fillings, or restorations, to wear away, chip or crack.  You may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down; however it is important to understand if the seal between the tooth enamel and the restoration breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the restoration. 

With over 11 years of experience and extensive medical training, Dr. Tony Avakian and his team of specialists are the people to look for when you have any foot or ankle problems.  They treat all disorders relating to the foot and ankle including sports medicine, diabetes, bunion surgery, fractures, ingrown toenails, and physical therapy.  Their philosophy at the Valencia Foot and Ankle Center is “treat your patients as you would like to be treated.” 

Many of us don’t feel like always smiling because our teeth aren’t the whitest they could be but nowadays it is so easy to have that perfect smile with Zoom Whitening.  Zoom is a tooth whitening process that is widely used throughout the world to lighten discoloration of enamel and dentin.  Our teeth may become discolored due to drinking coffee, teas, colas, and red wine.  And, as we age the aging process can also stain and darken your teeth.

Many audiologists will tell you how they do what they do, but I want to talk about why I do what I do.  I’m not in this because I want to have more patients than anyone else around, I’m in this for my father.  My father worked as a printer operating noisy printing presses in the days when upper and lower case meant where you found the lead type pieces that had to be packed together by hand.  In addition to losing a part of a finger, my dad had a severe hearing loss as long as I can remember. 

Like most, I enjoyed watching cartoons as a kid.  One cartoon that I found frustrating, though, was The Road Runner Show.  It wasn’t that I didn’t find the show entertaining; it was that Wile E. Coyote was so obsessed with catching Road Runner that the goal itself became a waste – he could have eaten something else!  And, if all he wished for in life was that bird, then what joy could he have after he caught it?  I thought for sure that people wouldn’t choose to repeat the same hurtful mistakes, but they do.  The difference is that people can change.

With the rise in child diabetes and inactivity we have encouraged our children to become more active and enroll them in sport activities.  It is always a good idea that if kids are involved in sports like football, soccer, baseball, softball, where they could do damage to their teeth that the need for a mouth guard is necessary to help not only with those beautiful teeth we spent to straighten but also concussions. 

Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe injury caused by a rapid jerking of the neck either forward and backward or side-to-side.  It is most often associated with motor vehicle accidents, but can also occur from falls, blows to the head, or sports accidents to name a few.  The sudden, forceful movement with whiplash causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion.  This can cause tearing in the muscles, tendons and ligaments, which support the neck and can lead to damage to the intervertebral disc, spinal nerves or even spinal cord.

What criteria do you use to determine if I am a candidate?  It is important to ask this question because there are very specific criteria to determine how effective the treatment will be.  If the doctor does not have an established system for the inclusion or exclusion of patients for treatment then you may want to re-think doing the procedure at that office.  There must be a comprehensive health history, examination, and a review of all diagnostic tests to determine if you are a candidate.  The doctor and patient should take this procedure as seriously as he/she would surgery.

Parents and educators everywhere are concerned about the burdens that children are lugging around each day in the form of poorly designed, improperly packed and inappropriately worn backpacks. This phenomenon has also become a major focus of chiropractors who have recognized that early childhood back stress is a major cause of spinal instability and nerve related health problems.

Playing sports can build character, muscle, and self-esteem in our kids, but these activities also lead to injuries that, if not treated properly, can last well into adult life.
While nothing can rival the pride we feel as parents when we watch our son or daughter score a winning goal or hit a home run, there is anxiety we experience over our children’s safety when we watch them body slam another player, slide into home base or remain lying on the field for a few moments after a tough tackle.

Good Oral health or Dental hygiene plays a significant role in our overall well being. Here are a few tips which would surely help you to maintain good oral health.
• Brush your teeth regularly and properly after meals. This helps to clean our teeth and prevents the accumulation of plaque. Make it a point to keep a toothbrush and toothpaste handy at work. It is a common fact that most people do not properly brush their teeth after lunch.

One of the more functional branches of dentistry is without a doubt cosmetic dentistry. There are many things that can be said about cosmetic dentistry. First of all, most of the time, the importance of your teeth for your appearance is underrated. Whether you are a man or a woman, one of the best ways to make sure that you have a stunning appearance is by the fact that you are able to have a stunning smile. Perfectly shaped and perfectly white teeth will make anyone look good whether they are old or young or whether they are tall or short.

Summer is fast approaching, and people everywhere are getting ready to look their best in the sun.  For some, that means working on a tan.  Others are focused on toning and improving their bodies.  However, your smile is just as important to your appearance as your skin and body.  Whitening your teeth for a dazzling smile can make a big difference in both how you look and how confident you feel.

Back to school season is getting underway, and two Valencia foot and ankle surgeons have some advice for area parents.
Dana Lavian, DPM, FACFAS and Leslie G. Levy, DPM, FACFAS, are members of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons with offices in Valencia.  They say parents should look for these warning signs:
Do the bottoms of the child’s shoes show uneven wear patterns?

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it.
Today we know that Alzheimer’s:
• Is a progressive and fatal brain disease.

The number of cases of head lice found has definitely increased over the last 20 years. More kids have a louse infestation and that in turn increases the number of other children exposed to the possibility of getting head lice.
The key to effective control of head lice is to break the louse lifecycle. This means that even the most effective treatments, including those that feature insecticides, should be followed up with a good combing to remove parasites from the hair. Although head lice did not carry diseases taking quick action is the best way to prevent other family members from becoming infested.