Medical

When I was 18 months old, I was diagnosed with a moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears.  I am 26 years old now.  To me, hearing aids are second nature, and a large part of why I was able to attend mainstream schools and become gainfully employed without any other accommodations.

We all want mens sana en corpore sano, a “sound mind in a sound body.”  Maybe the Romans had it backward.  Maybe it should read, “sound body in a sound mind.”  Before you start promising to eat better and exercise more, you’d better first put your mind to improving what may be the most critical foundation of a healthier life—your own mental attitude.

October 30, 2009 – 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Free Seasonal Flu Vaccinations in collaboration with the College of the Canyons, the City of Santa Clarita and LA County Public Health.  Point of entry is on Rockwell Canyon only. 

During the summer and fall many people go to woodland parks and wilderness areas for recreation and to exercise.  You must take care in these areas not to be exposed to poison ivy plants.  The most common poisonous plants are from the “toxicodendron” family and the most commonly known of these is poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

R&R — removal and replacement — of breast implants is one of the most common outpatient procedures I perform in my office operating suite.  Breast implants may need to be replaced for a variety of reasons, including capsular contracture, a broken implant, or the desire for a size change.

Dental veneers can be used to cosmetically enhance your smile.  Veneers can be used to whiten your teeth, repair chips, cracks, or worn areas of teeth, close gaps between teeth, and in some cases, correct misaligned teeth. 

Even though there is no specific age to start treatment, it is recommended that a child see an orthodontist as early as seven years of age.  There are no strict guidelines on what can be corrected at that age but typically problems such as cross-bites (or narrow jaws), under-bites (lower jaw being ahead of upper jaw), flared upper front teeth (that are at great risk for trauma), severe crowding, harmful habits (such as thumb or finger sucking), open bites (front teeth not coming together), missing teeth, impacted teeth may need to be treated at an early age. 

Many patients tell me they would love to have whiter teeth, however, in the past, after a whitening procedure they experienced quite a bit of tooth sensitivity, which is the main reason why whitening is no longer an option for them.  The question then: “Is there a way to get whiter teeth without the sensitivity?”  The answer is easier than you would expect. 

Q: How do the Communicable Disease Control’s (CDC) new flu guidelines differ from the old and what are the facts?
A: The guidelines apply to any flu virus during the 2009-2010 school year.  The H1N1 (swine flu) is similar to other flu-like illness.  In the past year, it was no more severe than the “normal” seasonal flu, but appears to be much more likely to spread.  Based upon facts and not fear, the new guidelines offer steps for parents, students and school staff to take.

Next time you visit our office, we’ll be checking for potential cavities not only with a probe...but also with a ray of fluorescent light.  Specifically, we’ll be using state-of-the-art optical technology: the KaVo DIAGNOdent Laser Fluorescence Caries Detection Instrument. We’re pleased to be the first office in our area to offer you this early, accurate, comfortable high-tech diagnostics technique.  It used to be, all we had to use to check for cavities were silver probes.

If you suffer from low back pain, you are not alone.  In fact, Americans spend more than $50 billion each year on remedies for low back pain.  Almost everyone will experience some type of low back pain in their life, and, in fact, it is a leading contributor to missed work days.  Low back pain is especially common in those who do not keep themselves fit.  But even those who are fit often miss one of the most important aspects of protecting their back, i.e. maintaining and/or increasing their flexibility.

Candy season starts in October with Halloween and runs through March or April with Easter.  During this time there is Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day as well, all times for sweets and treats.

Like any holiday, Halloween can be a tempting time to overindulge in treats and is typically the beginning of a six-month sugar binge that ends just in time to start getting back into shape for summer.  This year, let’s stop the cycle before it starts.  There are a few tips and tricks you can use to enjoy Halloween and still stay on the healthy track.

Heel/arch pain is one of the most common foot ailments affecting millions of people on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, this affliction is left untreated by a majority of the population, figuring that it will go away, or accepting that the pain is typical with excessive standing or walking.  Eventually, this ailment becomes chronic in nature, often manifesting with “first step pain” when getting out of bed or after a period of rest, usually dissipating after a few minutes of walking, then eventually returning later in the day.

The Titleist Performance Institute was created to provide players with the ultimate golf learning experience by the leaders in elite player development.  They have combined industry leading experts, state-of-the-art technology, and world-class facilities to enhance your performance.  They have developed a program to help coordinate the medical and fitness community with your existing golf professional.  Their website is MyTPI.com.

The performance of the body during athletics is more dependent on the spine than any other skeletal structure.  The spine serves as a pillar for the body and also supplies the nervous control for the many muscles of the trunk, arms and legs.  All athletes, from the weekend warrior to Olympians, want the best possible performance from their body, and to avoid injury.  A structurally and mechanically balanced body has a greatly reduced risk of injury. 

The spine contains 23 spacers between the vertebrae called the discs.  These discs are composed of two portions.  The central portion is a pulpy, gel-like material called the nucleus pulposis.  Forming a flexible, closed container around the nucleus is the annulus fibrosis, which consists of cartilage rings that adhere strongly to each spinal bone.  When these cartilage rings become damaged and fissured, the inner nucleus can seep into these fissure and cause the edge of the disc to bulge and put direct pressure on delicate nerves. 

With flu season approaching, the William S. Hart Union High School District has posted an information sheet from the California Department of Education and a Question-and-Answer sheet on the H1N1 Flu on the district Web site, where it is available to parents and staff members.

On Halloween, our little “trick or treaters” get so much candy, full of sugar and chemical additives. Sugar is known to cause hyperactivity in children and dental cares, as well as mood swings, depression, and obesity. But, it’s also the other chemical additives, including artificial and natural flavors and FD&C colors, most of which are derived from coal tar, which is a carcinogenic.