Medical

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.

We are proud to announce that we have added the latest technology to treat acute and chronic pain and inflammation.  It’s a new form of energy medicine called Class IV High Power Therapeutic Laser.  Orthopedic and neurosurgeons in California and Florida are using this technology instead of epidural injects and cortico-steriod injects.  Why?  Because it’s non-invasive (no needles, or drugs) and does not have side effects or risks. 

The ADA recommends the following for good oral hygiene:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.

A young mother from Mission Hills made local history at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. She was the first in an area covering the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys to undergo a new procedure that requires just one small incision in the belly button to remove the gallbladder.

Acupuncture is as effective as the corticosteroid, prednisone, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a new study.
The randomized, controlled study that was published in the May 2009 issue of The Clinical Journal of Pain, investigated the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as measured by both nerve conduction studies and symptom assessment surveys.

I find it amazing that in a world where technology abounds and every kind of convenience exists to make our lives easier, we have less and less time to do what we really want.  And I mean important things like relaxing with our family and friends, caring for the kids, chauffeuring little ones, or reading the paper, just to mention a few.  With so much to do in so little time, no wonder we have no time to exercise.

Back in July, weSPARK Cancer Support Center held a program called “Fighting Cancer with a Fork.”  We invited 10 women from weSPARK to a cooking class in Sherman Oaks, California, led by Pam Herskovitz.  Pam has worked at UCSD in Cancer Prevention and Control for 10 years and on various research projects investigating the relationship between diet and cancer. 

We all remember the awkwardness, stumbling through our first relationships.  We were too embarrassed to admit that we didn’t know what we were doing, so pretended we did.  This led to many experiences that were less than ideal.  I know that I would have loved to have had a mentor teach me the basic skills that would have reduced the pain of early experiences, but I didn’t know that these skills existed, yet alone where to acquire them.