The top 5 dangers of Narcotics

Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States and in a recent year, one death occurred every 19 minutes due to drug overdosing. There are medical reasons to take narcotics and should be taken only when prescribed by a medical professional and under supervision and no more than the instructed amount. There are several dangers to watch out for and here are some of them:

Narcotics: a drug that in moderate doses, dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions.

1. Physiological addiction: This can lead to infections, diseases, and toxic overdoses. Narcotics are only meant to be be taken when other pain killers will not take away the pain. They are highly addictive and very destructive to your body.
2. Psychological Addiction: Your brain can get highly addicted to narcotics and soon it is a mind game. Some people believe they can only function on these pills, be happy on these pills, and that it stops them from being angry.
3. Sleepiness and Coma's: By taking too many of these pills, many people sleep their day away on the couch and wake up just to take another pill.
4. Reduces the ability to focus: When you are on these pills, your senses are numbed and you may walk around like in a stupor. Your eyes will have a glassy look and somewhat bloodshot.
5. Less physical activity: You will become lazy and sit around more than you usually would. You may also experience watery eyes, runny nose, yawing, sweating, restlessness, irritability, and loss of appetite along with constipation.

If you are on these pills regularly, you will also gain a tolerance to them and will need to up your dosage to get the same effect they once had on you. It is a continual growing phase and will not stop unless you quit cold turkey. Many people soon experience loneliness and cannot concentrate on anything. They isolate themselves from everyone and soon have no social life. They soon become a burden to society as they soon cannot take care of themselves or anyone else and if they have a significant other or children, society has to step up and take care of them.

If you or someone you know is addicted to these drugs, the first thing to do is tell someone and to seek help. you can click on this link to learn more.

Top 10 benefits of choosing Veneers

There are so many reasons people are improving their smile with veneers. Here is the top ten:

1. Veneers greatly enhance your smile by your dental professional matching the shade to match your skin tone and whiter shades instead of gray or yellow.
2. Veneers can help straighten your smile. If your teeth are crooked, instead of spending 1-2 years in braces or invisalign, Veneers can straighten your smile.
3. Veneers over Crowns. With Veneers, we save as much of your tooth structure as possible so that you can keep your teeth for as long as possible.
4. Veneers can close spaces between teeth. If you have gaps in your teeth, the veneers will be fitted up against each other not allowing a gap anymore.
5. Veneers can lengthen and change the shape of your teeth. If some of your teeth are longer or shorter and you have a crooked tooth line, veneers will appear natural and the same length and shape.
6. Veneers can also protect your teeth from further damage.
7. Veneers do not change color and will not stain.
8. Veneer makeovers have been reported to increase confidence in people with their smile.
9. Veneers can mask staining, chipped, cracked, or worn damaged teeth.
10. Veneers look natural, offer strength and durability to damaged teeth, can cost less than other options, and give you a whole new healthy and youthful smile makeover!

What to look for when going with veneers.

• Talk to your dentist and make sure you are both on the same page.
• Make sure they are matching correctly the shade with your skin tone and rest of your teeth. Do whitening if needed.
• Have your dentist do a mock-up on your smile with composite filling material so you can get a better idea of what it will look like.
• Ask to see a portfolio of cases he or she has already completed.
• Find out how long he or she has been doing cosmetic cases.

Your child's first visit to the dentist

There can be so many frightening things about a dental office to children such as smells, new people, the sounds, and the masks. Then there is the stories that other children or even adults tell young children about the horrible experiences at the dentist that are most of the time very untrue. There are some tips that I am going to share with you about choosing the right dentist for your child, preparing them for their first visit, and what to do if they are having a rather tough time.

Choosing the right dentist. Many times, people take their children with them to their own appointments and this definitely helps with the frequency of seeing the same people and the same office. Also when the dentist knows the history of the parents, it is easier to understand each child in situations such as if they are late getting their teeth in or if the parents have been missing any permanent teeth, it give the dentist areas to watch for or if the parents have worn braces, we may refer them to the orthodontist at an earlier age for interceptive or preventive treatment. Some important things to look for:

• The dentists chair side manner, does he put children at ease?
• The "Tell-Show-Do" Technique, reviewing with your child everything he does before he begins. Many children also like to watch what he does with a hand mirror, this usually helps to put them at ease if they can watch him count their teeth.
• Does the dentist explain the proper cleaning techniques and praise them for doing something right? Several dentists I know have treasure chests that the children can choose from for having a good visit.
• How does the dentist handle your child misbehaving? The dentist may need to take action to prevent injury to your child around the instruments and tools. Calmly and firmly speaking to the child is the 1st approach they should take and if the child needs to be physically restrained, you may need to step in and help.

Preparing your child for their 1st visit:

• Talk to them about it and explain what will happen in a simple manner. DO NOT USE THE WORDS SHOT, NEEDLE, DRILL or anything that will frighten them. We have our own terms here that we use that do not frighten the children.
• If you have had a bad experience, do not relay your fears to your child.
• Talk to your dentist about any worries you or your child may have. Dr. Rick works with our patients and parents to achieve the best visit possible for you and your child.
• Look for books that explain what it is like to go to the dentist. Pictures usually help explain this.
• Never use or threaten going to the dentist as punishment as this will only heighten anxiety and fear in your child.

If your child has had a bad experience, it is important to talk to them about it. If you do not feel comfortable going back to that dentist, find one that you are comfortable with and share your concerns with them up front.