Thursday, December 27, 2007
It is said that the face is the mirror of the human mind. A beautiful face achieves results or good first impressions easily while the opposite provides an uphill struggle. Not surprisingly, our teeth draw in a great deal of attention and are a significant factor in judging attractiveness, so a clean, white smile can play a crucial role in how you are first perceived by many. Lustrous teeth portray our confidence and eventually help us to win the hearts of those we interact with.
Tooth whitening is a way of brightening the natural color of our teeth. This should be done without removing any of the tooth's surfaces and enamels. Enamels should not be affected during the process of tooth whitening as this may result in tooth decay and eventual failure, so harsher methods should not be applied despite their bleaching potency. It is not possible to make a complete color change; instead the existing shades are simply lightened.
One of the largest contributors to discolored teeth is the fact that we have moved away from the natural style of living and eating. The processed foods and drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine, as well as habits like smoking and drinking, are continuously staining our teeth. Tarter can also affect the color of our teeth.
Tooth whitening, also referred to as tooth bleaching, is an effort to remove these stains and discoloration. It is an aesthetic dentistry technique to lighten pigmentation within the teeth.
Professional bleaching is the most common form of tooth whitening; hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide is commonly used for this purpose. This liberates oxygen to the teeth and oxidizes stains and cracks, thereby brightening the tooth color. For this process the gums are usually first covered with gels, and special trays are used to apply the materials. Normally this will be finished within 30-minutes to one hour.
Apart from this conventional cleaning, laser whitening methods (also referred to as power whitening ) are regularly employed now. In this process, after protecting gums with a suitable cover a bleaching product is painted onto the teeth. This product is then activated via laser beams, whereupon the light catalyzes the chemical reaction of the whitening product. This teeth whitening method is faster compared to the aforementioned one, and is more effective too. It can make your teeth six to eight shades lighter, but even though it has these advantages it is a far more costly option.
With at-home tooth whitening options, the dental patient has the bleaching materials with them at home and performs bleaching treatments of their own. Be careful, because this method lacks proper supervision and thus requires diligent application. Whitening teeth with peroxide bleaching compounds has become an extremely popular procedure, and as such whitening toothpastes are readily available in the markets. However they do not affect the natural color of your teeth, for they are aimed at removing the stains in the teeth thereby giving a better appearance to them.
In dental clinic based tooth whitening, it is done in a professional way under total supervision. They start with examining the health of the teeth, such as checking the teeth for cavities since tooth whitening gels can damage the cavities in the teeth. So as the first step any cavities are repaired, then the teeth are cleaned of any lingering plaque. A tray is then customized to fit the client's mouth. This custom prepared mouth tray with whitening gel is fitted and kept as such for ten to twenty days.
The effects of professional tooth whitening can last up to three years. However, the life of the result may vary from person to person and the living habits of each person. For persons that have smoking habits, alcoholics etc., the effect is not likely to last as long. Such habits can re-lodge stains and cavities in the teeth.
A few side effects are often reported after the tooth whitening. Some people find that their teeth have become sensitive to cold during or after the treatment. To a few, discomfort in the gums, a sore throat or white patches on the gum line occur due to teeth whitening. It is found that these symptoms are not long lasting to majority of the people. Any prolonged problem can be the results of other factors which require immediate attention of a dentist.
As shown above, once decolorized, the advance dental clinics can restore or create whiter teeth for us, but this can be maintained or its effects can be delayed if good practices are followed. It is advisable to brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Excessive intake of sugar products are to be avoided. Alcoholic drinks and smoking habits are also not to be practiced, or at the least bit should be minimized. By following these basic practices, our teeth will offer a prolonged glow if supplemented by a yearly visit to a dentist.
Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author:
Laser teeth whitening is becoming an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure. Learn more about the various tooth whitening products, systems and more at Lustrous Teeth.com.
What You Should Know Before Taking Supplements
These days there is plenty of controversy and debate over whether it is beneficial to take various supplements. There are many kinds of supplements out there all with different intentions. There are food or meal supplements, weight loss supplements, strength enhancing supplements, and performance enhancing supplements, just to name a few.
While I do believe that certain supplements can provide some benefits for weight loss and increased fitness, taking the wrong ones or taking too high a dose can create some unwanted serious side effects. If you are either currently taking any supplements or are considering taking any then follow these tips to ensure they will not do you more harm than good.
For starters, get a physical checkup from your doctor. Talk to the doctor about what supplements you are taking or are looking to take and explain what you want to take them for whether it is for weight loss or to increase your strength for fitness. Your doctor can make sure that you have no conditions that would be adversely affected by them and may also have other recommendations as well.
Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the supplements you want to take. Many weight loss supplements for instance are only a meal replacement with a very high cost. You can start by using the internet to do searches on them. Here you can get plenty of information on them. You can also ask the local pharmacist, a qualified fitness trainer, or a qualified nutritionist about them for an even more in depth look at them.
Stay away from supplements that do not list all the ingredients or are a new, unusual, or unknown type. Stick with supplements that have a good brand name, use pharmaceutical grade ingredients, and make no lofty claims as to what their supplements will do for you like rapid weight loss for example.
When you do find a suitable supplement to take, never exceed the recommended dosage for any reason. No matter how good a supplement is, more is definitely not better. There is a very good reason why the manufacturer listed the dosage they did. Increasing that dosage with the belief that it will increase the effects of the supplement is the main reason people get sick or injured from using them.
If at any time you develop any side effects from the supplements you are taking, stop taking them immediately! The weight loss, strength, or general fitness boost you are trying to get from them is not worth compromising your health for. You may even want to consult with your doctor in case treatment is needed to ensure against further incident from the effects you may be having.
Many people take many different supplements every day for various reasons and some people do report positive results from them. There are supplements out there that are beneficial to take to help you with your weight loss and fitness goals, but just remember that there are a lot of bad ones too. If you are considering taking any supplements, follow these guidelines and more important, follow good common sense.
About The Author:
Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php
Daydreaming - The Power of Brainwaves
Daydreams
When we are relaxed we often daydream. How do our thoughts travel from one destination to another? And not just that, they travel so fast that we cannot track back to the original thought that led to so many daydreams on the road.
Every moment of our life our brain is active. It is pulsing with electrical impulses; you heard that right, electricity! The electricity or electrical current generated by the brain can be measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the frequency of the electrical current. This frequency or speed of the brainwave is measured in Hertz (HZ).
These frequencies can be associated with our state of mind at any particular moment. This means that our state of mind, for example being relaxed, frightened, or sleepy, can be –seen-- in our brainwave frequencies. The speed of the frequency allows us to categorize our brainwaves into –four-- broad categories.
BETA WAVES - 14Hz to 20Hz. Beta waves are associated with normal waking consciousness. They are present when we are focused on activities in the outside world.
ALPHA WAVES - 8Hz to 13Hz. Alpha waves are likened to a light meditation. They are prevalent when we daydream. They will become stronger when our eyes are closed.
THETA WAVES - 4Hz to 7Hz. Theta waves occur during heightened states of creativity and are found with a deep meditative state.
DELTA WAVES - .5Hz to 3Hz. Delta waves are found in a deep sleep state or unconsciousness. Also, Delta waves are common in very deep meditation.
A predominance of Alpha waves in the brain is associated with accelerated learning, focus and enhanced creativity. When we are focus on something, there is a predominance of Alpha waves. No matter what your profession or hobby, these attributes will increase your productivity and enhance your experience.
A deep meditative state is true bliss. Increase your Theta waves and you are on your way to this state. In the Theta state you can lose your attachment to the physical body. You will feel a deep sense of physical relaxation.
Delta state has long been associated with sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, the CDs targeting this range will help immensely. Having a CD that targets the Delta brainwaves will allow you to enter a deep sleep state easily. It will be time to say goodbye to insomnia!
Recently there has also been some research that suggests that an even deeper meditative state can occur during predominate Delta wave activity. As you gain experience and comfort with meditation, you may want to try reaching a Delta state during meditation.
Daydreams
