Category: Health & Fitness

Dental implants are becoming an increasingly popular choice for people with tooth loss, and with good reason!

They look great, are long-lasting and protect the bone and teeth that are already there. The only drawback is, they can be taxing on the wallet.

But you know, there are some ways around that. We’re here to help you get the smile you want, but make sure your bank statement doesn’t wipe it off your face.

Read on for 5 ways to save money on dental implants.

1. Check Your Insurance

OK, this may seem like an obvious one. But there are lots of insurers who will meet you part way on the cost of dental implants, and it’s well worth checking out your options.

Sometimes they will have a recommended dentist they prefer you to go to. They may even be willing to cover a larger amount of the cost if you go this way.

2. Work With Your Dentist

Dentists understand that needed dental work can be costly. Most are willing to discuss options that will help you get the dental implants you need and not go bankrupt in the process.

Ask them whether there are discount programs available. Are they willing to offer a payment plan?

Rest assured, you won’t be the first to ask! They may have a few options available that can help to make your surgery more affordable.

3. Shop Around

It’s always possible that your regular dentist is not the cheapest option for this procedure.

Armed with complete information about exactly what procedure you need, you’re in a position to visit or call other local dentists to see what they can do for you.

4. Check Out Dental Schools

If you’d like cheaper dental care and to contribute something to the next generation of dental professionals then using a dental school can be a great route to affordable dental implants.

The best thing is that they always have a professional dentist on hand. Although the students perform the procedures they are fully supervised and well trained.

5. Consider Dental Tourism

This might seem like an extreme option, but there are many countries overseas that offer high-quality dental work at much lower prices than back home.

As with all things, do your research. If you’re making it part of a vacation, then you may be able to combine it with your vacation budget. If not, make sure the cost of travel and hotels doesn’t outweigh the benefits.

Also, undertake thorough research into the dental clinic you’re thinking of using. Make personal contact with former patients from your country who had similar procedures if possible.

The Takeaway: How to Save Money on Dental Implants

Dental implants can make a huge difference in your quality of life. Don’t miss out because of fear of the cost!

Just follow our 5 simple tips and you’ll be able to find an option that’s right for you – whether it means a couple of weeks in Mexico or a trip down the road to a dental school!

For more great tips on saving money at the dentist, click here to read our blog on 5 Tips for finding affordable dental care for you and your family.

Did you know that children smile up to an astonishing 400 times each day? As we grow older, we tend to smile less, especially if we aren’t happy with the condition of our teeth. You may have wondered if using an electric toothbrush would help your whites to look a little pearlier.

Are electric toothbrushes better at cleaning teeth and sprucing up our smile? Wonder no more! Read on for a breakdown of electric toothbrushes vs. manual ones.

First, One Caveat

Let’s get one thing straight: according to the American Dental Association, you can do a perfectly respectable job of brushing your teeth using a regular old toothbrush. It doesn’t need to have fancy bristles or an ergonomic shape. Nor does it need to vibrate!

The important thing that you need to remember is to brush a minimum of two times per day, for two minutes each time. Also, it’s important to replace your toothbrush every three to four months, when the bristles are visibly frayed or damaged, or after you have had a cold.

Oh, and don’t forget to visit your dentist for regular cleanings!

The Advantages of Using an Electric Toothbrush

Using an electric toothbrush does come with a few advantages. One review of existing studies crunched the numbers and found that electric toothbrushes have been found to remove more plaque from teeth.

Remember that plaque is that sticky, bacteria-ridden film that can remain on your teeth after eating and drinking. Unless it is properly and adequately brushed away, plaque can result in gingivitis. That’s an inflammation of the gums that can lead to additional dental problems.

Gingivitis has also been linked to a increased risk of cardiovascular issues, so it’s important to get rid of plaque. And there’s evidence that electric toothbrushes can help people do this more effectively.

Toothbrushes with Built-In Timers

That two-minute duration we talked about earlier? Two minutes might not sound like a long time, but it’s longer than you might think.

The next time you brush your teeth, set a timer on your phone to see how long you usually brush. If you are ready to stop brushing before that two-minute mark, chances are you’re doing your oral hygiene a disservice!

One great advantage of electric toothbrushes is that they often come with built-in timers. You don’t have to keep track yourself, and you’re still getting the most thorough brushing sesh.

Electric Toothbrushes Are User Friendly

Since they do most of the work themselves, it can be easier for some people to use this type of brush. That’s especially true for:

• People with developmental disabilities
• Arthritis sufferers
• Those with carpal tunnel syndrome
• Individuals who wear braces

With a manual toothbrush, it’s easy to brush your teeth too vigorously. That can actually cause more harm than good!

So…Are Electric Toothbrushes Better?

Well, it depends. Some people don’t like the vibrating feeling, or the fact that electric brushes can create more saliva. And these brushes can be pricey.

For those who have difficulties brushing their own teeth, or who aren’t sure they remove as much plaque as possible on their own, the answer to “Are electric toothbrushes better” is often a resounding “yes”!

If you use an electric toothbrush, we’d love to hear about your experience. Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

There are over 21 million American adults who struggle with addiction. If you have been among those numbers, but have recently become sober — congratulations!

Even after receiving treatment for an addiction, however, addicts can have a tough time reintegrating into society as a sober person. 

Life after addiction can be more rewarding and fulfilling than you ever thought possible. Read on to discover some of the paths you can take toward reclaiming your best life.

Rebuild Relationships

It’s likely that when you were using drugs or drinking to excess, you were running with a less-than-savory crowd. Now that you’re sober, you’re going to have to distance yourself from people who still use. That doesn’t mean you need to turn your back on them entirely, but it’s time to cultivate some healthy relationships.

Family members and friends who encouraged you to get treatment are going to be your allies now that you’re sober. Rely on them. You may need to work to regain their trust, but chances are that they’ll be happy to have the new, sober you back in their lives.

Find a New Job

If you can return to your previous career after treatment, great! If not, or if you didn’t have much of a career during your days as an addict, it’s time to find a new way to make a living.

Look at job boards specifically geared toward people in recovery or people with a criminal history. America In Recovery is one such resource, but there are others. Networking can also help you find opportunities.

Remember that employers cannot discriminate against you for being a recovering addict if you do disclose your status. 

Go Back to School

This is the perfect time to go back to school. After all, you are reinventing yourself as a person in recovery, so why not give your life a total makeover? Learn new skills that you have always wanted to develop, or begin an educational program that will end in a fulfilling job.

There are lots of scholarships, grants, and loans available to help you through school if finances are an issue. In other words, don’t hesitate to follow your dreams, even if you think it may not be feasible. 

Take Up a Hobby

When you were abusing drugs or alcohol, just being an addict likely took up a lot of your time. Scrounging up the money for drugs, then acquiring them, was probably time-consuming. Now that you no longer have to worry about finding money for drugs or the drugs themselves, you have a lot of time on your hands.

Why not explore a new hobby? Artistic pursuits such as drawing, painting, or sculpting, or crafty hobbies like knitting or sewing, are a wonderful way to channel your energies.

Also rewarding is volunteer work. Choose a charity or organization that needs help and offer up your time. This is a great way to meet people, too!

Another way to use your time is to teach yourself everything there is to know about one particular topic. Whether you’re a history buff, enjoy reading about philosophy, or are interested in learning about CBD, learning can be pretty addictive itself. This article can help you get started.

Final Thoughts on Life After Addiction

Life after addiction doesn’t have to be all ice water and white-knuckling. You can have fun as a sober person! You can also make your career or educational dreams come true.

Do you have any tips for living a successful sober life? Or are you nervous about a particular aspect of life as a recovering addict? Start a conversation in the comment section below.

On March 9th, 1918, the United States Congress enacted the very first daylight saving time law. Also known as “Summer Time” in many places around the world, daylight saving time (DST) has been a topic of debate since the very beginning.

While many around the world argue the positives of DST, there is great controversy surrounding it.

One of the biggest reasons for this controversy: The DST health effects on individuals.

Here are 10 fascinating connections with your health and daylight saving time.

1. More Depressive Episodes

It’s yet to be seen if the time change in the spring has an impact on depressive feelings.

However, the “fall-back” change that occurs in autumn has a proven track record for creating higher rates of patients with depressive episodes. 

One study in Denmark using records from over 185,000 patients showed an 11% increase in depressive episodes. The episodes lasted around 10 weeks right after the time change.

The records were reviewed from 1995 to 2012. Researchers found this trend for unipolar depressive episodes increasing in the fall, but not in the spring.

2. More Car Accidents

Another fascinating health consequence is the increase of car accidents in the United States and British Columbia right after fall DST.

This could be caused by more people driving in the dark, or because of drivers who have had fewer hours of sleep.

A review of 21 years of deadly car accidents in the U.S. showed a huge increase in the number of accidents happening the Sunday after the fall time change. 

According to the British Columbian Ministry of Transportation, a 10% increase in the number of car crashes occurs the day after the change.

3. It’s Harder to Wake and Fall Asleep

One of the more obvious DST health impacts is the influence it has on your body’s internal clock. This clock is also known as your circadian rhythm.

All cells in your body have their own rhythm.

If sudden changes related to time, like DST, extended travel, or jet lag occur, your body’s normal functions can be affected.

This means it can become harder for you to fall asleep at night. You may also struggle to feel refreshed and wake up in the morning.

4. Increase in Strokes

Did you know that daylight saving time is also associated with an increased number of stroke-related hospitalizations? 

Sadly, it’s true. Patients hospitalized for stroke increase directly following the time change.

Oddly enough, the time changes tend to cause more strokes in women than men. Reports show an 8% rise in stroke-related hospital visits in the 2 days after the change.

People older than 65 years and cancer patients are also known to have higher risks of stroke directly following the changes.

5. More Wasted Time

Ever heard of “cyberloafing”?

This may be one of the more unusual DST health effects. Interestingly, the Journal of Applied Psychology states that what is known as “cyberloafing” increases soon after daylight saving time.

This means people tend to spend more unproductive time online while at work.

The problem with this is obvious. Following a time change, productivity, efficiency, and honesty decrease at work. 

Not to mention the potential for angering your boss rises. Nobody wants that…

6. The Elderly are More Affected 

The New England Journal of Medicine published several studies on the negative health impacts of DST. 

One study indicates that DST health problems are more likely to happen in people over 65 years old.

This might be from a lack of sleep or a number of other factors. Either way, daylight savings is known to be slightly harder for those nearing retirement age.

7. Poor Diet and Increased Appetite

Sleep is widely known to greatly influence the hormones in your body.

Americans cut out an average of 40 minutes of sleep during DST. This means you’re bound to have some hormone changes.

Unfortunately, changes in hormones can also lead to increased cravings and appetite.

This means weight gain. A lack of sleep also leads to increases in insulin resistance.

In layman’s terms, that means your body stores more fat. Yikes.

8. A Rise in Male Suicide Rates

The Sleep and Biological Rhythms Journal published an Australian study showing a correlation between a rise in men’s suicide rates and spring daylight saving time.

The researchers in the study suggest that this correlation is because of hormone changes in people already vulnerable to depression. Those already struggling with depression who have their biological rhythms being thrown off are at greatest risk.

This resource and others aim to put an end to these and other negative DST health effects by ending daylight saving time.

9. An Increase in Headaches

Headaches are also shown to increase after daylight saving time. This is likely related to less sleep, at least in part.

But that’s not all. Not only do headaches increase following daylight saving, but they are also known to happen closer together. This is called “cluster headaches.” 

These painful episodes can leave already tired people even more exhausted as they struggle even more to fall asleep.

Lack of sleep and increased headaches can also lead to memory problems. Luckily, there are ways to help boost your memory despite the lack of sleep.

10. Higher Miscarriage Rates

This sad DST health effect is only known to be related to the time change in the spring. 

Boston University Medical Center published a study on miscarriage rates right after DST. It showed many more miscarriages in the three weeks after daylight saving time.

However, these miscarriages were more common for women who had undergone invitro-fertilization or experienced a previous miscarriage.

This study, (which was published in Chronobiology International), showed no difference in the number of miscarriages after the time change in the fall.

DST Health Helps

Ways to beat DST health problems include being sure to hit the hay an extra hour early during the notorious “spring forward” season. Using a good skin treatment can also help with that “exhausted” look.

At the end of the day, knowing your own personal limits can be the biggest help when it comes to sleep deprivation. 

For more great health tips and advice, check out the health and fitness portion of our blog. 

Many adult children have a hard time making decisions regarding how to care for their old folks.

As adults age, they tend to become dependent on others for assistance with some daily living routines like getting out of bed, bathing, grooming, meal preparation, shopping for grocery, and many more. In some cases, they just need companionship.

This reliance on others may be due to aging-associated diseases and conditions, living with some form of disability, or recovery from surgery.

In-home care services are designed with the needs of elderly parents and their families in mind. It is a popular choice because it involves providing elderly parents with the care they need from the comfort of their own homes or their families’ home.

If you’d like to hire a helper to care for your aging parent, you may want to learn about the home-based care options available so you can weigh your options.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the various in-home care options designed for aging parents.

1. Hiring a Part-Time Helper

This in-home care option is ideal for elderly parents that don’t need round-the-clock care, and only require a little assistance with basic house chores.

It involves having an aide come in on certain hours of the day or days of the week to do basic housekeeping duties like cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking, shopping for grocery, and so on.

Part-time helpers don’t provide medical care.

Pros of Hiring a Part-Time Helper

• Aides report to work fresh and may have the energy to cheer up your parent in a way that you might be too tired to do.
• Helpers maintain a separate residence and only come in on agreed hours or days of the week. This is vital for maintaining your parent’s privacy, especially if they don’t fancy having “strangers” in their homes.
• Helpers can focus on helping their clients with important household chores.
• Helpers are paid an hourly rate and can be less expensive than hiring a live-in helper.

Cons Hiring a Part-Time Helper

• Parents can only get help when the helper is around.
• There’s limited time for senior parents to get well-acquainted with their helpers. Usually, helpers leave the client’s home immediately after completing their work.

2. Hiring a Full-Time Helper

This type of helper is also known as a live-in helper because they move into the care receiver’s home so they can provide the assistance needed at any time of the day or night.

The helper becomes part of the care receiver’s household, so it’s vital to choose someone who can get along well with your parent.

Pros of Hiring Full-Time Helper

• They’ll offer dedicated round-the-clock care to your senior parent. The aging parent will get the help they need during all hours of the day or night. This can be a source of peace of mind for you.
• The client and their family will have ample time to get to know the helper better, as they’ll be living together.
• If the senior parent’s family members live far away and can’t visit often, a full-time helper can serve as a companion and confidant.

Cons of Hiring Full-Time Helper

• Finding a helper who is the right fit for the job can be a challenge. If your parent is exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, for example, finding someone with experience in handling patients with Alzheimer’s disease can be a big problem.
• Having a live-in helper can lead to loss of privacy.
• The costs of hiring a live-in helper can be quite high, as helpers are paid a daily (not hourly) rate.

3. Hiring a Visiting Nurse

Home care agencies also hire trained and certified nurses to help take care of the needs of families with ailing seniors.

Unlike part-time and live-in caregivers who help with daily household chores, these nurses focus on providing health care services, such as medication management, helping the patient get out of bed, taking the care receiver to see a physician, and so on.

Pros of Hiring a Visiting Nurse

• They only come in during certain hours of the day, so they don’t need to reside in the client’s home.
• They provide one-on-one medical care to your parent. This may improve the overall quality of care provided.
• They provide medical care, which other types of helpers aren’t qualified to provide.
• They provide the vital oversight needed to keep tabs on the patient’s condition without requiring them to leave the comfort of their homes.
• Like part-time helpers, visiting nurses are paid an hourly rate, so you only need to pay for the time they’ve spent attending to your parent.

Cons of Hiring a Visiting Nurse

• They may not be around to help in emergency situations.
• They may not be able to carry all the equipment available in nursing facilities when visiting your parent’s home.
• The agency may need to send in a different nurse if the one who normally visits your parent is unable to report to work. Your parent might have a hard time adjusting to the new nurse’s way of doing things.

The biggest challenge for senior parents and their families is finding a helper that matches the needs of the aging parent. Check out the article posted by this center to gain valuable insight into how you can find the right fit for your parent.

Hire a Helper for Your Aging Parent Today

If your senior parent needs regular help with medical care needs, home health care services and skilled nursing homes, rather than in-home care services, may be the best choice for both you and them.

But if they only need assistance with daily living activities within or around the home, then it’s best to hire a helper from an in-home care service provider.

If you’re still unsure about which type of home-based care aide is best for you and your elderly parent, feel free to contact me for more information. I’ll be glad to help point you in the right direction.