Category: Frugal Living Tips

Nearly half of adults over thirty have some form of periodontal disease, a huge threat to oral health. Although gum disease is mild in its early stages (gingivitis), it can become serious if left untreated, causing the bones to weaken and the teeth to fall out. Thus, it’s crucial to keep an eye out for early symptoms so you can treat gum disease swiftly. 

So, what are the signs of gum disease? This post will look at some of the most common ones at various stages of the condition. So, we encourage you to keep reading to find out what they are.

Swollen or Tender Gums

One of the first gum disease warning signs is swollen gums that feel tender when brushing or flossing. And, this symptom occurs when bacteria build up and get in between the gums and teeth, leading to inflammation and sensitive gums. 

However, this symptom doesn’t cause much pain for most people with gingivitis until the condition progresses. So, it would help if you kept an eye out for changes in the color of your gums or bleeding when you brush or floss. 

Bad Breath

Another early indicator of gum disease is bad breath. Although this symptom can result from other oral conditions, such as tooth decay, bad breath is usually due to bacteria or infection. So, visit a dentist to pinpoint the problem.

Receding Gums and Loose Teeth

As gum disease worsens, it can cause the gums to recede as the infection destroys gum tissue. If the condition continues untreated, it will weaken the bones that support your teeth, changing your bite and making it painful to chew. And, as you can imagine, this leads to loose teeth that eventually fall out. 

Of course, you don’t want to wait until your teeth start falling out! So instead, visit a dentist if you notice any of these signs. 

Tips for Preventing Gum Disease 

Thankfully, preventing gum disease isn’t too difficult if you practice good oral hygiene. Here are some gum disease tips that effectively prevent and control the condition. 

• Brush after meals to prevent bacteria build-up
• Floss at least once a day
• Get professional hygiene cleanings every six months
• Visit a dentist once a year for a checkup or whenever you notice signs of gum disease
• Avoid smoking

By following these few steps, you’ll create healthy oral habits that keep gum disease at bay and prevent other dental conditions. 

What are the Signs of Gum Disease? Now You Know

So, what are the signs of gum disease? After reading this post, you know the answer to that question and can keep an eye out for any early symptoms of the condition. But, of course, the best way to prevent gum disease is by practicing good oral care. 

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this brief gum disease guide. If you want to learn more about health and dental advice, browse more of our online content. 

When you’re about to retire, there’s nothing you want more than to live the rest of your life comfortably. Not all retirement communities, however, will get to fulfill this desire for you. 

How do you choose a senior living community that will give you all you need and want? Here’s a brief guide to finding the best retirement community for you.

Know the Type of Care You Need

Aging adults will have different needs, and this will determine the type of senior living community best suited for you. If you don’t require much assistance, you won’t need to look for assisted living care. You can settle for independent living communities that offer you more freedom and space. 

On the other hand, if you require daily assistance and/ or have more health concerns, you would want to opt for an assisted living community. This will ensure that you receive the care you need and that you can live safely and comfortably. 

If you have more specific requirements, such as if you suffer from dementia, then you may want to choose living communities that can cater to those needs. Make sure to contact them and ask what sorts of arrangements they will have. If you suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s, for instance, you will need communities that specialize in providing memory care.

Decide on a Suitable Budget

Choosing a senior living community is a long-term decision, and you want to ensure that you can afford it throughout the years. While you may be tempted to choose a luxurious living center for elderly care, this may not always be the wisest decision.

To prevent you from overspending, make sure to settle on a realistic budget for a senior living community. Find out how much you or your aging parents (if you are helping them choose) have in terms of retirement savings, long-term care insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. If you are still short on money, you can consider your current assets and the value that you may receive from selling them. 

Visit the Senior Living Community

If you have narrowed down your choices, it’s time for you to visit the areas and see if they are as great as they seem. This is a good opportunity for you to see what it’s like for you to actually live there. If the senior living community seems suitable, you’ve got yourself a winner!

Tips for Choosing the Best Retirement Community for You

Not all retirement communities are created equal these days, so you need to know what to look for to get into a great place. When choosing a senior living community, make sure you know what type of care you need, what budget you are working with, and take the time to visit the spot in person!

This is a big decision, so you want to pull out all the stops and find something suitable for you or your aging loved ones.

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Have you scheduled an appointment to remove your wisdom teeth? For many people, the idea of wisdom tooth removal is scary. Popular shows and movies make the wisdom tooth removal process look painful and disorienting (not to mention embarrassing if the dentist uses anesthesia).

But what about the aftermath of the wisdom tooth removal? Do you know how to brush your teeth after wisdom tooth removal so you can keep your mouth healthy and clean?

We’re here to talk about it with a few wisdom tooth removal tips for post-removal cleaning. Read on to learn more. 

The First Day

On the day of your wisdom tooth removal, you probably aren’t going to be feeling up to much of anything. You won’t want to eat, you won’t want to drink, and you certainly won’t want to brush your teeth. 

You’ll be happy to know that many dentists advise that you skip brushing on the day of your surgery. You can brush teeth that are nowhere near the extraction site, but you could also take a single day off. 

When your surgery is over, your dentist will place gauze in your mouth to stop the extraction site from bleeding. You need to keep the gauze in place so the site can clot and your mouth won’t fill with blood. 

After an hour, you can remove the gauze. You can rinse your mouth with warm salt water to clear out any residual blood, but let the water fall out of your mouth rather than forcefully spitting it (more on that later). 

It’s a good idea to avoid very hot or very cold water. Similar to when you first get composite fillings after a cavity, your mouth will be more sensitive to temperature at first.

Brushing The Surgical Site: When Is It Okay?

After the first day, you can return to brushing your teeth. Try to be as gentle as possible so you don’t bother the extraction site. It’s a good idea to avoid touching the extraction site with your toothbrush for about three days (if not more). 

By the third day, you should have healed enough that your surgical site is stable. With that in mind, you should still be gentle with it. Use a soft toothbrush and don’t brush vigorously. Slow and gentle motions are more than enough to keep your extraction site clean. 

You can return to standard brushing several weeks after the extraction, but be sure to exercise caution. When in doubt, brush the rest of your teeth and avoid the extraction site until you talk to your dentist. 

It’s a good idea to avoid electric toothbrushes during the healing process. You don’t have enough control over their speed and intensity to ensure that you’re keeping your mouth safe.

Spitting And Rinsing

When you rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash, you need to be careful. While rinsing is a good idea when it comes to keeping your mouth and tongue clean, you could disrupt your healing. 

Rinse after meals to make sure that nothing gets lodged in the socket that was left behind after your wisdom tooth removal. As we mentioned before, instead of spitting, you should let the water fall out of your mouth. 

You can also use mouthwash, but make sure that it doesn’t contain alcohol. Alcohol will sting your surgical site and it may prolong the healing process. 

Using An Irrigator 

Your dentist likely gave you some kind of irrigator after your wisdom tooth extraction. Most dentists only offer standard plastic syringes, but you could also buy your own irrigator. 

You’ll use the irrigator to flush out your extraction site. This is most important during the first few days of healing, but if you feel debris near the extraction site, you can do it at any time.

You can use plain warm or cool water or fill the irrigator with saline or saltwater. Don’t use too much force when you’re irrigating your extraction site. 

What Happens If You Disrupt Healing? 

If you disrupt the healing process, you may develop a dry socket. It can happen if you don’t take care of your oral health, if you spit with too much force, if you use a straw, or even if you brush too hard.

A dry socket happens when your blood clot becomes dislodged. This exposes the bone and nerves underneath the surgical site. This will cause pain and delay your healing process.

If you develop a dry socket, make sure to visit your dentist right away so they can help you fix the problem.

Other Post-Extraction Tips 

After your extraction, you should do your best to avoid chewing on the site of your mouth that the dentist worked on. If you got several wisdom teeth removed at the same time, it’s best to stick to soft foods until your extraction sites are healed over. 

Avoid drinking with straws or water bottles with nozzles. Avoid smoking and use an ice pack to reduce any pain or swelling that you experience after the procedure.

If you experience anything unusual, don’t hesitate to contact your dentist. It’s possible (but uncommon) for infections to develop. 

That’s How To Brush Your Teeth After Wisdom Tooth Removal

It’s important to learn how to brush your teeth after wisdom tooth removal before the day of your appointment. Taking care of your oral health will help the healing process go by without any problems. 

Remember: brush gently, avoid spitting, avoid harsh mouthwash, and talk to your dentist if you have any problems. Happy healing!

For more helpful articles about health and more, check out the rest of the site.

Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans describe themselves as artists? Not only is art a great way to relieve some stress, but it promotes creative and mental growth.

Whether you’re new to painting or looking to take your work to the next level, there are different types of art paint to try. This guide will go over all of your options and how to use them efficiently.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started. 

Acrylic

If you’re looking for an easy painting medium to use, acrylic paint is the way to go. Acrylics are water-based, so they can easily be used at different densities simply by diluting with water. It’s also easy to clean them up with water, so they’re relatively risk-free if you’re concerned about getting your home messy. 

Another beneficial quality of acrylic is its drying time. Since they dry quickly, you’ll be able to layer colors in a short period of time without worrying about the colors mixing on the canvas. You can shorten the wait time between finishing the art piece and display. 

Although this works for some artists, it is a disadvantage to others. Some artists want to create new shades and tones on their canvas which is what wetter paints are used for. You can mix acrylics with additives to make the paint wet for longer, but they require some experimenting.

You can add various materials and substances to acrylic paint to alter its effect. Use rice or sand to form interesting textures. Acrylic gels allow the paint to keep its peaks on the surface for dimension. 

Oil

One of the most popular types of paint is oil. This slow-drying paint is made with pigments mixed with oil, generally linseed. Solvents like turpentine can be added to alter the viscosity of the paint. Varnish tends to be applied at the top of the artwork to make it glossier. 

Oil paints became popular in the 15th century and quickly surpassed tempera as the most used medium. 

Oil paints are different from acrylics in that they need a “drying oil” that will eventually harden. They do not dry due to evaporation but rather polymerization, transforming the paints into a dry semisolid. This process takes longer than acrylics and other water-based paints, which allows the artist to revise the paintings slowly and deliberately. 

Oil paints blend particularly well, so you can create subtle color variations and impressive light or shadow detail.

If you’re looking to feel inspired, look here now to check out an impressive lineup of pop, graffiti, and urban artists. 

Gouache

Gouache paint is made by mixing gum arabic (a binder) with pigments and water. This is the same binder used in watercolor paint, but the difference here is that the ratio of pigment to water is higher. This makes gouache a thicker medium. 

Certain artists will use a white chalk pigment to create a more reflective and opaque finish. Generally, this paint looks different dry than wet. Light colors appear darker and vise versa. 

Fabric

If you’re interested in working on textiles, fabric paint is the best option. It is formulated to produce the best results on this surface. There are plenty of different types of fabric paints, including those that dye the fabric when applied and those that stay on the surface. 

Natural fabrics like cotton, silk, and linen are the best to use fabric paints on. Just know that depending on the type of paint, they might not be able to hold up to multiple washes. If you’re nervous about your skills with fabric paint, you can always use stencils placed on the fabric and apply the paint within the lines of the shape. 

Watercolor

Watercolor paints are made by mixing a water-soluble carrier and powdered pigment. These colors tend to appear quite luminous, with no fillers impairing the final hues. Watercolor paper is thick and textured, making it easy to work with this popular medium.

Watercolor paints have a high water content, so they immediately stain the paper when applied. This makes it difficult to cover with another color completely. 

You can also use watercolor pencils or pastels. They look like regular pencils or pastels, but they’re water-soluble, so you can add water to blend the colors.

Tempera 

Tempera is a fast-drying and water-soluble medium that consists of colored pigments being mixed with a gel-like substance such as egg yolk. There are tempera paintings from the first century that are still in good condition. This was the most popular type of paint until the 1500s, when oil painting was introduced. 

Tempera is no longer made with egg yolk but with a different glue-like compound.

If you’re looking for an option for your little ones to use, tempera is ideal. It’s great for finger painting because it is washable with a bucket of water and a brush.

 

Types of Art Paint

Go ahead, grab a paintbrush and enjoy all of the benefits that painting has to offer. No matter what reason you have for creating art, knowing the different types of art paint can take your craft to the next level. Understanding the tools you’re using will make the process easier and the experience more enjoyable.

The best type of paint is what you feel allows you to express yourself best. Many paint brands have different levels, enabling beginners and professionals to use the same medium. Regardless of what stage you’re in, you’re sure to love the process. 

Looking for more articles like this? Be sure to check out the rest of our blog!

Tongue piercings are considered one of the edgier body piercing options you can find today. However, they have a long and storied cultural history. In fact, the practice of piercing the tongue had religious roots with the Aztecs and Mayans, as a means of sacrifice to the gods.

Nowadays, most people get tongue rings for aesthetic reasons, rather than ascetic ones. No matter the motivation behind the piercing, it’s important to know what to look for when choosing tongue rings as gifts. If you or a loved one has a tongue piercing and you want to know what jewelry will work best with their piercing, our tongue rings buying guide will offer some helpful tips.

First, Consider the Size

The first thing you should consider when you’re shopping at a tongue rings store is the size of the ring you want to purchase. Most tongue piercings get done at around a 14 gauge, so anything larger than that could stretch the hole or otherwise cause damage.

The length is also an important factor to consider. If someone recently got their piercing done, you’ll need barbells that are 7/8″ long so that the tongue swelling doesn’t cause issues. If the piercing was less recent, then 5/8″ should do the trick. In either case, most tongue jewelry will use straight barbells.

Second, Think About the Materials

The next thing to keep in mind for our tongue rings buying guide would be the materials used in the ring itself. Any sort of piercing requires consideration given for the materials used in it. However, the tongue is especially important, as there are hordes of bacteria and other contaminants waiting for the right point of ingress to the body.

You need materials that are safe for the body, which usually means springing for medical-grade metals like gold, nickel, and titanium.

Allergies Can Be Deadly

You should give special consideration to any metal allergies someone might have when buying tongue rings for them. An allergic reaction in the mouth could cause the tongue to swell so much that it obstructs breathing and sends someone into anaphylactic shock.

Choose a Reputable Seller

You can find loads of cheap tongue rings on the internet. However, as mentioned above, you need piercings with medical-grade, body-safe materials to avoid infection, allergic reaction, or other complications. You can only get those materials from a reputable seller like bodypiercejewelry.com.

So, don’t cheap out on your friend or loved one’s tongue rings. It could be the difference between a thoughtful gift and a trip to the emergency room.

Third, Don’t Forget the Occasion or Purpose

Another important factor to keep in mind when buying a tongue ring for someone is the occasion or purpose for which they want it. While most think of tongue piercings as a casual affair, you can find rings to suit almost any occasion.

Piercings Can Look Formal

You can find plenty of tongue rings with jewels or precious metals in them, making them perfectly suited for a formal occasion. If you have the money to spring on a diamond-studded one, you might even help a bride sparkle brighter on her wedding day.

Don’t Forget the Fun

Of course, there are more fun purposes for oral piercings. One of the most common types is a vibrating tongue ring, which allows those with a tongue piercing to give their partner a special experience. There are other (less lewd) ways to have fun with a tongue piercing, like bright colors and interesting shapes.

Professional Considerations

It’s easy to assume that people with tongue rings don’t work in the corporate sphere due to the stigma associated with oral piercings. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

If you choose acrylic tongue piercings, you can help someone hide their tongue ring at work. This can help avoid sticky situations with closed-minded HR offices.

Fourth, Remember When the Piercing Happened

The last thing you should keep in mind from our tongue ring tips is when, exactly, the piercing happened. As we mentioned before beginner tongue rings will be a fair bit longer than the standard to account for the swelling of the fresh piercing. You also don’t want to get something too thick or too heavy when the piercing is still new.

It probably wouldn’t be advisable to give someone who’s not used to a tongue piercing yet a ring with a hard stone where they could chip or even break teeth.

Fifth, Know the Signs of Danger

If you’ve decided to give yourself a tongue ring for the holidays, it’s important to know the signs that something could be going wrong with the piercing. Whether it’s fresh or a result of a poor choice of material, you need to know the hallmarks of danger. These red flags include, but are not limited to:

• Excessive pain and swelling in the tongue
• Yellow or greenish discharge from around the tongue
• Running a high fever
• Bumps near the front or back of the piercing

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. The tongue is a hotbed for all sorts of nasties that could prove fatal if allowed to breed inside your body.

 

Let’s Review What to Keep in Mind When Buying Tongue Rings

So, what should the average shopper keep in mind when buying tongue rings? First, they should consider the size and material of the ring itself. Second, they should know the occasion for which the recipient wants to wear it. Third, they should know when the piercing got done. Last, they should know about the warning signs of a dangerous reaction.

Keep these thoughts in mind, and you’re sure to get the right ring. And, if you need more help making your decision, check out our blog for more fashion articles like this one.