Geez, oral health care can be tough! How do you know what’s normal and what isn’t inside a kid’s mouth? Here are a few quick tips to identify the lumps, bumps, and owies. If in doubt, you can always call your friendly pediatric dentist.

Normal stuff: Normal oral anatomy is usually midline or symmetrical. That little bump behind the front top teeth is called an incisal papilla, if burned on pizza or poked with a chip it can get inflamed but will quickly heal. Those bright red spots under the tongue are surface blood vessels called varices, they’re fine Mom!

Cold Sores: Common cold sores usually occur outside the mouth on the lips. They are a recurrence of a viral infection called Herpes Simplex. About 90% of children are exposed to the herpes cold sore virus by age four (look what I brought home from preschool Mom!), and about 50% … Read More

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Not only is desert living a leisured and less expensive alternative to city life, it has some amazing health benefits too. Here is just a few examples of what desert life can do for you.

Air Quality

According to an environmental analysis of the Anza Borrego State Park and it’s surrounding area, “due to its remoteness” the “air quality in the Park is often good and is not necessarily characteristic of the air quality in the San Diego Basin.” Pollution has been linked with a slew of pulmonary diseases and is known to increase the risk of asthma attack and respiratory allergies. High air pollution also increases the development of asthma and respiratory diseases in children. Yes, there really is nothing like taking a breath of fresh air.

Sunshine

Probably one of the greatest benefits of sunshine is the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical for maintaining skeletal … Read More

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Sounds like a pretty basic question for a dentist, does not it? In fact, I'm not really asked that question often because "everyone knows" you should brush your teeth twice a day. But should you really?

After all, you can pick up almost any tube of toothpaste and it says right there "brush twice daily, or as directed by your dentist".

Some time ago, I started asking patients how often they brushed their teeth when they came in for their periodic cleanings. The most common answer – by far – is "twice a day." My next question is usually, "Yes, but when during the day do you brush?" As you read this, many of you who do brush twice daily are thinking "when I get up and again before I go to bed."

If you have experienced dental cavities, that could be part of the problem.

When I mention this … Read More

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Health care organizations have received appreciable support from the digital disruptive environment in their quest to deliver value based care as opposed to volume based care.

Digital health care has transformed the way organizations store their patient data, exchange data on-the-go and secure sensitive data. Health care organizations differ in terms of their information storage needs, and the amount and type of data which needs to be stored. Data storage is also dependent on regulatory requirements which an organization must follow.

In this context, more and more care delivery settings realize that in order to succeed, they must view patients as central to their focus rather than as mere stakeholders.

A transition from an organization-centric to a patient-centric approach for storing and handling health data involves efforts at multiple stages, from defragmenting broken silos pf patient data to exchanging meaningful health data through Health Information Exchanges (HIE).

Accessible Health Care … Read More

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What are the kidneys and what do they do?

There are two kidneys, one on each side of the body. They are about the size of a small cup and each one has a tube that leads to the bladder. The kidneys serve a very important function in your body. They are like the body’s filter system. It helps to recycle minerals, as well as to concentrate and dilute mineral salts. When waste collects in the body due to an improper diet, not enough water, or excess alcohol, the kidneys can become inflamed. Kidney stones and other kidney ailments will result.

Because the kidney acts like a filter for the body it is imperative that you cleanse it and keep it clean. If you keep the filter in your refrigerator, furnace, and car clean, then you need to pay twice as much attention to your body’s filter. One thing that … Read More

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