Each day, there is a high chance for us to be exposed to different types of noise. We may pass by a construction site or any place where we can hear the sounds of drilling machines, grinders, etc. It may not happen everyday but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to take it seriously. The need for ear protection is not limited to workers operating noise-producing machines. We need it as well. And hey, the exposure to noise may even begin at home. The sounds of vacuum cleaner and dishwasher – oh, they can contribute a lot in harming our ears, too! So, yes, we all need some protection.

Not convinced yet? Well, reading the facts below should change your mind.

• Only a maximum of 75 decibels of noise can be accepted by the human ear.

You love to listen to amplified music, right? Don’t you know that it produces … Read the rest

The different ways to stop stuttering taught to patients are under the broad category called PROLAM-GM. This is composed of types of changes implemented in the patient’s speech to reduce the occurrence of stuttering events. The acronym stands for these intervention strategies that branch out to numerous techniques taught to stutterers. These strategies involve physiological manipulations, reduced rates, operant controls, length and complexity of utterance, attitude changes, monitoring, generalization, and maintenance.

The first set of ways to stop stuttering is physiological manipulations. These modify how the articulators (e.g. teeth, tongue, lips) are positioned when producing speech. These strategies are composed of breathy voice and soft contact. These two techniques teach the stutterer to whisper the utterances and produce the sounds as gently as possible, respectively. Second, rate manipulation, changes how fast the sounds are produced. This involves prolonging sounds and basically slowing down the production of sounds.

This is based … Read the rest

At Home DIY Teeth Whitening

When people think about teeth whitening they will likely think of these at-home do-it-yourself whitening kits. These kits commonly come in the form of clear, whitening gel covered strips that adhere to the front surface the teeth. Other whitening kits come in the form of clear plastic trays in which whitening gel is inserted into. These trays are then placed over the teeth. The whitening trays can be purchased at the store or prescribed by the dentist. The ones prescribed by the dentist will be custom-fitted to each patient’s teeth. The gel will also have more potent, dentist formulated teeth bleaching material. Both whitening systems require the user to spend time “soaking” the teeth in the whitening gel. Here are the pros and cons of these teeth whitening methods:

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Easily accessible
• Can be done in the privacy of one’s home

Cons

• Can be

A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that performs the inner ear’s function. It provides a sense of sound to the person who is profoundly deaf or who has a serious hearing problem. The implant consists of two parts: the external part that sits behind the ear and the internal part that is surgically implanted under the skin. Hearing aids work by making the sounds louder, while the implants replace the function of the inner ear’s damaged part to send sound signals to the brain. The implant device consists of different parts including, a microphone, speech processor, transmitter and an electrode array.

Unlike the hearing aids that amplify sounds so the damaged ears can detect them, the cochlear implant works differently. They directly stimulate the auditory nerve and send the signals to the brain, which recognises the signals as sound. Basically, the implant will do the work of the … Read the rest

I know this because when I first broke this knee 60 years ago, physical therapy had not yet come to Virginia, Minnesota. I actually broke my knee chasing boys. I was 16 at the time and had a serious crush on a boy in my class. My girlfriend and I were rushing to get to the front door of the school the same time as the boy and his friends so we could “accidentally bump into them “. However, it was winter time in Northern Minnesota which meant we were running down the school hall with our boots unzipped, our heavy coats unbuttoned and scarves trailing behind us. Halfway to the front door, I tripped over the scarf and fell directly on my left knee on the school’s indestructible cement floor.

A doctor’s visit and a three-day hospital stay followed, along with a cast from the top of my thigh … Read the rest

Baby teeth, also called primary teeth, begin to grow in around three months of age. By the age of two years old, a child would have all their baby teeth. It is at this time that pediatric dentists recommend parents bring in their child for his or her first dental checkup and tooth cleaning. Primary teeth begin to fall out around the age of six years. The last of the baby teeth fall out around the age of 12. From the age of two years and 12 years old, parents and subsequently their kids, have the assumption of baby teeth being unimportant. This kind of thinking has led to the thinking that baby teeth aren’t important because they will fall out anyways. What is the purpose of caring for them?

This false thinking has helped contribute to the prevalence of pediatric tooth decay. When children are fed food with sugar, … Read the rest