March 2022

According to CDC data, 47.2% of Americans over 30 suffer from periodontal disease. Unfortunately, the condition increases as people age, as 70.1% of Americans over 65 suffer from the disease.

Gum disease starts as bacteria in the mouth infect the gum tissue, and as it progresses, this bacteria known as plaque hardens and turns to tartar. This tartar forms under the gum line and causes receding gums, tooth, and bone loss.

Have you been diagnosed with periodontal disease? You can cure it. Read on to learn all about how to reverse gum disease.

Improve Oral Hygiene

One of the leading causes of periodontitis is poor oral hygiene. Improper or infrequent brushing and flossing are a significant cause of this disease, and improving your home habits is the first step to reversing periodontitis.

Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes. It would help if you also floss at least once a day but twice is better.

As your gums recede, you may have more significant gaps between your teeth and gumline. Food particles get caught in those gaps and turn to bacteria. Flossing clears those particles and helps keep your gums healthy.

Try flossing at least twice a day when you brush your teeth, and keep some floss handy for after meals.

Go to the Dentist

Preventative care with regular checkups and teeth cleanings is a vital step if you want to reverse periodontitis. Unfortunately, too many Americans don’t have access to preventive care. A recent estimate reveals that almost 100 million Americans lack dental insurance.

While dental insurance may be a financial burden, you can’t rebuild your gums from home. Explore any affordable dental insurance options on your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace. If you find a plan that suits your budget, make sure you schedule a checkup or cleaning at least once a year.

Most dentists recommend a cleaning every six months, and in the case of periodontitis, every three months.

Scaling and Planing

In the case of advanced gum disease, you will need a scaling and planing procedure.

These procedures are like routine cleanings but more in-depth. As plaque forms tartar, that tartar develops under the gumline. During scaling and planing, your dentist cleans below your gums to clear out the tartar and bacteria.

Doing so helps rebuild your gums by allowing them to your teeth, and it’s one of the services this dentist offers.

Gum Disease Surgery

Surgery is another option for those with gum disease. It is invasive, but it is also one of the most effective ways to reverse the progression of gum disease.

During the procedure, your dentist cuts your gums back and removes all plaque and bacteria from the exposed tooth. They’ll then stitch the gums back in place, closing any open gum pockets.

You Can Reverse Gum Disease

Have you been diagnosed with periodontal disease? You’re not alone. Far too many Americans suffer from some form of gum disease.

Don’t worry. By investing in your oral hygiene and visiting a dentist regularly, you can reverse gum disease.

Do you need more health and wellness articles? Make sure to check out the rest of our page.

The teeth whitening market will see major growth over the next five years.

Social media’s portrayal of beauty includes a beautiful smile full of bright white teeth. And whatever is trending on the internet is reflected in real life; hence the rising awareness of over-the-counter whitening treatments.

Couple that with the stigma associated with discolored teeth and there’s a rise in demand for products that whiten teeth.

If you like to go the more natural route and are looking for natural ways to whiten teeth at home, keep reading to learn our favorite DIY toothpaste recipe for whitening teeth.

Whiten Your Teeth Without The Chemicals 

There are so many teeth whitening options…how do you know which one is best for you?

Well, if you’re the type who is mindful of what you put in and on your body, you’ll be happy to know that there are many natural products you can use for everything from skincare to teeth whitening. Let’s look at some of the natural things you can use for oral care.

Natural Oral Health Products

When you’re looking for alternatives to chemical whiteners, there are many essential oils that fit the bill. You can use peppermint, spearmint, kumquat, orange, lemon, and several others.

Another product that has good results when it comes to whitening teeth is activated charcoal. It removes stains on teeth from things like coffee, tea, and red wine.

Some toothpaste recipes call for hydrogen peroxide, xylitol, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, or calcium to whiten teeth.

Whitening Toothpaste Recipe 

This recipe has only a few ingredients and does a great job of whitening teeth.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of baking soda

1/3 cup of hydrogen peroxide

12 drops of peppermint essential oil

Though you can omit the peppermint essential oil, it’s smart to include it as it has extra whitening properties.

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in a glass jar. It won’t have the same shelf life as commercial toothpaste, so make a smaller batch if it’s just for you.

Use this mixture only a few times a week because of the abrasive nature of the baking soda. Stir it before each use so it’s well blended.

Either dip your toothbrush in the mixture or use a popsicle stick or tiny spoon to scoop the toothpaste mixture onto your toothbrush. You’ll love the results.

DIY Toothpaste 

If you’re very cautious about the products you use, this DIY toothpaste recipe is perfect for you to use as a natural whitening toothpaste. Remember to include flossing as part of your oral health care along with regular dentist visits twice a year. Keeping a regular routine when it comes to oral care will help you maintain a beautiful, healthy smile.

Did you find this information helpful? Be sure to browse our other articles under the health section. We cover topics under a varitey of other topics as well such as finance, tech, home improvement, and more.

Headaches are one of the most prominent ailments in the world. In fact, about 45 million people complain about headache symptoms every year in the United States.

However, finding a successful headache treatment can be difficult due to the many causes.

Using at-home remedies can help alleviate head pain and discomfort.

To learn about some popular natural remedies for headaches, keep reading!

1. Drink Water

Staying hydrated is vital for everyone’s overall health. Once you start becoming dehydrated, your body begins showing symptoms. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches.

Once you feel a headache coming on, try drinking water. Drinking water has been proven to alleviate headache symptoms in as quickly as 30 minutes.

It’s also essential that you drink an adequate amount of water each day. Adult men should drink at least 15.5 cups per day, and adult women should drink at least 11.5 cups per day.

2. Massage 

Tension headaches are often caused by inadequate sleep, stress, or poor posture. They are usually described as feeling like a tight band is around the head, causing pain and discomfort.

A popular natural headache remedy is massage. Massaging pressure points is a great way to release the pressure caused by tension headaches.

You can massage pressure points on your own or book a full-body massage. Standard pressure points to try massaging yourself include the temples, jaw, neck, or between the eyebrows. You can learn more from nationalheadacheinstitute.com about this technique.

3. Essential Oils 

Essential oils and aromatherapy are other terrific options for headache sufferers. There’s a wide selection of oils that can help lessen the pain and discomfort of the head. Inhaling certain scents has been proven to reduce the severity of these ailments.

Inhaling lavender for a few minutes can relax your body and head, taking the pressure away. Peppermint oil can also help with tension headaches.

You can directly place these oils on your skin near your nose for inhalation. Placing oils in a diffuser may be a better option for severe headache sufferers, so it fills the room over time.

4. Take Magnesium 

Many people suffer from severe migraines, which often cause unbearable pain and can be debilitating. Those who get frequent migraines are commonly low on magnesium in their bodies.

Magnesium is a natural mineral that we need to maintain healthy blood sugar, nerves, muscles, etc. Those deficient in magnesium should take an oral supplement each day to help reduce the severity and frequency of migraines.

Always start with a low dose of magnesium and work your way up to a healthy amount. It’s good to consult your physician with any questions or concerns about magnesium intake.

5. B Vitamins 

B vitamins are micronutrients found in the body that help your overall health. They help with energy production, neurotransmission, body tissues, etc. Those low on these vitamins may have poor functioning cells that negatively impact the body.

Those who suffer from headaches may need more B vitamins in their system. Taking certain supplements can help protect against headaches. Helpful supplements include B2, B12, folate, and B6.

You can take these supplements regularly since they are water-soluble. You can find these at your local pharmacy or online.

6. Herbal Tea 

There are many benefits that herbal tea provides like hydration, sleep aid, relaxation, etc. Additionally, herbal tea is another excellent option for headache relief.

Ginger tea has been proven to be almost as effective as medication for migraines. Mixing ginger powder and warm water is all you’ll need for this herbal tea. Other teas to consider include chamomile, peppermint, and lavender.

These teas are usually inexpensive and can be taken when needed. You can find them at your local supermarket in the drink aisle.

7. Adequate Sleep

Your body needs the proper rest to recover from day-to-day activities. The lack of sleep can cause many negative impacts on your body. As your immune system is affected, more symptoms start to appear.

Headaches are one of the most significant signs of not getting enough sleep. Typically, adults should be getting around seven hours of sleep per night for adequate rest.

However, too much sleep could also cause headaches. Over nine hours of sleep can negatively affect the neurotransmitters in the brain. Therefore, it’s important not to oversleep often.

8. Food Intolerances 

A poor diet is a massive red flag when having frequent headaches. Eating junk food often can affect your health and head since you aren’t getting the proper nutrients. Too much processed food and sugar can cause weight gain, diabetes, blood sugar problems, etc.

If you have decent eating habits and still have headaches often, you may be eating something that your body is intolerant of. Some people are intolerant to gluten, sugar, lactose, and casein.

To figure out what your body is unhappy with, you can start a food elimination diet. Start a journal of things you eat each day and note when you get a headache. You can then eliminate certain foods until you find the trigger.

9. Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is a practice where tiny needles are placed on the skin. This is done to use body energy to relieve pain and tension.

Many people use this as a treatment for headaches and migraines. Regular treatments also help lessen the frequency and severity.

The Best Natural Remedies for Headaches

All of these natural remedies for headaches can help take the edge off your symptoms. Find which technique works best for you to feel better in no time!

A clear head starts with self-care and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Always consult your doctor if your headaches persist or become too severe.

Visit our site to read more health-centered news and articles today!

Health is a relative and highly subjective thing that looks different for every person. For example, for a person living with chronic pain, their optimum health levels will look a lot different than those of a completely able-bodied person. Although optimum health levels will vary from person to person, the things we need to achieve our own individual levels of optimum health are usually more or less the same.

This guide is going to be looking at three ways you can look after your body and improve your health, no matter who you are or what your medical history is. Read on for everything you need to know now.

1. You Are What You Eat

What you put into your body is so, so important. Both what you eat and how you eat can make a huge difference to your overall health.

Here are some tips for eating your way to a more healthy lifestyle. First, try to cut down on processed foods and unhealthy fats. You want to heat as many whole foods as possible.

If you’re reading an ingredient list, and you can’t pronounce many of the words, chances are this isn’t a food you want to be eating. Another important thing for diet is variety. In order to get all of the necessary nutrients, you’ll need to be eating a lot of different kinds of foods.

2. Try Different Treatments

Because everyone’s health and medical needs are so individualized, sometimes in order to achieve optimum health, you’ll need to think outside the box when it comes to treatment types. Don’t shy away from alternative therapy. If there’s a chance that something like reiki or a visit to the National Stem Cell Clinic could help you, then it’s worth trying out.

Finding out what works for you and your body can take some trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try different methods and medicines until you find your perfect fit.

3. Know When to Rest

Your body is amazing and works hard every day. While making sure to get as much movement as possible each day is important, it’s equally as important to get enough rest. When your body lacks rest, it’s not able to carry out its necessary functions.

If you’re exercising on a regular basis, then getting plenty of rest is even more crucial. Resting means giving your physical body time off, but it also means getting enough sleep. Different people need different levels of sleep, but the average adult should be getting at least 7 and a half hours.

Finding What Optimum Health Looks Like For You

The steps to achieve more healthy living don’t have to be difficult or overly complex. By making only a few small changes, you too can get the chance to see what optimum health can look and feel like.

If you’re looking for more ways to lead a more healthy life, then we’ve got more tips on our site. Don’t forget to check out some of our other articles now.

Memories are curious things. They comprise much of what we consider to be our “selves” in a psychological and philosophical sense. However, they also have a tendency to be subjective instead of objective. This makes it difficult to discover what actually happened in the past.

If you’ve ever wondered how memory works in the brain, keep reading for a full explanation of how memory formation occurs.

Understanding the Types of Memory

There are 2 understood types of memory that get used by the brain on a day-to-day basis. Explicit memory is what most people think of when they try to remember something. It deals with the active recall of information or experiences when requested or needed.

Implicit memory, on the other hand, is subtler, harder to track. It refers to the influence that experiences and memories have on our behavior. This process tends to occur on a subconscious level, although conscious awareness of it can be developed through therapeutic techniques.

Memory Formation Stages

Memory formation occurs in the brain in 3 main stages. These stages occur in the following order.

Sensory Register

The first stage is called the sensory register, where the brain gets information from the world around it. This process takes place over a few seconds and happens when the brain gathers information from audiovisual cues.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can recall something you were just looking at for a few split seconds, that’s the reason.

Short-Term Memory

Once you give your attention to the information processed via the sensory register, it moves into short-term memory. Short-term memory stores information on a temporary basis for recall after a short period, while working memory stores information you learn for the purposes of manipulating it.

Long-Term Memory

Information that gets accessed regularly or leaves a deep enough impression then moves into long-term memory. This is not a permanent storage folder, but rather, a place where information lives as long as needed.

Transference from working memory into long-term memory occurs due to the brain rewiring itself to store the information. As long as the information gets used, the memories will remain.

Why Memory Decays Over Time

So, why do we forget? Why do people who live a certain number of years tend to require memory care? There are two main theories behind this phenomenon.

The first is the decay theory, which simply holds that if you don’t use it, you lose it. Memories that aren’t accessed or repeated will deteriorate. The second is interference theory, which states that the brain always updates, swapping out new information for old.

Each holds equal weight. However, neither accounts for the physical decay of the brain’s synaptic plasticity, which often causes the loss of memory over time.

Curious to Learn More About How the Brain Functions?

Memory formation is an in-depth process that still requires more research to this day. However, there remains much more you can learn about this process and many other neurological functions.

If you found this article about how creating new memories works inside the brain interesting, then why not check out our blog? We update the Health section each day with more interesting and informational content like this.