Scientific Research suggests that advanced gum disease(periodontal disease) may be linked to Diabetes, Cardiovascular Problems and Pre-Term birth.  In addition it causes bad breath and if left untreated can be a leading cause of tooth loss and does anyone really want to go around with stinky breath and/or no teeth when there is a simple solution… visiting your dentist on a regular basis.

The early stage of gum disease is gingivitis which affects a majority of all adult Americans at some point in their lives, and most aren’t even aware of it. Gingivitis, while common, may progress to a more serious condition, periodontal disease.  Yes it’s a disease but it is a disease that can be controlled with more frequently professional tooth cleanings at your dentist.  Typically 3 – 4 times per year until it’s under control.

Studies show that periodontal disease, if left untreated, over time can affect the health of your entire body.  Periodontal disease is a serious gum infection that has been shown to weaken the teeth’s support system which over time can cause tooth loss.

A less medically serious but more socially serious side effect of periodontal disease is Bad Breath.  In fact, poor oral hygiene and gum disease are the primary causes of chronic bad breath. 

What if just 10 minutes of exercise a day could better your mood, give you more energy, improved confidence, increase motivation, and even increase agility? Well, studies have found exactly that to be true!

With such a stressful economic climate today, we are valuing our quality of life much more. It is important to only stay healthy but feel as good as possible in order to be able to face life’s daily tasks and curve balls.

Findings from the Archives of Internal Medicine outline the results of study where 430 sedentary postmenopausal women which were divided into 4 groups: non-exercisers, moderate exercise for one hour a week, moderate exercise for two hours a week, and moderate exercise for 3 hours a week. Questionnaires were completed at the end of the trail which found that these women found improvements in all aspects of quality of life (mental health, energy, social functioning, and emotional health). There was a direct correlation that the more the women exercised the greater the improvements.

Even more interestingly, the study found it is possible to be overweight or obese but live 3 years longer than a normal-weight individual who does not partake in daily moderate exercise.

So much activity should you do? The government’s latest physical activity guidelines suggest:

· 2 ½ hours moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking) or 1 ¼ hours a week of a vigorous-intensity activity (jogging or swimming)

· Better yet would be 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity or 2 ½ hours of vigorous activity

· Two or more days a week is recommend for adults of resistance training which should cover all major muscle groups including chest, back, shoulders, thighs, hips, and abdomen.

· Older adults should follow the same guidelines if able to. If not they should do as much physical activity as their bodies’ will allow. Balance training should be integrated to help prevent falls.

This article was contributed by our patient and the best fitness trainer in Columbus.

Dominic is Dr. Thompson’s nephew who is in 7th grade at Big Walnut Middle School.  Today was shadow day so Dominic came to see what a dentist does all day.  Dominic likes to practice basketball, play the “Skate” video game on Xbox 360, and listen to music from Disturbed, Blur, SlipKnot, and SoulFly.

Dominic thought the coolest part of shadow day was watching Dr. Thompson “fix the metal rod in the patient’s gum”. (aka adjust a dental implant)  Dominic also took some photos around the office, chose the song and created the video at the top of the post.

As Part of the Shadow Day Dominic had to interview Dr. Thompson.  Below are the questions and answers.

What type of education/training is needed for this job?  3-4 years of undergraduate college and 4 years of dental school.  Ongoing continuing education.

Why did you choose this job? President and God were taken. What do you like best about your job? I like the variety of things we do and it’s never repetitious.  

 What do you like least?  Stress; running behind schedule.

When you were in middle school, what did you want to be?  A race car driver or pilot.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to have this job?  Study hard, get good grades, and always be willing to explore new things.

Does your job require continuing education?  Yes. 40 classroom hours every 2 years at a minimum. 

How important do you feel shadow day is for students?  Very important.  It provides exposure to real life and what people actually do.  Also, if you shadow and think you don’t like the job it might not be for you. 

Ok.  I am a big believer in flossing your teeth but would a text message on your cell phone at 7:15 AM every morning help the non-believers or the flossing forgetters? 

Well, the technology is available and to think I found the website via a twitter post…. and I’m still trying to figure out that Twitter.com thing.

Well…. here is the link to Have you flossed today?  Check it out and spread the flossing word. 

Flossing is Good!

As some of you may know I enjoy trying new wines and also surfing the Internet for Information.  My staff can attest that there are certain times throughout the year where there seems to be an abundance of wine cases being delivered to the office.  (we are extra generous to the UPS guy and FedEx delivery people around the holidays) 

Although I support many of the local wine shops here in Grandview I also came across an article in the Wall Street Journal that highlighted some of the better places to research and buy wine on the Internet.

For a extremely informative local website go to www.gentiles.com and click on Rogers Wine Finds at the top of the page. 

Here are the sites they recommended because of their ease of use, shipping policies, real time inventory status, wine education information, and great customer communication.

klwines.com – The website of California based K&L wine merchants

winemonger.com – A California based web-only store

astorwines.com – The website of New York based Astor Wine and Spirits

wine.com - An obvious choice but they do a great job and fequently have 1 cent shipping deals