What is a Root Canal?

When you are told you need a root canal, it is generally because the nerve in your tooth has been damaged and is starting to die, or in some cases has slowly gone bad over time. This can happen due to decay in the tooth that has reached the nerve, or trauma from a blow to the tooth or in an accident where the tooth has been hit. Also sometimes a tooth can develop a crack that can reach the nerve and allow bacteria from your mouth to enter through the crack into the nerve and cause it to go bad. Many times there is pain, or sensitivity to hot or cold things during this degenerative process, but not always.

When you have a root canal done, we are actually removing that diseased and degenerating nerve tissue from the middle of the tooth. If not removed it can cause an infection to develop that we call an abscess. This can be very painful and cause swelling that must first be treated with antibiotics before the root canal can be done. A key factor in having this be a comfortable and uneventful procedure is to have the tooth relatively calm and comfortable before you begin.

The nerve tissue enters the tooth through a small opening at the tip of the root. It extends up the root of the tooth through one or more small canals and ends in the crown of the tooth in an enlarged area we call the pulp chamber.

To remove the nerve we make a small opening through the biting surface or back of the tooth that extends into the pulp chamber. We then use a series of files that extend down each canal to the small opening where it enters the root. Sometimes these files are manipulated by hand and sometimes we use a drill to advance the files through the canal until we reach the end. In this way, we clean out the nerve tissue and shape each canal so it is shaped like a small funnel or cone. We use different chemicals and medications in the tooth as we are using these files to help us clean out all the nerve tissue and to sterilize the canal space.

After these cleaning and shaping steps are done, we use small sterile rolled up pieces of paper that we call paper points. These are place in the canals in order to absorb and dry any moisture in the canals for the cleaning steps.. After drying, the canals now need to be filled and sealed. To do this, we use a small rubber-like material called gutta percha in a tapering shape that corresponds to the size of the files we used to clean each canal. These gutta percha points are coated with a sealing cement and extended down each canal to the tip of the root where the nerve entered the tooth.

This procedure allows you to save your tooth. With the newer filing techniques in use today, there is much less stress placed on the tooth and that makes the procedure quicker and more comfortable for you both during and after the procedure. I have found in my practice that if we control any existing infection prior to the root canal procedure, my patients rarely complain of any significant pain either during or afterward. I don’t routinely need to prescribe any pain medecine because people don’t need it. They can usually just take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), or aspirin.

So in conclusion, if you are told you need this procedure done on a tooth, it is nothing to dread. The large majority of root canals are now accomplished quickly with little or no discomfort.

Sandalwood Essential Oil: A Great Aroma With Science Proven Benefits

Sandalwood is both a classic scent and a classic medicine. Used as an aromatic for over 4000 years, and as a medicine in the Ayurvedic system for perhaps a millennium, the wood itself has been greatly valued by mankind. The essential oil, while only becoming popular in the last hundred years, is a truly classic scent, with important science-proven therapeutic medicinal applications. Whether it be for the body or mind, sandalwood oil can offer effective support. Here’s a look at the therapeutic applications of this treasured oil, and how you too might benefit from its medicinal magic.

The exotic oil comes from the heartwood of trees native to certain tropical regions of the world. Curiously, the sandalwood tree is only found growing on, or intertwined with, other trees; it’s considered, in fact, a parasite. Further, the trees are quite slow growing, and demand a certain amount of age before being mature enough to distill a significant volume of high-quality oil. This makes for a unique challenge in growing the wood and distilling the precious essential oil.

The very finest oil, certainly aromatically — and some people believe therapeutically as well — is distilled from the Santalum album species native to India. The essential oil has become so highly valued that over-harvesting of the trees has made a significant impact in deforestation in certain regions. So much so that the government of India made it a law that they now own all the sandalwood trees in the country! This, of course, is meant to prevent poaching of the trees, as clearly the offense is rather serious stealing the valuable resource from the government. Thankfully, there are plantations of this same species of tree underway, and other sources of very fine sandalwood oils that are now close in rivaling the quality of the Indian material.

What could it be about this essential oil that makes it so highly coveted? For starters, the wood has been pulverized and made into a paste used on the skin for centuries in India — both for ritual and medicinal activities. It turns out that, under laboratory research, the essential oil significantly reduces the development for skin cancer significantly when applied to skin before exposure to ultraviolet rays. Further, it also prevented cancers from developing from contact with carcinogenic chemicals — a very interesting therapeutic activity indeed.

Researchers at South Dakota State University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted “alpha-santalol, a major component of sandalwood oil, is effective in preventing skin cancer in…UVB-induced skin cancer development.” Researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver, noted that the oil caused apoptosis (normal cell death) of cells that were on their way to becoming cancerous. Clearly the essential oil makes an important therapeutic contribution to skin care formulations for those spending a lot of time in the sun.

The original allure of the tree and its oil was its fantastic aroma. Clearly early on, people recognized there was something different about it: the oil is unique for its ability to both stimulate and calm at the same time. These effects have been the subject of research, finding that the oil managed to both heighten senses and bring about a aura of calm — a perfect combination of course for the meditative purposes for which the oil is frequently employed. Just a drop or two on the wrists or forehead is an excellent way to enjoy sandalwood’s mind-centering effects.

Interestingly, while the oil heightens awareness, it actually supports deeper, more restful sleep. Research on the inhalation of the aroma showed that study participants usually challenged to get a good rest spent much less time awake, and the total time spent in “rapid eye movement” sleep was also increased. The affect was attributed to the oil’s action in the bloodstream after inhalation, not on the sensing of the aroma. So a gentle massage with the oil may be just as effective as using a diffuser for improved sleep with the oil.

This is just a brief look at some wonderful therapeutic actions available using sandalwood. Its skin care properties go far beyond sun protection; these include care for dry skin, mature skin and acne-prone skin as well. The oil is very safe, and well-tolerated by nearly everyone. When you find yourself looking for a source of sandalwood, you’ll find several varieties available. Research has shown them to be fairly equivalent in many respects therapeutically — for skin care, the lower-cost Australian is an excellent choice. For aromatic uses, find one that you enjoy the most! And know that a little goes a long way — start with a small amount, and enjoy its subtle, uplifting nature.

Ideas To Prevent Cimicosis In Your Home

When we were all little we heard about bed bugs but many of us just laughed them off as one of those tales. Now we are older and we know that they really exist. In fact, many of us have had to suffer through their attacks! Now, tired of being their meal, we ask ourselves: how do we stop bed bug bites?

With all the misguided people in the world it’s easy to understand why there is so much information that it floating around in space. Unfortunately a great deal of it is wrong. There is this rumor that bed bugs are actually creatures that hide in you mattress and eat the dead skin that humans shed when they’re asleep. This isn’t true. These creatures actually suck blood just like mosquitoes. They only difference is, because they are so much smaller their marks are to scale.

When it all boils down bed bugs are pests and no one wants pests in their house. So how do we get rid of them? The most common method is to kill them via pesticides. The only thing with pesticides and bed bugs is that they have built up their own special immunities to a lot of the poisons we have available to us. Because of that we have to find and purchase pesticides that are made specifically with these particular insects in mind. In doing so we also have to keep in mind that these critters enjoy commonly used areas. That being the case we have to ensure that the sprays and powders we get are safe for pets.

Did you know that heating your house can also kill bed bugs and other kinds of pests? You would have to do it on a day where you don’t have to be in your house because you’d have to get the temperature up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to kill these bugs in all forms. Keeping your house this hot for the recommended twenty minutes can be difficult and expensive, but at least you’ll get them all in one fell swoop.

If you are unable to do that you can used a steam cleaner on furniture and in the crannies you think they are likely to hide. This can be time consuming but ultimately more convenient. Remember, you can rent house hold cleaning products rather than having to purchase them. The dryer can help too.

Another method of keeping these bugs out of your furniture is called the Barrier Method. It is not the best option, as it does not eliminate these bugs from your house, per say, it only keeps them out of certain articles of furniture. Bed bugs cannot cross over petroleum jelly. In addition to this they have trouble climbing up smooth surfaces such as metal, glass, or marble. This being the case, putting the legs of your furniture in, say a coffee can, and smearing the bottom of it with jelly will keep the bugs from entering your bed through that route. That is not to say that if your bed is propped against a wall they will not climb the wall and drop down onto your bed but you will at least be slowing them down. Barriers can also be created with double-sided tape but this can be hampered by pets, rodents, or clumsiness.

When you’re trying to stop bed bug bites from occurring you may opt to simply call an exterminator. If you do so you will have to expect not only one visit but a number of follow ups as well. If you do it alone, you will have to keep at it or the bugs will come back. All in all, the problem will take time and effort to fix.