Do You Have Warning Signs of Gum Disease?

Do you have persistent sore, swollen, red or bleeding gums as well as tooth pain or sensitivity and bad breath? You may not realize that these are warning signs of periodontal disease (gum disease), a serious infection that, left untreated, may lead to tooth loss as well heart attack, stroke, diabetes and respiratory disease.

Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria in plaque (the sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth) causes gums to become inflamed. In the mildest form of the disease, gingivitis, the gums redden, swell, and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene and is reversible with professional treatment and good home care.

If it is left untreated, gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread below the gumline and toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body essentially turns on itself. The tissues and bone that support your teeth are broken down and destroyed.

If you have any of these symptoms, no matter how mild, contact Dr. Thomas Rubino immediately at (941) 792-0029 and schedule a complimentary exam and radiographs.

Coastal Orthopedics

With the very latest in innovative technology, Coastal Orthopedics-Sports Medicine & Pain Management has gone mobile, by providing immediate, on-the-go access to its facilities, services and a wide variety of healthcare information through iTriage, a smartphone application, and with the development of a mobile-app version of its website.

Coastal is also proud to announce the details of two upcoming community events that include free health screenings:

Everyone is welcome at the “Ambulatory Surgery Center Open House Day” Thursday, Aug. 11 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Coastal Orthopedics East Surgery Center, 1917 Worth Court, Bradenton.  The public can enjoy a free behind-the-scenes tour inside the ASC operating rooms. Coastal physicians and surgeons will be offering health talks and answering questions on a variety of orthopedic and pain topics.  No RSVP needed.

“Coastal's Girls Night Out For Health” is set for Thursday, September 1st from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Fete Ballroom at the Lakewood Ranch Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. Open to all ladies 18 and older, the evening includes free health screenings, wellness classes, health Q & A, plus mini manicures, make-up and pampering, too.  No RSVP necessary.

LECOM Dental

Construction is underway for the new building that will house the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Dental Medicine.

Work has begun on the state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot, two-story facility just 500 feet north of the current LECOM Bradenton campus at 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The construction has begun on 36 acres along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and 44th Avenue, with the work on schedule for the opening of the School of Dental Medicine in July 2012, which will accept 100 students in its inaugural class.

LECOM is investing $52 million to bring the dental school to Manatee County. This includes the construction of the building and the highly technical, state-of-the art classrooms and laboratories required to properly prepare the next generation of dentists.

The school will employ nearly 200 individuals, including faculty, administrators and dental hygienists, and technical, administrative and other support staff. The direct economic impact of institutional, employee and student spending is expected to reach $14 million in the Bradenton area and as much as $35 million through direct and indirect spending statewide.

Summer Shape-Up

Not everyone is willing to go under the knife for a shapelier silhouette. Dr. J. David Holcomb, Plastic Surgeon and president of Holcomb Facial Plastic Surgery, is excited to introduce Exilis Therapy to his practice, the newest non-surgical method for body-shaping.

Exilis delivers radiofrequency energy that reduces volume and tightens skin. Previously, the only way to reduce fat volume was liposuction, requiring surgery and downtime from daily activities. Thanks to Exilis, Dr. Holcomb can remove fatty acids from the cells while simultaneously stimulating new collagen.

Fat cells are stored in the body in lobules clustered like a bunch of grapes. These clusters are wrapped in a fibrous tissue layer like a net that holds them together, making it virtually impossible to reach the fatty clusters without a liposuction cannular—until now.

Patients see a measurable reduction in their waist after just four treatments with Exilis. The treatment is quick, 30 minutes with no downtime or limitations to your activities. Kathie Lee Gifford had four treatments on the Today Show and lost two inches from her waist.

 

Botox for Migraines?

Megan Bogart, M.D. was an investigator in one of the pivotal studies published last year in the Archives of Dermatology. The study showed that Botox, when used for cosmetic purposes, dramatically reduced the severity and frequency of certain types of migraine headaches.

The FDA approved Botox for the treatment of migraine headaches in October 2010, thanks in part to this study as well as other research over the past few years.

Dr. Bogart not only uses Botox to cosmetically treat the frown lines, crow's feet, forehead and lip lines, but she also has had great success giving many migraine sufferers relief from their painful headaches.

Help After Heart Failure

Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization among seniors, and one of the more complex conditions to manage. Studies show that of seniors hospitalized for heart failure, one in four winds up back in the hospital within 30 days of discharge. With a few simple outreach strategies, however, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is reversing that trend.  The hospital has assembled a multidisciplinary team and network of outpatient services that are helping heart failure patients live longer, better lives—and preventing life-threatening relapses that send so many others to the emergency room. The outpatient network provides a range of clinical services based on individual needs, from customized cardiac rehabilitation, nutrition counseling and specialized cardiac home care nurses to an anti-coagulation clinic and the hospital’s cornerstone Heart Failure Center, where nurse practitioners are available for consults 24 hours a day.

To learn more, call Sarasota Memorial’s HealthLine at (941) 917-7777 or watch the “Living Well with Heart Failure” video on Sarasota Memorial’s YouTube education channel, youtube.com/smhcs.

Smart Glasses

You already have your smart phone. Now you can have smart glasses. Kantor Eye Associates introduces the world’s first and only electronic eyeglasses. The emPower eyeglasses by PixelOptics are the most significant advancement in eyewear in 50 years. They combine eyeglass technology with the latest in consumer electronics, like smart phones. The lenses have microscopic, invisible electronics that allow you to turn off and on the reading portion in less than the blink of an eye, and without moving parts or sound. These glasses won the Future Tech Award for the Most Innovative at the 2011 International Consumer Electronic Show, and were selected by CNBC as a top “must have” of 2011.

Although loaded with electronics, empower glasses look, weigh and feel like regular, high-end eyeglasses and are available in 36 frame styles. Kantor Eye Associates expects to have emPower eyeglasses available this month with a price range of $1250 to $1400.

The Dattoli Difference

Dattoli Cancer Center is an internationally renowned prostate cancer treatment facility offering non-surgical combination therapy.  The Dattoli protocol for newly diagnosed patients utilizes both leading edge DART (Dynamic Adaptive RadioTherapy) radiation and Palladium-103 brachytherapy (seed implant). This combination has produced the longest published cure rate anywhere in the medical literature (16 years, Journal of Oncology, July 2010).  The center also treats men whose first treatment failed and who have been diagnosed with recurrent or persistent prostate cancer.  Medicare and most major insurance are welcomed.  Men travel to this center from all over the world. Free telephone consultation available.  Call (877)328-8654 for information, or visit the dattoli.com.