10 Oral Health Questions

article from Yahoo By Sarah-Reistad-Long

Your teeth can reveal a lot about your overall wellness—research has linked poor oral health to conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and autoimmune disorders. The issue is twofold. If you already have one of these conditions, some signs may show up in your mouth: People with uncontrolled diabetes, for example, are more likely to have gum disease, cavities and oral infections. On the flip side, gum disease can increase your risk of developing health issues in the first place. That’s because the bad bacteria in your mouth (a cause of inflammation) can actually make their way into the rest of the body, causing other areas to become inflamed.

“The cardiovascular connection is known to be especially strong,” says New York City–based periodontist James Jacobs, DMD. For example, one British study showed that people who brush infrequently were 70 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who brush twice a day.

Maybe you’re thinking, I brush. I floss—at least sometimes. Isn’t that enough? Probably not, considering that a whopping 85 percent of American adults suffer from gum disease, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. But it’s not too late to reform your ways. Here, we address your top concerns so you can keep your pearly whites in peak condition. Your good health depends on it.

Is there a right way to brush?

es! Grip your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gumline, so it’s slightly pointing up, and apply gentle pressure as you use a combo of back-and-forth and up-and-down strokes, says Santa Monica–baseddentist Nushin Shir, DDS. Make sure you brush each tooth all over, as well as the gumline. And don’t rush! A thorough brushing lasts about 2 minutes, so aim to spend about 30 seconds on each quarter of your mouth.

Are electric toothbrushes better than manual ones?

Most dentists think so, even though studies are mixed. If you use them the right way, they prevent you from brushing too hard (which can wear away the enamel, the outer protective layer of the tooth, and make gums bleed) or, more important, not long enough (most have a built-in timer that beeps when 2 minutes are up). They’re also thorough. “Some electric toothbrushes go as fast as 40,000 strokes per second. You just can’t do that manually,” says Jeffrey Golub-Evans, DDS, founder of the New York Center for Cosmetic Dentistry and a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The downside: Some can cost more than $100, though it’s possible to find them for as low as $30.

For a less expensive option, consider a batteryoperated brush. They may lack some bells and whistles, but whether you choose a brush that uses replaceable batteries or you opt for the disposable variety, they should still work well. Catrise Austin, DDS, author of 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile, likes the disposable Oral-B Pulsar 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothbrush, which is only $3.49. If you prefer to stick with a manual, that’s fine—just make sure that it’s labeled soft, since harder brushes can wear down the enamel and cause tooth sensitivity. Remember to replace your brush (or change the head) every three months.

How can I get rid of bad breath?

Two words: tongue scraper. Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil found that using one improved bad breath as much as 75 percent by removing the bacteria and residue that builds up on your tongue.

Other possible halitosis culprits include heartburn or acid reflux (chewing sugar-free gum after a meal can help) and gum disease, which can cause your gums to recede and bacteria to get stuck. If you have persistent bad breath that doesn’t get better when you use a tongue scraper or chew gum, see your dentist or a periodontist. If the problem turns out to be gum disease, you may need a series of deep cleanings (generally done with local anesthesia) to remove bacteria and diseased tissue.

As I’m getting older, it seems as if more food is getting stuck between my teeth. Am I imagining this?

Not at all. The enamel wears down with age, so your teeth get a little smaller and the spaces between them get slightly wider, which means food gets trapped more easily. Eroding enamel can also make your teeth more sensitive. If you have extensive damage to your enamel (you may notice darker, more yellow spots on your teeth), bonding can help, says Emanuel Layliev, DDS, president of the New York Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. It entails having your dentist apply a toothcolored plastic filling to the front and back of teeth. The cost can add up (about $150 to $300 per tooth), though insurance often covers at least a portion of it when bonding is done to repair damage (as opposed to for purely cosmetic reasons).

Do I really need to go to the dentist twice a year?

Absolutely! Waiting too long between visits means more scraping, because plaque that sits on your teeth for a while hardens and turns into tartar (also called calculus). Going twice a year also gives your dentist a chance to catch a cavity early, when it’s just forming. In that case, you might not even need any filling or drilling; you may simply be sent home with a fluoride treatment to redeposit some of the minerals that have worn away, says Dr. Jacobs. Wait too long, however, and the cavity will progress and can infect a nearby nerve, which means you could end up needing a costly root canal. Frequent visits also mean more opportunity for your dentist to spot signs of an illness that’s affecting your whole body.

I’ve seen laser whitening treatments being offered in spas and malls. Are they safe?

Maybe—but only if a dental professional (such as a dentist or dental hygienist) is administering them. “I once met a banker who was performing these whitenings for extra income!” says Dr. Austin. The problem: An untrained person could end up damaging your teeth, and many people are selling products that haven’t been proven safe or effective. In fact, states including Tennessee and Alabama have recently banned teeth-whitening kiosks that aren’t operated by dentists.

If you do opt for laser whitening (ideally at a dentist’s office), here’s how it works: A highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide formula will be spread over your teeth. You’ll then sit in front of a laser or other activating light designed to help the formula penetrate, and walk out of the office about an hour later with a whiter smile. Dentist-approved treatments including Zoom! and BriteSmile are safe, but some people experience pain and sensitivity during or after the process. Recently, some dentists have started offering a laser-free option called Opalescence. It involves using a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide, but it also has fluoride to help reduce sensitivity. Expect a professional whitening treatment to cost between $250 and $600 and for the effects to last for one to five years, depending on your habits.

The Benefits of Fish Oil

Research studies show fish oil benefits are down right amazing.

Studies are published almost daily as the scientific community discovers more and more of the many extraordinary omega 3 fish oil benefits.

If you haven't already been swept up in the net yet, here are 7 proven omega 3 benefits you should know about.

1. Less Pain and Inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly EPA, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response. Through several mechanisms, they regulate your body's inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything else ending in "itis."

2. Cardiovascular Health. Omega 3 fatty acids have also been proven to work wonders for your heart and the miles and miles of arteries and veins that make up your cardiovascular system. They help to lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol. This adds years to your life expectancy.

3. Protection from Stroke and Heart Attack. When plaque builds up on arterial walls and then breaks loose, it causes what's known as a thrombosis, which is a fancy way of saying clot. If a clot gets stuck in the brain, it causes a stroke and when it plugs an artery, it causes a heart attack. Research shows omega 3 fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage.

4. Better Brain Function and Higher Intelligence. Pregnant and nursing mothers can have a great impact on the intelligence and happiness of their babies by supplementing with fish oil. For adults, omega 3 improves memory, recall, reasoning and focus. You'll swear you're getting younger and smarter.

5. Less Depression and Psychosis. Making you smarter is not all omega 3 does for your brain. Psychiatry department researchers at the University of Sheffield, along with many other research studies, found that omega 3 fish oil supplements "alleviate" the symptoms of depression, bipolar and psychosis (Journal of Affective Disorder Vol. 48(2-3);149-55).

6. Lower Incidence of Childhood Disorders. Just to show how fish oil fatty acids leave nobody out, studies show that children (and adults) with ADD and ADHD experience a greatly improved quality of life. And those with dyslexia, dyspraxia and compulsive disorders have gotten a new lease on life thanks to omega 3 oils.

7. Reduction of Breast, Colon and Prostate Cancer. And finally, omega 3 fish oil has been shown to help prevent three of the most common forms of cancer - breast, colon and prostate. Science tells us that omega 3s accomplish this in three ways. They stop the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, inhibiting unwanted cellular growth and causing apoptosis, or cellular death, of cancer cells.

Become a Berry?

Win Berry, enter contest

Learn to be exhibitionist part 1

This article was not written by me. I found it on the internet. It was penned by Lily Hensen. Lily is a 25 year old exhibitionist who lives in the mid-west. At the time of this writing she had been exhibiting her body in public for approximately 8 years. What follows are her suggestions for the budding female exhibitionist. I hope you enjoy the information.

Hi, my name is Lily! This is the first part of a two-part guide for exhibitionists, and anyone interested in the subject. I've been showing myself off for years, and I'm using this as an easy way to share hints and tips, not to mention a few juicy examples, with anyone who can benefit from my experience. This volume includes ideas for basic-level exhibitionism. What the basic means is exhibitionism that's usually tamer than intermediate and advanced levels, but more importantly it always appears unintentional. Basic, intermediate, and advanced refer to the levels of risk in what's being tried, in other words how risky it is.

With basic exhibitionism, clothes become you're most important tool, besides location. This may seem to be the opposite of what it should be, but you don't have to be completely naked to show off.

The first rule of clothes is: no bra. In the most basic forms of exhibitionism you're just showing people your nipples through your shirt. As you move up, you show them the naked nipple, then other parts. Bras are never useful, unless that's what you want to show people.

Showing your nipples through your shirt can be obvious, or an art form. The key is to make the viewer question whether you're doing it on purpose, or whether what they see is a total fluke.

The most obvious way to accomplish this is with a thin, white T-shirt. Thin, white dress shirts, dresses, and such work just as well. There's also mesh and see-through materials. The problem is all of these tend to be glaringly obvious. Tight fitness clothes, of varying colors, and thin material of any color that cling tight and makes the areola just barely visible is excellent. Tube tops are a little out-of-date but work really well.

Wear these clothes to the supermarket, or the mall, somewhere where there's a lot of strangers walking around in close quarters; and wait for the double-takes. It's so much fun.

I was standing in the middle of the freezer section of our local grocery store, pausing over the pizzas, when I noticed a guy staring at my chest over the freezer. I was wearing just a faded white halter top, my nipples were pretty visible already to anyone who dared to look, but in the cold air of the freezer my nipples had stiffened to attention and glancing down I was aware they stood out against the material of my shirt.

I hung out by the pizza another two to three minutes bending and twisting as I examined all the brands before the guy's wife or girlfriend showed up to drag him away. I gave her a wink as she glared at me. She smiled back and shook her head.

If you want to accentuate this form of attention a bit, there's a great little invention called "sweater bumpers." They are small metal rings that fit around your nipple to keep them erect.

For those of us too chicken to pierce their nipples, this is a great way to highlight what you're trying so hard to get them to look at anyway. Nipple rings are, of course, just as effective, and in certain cases you may want to try nipple clips or loops, with a thin length of chain connecting them. And speaking of chain, if you've ever attended an SCA or fantasy-related events you may have seen women clad only in chain mail. It leaves little to the imagination, and often - the tops especially - are created with just enough space between the links to allow anyone who concentrates, all the details of your nipples.

I signed up to work one of those booths once, and let me tell you I got a lot of attention!

The next way to expose yourself using just your clothes is clothing that remains just loose enough, or moves just enough now and then to give the viewer an unobstructed line of sight. This is trickier, but far more rewarding. Watching some guy walking around me, pretending to do something else, just to try and confirm to himself he saw what he did makes me hot every time.

The easiest tool for this is just leaving a loose button-up shirt open to a level slightly below your nipples. Be sure to lean over a lot and turn almost sideways whenever someone comes into range.

A slight variation of this is to use a see-through shirt and an open jacket. The advantage with this is that you can leave the jacket open all the way, increasing the likelihood that you can "accidentally" expose yourself at just the right time. Wearing overalls or a vest with no shirt works the same way.

I couldn't believe it, but there she was sitting at the next table at the small coffee shop we like. I pointed her out to Al and we watched slyly as she turned and moved freely. Her shirt was open nearly to the waist, and we could see without a doubt that she wasn't wearing a bra.

The guy sitting with her probably didn't have as good a view as we did. There was a light breeze, we were out on the patio, and as she sat the wind would expand the material of her shirt on the far side of us, giving us a fantastic view of her pert breast and erect nipple.

We stayed a lot longer than we had time for, and finally had to give up our table to an older couple. I wanted to talk to her, see if she was doing it on purpose, but I knew I couldn't and breathed a heavy sigh as we left.

there are part 2

A pendatang too brilliant to be ignored...

A little joke to share~~

This is definitely not original, but an adaptation of one which went round
some time ago, about an Indian in USA. But then again, it is good for a
laugh...

It was the first day of a school in Kulai, Johor and a new Chinese student
named Chong Shan entered Standard four.

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some Malaysian History. Who said
'Merdeka, Merdeka"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chong Shan who had his hand up:
'Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31 August 1957' he said.

'Very good! Who said 'China's authoritarian rule is more effective than the
'democracy' practiced in Malaysia?''

Again, no response except from Chong Shan. 'Tun Dr. Mahathir from Kerala,
2010' he said.

The teacher snapped at the class, 'Boys, you should be ashamed. Chong Shan,
who is a pendatang to our country, knows more about our history than you
do.'

She heard a loud whisper: '@#$% the Chinese.' 'Who said that?' she demanded.


Chong Shan put his hand up. 'Perkasa Chief, Ibrahim Ali.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Yeah, I am Malay first, Malaysian
second!'

Chong Shan jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher,
'Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, 2010'.

At that point, a student in the back said, 'Correct, correct, correct!'

The teacher glares around and asks 'All right! Now, who said that?'

Again, Chong Shan says, 'Lawyer VK Lingam, in a telephone conversation
brokering the appointment of top judges with the former Chief Justice.'

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, 'I am not ashamed to admit that I
cannot compete with the Chinese and Indian students.'

Chong Shan frantically yells at the top of his voice, 'Tun Dr. Mahathir from
Kerala, in Medical College.'

The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around her on the floor,
someone said, 'Oh shit, we're screwed!'

And Chong Shan, rather sheepish being correct all the time, said softly, 'I
think it was Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 2008'.

夢醒時分 The moment when a dream is awakened

I got an article, and it seem very true and I want to share to everyone

你是否和我一樣，發覺身邊的親戚和朋友，似乎少了許多。
I wonder you feel the same as me ; all the sudden I realized friends and relatives around me seems to get less and less.

以往接近過年時，各種聚餐排得滿滿的，而今年，似乎沒聲沒息。
Those years when the New Year drew near, all sorts of gathering appointments almost completely filled the diaries, but this year seems so quiet.

即使是平常日子，電話少了，與大家見面也少了。
Even in normal time, phone calls become less and less, face to face meet up also become much less.

也許，大家各忙各的；或者，目前流行“宅生活”，儘量避免出門。
Perhaps, everybody is busy with their own things, or perhaps, nowadays people prefer to stay in.

也不盡然如此。再想一想，很多老友和親戚，已經不在了。嗟！大吉利是，他們都還好好的，只是離開了馬來西亞。
However, it is not entirely like this, thinking further, actually old friends and relatives are not around any more. God bless, they are still alive and well, they just left the country, Malaysia .

去了中國大陸開工廠；王子不做工程師，移民到澳洲開小食檔；阿風離開本地大學，去香港做講師；青蛙去了台灣，開展事業第二春；還有的到了美國、英國，唔，還有去印尼的……。
They have gone to China to set factory; ah Wang quit his engineer job and migrated to Australia to set up his little food store business, ah Fong left the local University went to Hong Kong as a lecturer. 'Frog' went to Taiwan to pursue his second career life. Others went to Americia , England , even Indonesia ...

起初，以為這只是個別現象，逐漸的，旁人也有同樣發現；原來，這不是個別現象，而是社會現象；這不是少數，而是相當大的數目。
At first, I thought these are individual cases, but gradually, people around me realized the same, these are not individual cases but a general symptom of our society. they are not small numbers but the pretty big indeed.

外交部早前披露了一個數字，說明這個現象是多麼真實，多麼貼近。
Department of Foreign Affairs released the figures earlier, it confirmed the situation is real.

從去年3月到今年9月，已經有30萬大馬人移民他國；其中20萬 人是今年1月到8月出走的數目。
From March 2008 thru September 2009, a total of 300,000 Malaysian migrated to other countries, among them 200,000 left between Jan - Aug 2009. (in 8 months)

累積下來，已經有超過200萬大馬人移民，接近今天印尼外勞在大馬的人口。
Cummulatively, 2 million Malaysians migrated, this figure is close to the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia today.

不同的是，移居他國的大馬人，多是專業人士、中產階級。
The difference are, those migrated are mostly professional and middle class people.

他們有很多出走的理由，追求事業發展，為了孩子前途，尋找個人更大空間……，概括一句：對馬來西亞失望。
They have many reasons to leave: pursue career development, for the future of their children, in search of better life and environment... In one sentence, they lost hope of Malaysia .

50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港，甚至日本。
50 years ago people said: Malaysia is very good, better than Hong Kong and even Japan .

30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國、台灣（不提香港和日本了）。
30 years ago people said: Malaysia is not bad, comparable to S. Korea and Taiwan . (No mention of Hong Kong and Japan any more).

20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國、泰國（不能和台、韓比了）。
20 years ago people said: Malaysia can do lah, at least better than China and Thailand (Cannot compare with Taiwan and Korea lah)

10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南、印尼（中國已是不同級別）。
10 years ago people said: No matter how bad Malaysia is, cannot be worse than Vietnam and Indonesia ok-lah. ( China is already in a different category).

今日，越南和印尼的經濟成長率遙遙領先大馬， 社會活力和知識發展也勝過一籌；距離愈來愈近了。
Today, the economic growth rate of Vietnam and Indonesia already far exceeded Malaysia , Social activity and intellectual development of the country is also better, the gap between us and them is closing up.

怕甚麼，還有菲律賓和柬埔寨、緬甸。
Why worry? there are still Philipines , Cambodia and Myanmar behind us.

但是，一位經濟學家最近到菲律賓考察之後，認為再過20年，大馬可以取代菲律賓，出口馬籍女傭到全世界了。
However, according to an economist who recently surveyed Phillipines, he think in 20 years' time, Malaysia can replace Phillipines to become the World exporter of Malaysian maids.

半個世紀以來，馬來西亞是在大宅院裡，用封建方式，分配祖宗家業，消耗社會資源，浪費和逼走人才；不談競爭力，忽略生產力，討厭績效制。
Over half a century, Malaysians live in the big old imperial housing complex, closed up and survive on properties left behind by the ancestor; continued to consume up social resources, wasteful, and drove away talents; they never talk about competitiveness, totally neglected productivity, and hated meritocracy.

亞洲金融風暴來襲時，大馬把門關起來，以為避過一劫， 有人還自我陶醉，自以為是天才策略。
When Asia economic storm hit in 1997, Malaysia closed their doors, thinking we beautifully avoided a disaster, they even think of themselves as genius, being able to handle the situation so well.

然而，其它國家面對風暴，走出風暴，進行體質改革，跨步向前，登上另一個水平；大馬卻還在原地踏步。
However, just look at other countries in our neighbourhood ; they stood up, faced the storm, and walked out of the storm. They overhauled their system, improved the processes and marched forward ; they moved up to a new level. And Malaysia , still walking on the spot . . !

馬來西亞，該醒一醒了。
Dear Malaysia , it's time to wake up !
We are very very late now !

Samsung OMNIA 2 sux~

Samsung recently coming out a lot of superb mobile phone, even their site and widget built with those new mobile phones but not OMNIA2. WTF???

There are software, updates and widgets for Galaxy, Galaxy S, Wave, Monte. What happen to OMNIA2. Are the giving up on windon mobile phone.

Not to say, but window mobile is really sux big time. They can't even compare to Android and Apple's Iphone OS.

Omnia2 get an update from Win Mobile 6.1 to 6.5 once but it doesn't see to get any improvement.

Really give up on Samsung's product and Window Mobile