Category: News

For many Americans, the idea of undergoing extensive dental procedures to achieve a healthy, beautiful set of teeth can seem attractive — until it comes to the price tag.

But when they hear about the tiny Mexican border town of Los Algodones the self-proclaimed “dental capital of Mexico” located near Yuma, Ariz., they have a reason to smile.

According to a June 9 NPR piece, Los Algodones has a population of less than 5,500 — but about 350 of the town’s population are dentists.And because these dentists charge about two-thirds less than American dentists, tens of thousands of American patients flock to Los Algodones for major dental procedures.

The NPR article gives the example of one man who needed 22 crowns and four root canals. The crowns, or tooth-colored caps that enclose an entire tooth to restore a tooth that has been damaged by decay or trauma, and root canals would have cost $50,000 in the U.S., but just $5,000 in Mexico.

The number of dentists in such a small area also means it only takes a day or two for a crown, a bridge or even dentures to be made for a patient.

Miguel Ibarreche, who runs the diagnostic department at Los Algodone’s Sani Dental Group, told NPR that the cost of dental care is so much lower in Mexico because of inexpensive labor and real estate. Mexican dentists also don’t graduate from dental school with the amount of student debt that American dentists do, because Mexico’s government subsidizes education for many dentists.

Because most of the people who seek dental treatment in Los Algodones need extensive work done, the NPR article calls it both “a destination for dental tourism — and a reminder to floss and brush so you can avoid the place.”

Though they aren’t a new model of health care clinic, urgent care facilities are finding a particularly popular niche — a lucrative Goldilocks zone — in the wake of the Affordable Care Act. The lack of health insurance for many Americans has made them now more likely to visit urgent care centers in favor of their regular doctor (if they even have one) or the emergency room. Additionally, the fact that urgent care is an experience somewhere between the costly and crowded emergency room and the wait and inconvenience associated with seeing a primary care physician in his or her office, urgent care has become an ideal alternative.

The ACA (better known as Obamacare) means that many more Americans have health care and will be much more likely to seek treatment than before. If they absolutely did need treatment the previously uninsured became accustomed to the ER brand of treatment, which is immediate in comparison to waiting days to see a regular doctor. The previously uninsured are also less attached to seeing a regular doctor since they probably didn’t have one before. Urgent care then becomes a comfortable and convenient health care solution.

There are other reasons that encourage people to consider going to urgent care, which are largely related to money and time. There are plenty of urgent care centers for people to visit; there about 9,000 in the U.S. More than three quarters of urgent care visits are done in an hour or less, and the wait time at about 70% of urgent care clinics averages less than twenty minutes, which is really helpful to avoid missing work or school. Urgent care centers are also typically open by 8am, unlike many primary care offices which are open fewer hours. At this point, while the Goldilocks appeal of urgent care is causing an increase in the number of patients who visit them, they still aren’t as crowded as some emergency rooms; one ER in particular has seen a 12% monthly increase in patients, according to The Courier Journal.

If an injury of illness needs attention but not enough to justify the price tag of an emergency room visit or the often lengthy wait for primary care, it’s almost necessary to explore other options. Though there are retail-type clinics in drug stores, according to The Times-Picayune they simply aren’t equipped to handle the more serious but non-life threatening injuries that urgent care centers can. For example, the majority of urgent care centers in the U.S. can perform splinting procedures and care for bone fractures. The care doesn’t stop there; urgent care centers can also prescribe medications such as antibiotics and painkillers, and judge a patients needs.

Illnesses and injuries happen, and now that the ACA has insured more people, they’ll be more likely to seek treatment. As it lies somewhere between the too expensive and too crowded ER, and the too distant and too inconvenient primary care appointment, many Americans are finding that urgent care is — as Goldilocks so aptly put it — “just right.”

It’s that time of year again. Summer begins to roll in and high school students in America cross the stage, throw their caps in the air, and — at least in Texas — some ask for cosmetic surgery as a graduation gift. Yes, it’s becoming a trend that many Texas high school graduates ask for breast implants.

Because there are a few months between graduating high school and beginning college for recovery time, it is an appealing time for young women to decide that they want breast implants, as NBCDFW reports. Furthermore, at least in Texas, the emphasis on physical appearance is another factor that contributes to this surprising trend, but that doesn’t mean that they’re psychologically prepared for breast implant surgery.

It seems surprising for women this young to decide to get breast implants, but it’s certainly a popular choice among American women. Since the year 2000, the number of women who choose to get breast augmentation surgery has jumped almost 50%, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, with about one million women opting for that type of surgery in the last three years.

The type of breast implant that a woman gets — either saline or silicone — largely depends on her body type, skin, and the anatomy of her breasts. Only 28% of women choose to get saline filled implants, while the number of those choosing silicone has risen considerably since 2006.

Recent high school graduates aren’t the only ones looking to celebrate a milestone and prepare for another with breast implants. One woman, as The Huffington Post reports, decided to get a rhinoplasty and breast implants in preparation for her 21st birthday to correct her nose and uneven breasts.

Women who are later in life than these young women are also contributing to the popularity of breast enhancement surgery. “Mommy Makeovers” are on the rise, which often involve breast implant or breast lift surgery, according to Digital Journal. A woman might find her body looking a little different after having children, and breast augmentation surgery is one way to correct what she doesn’t like. Aside from this obvious benefit of getting breast enhancement surgery, women reported being almost 35% more satisfied with their sex lives, which is certainly nothing to scoff at.

Today’s selfie culture forces us to look at ourselves more often and evaluate what we see. Women are choosing breast enhancement surgery at a higher rate (and a younger age) than before, and the majority of them are pleased with their decision; 75% of them say that it was “worth it.”

A Spring Hill, Florida dentist has been arrested by the attorney general’s unit for $140,000 of Medicaid fraud, in addition to other alleged abuses of patient care. She is being charged with two counts of Medicaid fraud. If convicted of the charge, maximum penalties include up to $10,000 in fines, and 10 years in prison. This past Friday, a 21-page affidavit was released which details the many horror stories being lodged against the dental office.

According to lodged complaints, the dentist, Miranda Smith, has been falsifying billing in order to receive more Medicaid money, has pulled healthy teeth for the purpose of selling more dentures, and has pretended to find cavities in children where none existed.

Smith, who owns Smiles and Giggles Dentistry for Children and Adults, came under investigation by the Medicaid fraud unit after several patients and parents lodged complaints regarding suspicious billings. Investigators discovered that Smith had been billing Medicaid for sedation, x-rays, and other dental procedures that either hadn’t actually been provided, or were unauthorized.

Other former patients, according to a press release issued by authorities, indicated that Smith’s employees were providing dental care with the appropriate licensing. Key to the investigation was a parent who recently brought their child to Smith’s dental office, and was told the child needed immediate dental work for eight cavities. The parent decided to receive a second opinion and was told the child had no cavities whatsoever. Several other parents also lodged complaints regarding unnecessary dental work performed on their children.

Many patients submitted stories about negative experiences that spoke to an unprofessional approach to dentistry. When one woman’s new dentures caused sores and didn’t seem to fit, Smith told her, “That’s just the way your mouth is,” according to the affidavit.

Additionally, investigators claim that Smith, along with her staff, were in the habit of “Pulling healthy teeth in an effort to sell patients dentures and make larger Medicaid claims.” Although Smith has declined to talk to reporters, her husband, Donald R. Smith, has been speaking out, saying that she is actually owed more than $300,000 in back pay from Medicaid, and that the claims are the work of disgruntled employees. “She’s been fighting this for three years,” he says.

“A patient can learn more of the dentist’s personality and knowledge, and acquire a feeling whether he or she is being honest,” says Dr. Sage, Owner and Dentist at Alaska Center for Dentistry. “Also, I am a proponent of second opinions. If you are concerned that something doesn’t feel right, seek another professional opinion.”

Healthy teeth are a critical part of every day life — they are needed for talking, smiling, and chewing, basic luxuries that one British woman is finding hard to enjoy.

Emma Tait, a 30-year-old administration assistant from the U.K., has had her teeth filled numerous times. From a young age, she claims that she had poor oral hygiene habits, and did not brush her teeth properly. As a result, by the time she was 13 years old, all of her teeth had been filled. Now, these fillings are beginning to crumble, making it hard for her to eat virtually any type of food that involves using her teeth.

Tait is not the only adult with bad tooth habits, either. Dental fillings are globally the most common procedure administered in dental clinics, and some studies show that the average adult has about seven fillings. In addition, the BBC recently reported that approximately half of the adults in Wales alone have not been to a dentist since 2012.

The problem that Tait is facing is that instead of crowing her teeth, National Health Service dentists continued to re-fill her cavities over the last couple of decades. Subsequently, many of her teeth have begun to disintegrate, leaving her with a handful of bottom-row teeth at the front to chew with. The top teeth are beginning to fall out.

Tait is facing up to 20,000 pounds, or roughly $33,000, in teeth restoration costs. Dentists are recommending that she replace her fallen molars with implants, re-fill and crown her existing teeth, wear a brace to re-position her front teeth, and have dentures made for the remaining missing teeth. The price of these cosmetic changes is a major concern for Tait, explaining that while she knows she needs the teeth, financing will be hard.

Tait added that her teeth have been a source of discomfort for her socially as well. She has always felt embarrassed to smile, as her teeth often protrude between her lips.

She could take legal action against NHS dentists in England, but she is unwilling to fit the bill for yet another pricey service. She says she would rather use that money to restore her teeth.

Picture a human being, roughly five-foot, nine-inches tall, weighing in at 152 pounds. Now imagine that same human being, made of nothing but sugar.

Sound ridiculous? Well it’s the amount of sugar each American consumes in one year’s time.

Our nation’s sweet tooth has been blamed for everything from obesity to heart disease to outright dental disintegration. A recent court case in a New York federal court attempted to pin actual blame on the manufacturers of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), claiming the substance was a direct cause in the plaintiff’s type II diabetes. 

While the court dismissed the suit and awarded no damages, the case highlights a perceived difference in “sugars” as consumers understand it: Is our 152-pound-a-year habit made up of HFCS or “natural” sugar?

Andy Briscoe, president and CEO of The Sugar Association, has recently made impassioned pleas in more than one publication, claiming that the increase of diseases and disorders associated with the generalized term “sugar” has actually corresponded with a marked decrease in the consumption of natural sugar (sucrose, found in sugar beets and sugar cane).

Briscoe stops short of blatantly blaming HFCS for the various health crises, but rather asserts that it’s unfair for natural sugar to be (if you’ll pardon the pun) lumped in with man-made sweeteners.

Most experts agree, however, that the answer to the health problem, regardless of the specific chemical makeup of the sweeteners involved, is moderation. Portion control and self-discipline can go a long way towards improving health, and instilling these values into our children can have long-lasting benefits for the generations yet to come.

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic low back pain, making it hard to sit, stand, move, or even walk. But there are other health risks associated with back pain that can be even more debilitating for senior citizens. A study at the University of Pittsburgh indicates that depression should be treated along with back pain, as nearly 25% of seniors could suffer from both.

Researchers found that about 40% of participants had undergone back surgery that was ineffective, and several suffered from fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal condition that is symptomatic of fatigue, memory loss, and mood problems. Fibromyalgia makes it much harder to treat depression, according to the lead researcher for the study. The study examined 123 women and 75 men, age 60 to 94, to determine how back pain and depression affected these patients.

Participants were administered an anti-depressant during the first phase of the study, and currently, about a third of these patients reported signs of improvement. The rest of the group, who did not experience the same results, was given a higher dose of the drug, Efflexor, and was also offered problem-solving therapy to aid the healing process. Some participants reported that a combination of both the anti-depressant and therapy proved highly effective.

Lead researcher, Dr. Jordan F. Karp, explained that he was interested in how both depression and chronic back pain interacted with one other, and if alleviating one would affect the other.

People with chronic back pain could be suffering for a number of reasons, from spinal curvature issues, to degenerative discs. The latter can be debilitating because the soft, spongy discs within the vertebrae act as shock absorbents, and also draw in nutrients and fresh blood as people move. When these discs are ruptured or cracked, they can cause severe pain because of the lack of support that results from damaged discs in the vertebrae.

Karp and other researchers claim that back problems on their own can be painful, but for a person with depression, he or she may feel the pain much more acutely. By treating both problems simultaneously, they are hoping patients will see relief mentally, emotionally, and physically. The medicine that was administered to participants in the study is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat both back pain and depression.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that about 20% of seniors 65 years of age and above suffer from depression. With the help of medicines like Effexor, therapy, and further clinical studies, researchers may find that the University of Pittsburgh’s study could prove useful in treating other seniors who may be affected by both.

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been booked in 2012 killings of two men in Boston, authorities said. It is said that Hernandez will be arraigned next week to state his guilt. Presently, he is waiting for his trial in jail. Daniel Conley District Attorney of Suffolk County said in his press briefing that “grand jury has returned the indictments pertaining to shooting deaths of Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu.

Furthermore, he said that Mr. Furtado and Mr. de Abreu had been ambushed in Boston’s South End in small hours of July 16, 2012”. He added that “apart from two-count first degree murder charges, Hernandez had also been charged with three counts of arm assault for murdering and beating the victims”.

In addition, the district attorney said that “former football player was chasing Furtado and de Abreu on his SUV and he fired a volley of bullets at them when they pulled over their car near a night club”. He further said that he has also been charged for carrying illegal gun.

Last but not the least, Hernandez has repeatedly said in his statements that he is innocent and he had not killed anyone. But, evidences claim otherwise. Last but not the least it has been determined from the  gathered evidences that he was the killer. 

 

According to a new study from the U.S. Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, treating forests with high risk of fires could possibly prevent the increasing amount of “megafires,” which would provide benefits worth up to three times the strategies’ cost.

The new study found that megafires could be prevented with proactive forest management techniques, which includes controlled burning and vegetation thinning. Such tactics are logical ways to eliminate the risk of fire. In fact, the National Fire Protection Agency offers similar advice to homeowners, telling them to clean their kitchens’ hood exhaust system. The idea here is that if highly flammable kindling were removed from a high risk area, the threat of a fire–mega or home sized–is greatly reduced.

The study lends supports to a plan, which is set to go before Congress soon, that’d conserve funding intended for critical fire prevention and restoration programs, which have historically been short-changed. As several sources predict that this summer will be blisteringly hot, the size and amount of wildfires are expected to rise, which means such disaster prevention funding more important than ever.

“Recent megafires in California and the West have destroyed lives and property, degraded water quality, damaged wildlife habitat, and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Sierra Nevada Project Director David Edelson. “This study shows that, by investing now in Sierra forests, we can reduce risks, safeguard water quality, and recoup up to three times our initial investment while increasing the health and resilience of our forests.”

As if the situation needed to be any more urgent, statistical data proves that the number of massive wildfires is creeping upwards. According to Geophysical Research Letters, large wildfires have steady increased by seven incidents per year between 1984 and 2011, with the total, damaged acreage rising by nearly 90,000.

The government is stuck between a rock and a hard place. According to Randy Moore, a regional forester, agencies need to treat 500,000 acres minimum each year in the Pacific Southwest Region, which is four times the amount treated in 2013. Naturally, this would be a heavy expense. However, failing to take such action could be even more costly–the cost of fighting wildfires is even more exorbitant, and also extremely dangerous because of rough terrain and unpredictable winds.

It’s like the old business adage says, you have to spend money to make money. If the government hopes to cut the cost of these megafires, they need to invest in preventive methods now.

It may seem counter-intuitive to think that a business can run without employees, but when considering the number of self-employed Americans, the latter makes more sense. A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the prevalence of these non-employer businesses reached 22.7 million in 2012, an increase of more than 1% from 2011. The Census Bureau Report details that this trend has been steadily gaining speed in the last three years.

The report includes a wide variety of industries including construction, manufacturing, and education, with the highest number of non-employer businesses based in technical services. Other popular sole proprietary business areas include health care, and real estate, leasing and rental companies. More than 400 industries in the report showed growth in this sector, and Florida, California, and New York added the most non-employer businesses of all states in the U.S. The increase in these businesses also generated $1 trillion in total revenue for 2012, which accounts for more than a $40 billion boost from the previous year.

Several cities have mirrored this report, listing their growth in the non-employer sector. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, these firms grew by more than 400, raising the city’s revenue .02%. Albuquerque also matched the national trend, with more technical service businesses, and real estate rental and leasing companies established during 2012 than 2011. Cayuga County in New York also saw a .95% increase in these businesses, close to the national 1.1% expansion. The county also experienced its highest revenue from non-employer businesses at $158.83 million in 2012.

But even with the significant rise in revenue in counties and cities across America, non-employer businesses are not the highest grossing sector. The Census Report explains that the majority of businesses in the U.S. are sole proprietorships, but they produce less than 4% of the total sales and business receipts in the nation. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau typically excludes non-employer business statistics from its regular business report because of their low impact on the nation’s economy.

One of the reasons for this could be the fact that there are a large number of mom-and-pop restaurants and stores that do not contribute a significant amount of profits to the nation’s revenue. In addition, these smaller businesses do not always seek accreditation from national and international agencies, which may render them invisible to a larger public audience. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has several certifications that it offers to all businesses in order to gain international certification for following best practices.

These certifications range from quality management to food safety management to social responsibility. With an ISO certification, businesses can raise their level of quality and visibility, and promote their certifications as a sign of high quality products and services. Accreditation from the ISO is becoming increasingly important as more businesses are making compliance with these standards a prerequisite for conducting business transactions with both domestic and international corporations.

Having an ISO certification could help garner more profits for non-employer companies that do not already have a sizable customer base. It may not spark enough revenue to overshadow employee-based company success, but it will help to raise the nation’s overall profits, and foster a more global market.