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Monday, January 18, 2010

Tips menghindari sakit gigi dengan merawat gigi secara rutin

Beberapa orang beranggapan “lebih baik sakit hati daripada sakit gigi”. Sedangkan Meggy Z mungkin belum pernah merasakan sakit gigi sehingga beliau menciptakan lagu “lebih baik sakit gigi daripada sakit hati”. Karena bagi yang pernah merasakan sakit gigi, sakitnya memang luar biasa. Apalagi jika mendengar suara yang keras.

Memang benar. Diantara permasalahan kesehatan, yang sering ditemui adalah yang berhubungan dengan gigi. Hal ini mungkin dikarenakan kurangnya merawat gigi sejak sedini mungkin. Kondisi gigi susu pada saat anak-anak nantinya akan mempengaruhi posisi gigi ketika dewasa.

Orangtua jangan beranggapan tidak perlu menjaga kesehatan gigi susu, dengan alasan gigi tersebut akan tanggal. Karies atau lubang pada gigi anak yang menyebabkan rasa sakit dikhawatirkan akan mempengaruhi proses tumbuh kembang karena anak menolak makan. Selain itu jika terjadi karies atau lubang yang mengakibatkan gigi tidak tanggal tapi hanya pecah dan menyisakan akarnya saja, ini tentunya akan bermasalah jika giginya mulai tumbuh. Selain mengakibatkan rasa sakit, pertumbuhan gigi kerap kali tidak normal karena terhalang akar atau tonggak gigi yang tertinggal.

Sebenarnya tidak sulit menjaga kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Asal dilakukan sebagai rutinitas secara teratur. Langkah-langkah yang dapat dilakukan adalah sebagai berikut:
  1. Gosok gigi minimal 2 kali sehari, sesudah sarapan pagi dan sebelum tidur malam.
  2. Ganti sikat gigi 3-4 bulan sekali. Pilih sikat gigi yang bulunya lembut dengan kepala sikat yang dapat menjangkau semua bagian gigi.
  3. Jangan lupa sikat lidah, yang merupakan tempat berkumpulnya bakteri yang dapat menyebabkan bau mulut.
  4. Gunakan pasta gigi yang mencantumkan ADA untuk memastikan kandungan fluoride cukup untuk mencegah lubang dan kerusakan gigi.
  5. Gunakan obat kumur.
  6. Benang gigi, pengunaan benang gigi sekali sehari dianjurkan untuk mengangkat plak yang tidak dapat disentuh sikat gigi dan obat kumur.
  7. Permen karet tanpa gula, mengunyah permen karet tanpa gula dapat meningkatkan aliran air liur yang dapat membersihkan partikel makanan dan asam penyebab kerusakan gigi.
  8. Hindari makanan yang terlalu panas dan terlalu dingin, apalagi jika makanan tersebut dikonsumsi bergantian tanpa jedaa waktu. Hal ini akan mengakibatkan gigi menjadi rapuh dan merusak lapisan email gigi.
  9. Minum air setelah makan.
  10. Biasakanlah untuk makan buah-buahan segar. Selain baik untuk kesehatan, seratnya dapat membantu menghilangkan kotoran yang ada di gigi.
  11. Makanlah makanan yang seimbang dan kaya kalsium, seperti susu, keju, telur, teri, bayam, katuk, sawi, dan agar-agar.
  12. Kunjungan ke Dokter Gigi secara rutin 1 tahun sekali. Hal ini penting untuk mengetahui kondisi gigi anda dan membersihkan plak yang tidak bisa dibersihkan dengan sikat gigi ataupun benang gigi.
Ternyata tidak terlalu sulit untuk memiliki gigi yang sehat….
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Monday, January 11, 2010

How much important of Vitamins and Minerals for us?

About 30 percent people in the world take at least one vitamin or mineral supplement daily and another 15 percent take them occasionally. Taking vitamins and minerals seems to fall within a gray area — giving your body what it needs by taking supplements certainly benefits you in every way, but knowing how to assess that need is often difficult. Without testing, it’s hard to say which vitamins and minerals you personally need. But these general guidelines apply if you’re in one of these special needs groups:

For pregnant and breast-feeding women

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding generally need additional vitamins, and the B vitamins are particularly important. Folic acid reduces the risk for neural tube defects and possibly facial abnormalities, such as cleft palate, in newborns. Multivitamins also appear to protect against certain congenital heart defects. In order to be protective, however, both folic acid and multivitamin supplements must be taken before a woman actually becomes pregnant. Folate levels, even in a healthy diet, may not be protective enough for pregnant women, and so supplements are needed. The RDA for folic acid prior to conception and during pregnancy is 400 mcg. During breast-feeding, between 260 and 280 mcg is recommended. Choline, another B vitamin, is also essential for pregnant and nursing women — 450 mg during pregnancy and 550 when breast-feeding. Vitamin B6 may help improve morning sickness. Although one study suggested that if pregnant women take vitamin K supplements, their infants might not need the required injection of this vitamin after birth, supplements of vitamin K during pregnancy are not currently recommended.

Some women have low vitamin A reserves in their livers, but it is important to note that too much vitamin A significantly increases the risk for birth defects. Daily amounts of 10,000 IU of vitamin A in supplements and food (an amount not far above the RDA level) can pose a danger. Experts recommend that pregnant women take in no more than 8000 IU per day and avoid eating liver.

Infants and children

Infants who are breast-fed by healthy mothers receive enough vitamins except, in some cases, vitamins K and D. Human milk has low levels of K, and the newborn’s immature intestinal tract may not produce enough to supply sufficient amounts to the baby. Most babies are given an injection of vitamin K at birth. Infants who are breast-fed by malnourished women or by those who lacked sufficient exposure to sunlight may be deficient in vitamin D. In these cases, supplements of 200-300 IU are recommended. Formulas are required to contain sufficient vitamins and minerals. One study suggests that when infants under 1 year of age take vitamin supplements it may help protect them from developing Type I diabetes later in life. Beyond infancy, most American children receive all the vitamins they need from their diets, unless they are living in severely deprived circumstances.

Smokers

Smoking interferes with absorption of a number of vitamins; most importantly, vitamin C. Folic acid supplements may be important for all smokers. When smokers take high dosages of antioxidant vitamins, it maybe actually be harmful, especially beta-carotene. Instead of taking supplements, most smokers should be sure their diets are rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Alcoholics

Alcoholics often suffer from multiple vitamin deficiencies. The most dangerous deficiencies are from vitamin B1 (thiamin), folic acid, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin C.

Dieters and vegetarians

People on weight-reduction diets of fewer than 1,000 calories per day should probably take multivitamins and should also check regularly with a physician. Vegetarians who do not eat dairy or meat products may need riboflavin, vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplements. Those who eat eggs and dairy products need only watch their iron levels.

Older adults

Deficiencies of vitamins and important minerals have been observed in almost one-third of elderly people, who often fail to eat balanced meals regularly. Multiple drug regimens that are prescribed for some elderly people may prevent absorption of some vitamins. The elderly, particularly if they are not exposed to sunlight, may be deficient in vitamin D. They also may have low levels of vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12. (Older adults showing signs of dementia should be checked for vitamin B12 deficiencies as well as other disorders that cause mental disturbances.)

One study reported that the immune systems of elderly people might benefit from vitamin E in levels higher than the daily-recommended dosage. It should be noted, however, that metabolism slows down as a person ages, and in elderly people it takes longer for the liver to eliminate drugs and vitamins from the body. The effect of some vitamin supplements, therefore, may be intensified. Dosage levels of vitamin A, for instance, which might be harmless in a younger adult, could be toxic in an elderly patient. Nevertheless, experts are increasingly recommending extra vitamins and minerals for older people.

Although supplements can do us a world of good, remember that just because a product calls itself a vitamin or supplement, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Synthetic vitamins can actually be dangerous, so it’s important to be educated about them.

Source: http://myonlinehealtharticles.com
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