Don't Be Afraid of the Dentist

I have typed up and printed out a Northeastern University Health survey, which I will compile the results of and post about next week. Here are the questions I asked:

1. How many times a week do you go to the gym?
2. For how long do you workout?
3. How would you rate your level of fitness on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best)?
4. How long is the cardio portion of your workout?
5. Do you lift weights? How often?
6. Is it harder to workout during the winter months? Are you less motivated or does the cold weather stop you from going to Marino Center? Why or why not?
7. Are you happy with your physical appearance?
8. Do you consider yourself to be in shape?


On a separate note, the Boston Globe published a story about going to the dentist and how it is beneficial to your overall health. Most people hate their annual dentist visits or not so annual if you have bad teeth. It's painful to have a cavity filled or to get a root canal, which luckily I haven't experienced. Even when you simply get your teeth cleaned, it can be uncomfortable. My dentist at home is nice though and she's very gentle on your teeth.

Obviously, healthy teeth equal a beautiful smile and everyone wants to have a great smile. Studies have linked the early detection of gum disease to preventing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you have gum disease, you have a higher risk of suffering from the previous ailments.

According to the article "Advice for All Ages: Don't skip the dentist": "With pancreatic cancer, for instance, previous studies had suggested such a link, but those studies were muddied because many participants smoked, and smoking is a risk factor for both diseases. This time, even among people who never smoked, gum disease was linked to a doubling of the cancer risk, said epidemiologist Dominique Michaud of the Harvard School of Public Health, the study's first author. It's still not clear, cautioned Michaud, whether that means the gum disease led to the cancer."

It's great how much information we have in the medical world today, but sometimes there are too many facts and statistics to process. Everyday the news has a new report on what is bad for you, what causes cancer, and what prevents this disease. At times the information can be contradicting. I guess there is still alot we don't know about diseases and finding cures for serious sicknesses.