Columns

What happens when you get a few people around a table who are looking for a way to make a difference? They begin to think of others who they have known and/or lived within their lives. They begin to talk about those that are in different types of pain and how they might be able to take their own life experiences […]

Having bad breath is something that is a reality for millions of Americans. Researchers estimate that over 80 million Americans suffer from chronic bad breath, and just about all of us experience it at one point or another. Fortunately, there are some initiatives you can take throughout the day to help prevent bad breath. Your

Diabetes is a disease that affects small blood vessels throughout the body. The retina is the nerve tissue lining the back of the eye, and it is this nerve tissue that lets us see. Small blood vessels run through the retina, supplying it with blood. When diabetes affects these retinal vessels, it can affect your

by GERALD V. CERDAN, DMD Modern dental care has made some amazing advances in recent years, and one such innovation is the CEREC technology that makes same-day crowns possible. CEREC, also called CERamic REConstruction, has revolutionized the way dental crowns are constructed and placed. If you’ve had a crown put on in the past, it

Breast cancer is one of those conditions which frightens everyone just by the mention of the words. This certainly frightened one family of four from the time the diagnosis was made until the family was splintered by tragedy. When the knot in the breast was first diagnosed, the news terrorized not only the mother of

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. To honor that I wanted to discuss some facts about a disease that still affects one in every eight women in the US. Breast cancer describes a disease whereas cells within the breast grow and multiply independently and without control. This is the basis of cancer. The degree to

Luz Cubero-Perez Dental Assistant, Haines City Dental Having a healthy smile is important for your overall mental and physical health. Maintaining proper hygiene goes beyond just brushing twice a day and flossing, it includes taking into consideration the foods you eat and the liquids you drink. Certain food and drink can stain your teeth and

By Neil J. Okun, M.D. Board Certified Ophthalmologist   Macular Degeneration affects one in five people aged 70-84. The major risk factors for Macular Degeneration include family history, smoking, uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and obesity. Nine times out of ten, macular degeneration presents as the “dry” type. In Dry Macular Degeneration, the

Halloween is fast approaching meaning mounds of sugar-filled candy from trick-or-treating are soon to be within reach. It never hurts to have your favorite treat on Halloween, but large amounts of candy are bad for your teeth. Fortunately, there are ways to enjoy your candy and keep your teeth safe at the same time during

Heading Polk County’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign a Personal Crusade for Kia Troutman Kia Troutman knows cancer. She knows how it killed her grandparents and a co-worker.  She knows what her 61-year-old cousin in Mississippi, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is going through.  She knows how it touches the lives of African-Americans and