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Spreading Smiles

Dental Care Becoming More Accessible For All by CHERYL ROGERS Highlands, and Hardee counties, where they saw 42,426 patients in 134,558 visits last year. “The demand is incredible. We can’t keep up with it,” says Ann Claussen, its chief Dentists like Dr. William Nerestant of Lakeland donate their time to provide dental care to the…
Keeping Retirement Real

Local Physicians Weigh-In On How to Stay Healthy During Your Golden Years by MARY TOOTHMAN Once upon a time, the generally accepted picture of retirement featured hammocks, tennis rackets, sandy beaches, and happy, able-bodied couples smiling adoringly at each other. And yet, in reality, many seniors find that once they leave the workplace — and…
Writing a Will: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Estate

Helpful Tips from an Elder Law Attorney by CHERYL ROGERS It’s easy to postpone making that Last Will and Testament, especially when we believe we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. But avoiding it too long can land all or part of your estate in probate, leaving it to the state to decide who gets your…

A Pain in Your Foot

Your feet shouldn’t hurt. When painful feet prevent you from walking, running or wearing shoes there is a reason. There are many causes of foot pain and determining the reason for pain is the first step to treating the pain. SOME COMMON CAUSES Gout: This is very common in the big toe and causes redness,…
Does Charcoal Toothpaste Really Whiten Teeth?

If you’re like most people, you want your smile to be as white as possible, and that might have led you to charcoal toothpaste. Sellers and manufacturers of charcoal toothpaste maintain that this (usually) black toothpaste or powder will get you as white a smile as you could want. However, do their claims hold up?…
What You Need to Know About Pediatric Heart Murmurs

We all want our children to be healthy and active, so what do you do when your child is diagnosed with a heart murmur? Well, the short answer is, nothing. In most cases, the heart murmurs that occur in children are deemed “innocent.” They may also be called “functional” or “physiologic,” but these three terms…