By now we are all aware of the importance of keeping ourselves in good health. Anyone who has a television or access to the internet knows that our health is one of the most valuable things we have. We frequently hear about the importance of watching our weight, watching our caloric intact and of staying away from too much fat, but how often do we hear a warning about the importance of taking care of our teeth. Maybe I come by caring about teeth honestly since I am the daughter of a dentist and now the wife of a dentist. Regardless, I am concerned about the lack of concern I see all around me about teeth. I see far too many people sucking down sugar-filled drinks all day long without taking the time to brush their teeth or think about what they are doing for the health of their teeth. One of the most basic ways you can take a step towards taking better care of your teeth is to get a dental check up with a dentist. I know, many people...

At a time when obesity is growing at an alarming rate, an increasing number of people are turning to gastric bypass surgery to solve their weight problem. But just how successful is gastric bypass surgery in terms of weight loss and can it really make a dramatic change to your life. Gastric bypass has been around for more than fifty years now and, while there are of course risks as there are with any surgical procedure, in the vast majority of cases patients are more than satisfied with the results and enjoy a dramatically improved standard of living. But there is a price to pay. Following a gastric bypass patients will need to adjust to a very different lifestyle and this can be hard unless adequate preparation is made in advance of surgery to ease patients gently into a post-operative regime. Some changes are of course obvious. The basic principle behind gastric bypass surgery is to drastically reduce the size of the stomach and...

Frank Rella was teaching a high school music class when he had a wake-up call that changed his life. Frank felt pain in his chest and left work early. When the pain got worse at home, he was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. Frank s greatest fear came true when the doctors said he had a heart attack. My heart attack was really a wake-up call, said Rella, a 42-year-old New Jersey resident who became a paramedic after his life-altering heart attack, so he could be on the frontlines of medical care. I went through a lot of emotions and was worried about having a second attack. So now I make sure to take the right medications and work with my doctor to live a heart-healthy lifestyle. Frank s story is not uncommon. A new survey of more than 500 heart attack survivors found that survivors see their attack as a wake-up call that gave them a second chance at life. However, most survivors also said their heart attack left them with feelings of...