Getting braces has become incredibly common; at least among middle-class 1st world countries, getting braces is almost a kind of rite of passage. Since early orthodontic treatment is the best way to treat malocclusion or misaligned teeth, this is most often when it happens. There is no clear, all-encompassing theory of why teeth don’t grow in straight in all people, but most orthodontic scientists feel it has to do with genetics, meaning none of us to have much control over it, at all. For something that we can do nothing to prevent, malocclusion (the medical term for crooked teeth) has a tremendous effect on our psyche, which is why braces have become so common. Although it does present actual functional issues, in some cases, mostly the problem with malocclusion is simply that it makes people afraid to smile, and that puts a serious damper on their self-confidence. Nobody wants to feel embarrassed every time they smile, and certainly, nobody wants that for their kids, so people flock to orthodontists by the millions, every year.

But orthodontic treatment has changed quite a bit, over time. As with most medical treatments, it was once much more basic, and primitive, but now has reached a higher level of technological proficiency, and integration with new technologies, like computer software. Especially for adults, who typically would prefer not to have ugly metal braces on their teeth, advances in incognito types of braces have made this a better time to see the orthodontist than has ever been. Even for kids, though, smile correction has made leaps and bounds and does its job better than it ever has.

One way that orthodontist’s methods have improved is in the area of diagnostics. The primary method for diagnosing malocclusions is x-ray, and this technology has improved a lot over the years. In olden times, the flat, negative photos that were obtained with x-rays gave the orthodontist only a cursory idea of what was truly going on in your mouth. Now, with conical CT scans, it’s possible for orthodontists to have a much greater level of accuracy and understanding of the bone structure of your teeth, jaw, and lower skull. These scans, which use x-ray to scan in a conical shape, give your orthodontist a 3D computer representation of your skull, that looks like CGI from a movie. With this, they can see exactly what is going on with your teeth, and exactly how best to fix it.

Once an assessment is made, your orthodontist may only find it necessary to treat you with spacers, retainers, or other removable tools, if your malocclusion is not severe enough to warrant braces. However, this is very often not the case, and braces are frequently found to be necessary to give you the smile you really want. Braces use interconnected brackets, which attach to the surfaces of the teeth, to maneuver your teeth into a better, more aesthetically pleasing position. They usually have to be worn for several weeks or months, and periodically adjusted, meaning trips in to see your orthodontist every couple of weeks.
A number of advances have been made in the world of braces, many of them geared towards adults seeking some form of invisible braces, for obvious reasons. Most adults do not prefer to have the same extremely obvious and prominent metal braces worn by children. To address this desire, orthodontic innovators have created several variations on the approach of braces, that don’t have such a negative effect on appearance. In some cases, they are very nearly invisible. There are braces that simply use different materials, the most popular being clear and ceramic braces, which blend in better with the teeth, and then there are lingual braces, which hide behind the teeth, by attaching to the backs of the, rather than the fronts. These are all great options, all still just different types of braces.

There’s also another option, that is an alternative to braces, called Invisalign aligners. Aligners are like clear plastic sheaths which fit directly over your teeth, one for the top row, and one for the bottom. They are basically invisible, like a clear laminated layer over your teeth, and have the added convenience of being removable. Invisalign aligners accomplish the same goal as braces, but by surrounding your teeth with a plastic casing, rather than attaching to their surfaces. Each pair of Invisalign aligners is custom printed using scans of your teeth, by your orthodontist. New aligners then have to be printed every 2-3 weeks.

Pest & Vermin Control

The Joint Is Jumpin’ – The Story Of The Flea -Contrary to popular opinion cat & dog fleas do not live on their chosen animal, they merely jump onto their host at feeding time, and dinner for a flea of course is blood.

In nature, the fleas live and breed in the nest of animals they feed on, in reality of course in a modern house the ‘nest’ becomes the carpets, rugs and soft furnishings.

Flea infestations are becoming much more prevalent in recent years, centrally heated homes provide an ideal environment for the life cycle of the insect, which can be completed in as little as 16 days.

The increased presence of urban foxes in many towns and cities may be responsible for the increased number of flea infestations as foxes always carry a generous population to share with the neighborhood cats and dogs.

The well-fed flea lays its eggs in the nesting material, carpets in a modern dwelling, which hatch out into larvae which crawl away from light and hence are to be found deep in the pile. In the egg and larval stage, they are also pretty resistant to insecticide which is why it is rarely possible to cure a flea infestation with one treatment.

The larvae eat the blood-rich droppings of the adult flea before pupating to emerge as a young, hungry flea.

Human beings do not taste especially nice to fleas and our blood is not of sufficient quality for them to breed, but in the absence of a cat or a dog we will do!

In the absence of a host, the immature flea can go into a dormant state without feeding for up to a year or more and then revive within seconds on feeling the vibration from the footfall of a potential meal. For this reason, properties that have been empty for a while often provide a little surprise for the new owners.

Often the family holiday is the time when people notice they have a flea problem, having put the family pet in kennels for a couple of weeks the resident flea population is starving and eager to greet them on their return.

There is however a dangerous side to fleas, we all know they were responsible for the transmission of plague and thankfully we don’t have that to contend with anymore but they can set off serious skin irritations in susceptible people including dermatitis.

They also have a more sinister side. The flea is an intermediate host for tapeworm.

When the flea dines on an animal infected with tapeworm it can ingest the worm eggs which pass into its guts. These infected fleas can then be ingested by a cat or dog during self-grooming and the worms infect the new host.

Worse still it is easy for a human baby or toddler to accidentally ingest these fleas when crawling on flea-infested carpets.

In order to clear a flea infestation, it will be necessary to treat both the animal and the carpets and soft furnishings of the property and outdoor areas where the animal may frequently visit. A professional pest controller will often use both an insecticide and a growth retardant hormone to interfere with the flea life-cycle. The cat or dog will need to be treated at the same time by a veterinarian.

This post was brought to you by Jenkins Pest Control and Lawn Services in San Antonio Texas

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Your home is probably the biggest investment you will ever make. It makes sense to take good care of it, doesn’t it? If you are a homeowner or just looking to purchase a property in Texas, insurance is one of the first things you should consider.

What does Texas home insurance cover?

Needless to say, the state has had its fair share of disasters in recent years. That’s one of the reasons some insurance companies do not want to do business in Texas any longer. Their loss is others’ gain and a number of companies have stepped in, trying to offer better and reasonably priced cover.
When it comes to home insurance in Texas, there are a couple of things you should know. What your policy covers and how rates are calculated.
It is important to know exactly what you are protected against in order to be able to file a claim. A standard policy will generally cover damage or destruction of your home in certain conditions, the content of your home and personal property, liability in case someone is injured in your home, and tries to sue you.
As you can notice hurricanes, earthquakes and floods are not included by default. You will have to pay additionally for cover against such natural disasters.

Cheap Home Insurance in Texas – How Are Rates Calculated

The rates you will have to pay will depend on a number of factors ranging from the state of the property and its value to your personal credit record and claim history. Where you reside is of paramount importance too, because some areas in Texas demand higher home insurance premiums.
The most vital thing to understand is that each and every home insurance company in Texas uses a different formula when calculation premiums. That’s the reason why insurance experts recommend obtaining quotes from 3 to 5 insurers in order to get a good idea of where you stand and what’s available to you. Keep in mind that when comparing quotes you need to keep the insurance limits, deductibles, and other amounts the same.
Having to ring multiple insurers and repeat the same information over and over again, used to be a tedious and time-consuming task. Well, not anymore. Luckily for you, the internet has made this process almost effortless. In less than 2 minutes you can compare quotes from top-rated national and local insurance companies. It’s fast, easy, and secure. You could even save up to 40%!

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