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Archive for July, 2010

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Dental Posterior Composite Restorations

July 17th, 2010 by Michael

Over the last decade Posterior Composite Restorations (white fillings on molars) have become very popular.  These type of restorations have many advantages, and a few disadvantages.  However, what happened to the good old “silver” amalgam fillings?  Which type of filling is better?  Well the answer, as most things in life are not that clear cut.  The best restoration for your needs should be something you should discuss with your Dentist.

Lets start with the old standby, amalgam.  Amalgam has been used to treat patients Worldwide for centuries.  They are cheap, durable, and slightly malleable.  Compared to their composite siblings, silver fillings have twice the functional lifetime.  These type of restorations have recently come under fire due to the fact one of their components is mercury.  Obviously mercury is a toxic substance (in great enough concentration), and may cause some allergic reactions.  There are many organizations which indicate the use of amalgam restorations is a deplorable practice, and all individuals should have these fillings removed.  These sources will have you believe they are the primary cause of every illness from Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Heart Disease, Autism and the all important Erectile Dysfunction.  On the other hand, the American Dental Association has stated the removal and replacement of all amalgam fillings on asymptomatic patients, with no caries or restoration fractures is irresponsible and unethical.  Of course many of my readers will note, I believe no scientific study which comes from a Government or Corporate funded source.  That being said, the first 16 years of my adult life, I worked as a medic and dental assistant.  This means I have inhaled, aspirated and touched with my bare hands, thousands of times the amount of mercury as most. I am very happy to report no Alzheimer’s, or ED thus far.  Additionally, with literally Billions of human lab rats running around, if this form of dentistry was so dangerous, the World would certainly not be overpopulated.  Amalgam remains a safe, and cost effective option especially for patients who are impoverished or are forced to utilize Government funded medical insurance to contain costs.

Composite, or white fillings on back teeth although about twice as costly, are in many ways a better option.  They have been around for many, many years for utilization on front teeth, and the technology is constantly improving.  The first advantage is obviously aesthetics.  Today’s plastic fillings can look so natural without radiographs, even many dentists may have to look twice to identify them in your mouth.  They come any many colors, to match any shade and light translucency of your natural enamel.  Additionally, these fillings are bonded to your tooth (amalgams are mechanically retained with undercuts in your tooth, by the skilled hands of your doctor) creating a barrier around the margins of the filling to keep out harmful bacterial on a microscopic level.  The bonding also makes these fillings far more resistant to lateral forces.  This aspect can be very critical when they may be used in conjunction with a partial denture or next to an implant.  One of the issues with these fillings on the back teeth can be the fact they are not as malleable as silver fillings, and because they are bonded to your tooth structure, they can fracture if you have an aggressive bite or when chewing hard substances.  The advocates against amalgam restorations almost always advocate white fillings as being much safer than metal ones, due to the lack of mercury.  These individuals seem to forget the primary elements of composites: plastic, glass ceramics, bonding agents and silica are not exactly natural and inert substances themselves.  In the grand scheme of things, you might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire as far as toxicity goes.  Of course, the same logic above applies here, there are billions of happy, healthy patients with an amazing low number of incidents reported of adverse or allergic reactions.

There are even more costly alternatives which can compensate for the shortcomings of fillings such as inlays or onlays.  These are considered  major restorations and are similar to small crowns.  Your teeth are prepped (drilled), an impression taken, then the inlays are lab built and  bonded into place several days later.  Inlays can be made from almost any material which best fits your particular needs, such as gold and porcelain.

My personal life experience is I had amalgam restorations as a child.  They functioned very nicely for over 20 years.  While working with various Dentists I was fortunate enough to have the previous amalgams replaced with posterior composites.  I loved how they looked and their smooth feeling on my teeth.  Unfortunately I happen to have a very aggressive bite and they all fractured due to the excessive occlusal forces within a few years.  They were replaced with pure gold inlays, which I fully expect to take to my grave with me.

Each person has a specific set of oral circumstances and an individual budget to meet those needs. Your dentist views your oral and over-all health as a top priority and will lead you down the best path for your individual needs.  Just ask them about the options.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this information was beneficial.

Logan

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They called me “Devil Doc”

July 15th, 2010 by Michael

On graduation day from dental assisting school in San Diego, the Petty Officer told me “Congratulations. You got a C school. FMSS”.   I had no idea what that meant other than I wasn’t going on a ship anytime soon, and I was going to be a paramedic.  A few weeks later I flew into North Carolina on an August day, so hot I thought they accidentally sent me to Hell.  Minutes after I checked in, they directed me to the chow hall.  I was poor by anyone’s standards and hadn’t eaten much in the last few days.  I handed a tall, lean Marine Warrant Officer my ID at the Portal.  He had a pox-pitted face, deep wrinkles and cold black eyes.  A few young Marines had gathered behind me in their cammies with creases so sharp, you would cut yourself on them.  With one hand the Warrant Officer gave me back my ID and said “Welcome to Camp Johnson Seaman Logan” as he handed me a fiberglass serving tray with the other.  When I stepped through the door, it seemed as though a record scratched and the room fell silent.  All I could see was a sea of green uniforms, and every young Marine in the joint immediately stopped, turning to stare at me in my bright white, Cracker Jack suit for a few seconds, then resuming wolfing down their food.  In the line, the Marine behind me started poking me in the lower back with his tray slamming insults into my ears: “Seaman huh? No wonder your in all white. You the part that slid down…”.  His friends laughing, fueling his fire.  I knew me, and I knew this would not end pretty.  I would not eat today.  Subtly cocking back my serving tray to my right side, like a baseball player attempting to ready for a stealthy bunt, I waited for his next poke.  I did not have to wait long, when I spun around to my left and smashed my tormentor in the face with every bolt of energy I could muster.  He hit the ground hard.  I hit harder a few seconds later when his crew pummeled me.  Within seconds the Warrant Officer ushered five of us out the door, standing at attention in the grinder, two of us bleeding profusely from the face.  That old son of a bitch walked up and down our makeshift line, screaming in our faces “Marines!  Can any of you little fuckers tell me what a Devil Doc is?”.  None of us answered.  I had absolutely no idea what this crazy man was saying, but I was sure he could kick my butt!  He followed with “you four will not eat in my chow hall till you tell me what a Devil Doc is!  Go back and ask your Sergeants and report to me in the morning.”  With that they were dismissed, leaving me standing there by myself.  I was scared to death as the CWO came nose to nose with me, thinking I was going to the Brig.  He looked deep into my eyes with a cold, straight face for what seemed like forever.  Then slowly, a grin came across his face and his crows feet deepened until he was smiling ear to ear.  He said in a low, growling voice “Boy. If you keep that fighting attitude.”  pausing as he looked me up and down before finishing his sentence “you are gonna be one out-fucking-standing Devil Doc!” Followed by an abrupt “Dismissed!”  I walked away utterly confused as to what just happened, and simultaneously amused at myself for not getting killed during these recent events.

Over the next few months I learned to walk, talk, shoot, fight and drink like them.  The Marines never gave me a break, always busting my chops.  You see, I would never earn their respect as a sailor until I could do what they did, and do it better in some cases.  I also learned to run IV’s, apply pressure bandages, perform small surgeries, alternate uses for tampons (gunshots), all the medical procedures to keep the Marines alive long enough to get them back to a surgeon.  They even taught me how to kick a dog tag in between the front teeth of fallen friend to ID him later.  The phrase that was burned into my young brain the most during training was “Don’t just fight, fight with EXTREME VIOLENCE!”

Once I got out of training I spent some time in the dental clinic, but I preferred to volunteer to work the firing ranges, even though they were long days.  I really enjoyed training with the Marines on “rifle day” (or pistol, or grenade, or….).  After a while the range Masters respected me.  These combat veterans told me “when your hurt in combat, you do not call out for your mother first. You do not call out for your wife. You call out to God, and then to Doc.”  One night with these guys at a local North Carolina Pub, I guess I ran my mouth a bit too much and one of the local boys did not like it, so he punched me in the mouth.  Reeling from the punch, I witnessed two Marines wailing on this young local, screaming “don’t mess with our Doc!”  For the next three years I almost forgot my real name.  No matter if I was wearing surgical scrubs, cammies, or a bright white Cracker Jack suit, my name was Doc.

Twenty-five years later, I am still proud to have earned that name: “Devil Doc”.

Logan

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How to sell. Short answer, don’t.

July 13th, 2010 by Michael

We are all “in sales”.  Even if you are not a sales rep, or an entrepreneur you sell yourself everyday. You may be selling to your boss that you are the best candidate for the next promotion. You may sell your spouse on the rational why you to get that new set of golf clubs. You even sell your kids on how to behave, so they can grow to be prosperous adults.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES AND INFLUENCING

Different individuals may sell products or services for their employer or even their own company. In my definition, a salesperson will have an inferior product, and/or inferior skills. I will never be a salesman. If the product or service you are trying to sell is inexpensive, then you will never be successful in the long term.  At the very least you will have a difficult career.  I would recommend if your business is catering to the lowest possible denominator, change your occupation. The days of being a snake oil salesman, are long gone. Today’s consumers are far better educated on their purchases, and with the internet they can compare and obtain “cheaper” products from any location Worldwide, with just the click of a button or two. In order to be successful for any duration in the 21st century, you need to have the highest level of products or services, or at the very least unique goods. Of course, if your products are on the high end, you will need to change your methodology to move them.  A salesperson will do a presentation to everyone, and anyone who is nice enough to give them their ear for a few seconds (and even to a few who won’t give them the time of day). It is the centuries old shotgun approach to sales. Talk about yourself long enough and loud enough and long enough somebody will listen, right?  Well, no. I feel the best method of modern sales is to create relationships, which then grow into business relationships. Your goal should be to influence these relationships, only under the correct conditions, to purchase from you exclusively. You should always be working on influencing, not selling. The basic element of any positive relationship is trust. If potential customers (that means everyone) can trust you, then you are in a position to influence.

ALWAYS BE INFLUENTIAL, BUT IT NEVER HURTS TO KNOW A FEW SALESMEN

So how do you create these trusting relationships? Well, it is much easier than you think. Primarily, listen. What? Yes, just listen. When I enter a business negotiation, I never talk about what I have to offer, certainly not right away. There is nothing more deadly in a negotiation, than sitting there, running your mouth about “me this, me that, my product, blah, blah, blah”. I always ask numerous questions throughout the negotiation. What is your client looking for?  What are their needs, their wants, their desires? What are their goals? How can you meet their needs? Or more importantly can you meet their needs? Your very first objective is to determine what is important to your client, not you. Not only are you looking for business related information, but also personal information. Again this refers back to the relationship. Let me give you an example. Last week, I called to set up a meeting with a Client, a few Thursdays down the road. This Client told me “Well, I would prefer to meet this week, since my daughter has an equestrian meet next week”.  How did that bit of information help my business? Simple. First, I was able to rearrange some lesser issues so I could help fulfill his needs (not mine). We had our meeting, and it went OK, with no certain outcome. However I put in my calender, that the following Thursday his daughter had a meet.  On Monday, I sent him a simple, quick card in the mail. It had a picture on the front of a little girl riding a large white horse. On the inside I wrote “I hope you and your family have a great time this week! Logan”.  Within a few days I had signed contract on my desk, and a note which said “We had a wonderful time…” with some further details on his daughters event. Now that relationship will be fruitful for many years to come, all because I took 2 minutes, and spent $3 on a card.

The next bits of information you are looking for are their professional needs.  In many cases, my Clients are doing what they should do, what every good consumer should do, push me to do more for less. Now keep in mind, they are usually already purchasing (or have been purchasing for years) the best possible products or services. I may not be able to give them a better price. The primary position at this time is to re-evaluate the value of the services they are already getting. Then I will ask them again, “has your goal changed?”.  If their goal has changed and is now to truly lower costs, due to a legitimate financial need, they may need to either take a lesser product, or completely cut the service (or product) out of the budget. In that case, I will do my best to match my products to their needs.

Now at this point I have explained the best product is of the most value. If that is too much, then the second best product may better fit their needs. If they push too hard however, I will let them know that I cannot give them the lowest possible pricing, for the best possible products. You see, there is a point of diminishing returns. In most cases, if you pinch pennies you end up loosing dollars. Or in my case, they can pinch $20,000, but I explain how they are going to loose $50,000 over-all. If they insist on lower pricing at that point, I will be happy to give them the name, and phone number for my competitors-the salesmen. That may sound crazy, but the bottom line is this: they feel their need is the “cheapest” stuff.  In many cases I will loose that Client, temporarily. That makes my Boss crazy as you can imagine!  However, I have never had a case where those same clients did not come back within 12 months. You see, again it is a trust issue. They do not believe me when I explain they actually have more to loose financially by paying less up front.  Here is the good part: once those clients leave and then later come back, they are without a doubt the most loyal customers. The relationship now becomes reciprocal.

To build a business empire, you never need to “sell”. You simply need to develop a relationship, by using good communication and trust to influence your clients to make the best choices for their needs. These relationships build long lasting, profitable business ventures. It may take a bit longer build wealth but life and business is a marathon, not a sprint.

Have a wonderful day,

Logan

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Do you know how to spot a hero?

July 10th, 2010 by Michael

Do you know any heroes?

Do you know a good Mother or Father?  Have you ever met a current or past Soldier, Marine, Sailor or Airman?  Know a Nurse, EMT, Paramedic, Teacher, Fireman, or Social Worker?  Do you know anyone who helps, in anyway, your society?  Then you are fortunate enough to know a hero.  These people don’t work to be famous.  They do not toil to create wealth.  They do what they do because they love it.  They love how they feel when their job is done right.  Tell them THANKS the next time you see them.  They never hear it enough.

Logan

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Should you purchase a firearm for personal protection? Probably not.

July 4th, 2010 by Michael

Should you purchase a firearm for personal protection? Probably not.

Do not get me wrong; I am an avid Second Amendment supporter. To be honest, which most politicians are not, the true purpose of the Second Amendment is for you, as a collective populace, to never allow your Government to become more powerful than your whole.  In the simplest terms, the Government should always somewhat fear the Middle, Working, and Impoverished Classes to insure they are working in your best interest, not theirs.  Additionally, based on civilian ammunition and gun sales figures, there are 100 armed citizens to every active military operator. This insures no other Country would dare step on our soil in a traditional war; a very powerful political deterrent indeed. Two very convenient, and important side effects of the Right to Bear Arms are “sporting” purposes, and protection from harm.  The later reason is why I have enjoyed studying guns for the last 35 years: they are the ultimate equalizer.  They are a tool which truly makes life fair, unbiased and liberal.  With the correct training, a small framed woman has just as many options at her disposal as any criminal she may encounter while she is armed.  Simple tools, such as automobiles and cell phones allow us freedom. Just like automobiles, with a pistol or rifle, you have more freedom, but must have extensive training to be able to utilize the tool to get the job done. The most important weapon is the gray-matter between your ears

There are many rights of passage to adulthood: a drivers license, voters registration card, and the ability to drink alcohol to name a few. I believe however, as a society we should add a few more: CPR training, and military training. I have always admired Countries such as Israel for their mandatory military service policy.  Prior to college, all able bodied Israelis must serve their County. Each are assigned a Government issue weapon and must maintain it for their entire life. I would argue this is one of the reasons they have much lower violent crime rates (if you omit ancient religious territorial disputes). Additionally, these Citizen soldiers (100% of the populace) are able to help out in any National Crisis, natural or human, due to their basic training in not only military matters, but also in other areas such as rendering first aid, and casualty triage for example. Again, the important aspect, is the training.

In the title I alluded to the fact that “most” Americans should not be armed. This is due to one simple problem: the lack of emphasis on firearms education. I should add the line UNLESS YOU ARE TRAINED!  Most families do not consider a firearm in their home, until after they have a perceived need.  Their may be an serial murderer on the loose in their city which they hear about every night on the six o’clock news; or they may have had a few neighbors who’s homes were broken into.  In my humble opinion, once you get into reactive mode, rather than proactive mode, you are way behind the eight-ball.  There are far too many problems with simply buying a gun and a few bullets, then shoving them in your sock drawer waiting for the next emergency. This is where most good intended people go astray.  If you are considering the purchase of a gun, you must first ask yourself a few basic questions. First, and most importantly, are you the type of person who is psychologically stable? IE-would you EVER, under ANY circumstance, harm anyone for any reason other than defending yourself or your loved ones? If there is even a 1% chance, then you should buy a well trained guard dog for your home protection, and never look back. The next question is almost as important, and at the other extreme: would you be able to actually harm someone if they were intent on doing physical harm to you or your children?  It is very easy to say “of course!”, however you really need to dig deep to determine if that is true.  If there is any doubt, please see not only the dog reference above, but also call around to a few alarm companies. You will be well served by those options.  The last thing you want to do in a home invasion, is give your attacker an extra weapon which he didn’t not bring to the fray himself.

OK, so if your still reading, you probably passed the first two questions, now what? Plunk down $300-$1000 on a decent shotgun, buy a few boxes of shells, and your all set for Armageddon. Right? NOT EVEN CLOSE!  When you look at the “gun” option, you also need to consider at least a couple hundred dollars worth of training to start your journey to independence from fear. The most important aspect in firearms training is safety!  Knowing how to safely shoot is one thing, but by far the more important issue is learning when NOT to shoot! There would be nothing more tragic than firing on someone who was innocent, or worse a loved one! Believe me, its very easy to get scared, and pop a primer. Firing is your LAST option, long after all other options have failed, and you have determined without a doubt that the threat, is really a threat. I have a personal example. One night, at about 3am, there was a pounding on my front door. I peeped out of the window to see a VERY large man beating on my door. I made a tactical decision and ran around to the back door to sneak up on the “threat” from behind.  When I was in a position where I had the upper hand, I gave a very gruff verbal command: “HEY! What F#$& do you want?!”. It turned out it was my 6’8″ brother, who was also my neighbor. There was an attempted break in of his home, and he came over to warn me/check on my family. Good thing I didn’t get itchy with one of my assault weapons!

Another cost you may have not thought of is a good safe. At a minimum, you would need to pick up a padlock or go down to the local super-mart and pick up a steel safe which can be bolted to your studs for a couple hundred bucks. It would be best to go all out and get the Fort Knox of safes, just to be sure. Sure of what?   Two things. Primarily no unauthorized personnel within your home (kids) get harmed. There is nothing more tragic than a child being hurt when a $2 lock would have saved them. Secondly, you do not want any would be attacker who entered your home prior to you getting there, to ambush you with your own revolver.  Buy the safe! Now many folks will argue “you can’t protect yourself with a locked gun”. I would agree. The key to my bedroom safe is on my automobile key chain, and I unlock the safe when I crash. Plus I have the added benefit of not loosing my keys. If you would like to be armed during non-sleeping hours buy a good quality holster, and carry it on your person. Either way, it is mandatory to make sure only YOU have access to the weapon.

If have you carefully considered buying a firearm, great!  However please make sure you and your loved ones are safer because of that decision, and you are not putting your self in more danger. Please budget for and seek out the best training possible.  A good school will not only teach you how to take the shot, but most importantly when NOT to shoot.  Ammo, holsters and safes are necessary purchases (costs) in addition to your gun.

Please feel free to post a comment, the more the Merrier! If you have any firearms related questions, please feel free to fire them my way, and I will do my best to accommodate.

Have a wonderful day

Logan

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