Diabetes Awareness Month – Screenings are critical to prevention

Brandywine Hospital encourages community members to get tested   Coatesville – Each year, more than a million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. And though the condition can largely be managed through proper diet, exercise and medication, many individuals with diabetes will develop serious health complications during their lives. That’s why diabetes screenings are so important. With early...

Tooth loss is more than a cosmetic problem

Health impact of lost teeth can include mental, physical decline in old age By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times Tooth loss is more than just uncomfortable.   While reading a journal article I discovered a study from London that was published in an American geriatrics journal. Apparently in a study of adults over age 60 those who had lost all of their teeth had a more significant...

Recognizing our own self-worth

We all have gifts to share, take a moment to discover yours By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times I was recently invited to speak at a workshop on wholeness.  The topic I was assigned was the subject of self-worth.  As I began to prepare my thoughts and make notes, I realized the impact that our sense of self-worth has on our overall well-being and quality of life.  Not only does our individual...

For your dental office, it’s like a month of Black Fridays

Between the holiday rush and end of benefits year, your dentist may be oversubscribed By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times It’s holiday time. Just in case you missed the catalogs stuffed in your mailbox. The thousands of emails with “extended black Friday savings” or the sparkling Christmas trees, waiting to replaced by valentine hearts on December 26th. Yes, the year is coming...

Sleep is crucial to good health

Rest up! The holidays are coming. By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times It’s that time of year again.  The clocks have been turned back, the leaves are falling, and the department stores have started decorating, so that must mean that the holiday season is upon us.  Along with the “most wonderful time of year” come to-do lists, deadlines to keep, and a host of added stressors.  With so...

Take it to heart: dental health impacts total health

Gingivitis connected to increased heart attack, stroke, pregnancy risks By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD FICD, Columnist, The Times Each year more and more research confirms the relationships between serious health concerns and diseases of the mouth.   I recently was at a lecture where some of the latest research was reviewed and while the research was aimed at treatment protocols, the message is...

Trust your gut

The bacteria in your stomach helps to keep you healthy By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times Have you ever had that sinking feeling in your stomach, as if something big were about to happen? How about the last time you saw someone you love, or someone you don’t?  Those butterflies that were trying to get out were examples of the affect that our gut can have on our state of mind, or our intuition,...

The tricks of treats

Yes, even dentists (some of us) eat candy, here’s how to minimize the damage By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times It’s that time again. The onslaught of orange and black packaging and the mountains of Halloween candy awaiting purchase.   One would think those of us in the dental profession have a vendetta against this sort of thing.  Here’s the inside scoop – every...

I kind of mind the gap

Strahan’s Hall of Fame bust doesn’t get teeth right By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times Are you ready for some football? Nothing shouts fall more than the distant drumbeat of the high school band or the coach’s whistle when he barks “again” to his sweaty players during an early practice. The installation of the new crop of pro football hall of famers in Canton...

You’re never too old to play

All work doesn’t just make Jack dull, but maybe unhealthy, too By Dr. Matthew Lapp, Columnist, The Times When was the last time you completely lost track of time doing something you love?  You may not have thought of it this way, but it’s very likely that you were engaged in what scientists call “free play.”  If you’re like many people, life may be filled with work demands, family responsibilities,...