Impact of Smoking on Oral Health

Smoking is one of the major cause for oral health problems. Smoking and other tobacco related products contains chemicals that are harmful to the oral cavity. The risk of oral health increases with the duration of smoking and chewing tobacco. Some of the oral health problems associated with smoking and chewing tobacco are:

Bad breath
Smoking causes halitosis. Halitosis is a condition where there is bad odor from the mouth. Smoking decreases saliva secretions and this leads to the development of plaque and gives bad breath. Not only this, tobacco contains nicotine and tar settle on teeth and gives you bad breath.

Discoloration of teeth
Smoking causes stains on teeth which is due to the presence of nicotine and tar in tobacco products. This in turn leads to teeth becoming yellow.

Tooth decay
Tobacco products contains chemicals irritates the gum tissue and gums become recede. This leads to the exposure of tooth root and susceptible to plaque formation and leads to tooth decay.

Gum problems
Smoking causes gum problems that includes gingivitis which is known as inflammation of gums and loss of bone below the teeth. Smoking reduces the flow of blood to the gum tissue and therefore lack of oxygen supply to the gum tissue and becomes susceptible to infections and leads to gum problems.

Slow downs the healing ability
Smoking and chewing tobacco slows down the healing ability of wounds after surgery or dental implantation. It interferes with the cells involved in the healing process and reduces the recovery period. In tooth extraction process, smoking causes dry sockets so patients experience severe pain and discomfort due to the exposure of bone and nerve endings.

Oral cancer
Smoking causes oral cancer. The risk of oral cancer is more in candidates who smoke than candidates who never smoke. The tobacco products and smoking contains carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals disrupts the DNA of gum tissue cells and irritates the mucous membrane and causes oral cancer.

Lack of taste sense
Loss of taste sense is caused by smoking as it reduces the saliva secretions and mouth becomes dry and reduces the taste sense.

Black hairy tongue
Black hairy tongue is due to the development of bacteria on tongue and causes small projections called papillae. This papillae appears like black hair on tongue. These are the dental problems associated with smoking. Though these can be treated, the best way to cure is by avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco.

Contribution of Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) in SEO

The problem
With the .com domain becoming more expensive and rare, domain holders are looking for new cheap and effective Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for expanding the reach of their business. However, the choice of such domains affects search results on the search engine pages and the results are more locally visible granting them exposure to a particular geographical locality. This may lead to restricted business prospects and market growth often limiting them within their own geographical area due to wrong ccTLD. Hence the choice of ccTLD is a major issue for any business owned firm as Google results tend to keep the result with such domains from the same region upwards.

Significance of ccTLD based SEO
The ccTLD based SEO brings more benefits and profit making implications. A ccTLD tends to stress the brand entity in a particular geographical area. Therefore, it should be used to target a particular area that has good customer presence and product demand.

In addition, creating various ccTLDs will lead to organized and distributed traffic over multiple sites. Therefore, the bandwidth limitations of different sites of the same organization can be relaxed with better traffic management. Multiple ccTLD associated with same firm can also lead to multiple search results in the same search results.

Google search is based on generic ccTLDs. Countries where Google is not a popular search engine, the suitability and accessibility via other search engines should be calculated taking a different approach. Choosing a single good domain that can be searched from various geographical locations is a good move and are economic too.

Risks with improper ccTLD
Wrong practice of ccTLD in domain name can have heavy and critical consequences. Websites with a respective domain of this kind tend to target the customers in that particular area. Mismatch in this can lead to confusion leading to decline in brand value in that geographical area hampering the local market in the area or giving a wrong picture of the business.

The content of the websites over various ccTLDs should be checked for redundancy and care should be taken to make them customer centric to that particular region alone. Also, the search results in a particular area may not show the service even if it is present in that area leading to heavy toll on the business. It can also lead to unwanted traffic onto the site and limit its bandwidth capabilities.

Choosing a perfect ccTLD for SEO is a vital concern and should be adopted judiciously. Uncalculated moves can lead to unwarranted results and cumulative losses in the long run. You need to check Google list of generic ccTLD signifying the search results and targeted geographical areas for each domain. An efficient and wisely chosen ccTLD can lead to good business in multiple geographical locations whereas a miscalculated step can lead to diminishing of the existing market itself. 

Dry Mouth - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Dry mouth in a technical term called Xerostomia. It is the condition in which there is decrease in saliva secretions in mouth. Saliva secretions removes the plaques or food materials from mouth and prevents dental problems. Dry mouth is commonly seen in old people. If it is untreated, it leads to other oral problems like tooth decay and gum problems.

This article provides you complete information about dry mouth causes, signs and how it can be treated.

Causes of dry mouth

• Taking medications which decreases the saliva secretions
• Side effects of some drug categories like anti hypertensive drugs, Diuretics etc.
• Side effects of diseases like HIV, Anemia, Diabetes
• Dry mouth can be seen in patients who are undergoing radiation treatment on neck, head
• Due to hormonal changes in pregnant women
• Removal of salivary glands by surgery
• Taking breath continuously with mouth.
• Dehydration- loss of water or fluids from body causes dry mouth.

Symptoms of dry mouth

• Alterations in the taste sensation
• Dryness of mouth
• Irritation on tongue
• Bad odor from mouth
• Sticking of food to teeth and mouth
• Sores or patches in mouth
• Difficulty in chewing, drinking and speaking.

How it is diagnosed?

• Saometry is used to measure the flow of saliva in particular period of time. In this 10% citric acid is placed on the tongue and check the stimulation of saliva flow with the normal saliva flow.

• Salography uses radio opaque iodine dye on salivary gland and checks for any blockage of salivary duct.

• Other tests like chest X-ray and salivary biopsy can also diagnose the dry mouth condition.

Treatment
Based on the cause it's treatment varies. If dry mouth is due to the side effect of medications then these can be substituted with the other medications. However, dry mouth can be treated by two ways, saliva stimulation and saliva substitution.

• Saliva stimulation
• If salivary gland is working properly, then saliva stimulation is used to treat dry mouth.
• Chewing sugar free gums to increase saliva flow
• Drink plenty of water
• Take medications like prilocarpine which improves saliva secretions
• Avoid breathing with mouth.

• Saliva Substitution
• Rinsing mouth with mouth wash does not containing alcohol makes mouth moist
• Take saliva substitutes
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid intake of caffeine
• Moistening the mouth and lips with melting the ice in mouth

Problems associated with dry mouth:
If the dry mouth is untreated, it can cause serious dental problems

• Tooth decay
• Periodontal diseases
• Oral thrush

PCBs : Future Prospects and Scope

3D Modeling (PCS – Printed Circuit Structures)
The PCB is a critical part of every electronic circuit. The shapes and sizes of the PCBs are conditioned by their application, working environment and the size constraints of the equipment to be manufactured.
Though with the existing technology we are able to use the x and y dimensions effectively, little has been done to utilize the z dimension. Today, 2.5D approach is widely used.

The 2D and 2.5D technologies have a few drawbacks.

• Ineffective utilization of  z dimension.
• Limited data transfer capabilities.
• Harmonic effects due to impedance mismatching of materials.
• Magnetic reflections due to sharp turns of the conducting path.

The 3D printing technology will eliminate the use of epoxy, vias, soldering, wires, screws and bolts. The circuits are flexible enough to be be rolled into a cylinder with the circuit inside it. The structures can vary from being solid to porous to elastic depending upon the application of the product.

With the help of DFM (Fused Deposition Manufacturing) machines, printing can be done at home and converted into physical structures.

Go Green
The earlier practices of PCB manufacturing consisted of bulk materials - raw materials and rejecting the excess unwanted part to utilize. It resulted in a large amount of wastes. 3D or AM (Additive Manufacturing) is a process of accumulating successive layers of materials leaving little or no waste.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
This is the first additive manufacturing process employed. In this, a thin layer of powdered material is placed on the work surface and a laser beam sinters the particles together by creating metal thin shapes. The surface is lowered and another layer is deposited on the existing layer. This process is repeated, which creates a 3D structure.
The 3D structure can be built with features and voids that cannot be achieved by subtractive process. The resolution of lines is around 0.005 inch and thickness of layer is 0.004 inch.

Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA)
This is a process similar to that of SLS but hardening of photosensitive resins is done here instead of sintering particles. Support structures are required if there are large gaps in the build. The support structures are temporary and can be dissolved in water later.

Solid features are created and they have a good finishing. A resolution upto 0.001 per inch can be achieved but the research tools have achieved upto 0.0001 per inch resolutions. 

Fused Deposition Manufacturing (DFM)
In this technique, a heated nozzle is used to remove plastic directly onto a surface. This process can then be repeated until a certain number of times to create a 3D structure, that we mentioned earlier. In this way, 3D layering can be obtained. The nozzle and the head is moved onto a moving platform and is coordinated with the flow of plastic metal. Like SLA method, the structures created by DFM also require the use of support structures that are water soluble.

The disadvantage of the method is it creates a porous structure due to extrusion of the melted plastic. The structures are not self leveling and contain air bubbles in the structures. This goes in contradiction to the concept of 3D structure.

This demerit of the process can be overcome by using high resolution prints and controlling overlapping parameters.

The finishing obtained by this method is rough and it needs to undergo additional processing to deliver a smooth finish.

The resolution is in the order of 0.005 inch but the structures produces are rigid which allow their usage for mechanical parts.

Printed electronics
This approach of printing is used to achieve printing on various substrates as cheap as vinyl. This technique is designed for fast and low cost printing to achieve small features. The different approaches in this class are:

1. Screen printing : This is well known in solar cell manufacturing industry. Screen with a set pattern is laid on top of the work material and is pressed to it. The resolutions can be as good as 100 micrometer with a throughput (the amount of material) of 50 m2/h. It has a capability to produce thick layers with a wide range of materials having different measure of viscosity.

2. Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM): This requires ink jetting to be done on a substrate with a low viscosity ink. The ink particles have conducting and self adhesive properties. A throughput of around 100 m2/h with a thickness of around 0.0005 inches can be made.

3. Electroless plating: A metallic film is deposited on the substrate with the help of a chemical (reducing) agent. The process is slower than the electrolytic plating but the resolution achieved is higher and thin lines are obtained.

4. DP (Direct print methods) : A quill is dipped in the depositing material. The material sticks to the tip of the quill. This tip can then be moved over a substrate in 3 axes to produce a 3D print. It can produce a 14 nm line width and 5nm resolution in 3D patterns.

Major challenges and remedies
As the structure is getting smaller and smaller, the electromagnetic interference between the traces and components become a larger problem. This can be minimized with the use of anisotropic materials and spatially variant lattices.

Additionally, this method is still premature due to lack of development of required automation tools. Currently, 3D printing and DP method are used collectively to achieve objectives but a technology named Direct Printing Additive Manufacturing System (DPAM) is being developed to build a common automation tool to the above problem statement.

Nursing Bottle Caries/Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Tooth decay in infants and young children is referred to as nursing bottle caries. This happens when there is prolonged exposure of infant's teeth to liquids that contains sugar (milk, formula or fruit juice).
This article discusses about the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of baby bottle tooth decay.

Causes of baby bottle tooth decay
Nursing bottle caries can occur when the baby is put to bed with the bottle containing milk or other sweetened liquids like juice. Bacteria in the mouth live to digest sugary and starchy food or drinks multiply and form acid. This acid attacks the enamel of tooth/teeth gradually dissolving other layers of tooth resulting in tooth decay.
The upper front teeth are more susceptible to get decayed from baby bottles.

Symptoms

• White or brown spots appearing on teeth
• Pain
• Swelling and bleeding gums
• Fever caused by gum or tooth infection

Prevention
Following are some tips for preventing tooth decay in children:

• After every bottle-feed, clean your child's gums and teeth gently with a soft cloth or a gauze pad. This will help in removing any bacteria that contains plaque and excess sugars that may have built up.
• Begin to brush your baby's tooth as soon as his/her first tooth erupts.
• When all the baby's teeth have erupted, use a pea size amount of toothpaste for brushing the baby's teeth prescribed by your dentist.
• If your child is using pacifier, make sure that it is clean and sterlized. Never dip it in honey or other sugars.
• Never put your child to bed with a bottle that contains sweetened liquids or the liquids that contains natural sugars like milk, formula or fruit juice.
• Begin encouraging your child to drink from a cup from six months onwards.
• Arrange regular dental checkups as soon as your baby’s first tooth erupts.
• Encourage healthy eating habits.
• Supervise your child's tooth brushing until the age of 5-6 years.

Treatment
For treating this kind of decay, the dentist will remove the decayed portion from the tooth/teeth and fills the cavity with a material called as composite resin or silver amalgam, thus restoring and protecting the tooth. If the decay is severe and has attacked the tooth pulp, the dentist will perform the root canal treatment.

If the decay is caught earlier, there is no need of root canal treatment. This is the reason why dentist recommends visiting them regularly.

Related Links:
Dentist Hampstead
Dental implants in London
Dentist London
Cosmetic Dentist London

Steps in development of Business Application Software

Business application software is widely used to increase productivity of businesses. To develop software, the client company has to spend a greater amount from their budget. The vendor should have clarity of about the real need of the client, how they expect the software and for what purpose. Otherwise, valuable money and time will be lost.

Following are the steps mostly using while developing business application software.

• Requirement analysis: Requirement analysis is the first step in software development. First, you need to understand clearly the requirement of the software to the client. Here the interaction between the client and the developer along with the functional experts will be occurred. After made a clear structure move to the next one.

• Planning and design: After functional analysis is done, the software development project is split into the tasks. Every task will have a time period. As per that the development will be occurred. If the project is delays the budget will be increase. So the planning is crucial. Designing is building the architecture of the project. Here the possible wrongs will be minimized.

• Development: The Actual part of development starts here. The development is coding the software as per the architecture. When the tasks are completed merge them into a single program. If the architecture and the planning are properly done development become easy. The development will be depends upon the ability of the programmer to complete quickly and effectively.

• Testing: Testing will be done at different stages. In the beginning when the task is completed immediately one testing will be occurred. Second one is after merged the tasks. After at the time of project completion. At the time of implementation in front of client the testing completely done without errors.

• Documentation: Documentation is the guide about the software features. Here every option and feature of the software will be documented. It is easily understandable format and language.

• Training: If training is required to operate the software it will be provided to the employees at the time of implementation at the client. Mostly the documentation gives as material. When the employees are the functional experts, it is enough to give a brief of the functions and operations.

• Maintenance: Once the above all stages are passed without any issue the maintenance will be begun. Here the updates to the software will be provided. The updates are for newly discovered issues, extra/new requirements.

These are the common following steps to develop medium and large software applications.