Good Oral Health for General Wellbeing
By | March 19, 2010
We all know that regular brushing and flossing help us maintain a beautiful smile. Proper dental care keeps our teeth shiny and white and helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease. But did you know that taking care of our pearly whites is also important to our overall health?
Periodontal disease has been linked to numerous other conditions. In some cases, it is caused by other conditions. In others, it causes or contributes to them. Conscientious oral care and regular dental checkups can help us detect some diseases and aid in preventing others.
Signs of Disease Found in the Mouth
Yearly oral exams are important tools in detecting problems with our teeth. But they can also uncover signs of problems elsewhere in the body. An attentive dentist can advise us of any abnormalities that may be cause for concern.
Dental x-rays can aid in detection of other health problems by showing evidence of bone loss. Bone loss in the part of the jaw that contains tooth sockets is often linked to heart disease. General bone loss in the oral area could also be an indicator of osteoporosis.
The gums may also hold clues to problems that affect the entire system. Diabetics, for instance, are particularly prone to periodontal disease. They are more likely than most people to have frequent oral infections. Signs of HIV may be found in the mouth as well, in the form of inflammation and lesions on the gums.
How Oral Health Problems Can Cause Other Diseases
Infections in the mouth can pose dangers beyond losing teeth. An infected tooth that is not treated can lead to an abscess, which is an infection at the root of the tooth. If left untreated, the infection can travel to any number of places. It could manifest as a boil on the gums or skin, but often it remains internal. If it does, it could travel to the heart or brain, or it could cause an infection of the bloodstream.
Periodontal disease can also contribute to respiratory infections such as pneumonia, chronic bronchitis or COPD. In some cases, it may cause blood clots, resulting in the potential for a heart attack or stroke. And pregnant women with periodontal disease are at a greater risk of giving birth prematurely or having babies with low birth weight.
All too often, we put our oral health on the back burner in favor of more pressing concerns. But by getting regular dental checkups, we can reduce our risk for some health problems and make early detection of others possible. If you haven’t been to the dentist lately, consider making an appointment. It could do more than just brighten your smile
Topics: Personal Care, Women in Business | No Comments »
7 Steps to Conflict Resolution
By | March 19, 2010
Conflict in the workplace happens, even among the best of friends. That doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to resolve conflict and get a positive outcome from the situation. A few steps should be taken as soon a possible so you can resolve your conflict and start getting things done again. Here are some suggestions to help.
#1. Criticize with Care.
The art of giving constructive criticism is necessary in the workplace. To give constructive criticism use the sandwich principle. That means you’ll sandwich any criticism between two bookends of praise. For example, “You have a wonderful way of motivating the team. I think if you could work on following up with them regularly our projects will run more smoothly. You know your team well so I’m sure they’ll be responsive.”
#2. Stay Positive
Nothing helps to beat conflict like a good positive outlook. Even though you can expect conflicts to show their ugly face almost daily in the workplace, you can take the position to approach each day, task, and co-worker with a positive attitude. As a result, you’ll find that many potential conflicts will simply fade away. Being position has a contagious effect so share that positive feeling with everyone and make the whole workplace experience a better thing.
#3. Get Clarity.
When you’re in doubt about what’s causing a problem, ask question and get clarity. You can tell if someone is upset but you may not know why. Instead of waiting, start asking questions. Ask the other person what’s upsetting him or her so you can discover if there’s been a misunderstanding. Ask about their opinion on the problem, it you’ve been misunderstood, or if you’ve misunderstood them. Just be sure to get clarity so you can clear the air.
#4. Be Ready to Apologize.
Saying you’re sorry is not a easy thing to do. But taking the high and admitting a mistake or just being the first to end the conflict by offering an apology can go a long ways. An apology goes miles towards lowering someone’s defenses. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out; just a simple, “I’m sorry we’ve had this misunderstanding,” lowers the tension and puts the other party in a more compatible frame of mind.
#5. Restate the Issues.
A great lesson in communication is restating an issue that you hear to be sure you are clear on it. To make sure you heard what was stated and that you and the other person are understanding things in a similar manner, mirror what they’ve said back to them. An example is, “It sounds to me that you’re saying,” or “I understand you’re saying. This will help bring quick clarification and prevent real conflicts from sparking.
#6. Share Expectations.
Not knowing what the other person wants or needs can be the beginning of conflict. Be sure to be clear about your workplace expectations if you’re the boss or the one carrying out the work. Use clear and concise language to avoid people misunderstanding you. Remember it’s okay to ask for clarification because you really want to be sure you’re understood.
#7. Don’t Wait.
When conflict happens, take care of it as soon as possible. Don’t wait until it starts festering and getting out of control. For instance, if there’s been a miscommunication or a difference in how to reach goals, address these issues immediately. Communication problems and goal ambiguity are two of the most common causes for conflict in the workplace. Knowing this is important because you can be more conscious of when these problems are occurring. Address these issues as soon as you realize they’ve occurred and you’ll prevent a small conflict from snowballing into a big one.
Still can’t get along? When all else fails, don’t be afraid to ask for mediation. Sometimes people just can’t get along or they just don’t communicate well. This means working together is going to be extra difficult. If a situation arises and the steps you’ve taken to remedy the conflict aren’t working, ask for help. Many larger companies offer mediation services or you can bring in a superior to help clear up the situation.
Topics: Build Your Business, Entrepreneurs | 1 Comment »
Are You Focusing?
By | January 25, 2010
Is it difficult for you to get focused on one business idea for any period of time? Guess what? I understand.
Getting focused has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn to do. After a life of multi-tasking, choosing just one thing to do at a time has been close to pure torture. But getting focused and sticking with a business project is an imperative skill if you want to see success in your efforts.
Entrepreneurs are creative people. And creativity means coming up with multiple ideas, often at the same time. In fact, ideas can come on a daily basis. You might watch one television commercial or see something in a store and think of a slew of new ideas you want to start. But hold yourself back. Instead, stick with what you’ve already started.
You know that you have to focus and take time to really go deep into the project already on our plate. In order to let your customers find what you’re offering, stay focused.
Focus is assisted by developing an action plan to follow. Put done the specific steps you intend to take to market your idea. Give yourself timelines to follow and definitely set a budget of how much you’ll invest to get your project completed.
As the New Year unfolds, make the decision to stay focused on your plans and projects. Stop trying to juggle multiple ideas at once that end up not bringing in success. Stick with the plan and start creating the income you desire.
Topics: Build Your Business, How-To's | No Comments »
Leaving the Past Behind
By | January 25, 2010
Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service
in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
Recently I needed to quickly get rid of many items that had been in my life for a long time. Some were very precious and very difficult to part with and left a feeling of loss in my life. As a result I’ve found that I have a type of ache in my heart for some of these things and often feel regret for making the decision to part with them.
What helps is remembering the reason I discarded these things. It was time and the situation that called for drastic action. Yet, I have to keep remembering to look forward and not back for what is no longer in my life.
It helped that I read a passage in a book that stated nothing that really belongs in your life will ever be discarded. This related to not only physical and material items but the memories of what is yours that will remain with you forever.
Christian business women often face situations something needs to be changed, discarded or dropped. You might be facing a situation that means having to drop something that no longer works so you can move forward to the future.
For instance,
- Are you working on an idea that isn’t getting anywhere?
- Are you dealing with a product that consumers don’t want or won’t pay for?
- Do you offer a service that isn’t bringing in the profits?
- Are you stuck in a lease or financially draining situation that needs to be changed?
As a business woman, you will face times when you have to make a decision to discard a current situation. There’s no reason to look back once the decision has been made. Instead, push ahead and experience what’s new, exciting and important in your present situation.
Make your decisions based on prayer and good information. Then look ahead and not back. That’s how you’ll experience the good that’s in store for you and for those you serve.
Topics: Bible & Business | No Comments »
More Ezine Article Tips
By | December 30, 2009
Writing a Ezine is so important that we’re going to review several tips to writing articles that get your subscribers to read the content. Here’s a few more ideas and tips.
Keep up with what’ going on in your industry including what’s causing a controvery. Your niche can be fashion, gossip and entertainment or business related such as accounting and finance.
The topic doesn’t matter as you will always find some sort of controversy happening. Carefully select something about that controversy to write an article that brings attention to your ezine and motivates your subscribers to open and read your articles.
To find a topic check out forums, blogs, and social networking sites that relate to your topic to see what people are talking about. What common questions or comments do people have and how can you spin that into an exciting article?
One of the most popular type of artiles is a list article. People enjoy reading lists. They’re easy to read and always provide some value. List are also easy to print out and use as a resource for the future.
Consider writing a list type article for your next ezine and evaluating the results. Does your open rate increase? You might even find that people forward the article to others and you get a new subscriber.
Topics: Build Your Business, How-To's, Marketing Your Business | No Comments »