Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Morgan Hill Downtown Association
Event happenings in Downtown Morgan Hill include:
Downtown Street Fair
Dates: Saturday, June 20, July 18, Aug 15 & Sept 19 – 3rd Saturday of each summer month
What: Spend your Saturdays in downtown Morgan Hill strolling East 2nd Street. Listen to live music, shop at local stores, enjoy fresh produce at the nearby Farmer’s Market and visit with local artists from 10-2 PM.
Downtown Movie Nights
Dates: Saturday, June 20, July 18, Aug 15 & Sept 19 – 3rd Saturday of each month (same at Street Fair dates)
What: FREE ‘family friendly’ outdoor movies at the Community Cultural Center. Movies to begin at dark.
Downtown Concert Nights
Dates: Saturday, Aug 1 & Sept 5 – 1st Saturday of each month.
What: Enjoy a great summer evening concert FREE at the Community Cultural Center’s Amphitheater. Enjoy this beautiful local venue as some of the regions best bands perform live from 6-8 pm. Beer and wine sold at venue.
Comedy Night at the Playhouse
Dates: Last Thursday of every month.
What: Come and give your funny bone a workout at the Comedy Night at the Playhouse. Each comedy night features some of the Bay Area’s best comedians. Doors open at 6:30pm for Happy Hour and show starting at 7:30pm. For more information call 782-0008 or visit http://www.morganhillcomedy.com/
Downtown Farmers’ Market
Dates: Every Saturday May 9th through December 19th from 9am until 1pm.
What: Come out to the Downtown Farmers’ Market located in the train station parking lot on Depot St. Purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables or take home some fresh cut flowers. For more information visit http://www.cafarmersmkts.com/morgan.html
The California Autumn Classic
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2009
What: Downtown Morgan Hill will play host to the California Autumn Classic British Sports Car Concourse and Tour. Over 100 classics from Austin-Healey, MG, Triumph, Sunbeam, Lotus and other makes will dazzle in downtown.
Safe Trick or Treat
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2009 – 5 -7:30 PM
What: A downtown Morgan Hill tradition! Safe Trick or Treat provides a fun and safe environment for Morgan Hill’s children and families to experience Halloween.
Taste of Morgan Hill
Date: September 26-27, 2009
http://www.morganhill.org/tasteofmh/taste.htm
Saratoga California
Saratoga Village
As Gilroy's Garlic Festival approaches, the popular herb smells of many myths and legends
Cultlike followers can attest to the slap-your-mama kick it brings to food. But for many garlic lovers in the Bay Area, the prowess of the legend-heavy herb stretches from curing the common cold all the way to warding off cancer.
As the Bay Area gears up for Friday's opening of the 32nd Gilroy Garlic Festival -- the popular annual event where tens of thousands of garlic lovers convene -- the acrid bulb's reputation as an all-powerful curative blossoms. But is garlic really as healthy as its boosters say?"You think any germs would want to come in you with that smell?" said Katie Nemeth of Gilroy's Christopher Ranch, an avid garlic consumer who credits the herb for her infrequent colds. "Garlic's like a beast. There's got to be something healthy about it when it smells like that."
Tracing back to ancient Egypt, the reputed health benefits of garlic have included lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol and curing allergies, coughs, toothaches, some cancers and even warts. Eating garlic for health has become a long-standing practice in many cultures.
"I eat garlic because it's tradition and it's good to prevent flu and high blood pressure," said Rudy Yap, manager of World Ginseng, a Chinese herbal store in San Jose that does brisk business in garlic products.
Although Yap does not know how many of his customers eat garlic on a regular basis, he can speculate a large number do because, he notes smiling, "you can smell
it on their breath!"
Stink together
The potent smell of the bulb is not for the faint of nose, garlic fanatics warn. According to folklore, gladiators would rub cloves all over their battle-ready bodies to repel combat opponents and even lions. That use prompted its Italian name 'la rosa puzzolente' or the stinking rose.
Thousands of years later, in 1991, that delicate designation became the inspiration for The Stinking Rose, a popular eatery in San Francisco. The North Beach restaurant reportedly uses 50 tons of garlic per year.
"Garlic has a lot of fun and funny connotations," says Dante Serafini, the founder of The Stinking Rose. "The busiest day of the year is Valentine's Day. It's a kind of romantic bonding that goes on when two people can eat garlic together. If you can stink together, it's OK."
Because of the smell, cabdrivers in San Francisco reportedly refuse to pick up customers from the Stinking Rose. But for celebrities, garlic is no deterrent. According to Serafini, both Heather Locklear and David Beckham are frequent devotees of the Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills.
But before consumers go Cookie Monster on exponential cloves of garlic to cure the sniffles, scientists suggest that the herb isn't all that it's stinking up to be.
Debunking the myths
In 2007, scientists at the Stanford Prevention Research Center ticked off the vast garlic-loving community by finding that garlic does not lower LDL or what is known as "bad" cholesterol. Funded by the National Institutes of Health on a $1.5 million grant, the study was the first of its kind, debunking what many believed to be a scientifically sound property of garlic.
"It's really got all kinds of mythological lore that goes with it. It's fascinating that people are so invested in garlic," said Christopher Gardner, the lead author of the study who also suffers from a self-diagnosed addiction to garlic.
"We told people in our study it doesn't work. They said thanks for including us in the study, but we don't believe you and we're going to eat it anyway."
Although no scientific tests have established conclusively that garlic has curative properties, scientists do say some effects are "plausible." Translated into layman's terms, garlic might do something positive when it comes to flu, allergies, prostate cancer, high blood pressure and other heart-related problems. That's enough of an endorsement for many aficionados.
"I consider garlic the heartbeat of life," said Ken Fry, a pyro-chef at Gilroy Garlic Festival. "There are reasons for that. It's great for our cardiovascular system."
Scientists also say that cooking garlic deactivates the chemicals that may provide its medicinal potency. But Gardner says cooked or not, garlic is a "definitive" solution to repel vampires.
Even so, Santa Clara County's health officer, when asked about the medical properties of garlic, sagely slipped around the hype.
"If they have an issue with cholesterol or heart disease," said Marty Fenstersheib, "I would want them to go to their doctor and get treated appropriately, and not depend on garlic."
Gilroy Garlic Festival
"It's All About the Food"
Thirty plus years ago the inspiration behind the first Garlic Festival was the desire to share extraordinary garlic-enhanced recipes with visitors from across the globe. Gourmet Alley and its pyro chefs have thus become the heart of America's premier summertime food event.
A trip to the Festival is not validated until you've visited Gourmet Alley and enjoyed an array of delicacies that include stuffed mushrooms, peppersteak sandwiches, pasta con pesto, calamari, scampi, Italian sausage sandwiches, garlic bread and garlic fries.Gourmet Alley's chefs share their preparation secrets in hourly cooking seminars on the Demonstration Stage presented by Amici's East Coast Pizzeria.
Booths at the Gilroy Garlic Festival are a hot commodity among vendors. We carefully screen all vendors to offer the best variety available at any festival. Whether you like your mushrooms, ice cream or lumpia laced with garlic, you can find it here along with a few vampire-friendly (garlic-free) edibles.
Oprah.com : Children and Tooth Decay
Every year, children across America develop infections and die from illnesses related to tooth decay, says Dr. McHenry "Mac" Lee. Dr. Oz talks with Dr. Lee, a third generation dentist, about educating parents and children on the dangers of tooth decay and how to prevent it.
Dr. Lee says tooth decay should be a public health enemy because many children are suffering from the problem. "Children with decay, they can't eat, they can't sleep, and socially they are laughed at," he says. "We believe that dental disease should be on the same level as diabetes and obesity in the schools, as far as education is considered."
Dr. Lee suggests a few things any parent can do to improve their family's dental health.
Avoid foods with sugar and acid such as:
* Gum made with sugar
* Sports drinks
* Hard and sticky candy
Check for these signs of dental health problems:
* Bleeding gums, which could be a sign of gum disease.
* Black or brown areas on teeth, which could indicate tooth decay.
* Worn or flat spots on teeth, which usually mean your teeth no longer fit together properly.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Oprah.com Beauty Advice: Cosmetic Dentistry
Whiter! Straighter! Brighter!
By Valerie Monroe
Oprah.com | June 01, 2007
How to get brighter teeth
Because your smile is one feature you can totally make over without doing anything drastic, invasive, or (necessarily) wildly expensive, here are five ways to boost your dazzle quotient, and two radiant before-and-afters. Valerie Monroe has a choppers advisory.
I can't tell you who she is, because it would embarrass her, but I can tell you that one morning not long ago, a colleague came to work with six stitches in her forehead and—way worse—a front tooth chipped nearly in half. She'd had one hell of a fall (and big, beautiful, straight, white teeth). Her long bangs would cover her forehead till it healed, but the tooth! She called a dentist, described her problem, and arranged to see her the next day. Forty-five minutes after she left for her appointment, she was back at the office. The dentist had applied a composite of glass-reinforced plastic to the broken tooth, sculpting it to match the tooth's original shape (in a process called composite bonding). Her smile was perfect. I mean symmetrically, blindingly perfect.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, whitening is still the most requested cosmetic dental service (more on that later), but advances in dentistry have made all kinds of smile improvements possible. There are porcelain veneers that fit over the surface of the teeth, Invisalign braces that straighten with a clear plastic guard that snaps over the teeth, and dental implants that replace lost teeth with titanium posts that lock into the jawbone. If you're thinking your smile could use an upgrade, we have options for you.
Light-Activated Bleaching
What it is: In-office whitening treatments, like Zoom! and BriteSmile, use peroxide (the same bleaching agent in drugstore kits). Lip and tongue retractors hold your mouth open, and a wax is painted over your gums, fillings, and any spots the peroxide might irritate. Next, a bleaching gel is applied to the teeth and a blue light activates it for about an hour.
Best for: Those who want instant results and who have sensitive teeth. "Because we cover the areas where the nerves might be exposed, patients are much less likely to experience sensitivity than with other whitening options," says Jeff Golub-Evans, DDS, in New York City, who practices cosmetic dentistry.
Does it work? Yes. It may be slightly uncomfortable to sit in the chair for an hour with your mouth held open, but the procedure can remove about 10 years' worth of staining, says Golub-Evans. As with all whitening treatments, you can't eat or drink anything deeply pigmented, such as berries, soy sauce, red wine, or coffee, for at least 48 hours. "The bleaching agent opens pores in the teeth, which makes them ultra-absorbent to color," says Pia Lieb, DDS, clinical assistant professor at New York University College of Dentistry. Results last a couple of years if you brush and floss regularly.
Cost: $300 to $600.
Tray Bleaching
What it is: The dentist makes a mold of your teeth to create thin plastic trays that fit like mouth guards. You fill the trays with bleaching gel and wear them for three days, an hour a day, every three months. Steven Fox, DDS, a New York City dentist who has done extensive research in the field of remineralizing teeth, recommends tray bleaching for a few days every two to three months as a good way to maintain the results of an in-office bleaching treatment.
Best for: Maintenance after an in-office whitening treatment.
Does it work? Yes. Because the trays are made specifically to fit your mouth, the peroxide spreads evenly on teeth. But beware of overbleaching: Peroxide can dissolve the calcium in tooth enamel (the outer layer), which exposes the nerves, resulting in sensitivity. Calcium depletion can also cause decay, says Fox. Though teeth can be remineralized with a paste or a fluoride treatment, you shouldn't wear the trays more than four to six times per year.
Cost: $400 to $800.
Drugstore Whitening Kits
What they are: Clear strips coated with peroxide gel that you apply to your teeth for five to 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the peroxide on the strip.
Best for: People with mild staining and plenty of tooth enamel. "Don't use these kits if you grind your teeth, have recessed gums, or think you might have a cavity, because the peroxide has a propensity to seep into sensitive areas caused by recession or grinding," says Michael Apa, DDS, founder of New York University's Aesthetics Dental Society.
Do they work? Not as well as in-office bleaching. Drugstore whitening kits simply aren't able to achieve the kind of bleaching you can get in the dentist's office or with trays, says Robert Reiss, DDS, who has a private practice in New York City. At-home kits will lighten teeth, but you have to be committed and patient; it can take several weeks or more of daily applications to see results, and your teeth may become temporarily sensitive in the process. A common complaint is that the strips are either too narrow and short to fit large teeth, so they don't bleach evenly, or they're so big that they irritate the gums, says Lieb.
Composite Bonding
What it is: The composite material is reinforced plastic that can repair chips, cracks, and small gaps between the teeth, as well as cover white spots (caused by calcium deposits) that become more apparent as teeth wear down with age. The dentist sculpts the plastic onto the tooth and hardens it with a special light. After it's hardened, it's sanded and polished so that the surface appears seamless with the natural tooth.
Best for: Small fixes.
Does it work? Yes, and very well. Though the composite material can gradually stain, bonding can be done in one office visit, and it's less expensive and invasive than other fixes like veneers. It lasts from five to 15 years, depending on the quality of the dentist's work and whether or not you're a grinder.
Cost: $200 to $500 per tooth, depending on the complexity of the restoration.
Porcelain Veneer
What it is: A very thin layer of porcelain, about 0.5 to 1 millimeter, that's bonded onto the entire front of the tooth. To prepare teeth for veneers, the dentist may have to reduce the enamel surface from 0.7 to 1 millimeter or slightly more, depending on the position and shape of the teeth and how crowded they are (so the veneer doesn't look too thick). The dentist delivers a mold of the patient's tooth to a lab where a ceramicist makes the veneer, working closely with the dentist on the shape and color. The process typically takes a week. When the veneer is ready, the dentist etches the surface of the tooth, which allows a bonding agent to be absorbed, attaches the veneer, and hardens the bonding agent with a light.
Best for: Improving crooked, widely gapped, or badly stained teeth. With veneers, a dentist can change the size, shape, color, and position of teeth in a few office visits.
Does it work? Yes. Veneers can make a dramatic difference in a smile, last about 20 years, don't stain or chip, and require no maintenance.
Cost: $1,000 to $2,000 per tooth.
Invisalign Braces
What they are: A series of clear plastic retainers, called aligners, that fit over your teeth, gradually straightening them. Each aligner is worn for two weeks at a time. (The number of aligners worn depends on how crooked the teeth are.)
Best for: Straightening teeth without a mouthful of metal. Invisaligns aren't recommended for people with extremely crooked teeth or a severe bite problem; in those cases, traditional braces are more effective.
Do they work? Yes. It can take anywhere from three months to two years to get final results (and longer if you aren't consistent about wearing your aligners). But because the aligners are removable, it's easier to eat, floss, and brush than with metal braces.
Cost: $7,000.
Dental Implant
What it is: A titanium rod placed in the jawbone. The rod fuses to the bone in three to six months; then the dentist attaches an abutment to the rod and, finally, a permanent ceramic or porcelain crown.
Best for: Those with healthy gums and enough bone to support the implant. If a tooth has been missing for a long time or if you have gum disease, a bone graft may be required.
Does it work? Extremely well. "Implants are natural-looking and can last a lifetime," says Kim Harms, DDS, a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. They won't shift or move, and you don't have to drill adjacent, healthy teeth in order to add crowns to make a bridge. Getting an implant is a surgical procedure and requires a few days of recovery time.
By Valerie Monroe
Oprah.com | June 01, 2007
How to get brighter teeth
I can't tell you who she is, because it would embarrass her, but I can tell you that one morning not long ago, a colleague came to work with six stitches in her forehead and—way worse—a front tooth chipped nearly in half. She'd had one hell of a fall (and big, beautiful, straight, white teeth). Her long bangs would cover her forehead till it healed, but the tooth! She called a dentist, described her problem, and arranged to see her the next day. Forty-five minutes after she left for her appointment, she was back at the office. The dentist had applied a composite of glass-reinforced plastic to the broken tooth, sculpting it to match the tooth's original shape (in a process called composite bonding). Her smile was perfect. I mean symmetrically, blindingly perfect.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, whitening is still the most requested cosmetic dental service (more on that later), but advances in dentistry have made all kinds of smile improvements possible. There are porcelain veneers that fit over the surface of the teeth, Invisalign braces that straighten with a clear plastic guard that snaps over the teeth, and dental implants that replace lost teeth with titanium posts that lock into the jawbone. If you're thinking your smile could use an upgrade, we have options for you.
Light-Activated Bleaching
What it is: In-office whitening treatments, like Zoom! and BriteSmile, use peroxide (the same bleaching agent in drugstore kits). Lip and tongue retractors hold your mouth open, and a wax is painted over your gums, fillings, and any spots the peroxide might irritate. Next, a bleaching gel is applied to the teeth and a blue light activates it for about an hour.
Best for: Those who want instant results and who have sensitive teeth. "Because we cover the areas where the nerves might be exposed, patients are much less likely to experience sensitivity than with other whitening options," says Jeff Golub-Evans, DDS, in New York City, who practices cosmetic dentistry.
Does it work? Yes. It may be slightly uncomfortable to sit in the chair for an hour with your mouth held open, but the procedure can remove about 10 years' worth of staining, says Golub-Evans. As with all whitening treatments, you can't eat or drink anything deeply pigmented, such as berries, soy sauce, red wine, or coffee, for at least 48 hours. "The bleaching agent opens pores in the teeth, which makes them ultra-absorbent to color," says Pia Lieb, DDS, clinical assistant professor at New York University College of Dentistry. Results last a couple of years if you brush and floss regularly.
Cost: $300 to $600.
Tray Bleaching
What it is: The dentist makes a mold of your teeth to create thin plastic trays that fit like mouth guards. You fill the trays with bleaching gel and wear them for three days, an hour a day, every three months. Steven Fox, DDS, a New York City dentist who has done extensive research in the field of remineralizing teeth, recommends tray bleaching for a few days every two to three months as a good way to maintain the results of an in-office bleaching treatment.
Best for: Maintenance after an in-office whitening treatment.
Does it work? Yes. Because the trays are made specifically to fit your mouth, the peroxide spreads evenly on teeth. But beware of overbleaching: Peroxide can dissolve the calcium in tooth enamel (the outer layer), which exposes the nerves, resulting in sensitivity. Calcium depletion can also cause decay, says Fox. Though teeth can be remineralized with a paste or a fluoride treatment, you shouldn't wear the trays more than four to six times per year.
Cost: $400 to $800.
Drugstore Whitening Kits
What they are: Clear strips coated with peroxide gel that you apply to your teeth for five to 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the peroxide on the strip.
Best for: People with mild staining and plenty of tooth enamel. "Don't use these kits if you grind your teeth, have recessed gums, or think you might have a cavity, because the peroxide has a propensity to seep into sensitive areas caused by recession or grinding," says Michael Apa, DDS, founder of New York University's Aesthetics Dental Society.
Do they work? Not as well as in-office bleaching. Drugstore whitening kits simply aren't able to achieve the kind of bleaching you can get in the dentist's office or with trays, says Robert Reiss, DDS, who has a private practice in New York City. At-home kits will lighten teeth, but you have to be committed and patient; it can take several weeks or more of daily applications to see results, and your teeth may become temporarily sensitive in the process. A common complaint is that the strips are either too narrow and short to fit large teeth, so they don't bleach evenly, or they're so big that they irritate the gums, says Lieb.
Composite Bonding
What it is: The composite material is reinforced plastic that can repair chips, cracks, and small gaps between the teeth, as well as cover white spots (caused by calcium deposits) that become more apparent as teeth wear down with age. The dentist sculpts the plastic onto the tooth and hardens it with a special light. After it's hardened, it's sanded and polished so that the surface appears seamless with the natural tooth.
Best for: Small fixes.
Does it work? Yes, and very well. Though the composite material can gradually stain, bonding can be done in one office visit, and it's less expensive and invasive than other fixes like veneers. It lasts from five to 15 years, depending on the quality of the dentist's work and whether or not you're a grinder.
Cost: $200 to $500 per tooth, depending on the complexity of the restoration.
Porcelain Veneer
What it is: A very thin layer of porcelain, about 0.5 to 1 millimeter, that's bonded onto the entire front of the tooth. To prepare teeth for veneers, the dentist may have to reduce the enamel surface from 0.7 to 1 millimeter or slightly more, depending on the position and shape of the teeth and how crowded they are (so the veneer doesn't look too thick). The dentist delivers a mold of the patient's tooth to a lab where a ceramicist makes the veneer, working closely with the dentist on the shape and color. The process typically takes a week. When the veneer is ready, the dentist etches the surface of the tooth, which allows a bonding agent to be absorbed, attaches the veneer, and hardens the bonding agent with a light.
Best for: Improving crooked, widely gapped, or badly stained teeth. With veneers, a dentist can change the size, shape, color, and position of teeth in a few office visits.
Does it work? Yes. Veneers can make a dramatic difference in a smile, last about 20 years, don't stain or chip, and require no maintenance.
Cost: $1,000 to $2,000 per tooth.
Invisalign Braces
What they are: A series of clear plastic retainers, called aligners, that fit over your teeth, gradually straightening them. Each aligner is worn for two weeks at a time. (The number of aligners worn depends on how crooked the teeth are.)
Best for: Straightening teeth without a mouthful of metal. Invisaligns aren't recommended for people with extremely crooked teeth or a severe bite problem; in those cases, traditional braces are more effective.
Do they work? Yes. It can take anywhere from three months to two years to get final results (and longer if you aren't consistent about wearing your aligners). But because the aligners are removable, it's easier to eat, floss, and brush than with metal braces.
Cost: $7,000.
Dental Implant
What it is: A titanium rod placed in the jawbone. The rod fuses to the bone in three to six months; then the dentist attaches an abutment to the rod and, finally, a permanent ceramic or porcelain crown.
Best for: Those with healthy gums and enough bone to support the implant. If a tooth has been missing for a long time or if you have gum disease, a bone graft may be required.
Does it work? Extremely well. "Implants are natural-looking and can last a lifetime," says Kim Harms, DDS, a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. They won't shift or move, and you don't have to drill adjacent, healthy teeth in order to add crowns to make a bridge. Getting an implant is a surgical procedure and requires a few days of recovery time.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Cerec Dentistry: High Tech Same Day Crowns Visits
Dr. Don Nguyen practices the most up-to-date dentistry services, including CEREC-same day crowns. Click HERE to learn about Dr. Don Nguyen's Same Day Crown Visit
Click HERE to view YouTuve Video
CEREC is a dental restoration product that allows a dental practitioner to produce an indirect ceramic dental restoration using a variety of computer assisted technologies, including 3D photography and CAD/CAM. With CEREC, teeth can be restored in a single sitting with the patient, rather than the multiple sittings required with earlier techniques. Additionally, with the latest software and hardware updates, crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays can be prepared, using different types of ceramic material.
The cavity preparation is first photographed and stored as a three dimensional digital model and proprietary software is then used to approximate the restoration shape using biogeneric comparisons to surrounding teeth. The practitioner then refines that model using 3D CAD software. When the model is complete a milling machine carves the actual restoration out of a ceramic block using diamond head cutters under computer control. When complete, the restoration is bonded to the tooth using a resin. CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.
Single Appointment Dental Care:
Most dental restorative methods require more than one visit to the dentist. This means that on the first visit, you get an injection of anesthesia, your tooth prepared, an impression taken, and a temporary restoration put on your tooth. You make a second appointment for a couple of weeks later, and get an injection, have the temporary pried off (if it hasn't fallen off already, and have a permanent restoration put on. Why go to the dentist a second time when you don't have to? With CEREC, the procedure is done in a single appointment, start to finish. One Day Crown Visits!
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