I’ll admit, most of the stu our bodies excrete grosses me out. Earwax, which you can call cerumen if you’re feeling fancy, is the exception. Generally, people don’t spend much time thinking about their earwax, but it’s actually pre y interesting stu .
Firstly, earwax isn’t wax. Cerumen is made up of a combination of sebum (an oily substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands), skin cells from the ear canal, sweat and dirt.
Secondly, cerumen has an important purpose. e ear produces it to clean and protect itself. It has natural antimicrobial properties to prevent bacterial infections. It also traps dust and other particles before they can get deeper in your ear canal and cause problems. When you chew or talk, the muscles in your ear canal push the cerumen, and the debris trapped in it, outward to exit the canal.
Another interesting fact is that not all earwax is the same. It’s greatly controlled by genetics. Cerumen can be either wet or dry, with most people having wet earwax because it’s the dominant gene. e consistency of cerumen can change based on your environment and diet.
Despite how cool cerumen is, you can have too much of a good thing. Excess wax can cause issues such as earaches, temporary hearing loss, ear infections, and even a persistent cough if it happens to stimulate the branch of the vagus nerve that runs near the ear canal.
If you have too much wax, sticking co on swabs, bobby pins or paper clips in your ear is not a good idea. You’ll likely just end up pushing the wax in further, past the point where your ears can excrete it naturally. Generally, wax can be safely removed by your physician or you can contact your audiologist to set up an appointment to have it taken care of. At Hear Inc. our audiologists are certified to remove cerumen using irrigation (flushing the canal with water), instruments (stainless steel cure es or forceps), and micro-suction (a small vacuum specifically designed for this purpose). Call 778-351-1145 to set up your appointment at Hear Inc. for all of your hearing needs.
Shas become a sought-a er destination: a welcoming cafe and retail store where excellent co ee, delicious food, live music, arts and retail coexist. Relax indoors or out under an umbrella or marquis, and enjoy a la e, wine, beer or old-fashioned milkshake. Empourium’s food and beverage o erings feature an evolving menu with a great selection of freshly baked treats such as Apple Crumble Pullaparts, Triple Chocolate Cake and fresh fruit mu ns, plus a delicious selection of panini, house-made soups, sandwiches and salads. Catering is available for special events, meetings and more. Live music and art are also a big part of the Empourium vibe. Friday nights feature local, professional talent, touring musicians and talented locals come out to Open Mic nights to share music, stories, spoken word and more. is family-owned, independent shop is also fi lled with beautiful and unusual merchandise sourced from local, regional and global makers. Whether you are shopping for yourself or looking for a gi , you are sure to fi nd something amazing from the eclectic retail area.
What’s A Full Mouth Reconstruction?
Q: Dr. Crapo: ree weeks ago
I saw a dental specialist. I went because I’ve been having dentistry done, and just when I thought things were fi ne, snap – another broken tooth! I’m ge ing frustrated. He (the specialist) took x-rays and moulds of my teeth and showed me how I was wearing my teeth away. He said I needed a full mouth reconstruction. When I asked him what that was, he said I needed crowns on all my teeth because many of them were worn down, some were breaking, and some had root canals or needed root canals and crowns to save them. He said it would also help my bite. Quite frankly I was a bit intimidated by the whole experience and when he said crowns, my mind started envisioning days in his chair and a mortgage on my teeth. I don’t think I caught much else he said. What is a full mouth reconstruction? How do I know I need one? Can this be done a li le bit at a time or am I going to have to sell my oldest son? I’m scared to say the least. I think he said I’ll eventually lose my teeth if I didn’t do it. Is that possible? I need some clarification.
A: Full mouth rehabilitation can mean many things. In your case, it sounds like you have a full complement of teeth, but they’re in a poor state of repair. Most likely the masticatory systems of balance, alignment, and guidance need rebuilding. If these systems are badly out
of balance, you could lose your teeth. Ge ing these systems back into order is even more important than just fi xing teeth. Ge ing these systems right tells us how your teeth should be restored. is is how you can know for yourself that you need a full mouth reconstruction, and the dentist can demonstrate it to you on a bite simulator. e most important of the three systems I’ve mentioned is the guidance system. is system governs the way forces are distributed in your mouth. Get this right and you are eighty percent of the way to your goal. is is the smallest “bit” you can do and includes very careful crowning of the six-upper front and six lower front teeth. Back teeth can then be “fi xed” and built up temporarily in such a way as to harmonize with the new front teeth. As you work your way through these expenses, you’re able to permanently restore the back teeth one side at a time. Yes, this will most likely involve crowning your teeth, but replacing what you’ve destroyed is an integral part of this reconstruction. is strategy is easier on the pocketbook and provides wonderful stability, which helps prevent the breakdown you’re experiencing.
