Regardless of sexual orientation or preference, we each have a strong picture, created by the mind’s eye, of the perfect body. We’re aroused by such things as curves, hardness, body hair, and skin tone and when we stand unclothed in front of the mirror each day, we make judgments about how we look based upon our own self-created ideals. Others judge us quickly based upon their ideals.

While most days we’re our own worst critics, some degree of self-improvement in the physical realm of our time on this planet can be achieved through a moderate amount of consistent,...

We’re all smiling that the warmer months are back (although with our weird weather this year, who knows?) so it’s a good issue to feature dental health! We’ve spoken a lot in our pages about how easily we can take our health for granted, and our dental health is not excluded.

Some of us are blessed genetically to have good teeth and gums, while others are not so lucky. It’s easy for us to believe that if we have an infection or issue in our mouth that other parts of our bodies will not be impacted. However, we’re coming to understand more fully every day...

For everything they do for us, our furry family members also deserve the benefits from an increased personal awareness. Remember that life for most of our pets is a chain of “what can I do for you?”

On a daily basis, we naturally will seek comfort and healing through the unconditional love we receive from our animals. We share our laughter, exercise, meals, nap times and a good deal more with what is typically referred to as “The Dog”. I know, I know, for some of you, and for me, the proper reference is “The Baby”. We do tend to adorn our fuzzies...

I’ve been practicing dentistry for 17 years and there is one phrase I have heard more than I would like to admit to: “No offense Doc, but I HATE going to the dentist.” I emphasize the word HATE because these patients place a lot of passion on this word. This is a real fear these people are experiencing, from crying in the chair even before they open their mouth to cold sweats, blood pressure rising, increased breathing to the point of nearly passing out. I even had one teenager run out of the dental office and his mother had to chase him down to bring him back in. This...