Whenever a product does exactly what it claims, and functions as good as OraMD, it is just natural that the company strategy and ingredients of the product be replicated by another person trying to make a dollar.

It is significant for consumers to bear in mind just what is what, and also be armed with the info needed in order to make wise purchasing choices, so they don’t get stuck with an overpriced, ineffective product that is probably a knock off of a proven product.

That said, let’s take a look at Oramd—a tested product with wonderful results stories—and Oram Plus, a somewhat new product with sketchy processes and practices.

Ingredients – The Keys to Success

OraMD is 100% all natural, that contains Just the essential natural oils of peppermint, spearmint and almond. These three natural oils are scientifically formulated to target and get rid of the twenty two known destructive bacteria that form in your mouth.

Oram Plus consists of 10 ingredients, with just a few that are KNOWN to destroy bacteria. In a container of Oram Plus you can discover Immortelle, Manuka, Myrrh, Cornmint, Clovebud, Thyme, Spearmint, Peppermint, Natural Vitamin E and Grapeseed. Many of these ingredients are used regularly in aromatherapy treatments, not bacteria fighting solutions.

In a recent, impartial taste test, OraMD had been described as:

“OraMD leaves my mouth tasting fresh, clean and revitalized. It feels like I just got out of the dentist chair!!”

In the exact same recent test, OramPLUS had been described as

“It has a taste that is better than toothpaste, but does not leave my mouth feeling clean. I could not help but feel that OramPLUS tasted like white gumdrops”

Shipping expenses – are you having to pay too much, and is your purchase secure in transit?

OraMD is a namesake and product belonging to Trusted Health Products. THP is a business based out of Lexington, Kentucky. All of their goods are manufactured on location, and shipped out through the United States Postal Service. THP’s local customers—anyone that lives in North America, are charged a flat price of $2.95 for shipping, and their international customers are billed $8.95 for shipping and delivery.

All OraMD orders come in a corrugated cardboard container, and the containers are secured in the box with Styrofoam packing peanuts in order to ensure your item arrives in one piece. This container is rated for 200 lbs of pressure, as stated by Uline.

Oram Plus is a product of Call Nature. Located in the Uk, Call Nature charges $4.97 for International shipping, and includes local shipping for all European buyers.

Any purchase of Oram Plus coming from Call Nature is shipping in a bubble wrap packed shipping envelope, which will not prevent containers breaking during transit.

Quantity & Supply – preserving essential oils is essential

OraMD has NEVER been shipped in anything larger than a 15ml bottle. This is necessary when dealing with essential oils. Each container is going to last anywhere from 4-6 weeks. If a consumer desires more OraMD, they obtain more small bottles, not one larger bottle. A sealed bottle of OraMD, they ship all products with a tamper proof cap, has a shelf life of three years, so stock piling product when it is on sale is fine!

Oram Plus ships individual bottles of their product in 11ml glass bottles, AND a 64ml glass container, which is meant to be a 6 month supply. It is vital that essential oils are kept in a smaller bottle, as each time they are subjected to the air they lose a bit of their potency. It is safe to say that a 64ml bottle would be much less potent over time than several smaller containers.

Both companies implement an internal dropper to help protect freshness of the product; however in a side by side comparison, OraMD flows relatively easy from the bottle, where as with Oramplus, the dropper seems to have a weak flow, and actually had to be removed during a taste testing session in order to get to the oil.

Credibility and customer service – two things that are one in the same

Trusted Health Products was founded and established in 2001, carrying nine all natural health care products. In the nine years they have been in business, THP has attained an A+ Score from the Better Business Bureau, and has live, state side customer support available 24/7/365 by contacting either 1.888.423.7500 for callers in North America, and 0 1 859 277 0000 for international callers. THP features a very user friendly, easy to navigate web site, and implements industry leading security measures to protect their customer’s data.

Call Nature has been doing business since 2006, and has no business accreditations or recognition shown on their web page. The website is sloppily put together, and difficult to get around. If you have problems with the check out procedure or searching the page, the company has no client service contact number listed on the site, and also sends no phone number to you if you purchase the item, leaving you in the dark if you have issues or concerns.

Prices and guarantees – Money well invested, or overpriced hype?

OraMD offers two formulations of product – normal strength, and extra strength. The pricing per bottle is $22.97 and $39.97 respectively, and each product is available in five various packages, that offer quantity discounts for each bottle. If you want more than a month’s supply of OraMD, you purchase more than one bottle, that way the strength of your product is not sacrificed. It is obvious that the Trusted Health Products team is focused on getting you the most for your money. If at any point you are unhappy with your OraMD purchase during the first year, you can contact their 24/7/365 support desk and request a full refund with no headaches or gimmicks.

OramPLUS offers one formula, at a price of $39.97 per container. The best you can tell from the weak documentation on the site indicates that it is the equal to the OraMD regular strength. If you want more than a month source of Oramplus, you are forced to either buy more than one little container at normal price, OR, buy a bigger bottle at a discount that causes you to give up product strength and performance. If you purchase Oram Plus and find that you are not receiving the results you desire, you only have 90 days to ask for a return. Often times, with gum conditions, it is difficult to understand whether or not a product is working for at LEAST 90 days.

The conclusion – Time to make a choice

No matter the difference between OraMD and Oram Plus, the reality is clear : each product is a better alternative than conventional, chemical laden toothpaste. However, if you are planning to make the change to a system that is all-natural, you might as well choose the product that is scientifically formulated, comes with 40% more product per container or usage period, is shipped in a safer manner, arrives with a longer guarantee, offers 24/7/365 live client help, has a proven track record of success…and oh yeah, it costs less too.

That product, is OraMD.

These programs vary state-by-state, so it’s important to check with your local government offices. However, many of the plans share similar qualifiers. Some groups of people that commonly qualify for low- or no-cost health coverage include:

1. Children and young adults under 19 years of age. Youth programs are common throughout the United States, and often include dental, vision and mental health or substance abuse counseling in addition to basic medical coverage.

2. Pregnant women. Available through Medicaid – and often through state departments of health – you can qualify depending on your income and family size.

3. Seniors 65 years of age and over. People in this category are usually covered by Medicare, a health insurance program of the federal government.

4. Disabled People. If you’re permanently disabled, there’s a good chance you can qualify for Medicare.

5. Immigrants Needing Emergency Care. If you have a medical emergency, you might be eligible for a state-funded Alien Emergency Medical Program (AEM) which can pay for your emergency care. To be eligible for most states’ AEMs, you must be low income, have an emergency medical condition, and be: under 18, or have dependent children, or be older than 64, or disabled, or pregnant.

In addition, many states and sometimes the federal government will cover your costs for specific medical procedures and/or services. These programs are often partnerships between state health departments and national organizations like the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. These services might include things like:
1. Mammograms
2. Pap Smears
3. End-Stage Renal Disease
4. Birth Control

As we’ve said before, programs like these vary state-by-state, so it’s important to check with your state or local health department.

If some one were to consider recommending that you used alternative remedies to cure a lot of your illnesses you might think they were stupid. For a long time medical science has been involved in an effort to discredit the use ofalternative remedies to achieve health and healing. In recent years many studies have been done to test whether there are any benefits to what is referred to asalternative remedies.

alternative remedies are now, often looked upon as being a lost art. It is simply the use of herbal remedies, or phytotherapy, and traditional methods to aid in healing and overall good health.Unorthodox Medicine and other natural forms of Healing have been used by every province in the world and long before the appearance of modern medicine. Even todayalternative remedies are widely used in countries like China and Korea. Unorthodox Medicine are often better than man-made medicine and rarely ever have side effects.

In ancient times shamans and medicine men performed the duties of a doctor. They passed their knowledge of natural healing methods to the next generation by training flunkies to continue their work.

With the arrival of the so-called modern medicine, health care professionals began to favor man-made medicines over Unorthodox Medicine. Many of them did not realize that the medicines they were administering to their patients were often based upon compounds found in natural herbs. Medicines such as aspirin, digitalis, codeine and quinine were all derived from traditional medicine.

If you are considering the possibility of learning to use more natural methods to treat your illnesses it is important that you be made aware of the fact that not all so-calledalternative remedies are what they claim to be. There are many companies promoting cure-all products that are designed to prey upon a person’s desire to decrease their dependency upon non-natural medicine. For this reason it is highly recommended that you research and study a natural remedy before beginning its use or practice.

The effectiveness and safety of natural remedies is studied by many institutions. The more research and studies that are carried out the morealternative remedies and natural treatments there are that are added to the catalog of accepted medicine. Of course, there are also some alternative remedies and treatments that are proven to be false.

Even though there are many herbal remedies available that have been well studied and documented, medical professionals will rarely recommend their use, but will instead dispense synthetic medicine. Remember that the big drug companies are getting rich selling man-made medicines. It is not in their best interest for people to become aware of natural medicines and to make use of them.

In many cases, Unorthodox Medicine should not be relied solely upon to treat your illnesses or conditions. In these cases you will want to supplement your medication with the use of herbs or other natural treatments. This will enable you to limit your overdependence on modern medicine and perhaps help you to avoid unwanted side effects.

Find out what nature intended for us and gain a happy life.

The holistic approach in medicine is mainly achieved through the complementary or alternative therapies and medicine. They provide the non-conventional ways to relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life. They include the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, oriental massage, ayurvedic medicines, homeopathic medicines and naturopathic medicines.

The holistic approach in medicine is based on holistic stimulus. Holistic stimulus is the stimulus to the body to persuade it to heal itself. That is, patient’s body is stimulated to continue with the job of healing.

There are many holistic stimuli in holistic approaches such as eating habits, stress release and regular exercise. Food is an important raw material for the body to regenerate itself. Hence a change in eating habits can result in major changes in health and amelioration of symptoms.

Stress is the main cause of many illnesses such as the irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers, chronic headaches and high blood pressure. Meditation, breathing techniques, relaxation tapes and autogenic training are some of the effective stress releasing techniques in holistic approaches.

Regular exercise usually results in an improvement in many of the symptoms and it also makes the patients feel fitter and vibrant in themselves. Yoga is one of the effective forms of physical education in holistic approach that stimulates heart, lungs, muscles and other internal organs of the body. Renewed energy and positive attitude are the essential holistic stimulus on the patient’s body to activate the healing processes in holistic approaches.

Holistic medicines are the wellness-based approaches in medicine and it usually involve the analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. In all these holistic approaches in medicine, patients play an important role in applying the holistic stimulus to them. Holistic approaches in medicine usually include all the modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery.

A holistic approach in medicine stresses on education and responsibility by personal efforts to achieve balance and well-being. While assessing patient’s body, holistic practitioners examine the nutritional status, exercise level, and environmental exposures of the patient. The aim of the holistic practitioner is to help the patient to find ways to become healthier and to enhance and strengthen the body’s immune system. In contrast, conventional medicines have focused more on the treatment of the disease and the symptoms rather than the treatment of the person as a whole.

With rising incidences of non-curable diseases and illnesses as diagnosed by conventional medicines, more and more people are keen to seek aholistic approach in medicine to healing. It is good to know that many have reported successes.

Specialized training in medical billing enables professionals who enter the field to better navigate the complicated world they will find themselves in. Dealing with medical professionals, insurance companies and patients is no easy undertaking, so solid knowledge can really help form the foundation for success.

Before most major facilities will hire a medical billing professional, they require applicants to obtain at least a minimal amount of training in the field. Since medical billing is not like other types of billing services, the need for this special training is absolutely present. Dealing with insurance companies and people who are sick, injured or otherwise feeling poorly is not like sending out a bill for anything else. Compassion, expertise and patience are required in this field as is an attention to detail.

Learning the medical billing field isn’t terribly difficult, but it does require patience, practice and time. There are programs available for training that can be found in schools across the country and even online. The keys to success in the field include knowledge of:

* Communication skills. A medical billing professional must be able to work with other medical professionals, patients, insurance companies and so on. Getting information correct and clearly conveying it will be vital.

* Interviewing skills. Asking questions is a part of the field. Communication, of course, falls in here, but interviewing techniques go above and beyond regular face-to-face discussions.

* Medical terms. With the myriad of conditions, ailments and procedures that can be billed for, understanding the terms is essential for a successful medical billing career.

* Coding. Medical billing tends to rely on a fairly complicated coding system that takes every condition and procedure and boils it down to numbers and letters. The codes are very important to understand and know inside out and backwards to accurately bill patients for services rendered. Insurance companies, too, rely on these codes and their accuracy for making sure what’s been performed falls in line with what’s necessary under different circumstance.

* Medical ethics. Part of the billing career involves handling patient information correctly and honestly. It also involves protecting confidential information at times. Billing experts must learn how to do this to protect their employers, their patients and themselves.

Learning how to become a medical billing expert requires a some specialized training and a willingness to work with people. The career can open doors for a great living and those who know their stuff are always in high demand. Unlike other clerical type careers, medical billing is specialized, and therefore, requires a particular brand of training and personality to undertake.

Of the different types of acne medicine that need a doctor’s prescription, antibiotics are probably the most commonly used. How they work though in the treatment of acne is not exactly clear. For example, when antibiotics are used in the treatment of an infection such as a pneumonia, their effect by killing bacteria is quickly seen. However, in acne, antibiotics may take up to two months to show any improvement. As a result, many people give up before the medicine has had time to work.

Antibiotics can be used both as topical acne medicine as well as systemic acne medicine.

When used as topical acne medicine, they do not work as well as those taken orally. This may be because they do not penetrate the skin very well. Topical antibiotics do work well in acne of mild to moderate degree. And most people prefer to apply an acne medicine than to take it by mouth. However, they have to be used even when the acne has disappeared. The acne medicine has to be withdrawn gradually to minimise the appearance of new spots.

Examples of antibiotics used in topical acne medicine include tetracycline and clindamycin. As they are alcohol-based medicines, they may sting the skin. Tetracycline also has an interesting effect in very fair-skinned people – it becomes fluorescent under ultraviolet light ! So be careful when you go to a disco after having applied the acne medicine !

Both types of acne medicine break down after six to eight weeks and have to be replaced. It takes about two months before any benefit is obvious.

Systemic acne medicine includes oral antibiotics. Common examples include the tetracyclines and erythromycin. Teracyclines as a systemic acne medicine have been used since the 1950′s. They have been tried and tested as acne medicines. They need to be given twice a day at the beginning until a response has been achieved. A further maintenance dose is then needed for as long as necessary. It takes as long as two to three months of using one type of acne medicine before making the decision to switch if if does not work. These drugs are not well absorbed and have to be taken on empty stomachs. Perhaps the worst news of all is that in spite of taking these acne medicines twice a day for several months, the best that can be achieved is suppression of the acne. Thus, they need to be taken until the disease goes into natural remission. This may mean being on acne medicines for six to twelve months. Some may need to be on it for even longer.

Erythromycin as a systemic acne medicine is a very useful drug. It has an excellent safety record and can be used in pregnant women. Unfortunately, if it is taken for more than a week, it can cause bacteria in the gut to become resistant to the antibiotic. Using erythromycin as an acne medicine may thus render it ineffective for more serious illness.

Antibiotics are known to be very effective as acne medicine. How they work is not exactly clear. Those with troublesome acne who consult their doctor are most likely to be given antibiotics in some form for treatment of their acne.
(ArticlesBase ID #181046)

Source: articlesbase.com

Author: Alan King

After a long day on your feet, knee pain sufferers know that their knees are going to be killing them. When your knees are sore you want easy relief, you want to be able to feel it right away. There are several things you can do to get simple, no-fuss reprieve from knee pain. Don’t you wish there was a list of these knee pain remedies that you could easy reference when your knee joints are throbbing? Luckily for you, there is!

1. Give your knees plenty of rest. If you know that your knees are a touchy subject, avoid those activities that you know aggravate the pain. I know it may be hard to opt to sit out on a game of hoops with your buddies, but if you suspect it will cause more harm than good, sit it out this time. This requires actively listening to your body and its needs before your knees are hurting.
2. Invest in a better pair of shoes. Don’t underestimate the importance of a good pair of supportive sneakers. If you are always wearing the latest style of high heels to work, it may be contributing to your knee pain. I’m not suggesting a pair of frumpy nurse shoes necessarily, but don’t sacrifice comfort for style. There are several name-brand shoes that specialize in both.
3. Ice – The tried and true is still the best. Ice is a great remedy for knee pain. It provides comfort, or at least numbs and deadens pain, and it also helps reduce swelling. Keep several of those squishy blue reusable icepacks in your freezer for when your knee pain flares up. Wrap the icepack in a thin flannel or dishcloth so it is more comfortable against the skin.
4. Begin exercising on a cushioned surface. Instead of running on the street for exercise, consider an indoor track. Often, the indoor track will be made of rubber that will aid in cushioning your knee joints. If you like to walk, consider walking on the grass instead of the pavement.
5. Get some support. I don’t mean the emotional kind, although that couldn’t hurt. A good supportive knee brace can help alleviate knee pain. Be careful when selecting one that is supportive but not too tight. If the brace is too tight it may actually cause more damage by forcing the joint into an unnatural position.
6. Warm up and stretch. Both before exercise and before you go to sleep, warming the muscles with heat (as long as you are sure you don’t have any swelling) is a good way to relax knee pain and prevent injury. Stretching is an excellent way to promote flexibility and strength in your legs.
7. Take a pain reliever. You may assume I left the simplest for last, and you’d be right. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory is an easy way to reduce your knee pain. Doctors recommend ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and swelling in joints. It’s usually gentle on the stomach in small doses, and recent studies indicate that it may be better for knee pain in the long term as well.

Now that you have this simple list of fuss-free knee pain remedies, get to it! Try a few from the list and see how well incorporating even just one or two of these ideas will help your pain disappear.

Source: articlesbase.com ]]> http://mdpafba.org/2009/07/7-easy-knee-pain-remedies/feed/ 0 http://mdpafba.org/2009/07/good-oral-care-means-a-regular-old-fashioned-brushing-and-dental-flossing/ http://mdpafba.org/2009/07/good-oral-care-means-a-regular-old-fashioned-brushing-and-dental-flossing/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:58:47 +0000 admin http://mdpafba.org/?p=139 Author: Abigail Franks

Face it, as we age, our teeth become worn and dull. One way to limit the dull look is to take control and develop a consistent oral hygene regimen. This effort should include brushing your teeth regularly with a quality, soft bristle toothbrush and the use of dental floss. Nothing else can do more for your overall outlook than a healthy and clean mouth.

Over time and through use, we wear down the protective enamel or outer coating of our teeth. Like almost anything else that ages, this leads to a worn and less then beautiful smile. Unfortunately, this wearing away of the enamel also creates small ridges where food and beverages act to discolor your teeth.

You can decrease your chances of having tooth decay by cleaning your teeth on a regular basis. Chronic gingivitis (bleeding gum disease) will heal as long as you are able to keep plaque under control. For some adults however, the buildup and retention of plaque is much more of a problem. For some reason, plaque seems to adhere much better to their teeth and builds up quickly even if brushing and flossing regularly. .

Your daily diet is one of the numerous contributing factors to plaque, and also the consistency of your diet. Good oral care demands a proper brushing of your teeth at least twice and preferably three times a day. Of course, dental care professionals have recommended brushing after every meal or snack.

It’s also important to remember to brush properly in order to remove plaque. The elderly and children often need to use utensils other than a simple toothbrush to do this. Plaque cannot be “prevented” necessarily; but it can be “controlled” by simply brushing correctly and brushing often. If you have a constant bad build up of plaque, you should probably consider one of the more popular sonic type toothbrushes. These do a great job at controlling plaque build up though are quite a bit more expensive than a regular toothbrush.

You should know that when there are a variety of home oral care tools to choose from these days. Sometimes people having hand eye coordination difficulties may benefit from a simple electric toothbrush. These handly gizmos are also great for older folks who might have problems with holding their hand up to use a regular toothbrush. Kids are another group that an electric toothbrush might help to get the job of oral hygeine done correctly in the least amount of time. Remember that there are a variety of tools that are used to clean hard to reach areas: dental floss that come in a variety of types like waxed, non-waxed, flat, round and textured, with baking soda, with fluoride and flavored. There’s also dental floss holders. These items can be found at drug stores, grocery stores or through medical supply stores.

There are many benefits to brushing and flossing your teeth. First and foremost, you can help prevent tooth decay by this practice. Brushing and flossing also prevent gum disease, which is a primary agent in decaying and lost teeth.

So now you see that dental cleaning is not only a practice in the dental office, but also at home in your own bathroom. Good oral care helps contribute to your overall health by promoting upkeep and maintenance. A good Tooth brushing and use of a quality floss will keep dental plaque and other debris from becoming stuck between and on your teeth.

Source: articlesbase.com