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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder that features patterns of unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). The obsessions and compulsions frustrate daily activities and cause great distress. OCD does not go away on its own but can be resolved by seeking treatment. OCD in Rancho Cucamonga provides you with the best treatment plan to prevent OCD from disrupting your day-to-day life.

What Are the Common Obsession Symptoms?

OCD obsessions are recurrent, persistent and unwanted urges or thoughts that are intrusive and cause anxiety and distress. These obsessions often intrude when you are trying to think of something else or when going about your activities.

You often find yourself ignoring the obsessions or getting rid of them by performing compulsive behaviors or rituals. The intrusive thoughts are not often settled by reasoning or logic. Typical obsessions include:

• An excessive concern of dirt and contamination
• A great need for exactness or symmetry
• Horrific or aggressive thought about harming yourself or others
• Unwanted thoughts involving religious or sexual subjects

Obsessive symptoms include fear of being contaminated by objects touched by others and intense stress when objects are disorderly. Doubts of not having locked the door or turning off the stove, for instance, are also obsession symptoms of OCD.

What Are the Common Compulsion Symptoms?

Compulsions are recurrent behaviors or mental acts that you feel driven to carry out in response to obsessions. Such behaviors are aimed at reducing or preventing the distress caused by a fearful situation or obsession.

In severe cases, the constant repetition of specific behaviors or rituals may be the order of the day. Although the compulsions bring some relief to your worry, they make it difficult for you to have a normal routine. Examples of compulsion symptoms include:

• A thorough cleaning to eliminate germs and dirt that will contaminate you. To the extent of spending hours washing yourself or cleaning your surroundings.
• Repeating certain tasks in order to dispel anxiety. You may find yourself uttering a name or phrase repeatedly to guard against fear.
• Constantly checking yourself or your surroundings. For instance, to confirm whether you have locked the door or turned off the stove.
• Thorough arrangement of items in order to reduce discomfort. You may find that you put certain objects, such as books or household items, in a particular order.
• Mental compulsions characterized by activities such as shouting obscenities or murmuring phrases to reduce anxiety.

When Should You See a Doctor?

As soon as you realize that you are unable to control unwanted thoughts or urges, chances are you may have OCD. You should consult a healthcare provider if such thoughts take up at least an hour of your day.

You should see a doctor immediately if you notice interference of your daily activities by your fears, thoughts or responses. A psychological evaluation of your fears, feelings, obsessions, and compulsions will then be done.

The diagnosis process may also involve a physical exam to ascertain whether your symptoms are caused by a health condition. Blood tests may also be done to check your blood count and to examine drugs or alcohol in your body system.

 

Different cosmetic dentistry procedures can help to improve the appearance of your mouth, teeth, and smile. The procedures are also used to treat patients with teeth that are chipped, discolored, misaligned, stained, or broken. A team of professionals at PK Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is helping the residents of Sterling, Virginia, to achieve good oral health care.

Here are the common cosmetic dentistry procedures that the practitioners perform.

Composite Bonding

Composite bonding involves the use of materials that resemble your tooth enamel to repair discolored teeth. It is a cost-effective procedure that can help to cover the damaged teeth effectively. When performing the procedure, the dentist drills out the decayed tooth then applies composite on the gap before molding it into the right shape. Finally, the composite is cured using a high-intensity light.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is the cheapest and most common cosmetic dentistry procedure. It involves cleaning of teeth that are stained or discolored by food debris, plaque, or tartar. Depending on the level of discoloration, your dentist can decide to use different bleaching agents like strips and gels.

Not every person with stained teeth is a candidate for teeth whitening procedure. Before you undergo the process, your dentist will investigate the health of your teeth and tell you if you qualify.

To avoid tooth discoloration, you should avoid habits like chewing or smoking tobacco and ensure that you regularly brush and floss your teeth.

Indirect Filings

These are also called inlays and onlays. They are made from materials like composite, gold, or porcelain. This procedure involves filling decayed teeth with dental fillings, which are manufactured in dental laboratories. They are called onlays when the fillings cover the biting surface and inlays when the material is bonded at the center of the tooth.

Cosmetic Dental Crowns

Crowns are also called caps and are made of porcelain or acrylic fused with metal to enable it to withstand pressure when biting. If you have teeth that are broken, chipped, or severely decayed, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist for this procedure.

Dental Implants

When you suffer accidental tooth loss, your dentist may recommend a dental implant. It can be challenging to differentiate a dental implant from a real tooth. The dentist inserts a titanium metal inside the jaw, which supports the crown.

During the implant placement period, ensure that you practice diligent oral hygiene to prevent debris build-up.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are made out of porcelain and composite materials. They help to treat conditions like discolored, chipped, and crooked teeth, as well as large spaces in between the teeth. Dentists perform this procedure by cementing the custom on the front side of the teeth.

Gum Reshaping

If your teeth appear too short or your gum line is irregular, you should have a gum shaping procedure done. The process involves the removal of excess bone tissue from your jaw.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are permanent structures that are used to replace one or several teeth. In this procedure, the dentist places crowns alongside the gap, then attaches an artificial tooth that is held in place by dental cement.

If you have crooked teeth, decayed teeth, or teeth that have been severely damaged, you should seek the appropriate cosmetic dentistry procedure to a stunning smile. Ensure that you choose the right dentist to achieve brilliant results!

The answers to hyperpigmentation are generally easier than most patients think. The pigment is what colors the skin; hyperpigmentation comes from more melanin than the body needs. It causes patches of skin or the nails to be darker in color. This condition can happen to all people no matter what their skin type, but is more prominent in people with darker skin. It is not a dangerous condition and instead requires monitoring for any abnormal changes along with special considerations like Rock Hill acne scar treatment.

What Types Exist And What Causes The Condition?

There are several types of hyperpigmentation like inflammatory hyperpigmentation, age spots, and melasma. Certain types of hyperpigmentation come from an injury such as a burn or an illness; sun damage is a major cause for the diagnosis. Skin inflammation and illnesses also contribute to this condition. Acne and lupus are two of the unlikely causes that still make an impact on the patient’s skin type. Other diseases that are connected to this skin condition are Addison’s disease and Cushing’s disease; these diseases deal with hormones. Sometimes laser use on the skin can bring on hyperpigmentation. Certain medications can also cause this to happen to a person’s skin. It often falls on the prescribing doctor to decide if the overall benefits outweigh any possible issues that could arise from selected doses.

Diagnosis

A doctor will assess your medical history first to see if this condition has appeared among any relatives. There will be an examination of the skin as well as a complete physical to find any underlying causes. After the exam, the doctor will look at the skin with a blacklight to better assess the current state of the outer layer of the skin itself. There may be a biopsy of the hyperpigmentation sent to a lab for testing. The pigment of a person’s skin influences what treatment options are chosen and the initial diagnosis plays an important role in this decision.

Treatments

One thing a doctor will tell someone to start with is to avoid the sun; if a person has to be outside they need a sunscreen of 30SPF or higher. Creams and lotions will lighten certain dark patches and these options can be bought over the counter or by prescription from a doctor. Anything from this category of products has ingredients like retinoids and acids to assist in the lightening. It needs to be used at least once a day. Patients with age spots are good candidates to use the creams and lotions.

Other treatments are done by a doctor in their office. A chemical peel uses stronger acids than over the counter ones and goes deeper than other treatments. These options have to be used with care because they make the skin more sensitive to the sun and could make things worse if not managed in conjunction with other conditions. Laser therapy or skin resurfacing can offer relief from hyperpigmentation; this treatment takes off layers of the skin. Intense pulsating light therapy is good for changes in pigmentation. The IPL is a form of laser therapy and is limited due to its intensity.