3D Printers Hard at Work in Dental Labs

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Though 3D printing has come into the strong limelight in recent years, it’s a technological innovation that can actually be traced back several decades into the past. Initially, in the 80s, what we know today as the 3D printer was referred to as a Rapid Prototyping technology.

While initially only designed to create prototypes for working products, hence the name, these prototyping technologies developed into powerhouses for the future of high-tech manufacturing. Today, the 3D printing industry has grown palatable to even dentistry professionals.

3D printing’s contribution to the dental industry has been made all the more possible due to the increased efficiency of CAD software. With CAD software, 3D software users have the ability to take raw scan data for any dentistry tool, such as dental flossers, and have a working implement by the end of the day.

These machines have proven themselves to be highly accurate and dependable in more industries than one, and the dental industry just so happens to be one that stands to benefit even more than most from the possibilities.

In the most ideal scenarios, dental patients have access to a full range of freely adjustable metrics to customize the exact specifications of their most-needed orthodontic applications.

Every different patient has their own unique needs for the right kind of dental treatment based on their personal dental needs, which makes the precision of 3D printing stand out as a significant advantage for the patient-focused care.

To begin most dentistry-focused 3D printing products, there has to be an initial oral scanning process. Thanks to a thorough scanning process, every crown and bridge gets produced with perfect consideration of the precise fitting needs for the patient in question.

In the past, it might have been necessary for dental labs to go through an extensive processing of modeling patients’ teeth completely manually. While it was certainly feasible for patients’ teeth to be manually molded before, the capability of undergoing such a process digitally leaves a much smaller margin of error in general.

While these orthodontic applications are being produced, the overall labor load on the dental industry is being lifted at the same time. The heavy lifting made possible by 3D printing for creating state of the art applications gives the industry much more leg room to focus heavier manpower in other areas without sacrificing too much efficiency in the process; quite the opposite, as a matter of fact.

More than one 3D printing manufacturer has stepped up to the plate in order to advance 3D printing tools for the next level of dental industry proficiency. Axsys, a prominent dental industry CAD manufacturer, has made the announcement of a Reseller Agreement with DWS Systems, a manufacturer of many different 3D printing materials.

In addition to the Reseller Agreement with DWS Systems, Axsys has also announced ambitions to release a special dfab 3D printing system. With the system, there are hopes that patients can be given the effects of long-term dental restorations with just a one-time appointment.

Healthy eating????

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junk foodHow many times in your life have you ever heard someone talk about going or being on some kind of diet? Oh man if I only had a nickel for every time right? Well, I can sit here and tell you to try all these fad diets and I promise that you will get short term results. And you will get them fast too. Why may you ask? Well, your body is very good at adapting to change. Think of summer time. When you get out in the sun what happens to your skin? It gets darker right? The more you are out there in the light and the longer the more that your skin will adapt to the sunlight. Well, eating is very similar. If all you eat is junk food 24/7 and then starts eating whole foods your body will adjust and adopt to that too.

Whenever someone ask how to eat healthy or what is healthy eating I first like to know what is there goal that they are wanting. Now like many people out there all I wanted was to have the six pack abs and biceps. But now I’m all about the bass no tremble. Just kidding. I more about being healthy overall. Whenever you do a long term fad diet your body will suffer. And suffering is never a good thing right? Doesn’t sound good to me. Because the person whole is 6 percent body fat may not be as healthy as the guy who is 25 percent fat going to eat some DQ.

Now I’m not saying that you have to be a little chubby to be healthy or ripped up like a Greek god either. Lets really think about this. Does a professional bodybuilder look like a really healthy person to you? Um well, not to me he doesn’t. That being said does someone who weighs 300 pounds and eats Little Debbie cakes nonstop look healthy either? No! There needs to be a balance between the two obviously. Working out all the time and eating just lean meats and veggies isn’t the healthy way to live. Even though mainstream media tells you that is how it should be. I do think that eating all that is good but not all the time. Your body needs a little bit of junk food from time to time. Why do you think there are so many diets out there that have a “refeed” day?

Just a little food for thought. So eat junk? Don’t eat junk? Eat only whole foods? Well, I once heard a very wise man say everyone out there that eats only kale needs a little junk food in their life. And all the junk food junkies need a little a kale in their lives too.

Tips for Men to Look Taller Without Being Obvious

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While we often fear it will make us seem narcissistic to admit, we care about the way we look. There is a lot of awareness of the way women feel when it comes to body shaming and appearances, but men, too, feel the pressure. However, men often feel the need to hide their desire to look their best. One trait many men crave is height, and this is hardwired into our biology. It’s theorized this is because the taller a man is, the more dominant and assertive he appears to potential mates and competitors.

If you feel you could stand to benefit from a taller appearance, you likely have never imagined a day when you could actually attain the dream. After all, what would you have to do, stretch yourself? There are a few tips you can employ to give you a taller appearance to increase your overall self-esteem.

Analyze Your Wardrobe

shirts-428618_640The clothes you choose to wear every day make a difference in how tall you look. If you’re dedicated to appearing taller for the long-term, it’s time to take an inventory of your wardrobe. This is because horizontal lines can make us appear shorter. It may be time to rid yourself of anything containing such patterns and replacing them with vertical alternatives. Just a few ideas include:

  • Pleats
  • Vertical zippers
  • Pinstripes

It’s theorized the reasoning for this perception is because, when viewing horizontal lines, the eye tends to focus on the width of a person while vertical lines accentuate height.

Posture Correctors

flexguard-2A great tool that can both make you look taller and provide health benefits has been within your reach and you never knew it. Posture correctors are devices you wear underneath your regularly clothing, and they cause you to automatically assume correct posture. This deters you from slouching, which can add more than you may realize. Aside from increasing your height, you can also take advantage of:

  • Decrease in back pain
  • More positive outlook on life
  • Higher energy levels

When it comes to finding quality posture aids for men, you have all the tools you need at the tip of your fingers. Reviews are available for you to take advantage of that allow you to hear real feedback from customers. Not only can this help you avoid a bad product, but it can also enlighten you of features that will be specifically beneficial to you.

Avoid the Baggy Look

guy-1722863_640Fashion statements come and go, and baggy clothes are a preferred choice for many men. Not only do they allow for more ease in movement, but they also offer an increased level of comfort for some. However, it’s important to keep in mind how these garments can make you appear to the outside world. Baggy clothing can make you appear to be lost within them, and this certainly does no good for your height. Instead, opt for clothes with a more snug fit without being overly tight.

Living the Life You Deserve

We all want to do what we can to achieve the most in life, and it’s generally understood that hard work and determination can prove beneficial in positive advancements. However, we all too often overlook the fact that positive body image has been shown to increase productivity. You have only one life to live, and you deserve to spend yours enjoying every moment to its fullest. Whether you’ve long been self-conscious of your height or just like the idea of adding an inch or two to your appearance, these tips can help you achieve that goal.

Travel Hacks to Increase the Quality of Any Trip

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We live in an exciting day and age where oceans have become ponds when it comes to travel. We can travel nearly anywhere on the globe in just hours, and this has given us the ability to substantially increase our potential as a race. However, travel can become tiring, and, especially for those frequently on the road, the thought of home can be a haunting memory no hotel room could ever replicate. Whether you’re preparing for an upcoming vacation or have yet another business trip around the corner, there are three travel hacks you should consider that can increase the quality of any trip.

1. Sleep Like a King in Any Hotel

hotel-roomHotels go with the territory when it comes to travel, and the quality levels of these establishments vary. One thing they often have in common, however, is the fact that the mattress you’ll be using likely isn’t of the same quality as the one you enjoy at home.

Imagine the ability to make any bed feel just like home. You can do just that when you invest in mattress toppers. These devices are manufactured to accommodate a wide array of comfort levels, and you can find one with the extra cushion you need to ensure proper back support so you’re not out of commission on your holiday.

2. Don’t Compromise On Your Diet

fastfood-mealsThere are a number of reasons why you might gain a few pounds while on vacation. From the fact that you’ll likely increase your fast-food intake to a lack of proper hydration and more, this can cause a number of problems that ultimately decrease the overall quality of the trip including:

  • Lack of focus and energy
  • Increased risk of the development of illness
  • Difficulty falling and staying asleep

In order to maximize the enjoyment of your trip, plan ahead and bring healthful snacks such as raisins and energy bars. You should also take the time to avoid the urge you’ll likely have to splurge on unhealthful meals by creating a strict food budget. You’re more likely to stick to it if you make it as detailed as possible. You could even consider putting all the food money you plan on using on a designated debit card to better ensure you don’t go over your predetermined limit.

3. Invest in Entertainment

travelmateNo matter where you’re headed, the fact remains that you’ll have to spend time in travel. Whether traveling alone or with the family, you will encounter moments of complete boredom. In order to better enjoy this time, consider investing in equipment to keep you entertained through every step of the trip. Just a few things you could consider buying include:

  • High-end headphones
  • Portable DVD player
  • E-book mobile device

Making the Most of Every Trip

According to the Air Transport Action Group, more than three billion passenger utilized the services of airlines all over the world in 2013 alone. No matter what your reason for travel, it must be acknowledged that the ability to travel the world with such freedom and ease is a unique blessing a very small percentage of human beings as a whole have experienced. In order to make the most of this exciting advantage, these three tips can help increase your overall comfort and allow you to truly take advantage of this unique ability to travel the world.

My Trip to Orange Beach Alabama w/ travel tips

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At the furthest point south there is a little known vacation spot that few people know about outside of the southern states surrounding it. While on a business trip to Orange Beach in Alabama I discovered that the best beaches aren’t only in Florida. It didn’t take me long to find out that this was a really great place to kick back and relax.

The Alabama beach line isn’t very long. If you exclude Mobile the beach stretches from Fort Morgan to Florabama at the state line. That whole area in between is filled with some of the best seafood and luxury beachfront condominiums in the area. During my stay I found that Florida has been the name everybody thinks of when they think beach vacation or spring break. You might have heard of Panama City. It’s because of this that Florida cities have become more run down from the wear and tear that thousands of 18 year olds can inflict. I’m going to share a secret with you. Orange beach and Gulf Shores are basically right next door and are virtually unknown to the spring breakers. This stretch of beach is more family oriented, clean, and classy. If you have kids and just want to relax this is the place.

Normally I take about two trips a month building a future for my business. I have seen a lot of great places and every once in a while I can talk my wife into going along. I’m not sure why but I didn’t really have to talk her into this one. She started packing as soon as I said beach.

We arrived at our condo in Orange Beach on Saturday and it seemed pretty calm. We notice on the way down that there were tons of people going the same way that we were. We drove down through Pensacola and were caught up in a bottleneck for about fifteen miles. That last stretch took us about an hour because traffic was only moving about ten miles an hour.

Apparently condos are rented in weekly cycles from Saturday to Saturday. Everybody comes in at the same time and the weekends can be pretty insane. You can tell when the house people come in on the weekend. Lines at the restaurant lines double in size. If you want to avoid the big weekend crowds come during the week.

The Best Condo in Orange Beach

There are many different kinds of condos and what is best for you may not be the best for someone else. We stayed at The Turquoise Place for 3 nights and loved every minute of it. Some people want to stay in a place that is nice but won’t break the bank. Lei Lani is mostly owned by people just like you and me. They rent out their condos in week blocks for a decent price and the condos are really pretty nice. If you look around enough you will find something that is perfect for you and your budget. Here’s a helpful tip for you: look on VRBO.com and find a condo that looks good to you. Then google the name and condo number and read the reviews for that condo on other sites. You can get a ton of good info this way.

Best Place to Eat in Orange Beach

While we were in Orange Beach we heard about a place the locals like to go called Docs. We decided to go ahead and try it and boy were we glad we did. The food was superb. The only thing that we didn’t like so much was how worn out and dirty it looked. We went at 5:30 and that was a mistake.

Here’s a helpful hint for eating out when you’re at the beach: Be at the restaurant at 4 or 430 and you will get a table right away. Wait later than that and you will wait at least an hour.

For our second night at the beach we chose to eat at Cobalt which is right next to Perdido Pass. It has an awesome view and even better food. It was our favorite of the trip. Even though she had a terrible headache she still loved it. It was very special to her. On our third night we went to The Hangout and wished that we hadn’t. That was awful. The music was way too loud and there was just way too much going on. Oh and the parking was terrible too. The Hangout is definitely not recommended. Gulf shores has great places to eat as well. If you decide to take the short drive over to Gulf Shores I recommend stopping at The Oyster House. The food is fantastic!

Fun things to do in Orange Beach

This might sound childish but my wife and I took a dolphin cruise after dinner at the Cobalt. We chartered a boat that a fellow writer had recommended. He told us that they had taken their two year old son for a cruise. When they arrived for the cruise they found that they were the only ones. The owner, Captain Bart and his wife, took them out even though they were the only customers. Captain Bart knew he wasn’t going to make enough to even cover the gas cost but he took them anyway. He even let their son sit in the Captains seat and pretend he was driving. He slept like a baby that night, with a big ole smile on his face.

There are many things that you can do at the beach that we didn’t do. You can rent a boat or a pontoon boat that has water slides if you want. You can parasail if you have a death wish. I would like to do some deep sea fishing next time we go. We will be going back. There is much more to do but not enough time to cover everything. Go explore!

Driving

There are only three ways into the area. Through Pensacola, through Gulf Shores, or across the new toll bridge in Gulf Shores. The toll bridge is much faster, but will cost you a few bucks. That’s what I recommend doing.

Over all our entire trip was really good. I didn’t have enough time to write in as much detail as I would like, but I do plan on continuing later on. I have more tips that will make your stay more pleasant, and less of a pain in the neck please put it in the comments below.

iPhone Unlock: What You Need To Know

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To unlock iPhone gadgets can be costly, that is why it is best to make sure that once you strike a deal with a company to unlock your iPhone, you best be critical about it.

I had a recent chat with a friend who loves technology and her iPhone. She always makes it a point to blog about her new gadgets, not just because she wants to impress readers on how she could afford expensive new tech, but because she herself sometimes becomes a victim of different scams and fraudulent activities that supposedly involve new ways of “improving” gadgets for “free.”

As a means of imparting the lessons she had to learn the hard way, she would blog about it and inform as much people as she can. She believes that the more she talks about her gadgets and experiences, the more people can be informed.

The latest encounter she had was when she came across a site that offered to unlock iPhone networks. She was ecstatic, because she has been planning to switch service provider, but her iPhone 4 is “locked,” therefore, she can’t  actually change provider that easily.

The site that claims to unlock iPhone gadgets  offer a “cheaper” price. Her desire to have her phone unlocked overpowered her capability to review everything first before jumping into the deal.

So, she had her phone undergo the process for iPhone unlocking and just waited. When she got it back, it was working fine at first. Until after 3 days, the phone won’t recognize her new number. Apparently, the “experts” who unlocked her phone, did not do a very good job. When she tried to complain, they just told her that she’ll have to pay the fee again if she wants the work re-done.

In the end, the encounter was a waste of money. She was so hooked and happy because it was cheaper, only to end up spending for nothing, which is worse than spending more for a better service.

To comfort her from the awful feeling of being scammed, I gave her a link to a site that list iPhone unlocking experts who could actually get the job done right. She chose one that the blog rated the highest, and after a couple of days, she got her iPhone back, no more problems.

When you are in the Internet and you search for legitimate services, it is very difficult to directly put your faith in the first page that pops out the search. There are lots of ways to get people to believe that a site is legitimate and there is no stopping their capacity to do that. What we can do is be more vigilant about it, which my friend had to learn the hard way.

Her story is already up on her blog and a lot of people who came across it are thanking her for warning fellow internet users, as well as for providing the same link I gave her.

Hopefully, more people become more wary about who to trust in the internet, and to be more responsible when it comes to handling gadgets. These things do not come cheap, and it would be such a waste of resources to ruin your gadget because of bad investment.

5 Tips For Successful Business Travel

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Being a business writer/reporter, my work regularly involves travelling to various commercial hubs around the globe to cover various happenings in the business/finance sector. Like many other authors and speakers, I get more than my share of planes and runways.

Here are my top five tips for a successful business trip to any corner of the world – youíll find that they are quite universal, because at the end of the day, it is travel after all.

Tip #1: Be germ proof

sink-400276_640Air planes can be a nexus for viruses and bacteria, but you can stop the germs dead in their tracks with just an ounce of protection. Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer handy along with a Bacitracin tube. After you have sanitized your hands, dab a small amount of Bacitracin on your finger, using it to coat the inside of both nostrils. This is a physician recommended way to ward off germ invasions.

Tip #2: Eat sensibly

I’ve got three rules for eating at airports. First off, see where the airline staff e.g. pilots, attendants, etc. are dining and follow their lead. Secondly, opt for protein instead of carbs since they take longer for your body to digest and burn, and so will keep you full longer. Thirdly, always prefer bottled water over beverages such as soda and alcoholic drinks.

Tip #3: Stay linked

For people who travel quite a bit, and have to use their laptops along the way, Iíll recommend a USB wireless broadband modem. Having used it myself, I can vouch for its effectiveness. You wonít have to deal with the hassle of finding WiFi connectivity and user credentials at every stop. The wireless modem can run off any cell phone signal so you can use it anywhere while incurring only a monthly fee. It might be expensive as compared to regular WiFi hotspots, but it is definitely the more convenient option.

Tip #4: How to beat jet lag

plane-841441_640To combat the fatigue that comes from long distance travel across multiple time zones, youíll need to focus on three things, time, food and light:

  • Time: Make your body think that youíre in your destinationís time zone by setting your watch to its time as soon as you get on the plane. Try to catch some sleep if it will be night time at your destination.
  • Food: Consume less, if they offer you food, eat only half of what youíre served. It is a much better idea to eat a full meal at your destination.
  • Light: Even if youíre super fatigued when you land, donít snooze off until it gets dark. Watch a movie to stay awake. But if itís dark when you land, go to sleep even if you donít feel tired.

Tip #5: Enjoy as you go

But with all your business related travel, you may forget the sense of adventure and thrill normally associated with travelling. Iím a senior business author so Iím not bound by a company policy to get in, get the work done and get out ASAP; I avail this freedom to occasionally explore the places I visit – if the place Iím going is famous for its bike trails, Iíll stay a day or two extra and get myself recharged with some exercise and fresh air. This doubles as a vacation for me since my job doesnít leave much room for dedicated leisure trips around the globe! Even if you canít do this, try to find some time from your trip to explore the local sights and sounds so your mind is refreshed and ready for serious work.

How My Gout Attack Led Me To Avail Funeral Insurance

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As I read back on my choice of title for this article, I am enlightened that it has, by far, the scariest title, among all my blog post.

What can I say? A scared soul holds nothing in and lets everything out.

So, I was in my usual “in-the-zone” moment, staring into walls and suddenly typing whatever pops into my brain. This is how I start off on writing a new story for a book. I just let it flow and just space out from my reality, and enter another world, purely made up of my imagination.

Suddenly, felt pain in my knuckles. I have been feeling that sensation for quite some time already, and I thought it was just fatigue. However, that particular moment, the pain just seared through and it was unbearable for a moment.

Then for the next hour, the pain would come and go like an indecisive woman. I just could not handle it anymore that I went to see a a doctor.

Turns out, I had gout. Yes, Gout.

I did my little research and here are a few things I found out:

Gout comes from the Latin and old French words gutta and gote respectively, both meaning “drop”. This etymology does not run far from what gout is. Gout is the “dropping” of uric acid deposits into the joints of the body as they circulate through the blood. When these deposits accumulate into a significant amount and forms needle-like structures called urates, gout attacks start and the pain begins.

Most of the time, the first attack of gout happens in the joint of the big toe. However, these attacks can occur in all other jointed areas of the body, including the ankles, the knees, the elbows, the fingers, the heels, the wrist and even the pelvic area for severe cases.

As I dig deeper, finding out causes of gout and how I could prevent it in the future, I came across a study on its mortality rate, and I just got scared.

I know there are a lot of things that can cause death, but for some reason, my kind of gout, as diagnosed by my doctor, just seemed too scary for other regular gouts. Add the fact that it rarely occurs on women, yet it occurred to me.

In that spur of the moment, scared for my life, I ended up from browsing gout to browsing on insurances, so that I can have options to compare health insurance policies with.

I checked out some websites, searching for the health insurance that does not spell “scam” across their terms and fine prints. I finally got into Aussie Insurance Critic, where their name and reputation as insurance critics, has made them all the more favorable candidate for claiming insurances.

I called them, I inquired, and ended up availing all kinds of insurances for very reasonable rates, including funeral insurance.

You all might think it’s funny how things escalated rather quickly, but I know I won’t be laughing in the long run when all of it pays off for me.

I’d rather be safe than sorry, so I recommend you do the same. Especially if you have been having gout, or any other form of illness for that matter. Because I tell you, starting your preparations now for a shakedown with future illnesses is a great advantage.

How Technology Helps in Cleaning Homes

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imagesThere are next best things to a self-cleaning house that may help you do your job easily. These things are all powered up with the latest technology could offer and they will definitely make everything easy. Although these things will make your life easier, there might be a need for you to maintain it well to make these technology work at its best. There are self-propelling housecleaners offered today that will provide everything you need in cleaning your house. These housecleaners are iRobot and Neato. These cleaners will make your home free from dust and dirt and you can live a comfortable life with it.

iRobot’s Roomba cleaner is now recognized to be one of the best housecleaners today in the market. It revolutionized its power to automatically clean your house with the controls you provide it. It is now the number one automatic technology in the cleaning industry. Such device can clean from one room to another no matter how little this device is. It can vacuum different walls, floors, carpets and even walls in just few minutes.

As year goes by, it becomes more and more powerful and light to use. The device is known to contain enough amount of dust in the bag for you to maximize its job to clean the house. This is one of the technologies that can clean your house.

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Cleaning your homes is a must and you must always remember to put this number one in your list to have a clean and comfortable life.

Saving Money On Home Phone Bills

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One of the first questions I often get asked is why I still use a home phone when cell phone plans have become so cheap? The answer is quite simple; I make quite a few long distance and international calls to friends and family, and those types of calls are quite expensive from a cell phone.

In addition to that, I use the home phone for some business and work related calls and where I live the cell phone reception can be a little bit volatile. I find it very unprofessional when phone line connections are really bad and I do not want to risk losing potential customers. So, for those purposes the good old fashioned phone line is still a good option.

But as I previously mentioned, my phone bills for the home phone fluctuated a lot and I was never really sure what countries were cheap to call and what time were best. That is one of the main reasons I chose to switch to a VOIP service after having already signed up for a hosted PBX.

My set up was pretty simple and only required a few simple things. First off, I needed a VOIP adapter which would serve as the bridge between my phone and the VOIP provider. There are many available and for less than $40 you can get a pretty basic one. That is all I really needed as I do not have a lot of phones, nor do I need to set up multiple different service providers.

The bigger problem was choosing from the hundreds of VOIP providers out there. I literally mean that there are so many to choose from it is ridiculous. So, I didn’t go for the absolute cheapest service as I still wanted to maintain a reliable connection. You can also compare providers to see which types of calls work out cheaper. In my case I went through my old phone bills and checked which destinations I called the most.

This took a bit of time, but I managed to find a provider with a good reputation and decent independent reviews. I felt great that I finally had a 21st century communications system, until I made my first call.

My old and trusted Panasonic phone turned out to be just that: very old looking. With some quick research into cordless phone reviews I decided to spend another $70 for a new high tech Bluetooth cordless phone. It has the latest in Bluetooth technology and allows me to sync up with my cell phone.

Not only did this save me time of transferring phone numbers to the home phone, but I can also answer my cell phone calls on the new cordless one. How cool is that?!?!

As for the overall savings it is still very early, but I can tell you that I will be saving a lot. My average monthly phone bill was about $90 on the old system and after the first week I haven’t even spent $10. I would say that within about 2 months the whole switch will have paid for itself and I’m absolutely delighted.