Unlock Your Smile: Top Tips for Maintaining Porcelain Veneers
Traveling is a time when we often find ourselves at our happiest, exploring new places and creating cherished memories. And what better way to enhance your travel experiences than by ensuring your smile is at its brightest? If you've invested in porcelain veneers to boost your confidence and transform your smile, it's crucial to maintain them even while on the go.
Porcelain veneers are an excellent choice for restoring and enhancing smiles that have dental issues such as discolouration or slight chips– but maintaining these thin shells is essential for keeping them looking their best over time. We'll give you the best maintenance tips for porcelain veneers to assist you. So continue reading to learn more!
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are super-thin, custom-made covers for your teeth that can instantly transform your smile. They're designed to cover the front surface of your teeth, the part that shows when you smile, to improve your appearance.
Crafted from medical-grade ceramic, these are made individually for each patient to compare one's natural teeth. It looks incredibly realistic and can resolve numerous cosmetic problems, ranging from crooked and gapped teeth to cracked or damaged enamel to noticeable whitening treatment-resistant staining.
It lies in their durability and resistance to stains, but like your natural teeth, they require proper care to shine their brightest. Gorgeous Smiles offers a wide range of cosmetic dental services, including porcelain veneers treatment.
The Advantages of Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a typical cosmetic dental treatment due to their natural appearance and numerous advantages, including:
- Immediate transformation of your smile
- Stain-resistant material that looks like natural teeth
- Versatility to correct various cosmetic issues
- Minimally invasive procedure
- It can last up to 10-15 years with the right care
Before we get into the maintenance tips, let's talk about Sanctifly, a leading travel wellness club that aligns perfectly with the idea of maintaining your smile while traveling.
Sanctifly's mission is to revolutionize the travel experience by promoting health and well-being. They provide access to airport facilities and services that enhance your travel journey. Sanctifly offers access to 4000+ premium lounges, gyms and other travel wellness services at around 200+ airports in the world. This means that while you're on the move, you can maintain your health and appearance, ensuring your smile stays radiant throughout your travels.
Top 4 Tips for Maintaining Porcelain Veneers on the Go
Like other dental procedures, porcelain veneers need maintenance in order to endure. Here are the top four veneer care tips while you are traveling:
Pack Your Dental Care Essentials
Just like your travel essentials, make sure to pack your dental care items. Carry a travel-sized toothbrush, non-abrasive toothpaste, and dental floss to keep your veneers clean and plaque-free. If you're flying long distances, consider bringing a travel-sized mouthwash for a quick refresh during layovers.
Brush and Floss Daily
Just like your natural teeth, they need daily brushing and flossing to depose plaque and prevent decay. This practice is key to maintaining not just your veneers but your overall oral health. Make it a practice to brush at least twice a day using non-abrasive toothpaste, which won't scratch your veneers. Flossing allows you to clean the tight spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. These simple yet critical steps will help sustain the brilliance of your porcelain veneers and enhance their lifespan.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is essential for maintaining oral health. When you're traveling, it's easy to forget to drink enough water. Make a conscious effort to stay hydrated, not only for your overall well-being but also to prevent your mouth from becoming dry. A dry mouth can contribute to plaque buildup, which can affect your veneers.
Mind Your Diet
Traveling often involves indulging in local cuisine and treats, which is part of the fun. However, be mindful of foods and beverages that can stain your veneers, like coffee, red wine, and highly pigmented foods. Moderation is key. Try to balance your culinary adventures with tooth-friendly choices.
Additionally, professional cleanings can remove any stains or buildup that may occur over time, keeping your veneers looking their best. Make sure to plan regular visits with your dentist every six months or as advised by your dental professional. Looking after your veneers in this manner will not only prolong their lifespan but also protect your investment
Conclusion
Overall, porcelain veneers are an ideal option for those looking to enhance their smile. To keep their appearance and longevity, proper care is crucial. Following these tips will keep your porcelain veneers dazzling and make you smile for years. Remember, investing in yourself is worth it - especially when it comes to a healthy and radiant smile.
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5 Breathing Techniques You Need To Know
We are living in stressful and uncertain times and how we deal with that stress is so important. Here are 5 easy breathing exercises that you can have on hand to help cope with any stressful situation.
5 Breathing Techniques For When You Are Stressed Out
Diaphragmatic breathing
4-7-8 breathing technique
Body Scan -Focused breath
Alternate nostril breathing
Humming breath
We are living in stressful and uncertain times. Many of us are looking back over the last year and wishing we could go back to normality. While we will get there and things will eventually return to normal, we don’t want to go all the way back to our old ways. In this modern world of constant connectivity where progression and ‘success’ are valued above all else, stress is a serious issue for many people. We constantly feel that we are not good enough or not doing enough. No matter what stage of life you are in or what your daily routines are, we all encounter stress on a daily basis. And while some of it certainly can be avoided, unfortunately, some of it cannot. Therefore, how we deal with the stress and how we manage it becomes the most important tool we have for looking after our mental health and maintaining a wellness focused lifestyle. Let’s use this time to focus on building those healthy routines and creating a healthy habit toolbox so we can be ready for the return to normal.
How does breathing help with stress levels?
Breathing is a proven, long standing stress relief technique. The reason deep and focused breathing has such a profound effect on stress levels and its physiological impact is because it evokes the relaxation response. The ‘Relaxation Response’ was coined by Dr Herbert Benson of Harvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute in his book of the same name. In the book, Dr Benson explores and explains the physical benefits of truly relaxing your body and mind and combating the negative impact of the flight-or-flight response. When we are stressed or scared or anxious our body and mind go into overdrive trying to keep us safe. Our heart races, our breathing quickens, and our minds race as we try to either get out of the situation or face it head on. While this is a valid evolutionary response, it just does not suit the modern environment we have created. And so, we end up having to deal with the truly negative effects of stress such as high blood pressure, anxiety, poor sleep patterns and more. The relaxation response tells our body and mind that we are safe and can help counteract those negative effects. Breathing deeply and practicing specific breathing techniques is a sure way to evoke the relaxation response and get your body and mind into the relax and restorative state it needs to heal physically and deal with mentally challenging situations.
Here are 5 breathing techniques that you need to know and how to practice them correctly.
1. Diaphragmatic breathing
Throughout our day, particularly on days when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, we tend to take shorter, shallower breaths. Taking short, shallow breaths can have a serious effect on our health and wellness. It increases blood pressure and heart rate and makes it more difficult to relieve stress. Taking deep breaths doesn’t tend to come naturally to us. We needed to make an extra effort to breathe deeply so that we can take advantage of the amazing benefits.
The key is to send the breath down into your diaphragm, making it expand as you inhale. Find a comfortable seated position. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Take a deep inhale, feeling your stomach expand beneath your hand, and your chest rise slightly. Continue this process, making sure that the hand on your stomach continues to rise and fall with each breath.
Diaphragmatic breathing is great for when you feel your heart is racing.
2. 4-7-8 breathing technique
As mentioned above, deep breathing is extremely beneficial for our health. Holding our breath and extended exhalation are the next step in utilizing breathing techniques to calm our nerves and manage stress. In a series of studies conducted in 2018 and 2019, longer exhalation showed a positive impact on combating stress responses and improving heart rate variability. The 4-7-8 technique can help you master extended exhales.
Find a comfortable seated position, making sure you are not holding any tension in your neck and shoulders. Close your eyes. Close your lips and press your tongue gently against the roof of your mouth. Count to 4 as you inhale through your nose, count to 7 as you hold your breath and exhale through your mouth slowly for a count of 8. Repeat for four breath cycles. It may take some practice to get the timing right.
Extended exhalations are great for bringing a sense of calm to your body and mind. Practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique if you feel anxious or on edge.
3. Body scan - focused breath
A body scan is a meditation practice that aims to create a deeper connection to your body and help you to acknowledge any feelings or sensations you might have without judgement. Although it is primarily used as a meditation technique it can be utilised in other ways. Some people use it to relax, to fall asleep and, when combined with focused breathing, to help reduce stress and anxiety.
Lie down on your back in a comfortable position. You can also do it seated but lying flat on your back is preferable. Focus your attention on your feet, don’t move them, just make then the focus of your thoughts. Acknowledge how they feel right now and take two deep breathes while focusing on them. Continue up through each part of your body, your shins, knees, thighs etc. Take two deep breaths each time you focus on a body part.
Focused breath breathing techniques are great for calming racing thoughts. Because you are giving your thoughts something specific to focus on it is much easier to quiet them and feel the full impact of the breathing exercise.
4. Alternate nostril breathing
Nadi Shuddhi, or alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breathing technique where you alternatively inhale and exhale through one nostril or the other. The practice is used to help control your breathing and reduce stress. The focused attention that is required helps to still racing thoughts and has added benefits for your lungs and respiratory system.
First, find a comfortable seated position. Hold up your right hand up with all five fingers extended and then bend down the index and middle finger towards your palm. Take your thumb and use it to close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through your left nostril, then use your ring finger to close the left nostril and release your thumb from your right nostril. Exhale fully through your right nostril. With your left nostril still closed, inhale deeply through your right nostril and repeat the process. Continue for 5-15 minutes.
Alternate nostril breathing helps to increase and improve lung capacity. Use this breathing technique if you often feel breathless when overwhelmed. It will help train your lungs to embrace their full capacity which will help relieve stress levels.
5. Bhrahmari or the humming breath
Bhrahmari Pranayama, also known as the bumblebee or humming breath is a yogic breathing technique that incorporates sound to help you feel grounded and calm. This breath practice is used to relieve stress, anxiety and anger.
Find a comfortable seated position and gently soften your gaze or close your eyes. Close your mouth with your teeth slightly apart. Inhale deeply and on the exhale press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and make a low humming sound. Continue making the sound for the entirety of your exhale. Repeat the process for six rounds and then return to your normal breathing.
The humming breath breathing technique is great for releasing tension, especially if you are carrying that tension in your mouth or jaw. Practice this method if you find yourself constant clenching your teeth or tensing your shoulders due to stress.
At Sanctifly we are here to support our community build healthy and lasting habits. Even though we are not flying right now, maintaining healthy routines is still important. Although most of the content on the Sanctifly app was designed for traveling, it is applicable and helpful in all walks of life. Building good habits around stress management at home and on the road is one of the main pillars of support we offer our members. Find stress management, wellness tips and more in the Sanctifly app today and start your journey to better health and wellness.
Download the app today to explore our content and start building your healthy habits at home with Sanctifly.
For more information on our membership types, click here.
4 Benefits Of Business Travel For The Business Traveler
Business travel is great for business, but can it be good for the traveling employee too? There has been a lot of research on the negative effect of business travel but when employee health and well-being is prioritized, there can be some really great and positive effects.
Business Travel is great for business. Can it be good for the traveling employee too?
4 reasons business travel can be great for employees
Face-to-face meetings are more effective
Experience different cultures
Learn new skills
Build confidence
Last year, a lot of research came out about the negative effects of business travel. It’s not all that surprising, we have been talking about the negative impact of business travel on traveling employees’ health and well-being for years. But it can get a bit disheartening when you start reading all the stats and quite scary from a business point of view when you consider the real cost on employee productivity and loss. And while we try to provide positive, proactive tips for combating the negative effects, looking back over the last year it’s all been very doom and gloom.
There is one quote that we at Sanctifly constantly find ourselves referring to: Business travel is not bad; it is our travel habits that are bad. Business travel is great for business and necessary. Executives and traveling employees believe that 8% of business would be lost if business travel was ceased. And business travels can benefit greatly from business travel. On average US executives state that the return of business travel is between $10 and $14.99 for every dollar invested.
So that’s a pretty good argument for the businesses point of view, and it seems that businesses do not need to be convinced on the benefits of business travel. Business travel spend has grown year on year and is projected to reach $1.6 trillion in 2020. But are there any benefits for the business traveler? Yes, but only if travel wellness is made a priority. Here are some reasons business travel can be great for you, as a traveling employee.
1. Face to face meetings are more effective
In today’s high-tech world, it may seem like face to face meetings are becoming less and less relevant. As video conferencing and collaboration tools become more powerful and every company communicates online through email or messaging apps such as Slack you may wonder if there is really any need to hop on that plane and meet your customers or prospects in person? The answer is yes, after all business is conducted with people, not machines, and fostering and maintaining relationships is a vital part of the process. According to a report published by the Harvard Business Review a face to face request is 34 times more likely to succeed than an email request and 95% of people say that face to face meetings are essential for established long term business relationships. You can get more deals made and create longer lasting and stronger business relationships when you meet face-to-face.
2. Experience new cultures and different ways of working
Travel is a fantastic tool for broadening your mind and expanding your knowledge. When you travel for business you get the chance to experience new places, new cultures and different ways of working, all of which will help you build a more well-rounded world view. Interacting with and experiencing different cultures will also help to foster creativity, which you can then bring to your job. Research shows that business travel cultivated creativity and productivity, two traits which will help you get noticed at your job.
3. Learn and hone new skills
As much as I am trying to focus in the positives, there is no denying that business travel can be stressful. Things wont always go smoothly and sometimes you will need to think on your feet and take initiative to salvage a situation. While this can take a toll on your stress levels it can also be a great learning opportunity and help you to hone vital soft skills. Being able to handle stressful situations and make on the spot decisions is a valuable skill to any business and will help you stand out among your colleagues. Business travel also affords you great networking opportunities to help broaden your network and progress your career and bring bigger and better deals to your boss.
4. Build confidence
One of the most valuable benefits of travel is that it puts you out of your comfort zone and helps to build your confidence. We are all guilty of getting too comfortable in a situation whether that be in our personal lives or professional lives. The commute to the office becomes automatic, our everyday tasks do not challenge us, and we eat lunch at the same spot with the same people every day. Travel plucks you out of that routine and challenges you to adapt to a whole new environment. Navigating a new city successfully, understanding and acknowledging cultural differences and successfully building a business relationship or closing a deal will give you a huge confidence boost and help you navigate unfamiliar and challenging situations in the future.
There are lots of benefits to business travel, it can be a great perk to your job. However, if you don’t make your health and well-being a priority while on the road the negative effects of business travel will easily outweigh the positive. Make your health a priority with a Sanctifly membership. Get access to thousands of healthy airport activities all over the world so that you can make the most of your travel downtime and stick to your healthy routine while on the road. Freshen up with a shower at an airport lounge ahead of a long flight home or hit the gym at the airport hotel to help de-stress before continuing on your journey. Get access to all the healthy options when you are a member of Sanctifly. No matter how often you travel, we have a membership plan for you. Get in touch today an let’s discuss your healthy travel routine for 2020. Corporate packages are also available. Travel Well this year with a Sanctifly membership and make sure you experience only the positive effects of business travel.
Breaking Bad, Travel Habits
Business travel might seem glamorous to some but the fact is it is not good for employee well-being. Bad travel habits are glossed over, we justify them because we are away from home. NO MORE! We need to make positive changes to our travel routine and promise ourselves a happier and healthier travel life.
Break your bad travel habits
Okay, lets be fair. When we all started out, our first business flight was exciting! So we had a beer and ate (reputably!) “The World’s Best Burger” at the airport waiting for our flight. We ate and drank again on the plane ("hey! they just put it in my lap!"), but that’s alright isn’t it? Sure! If its once or twice a year, but not every week!
In 2018, we shared the Harvard Business Review report on the data behind business travel health issues that went viral.
Since then, what have you done to improve your travel habits? In the face of so much data stating how bad it is for us, what have you actually changed?
Make yourself one promise right now - to break at least one of your bad travel habits. Try over the next couple of months to deselect at least one of these boxes:
- I enjoy a drink before every flight home, no matter what the time
- I always eat the plane food, regardless of time or if I'm hungry
- I never take 10 minutes to find a quiet spot to stretch out before or after flights
- I regularly wash and change in the airport toilet rather than book a shower room ( with Sanctifly)
- I have never even tried to build in a light work out, power walk or swim during my regular travel downtime
- On layovers or during delays, I just sit and wait rather than using the time to do anytime positive
Try to change just one thing, your body and mind will appreciate it. At Sanctifly we’re here to help you with every step. We’ve got over 2500 options at 130 airports ranging from a 7 minute stretch while in line for your flight to a round of golf! There are lots of free stuff included with every membership; Jetlag plans, exclusive airport hints and tips and our very own exercise and stretch videos to improve your travel wellness - and get you off those burgers and beers😊!
So starting today…what are you going to change on your next trip?
Have a great year and travel well!
Karl Llewellyn Founder, CEO
*Sanctifly is the market leading solution in providing frequent travelers (like you!) with access to wellness options globally. We are heavily focused on airports (130+) with over 2500 locations globally.
Corporate licences with Sanctifly start at only $10.00 per employee p.a. To include travel wellness in your compensation package, please contact us at hello@sanctifly.club or visit our website to find out more.*