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Healthline

By Staff and wire reports
Published January 18, 2005

SOME BABY TEETH come out the hard way - a string tied to a doorknob, leaving a trail of blood and tears. Others defy removal, dangling tantalizingly by a mere shred of tissue. The Tooth Fairy will have business galore if a new device called the Gator Gripper catches on. The brainchild of a Lakewood, Colo., dentist and a patient, the patented Gator Gripper gently extracts loosened baby teeth with a minimum of trauma. "If a tooth isn't ready, it will slip off. Once a tooth is removed, the device captures it so it isn't swallowed," said Dr. Lance Long. The green gadget's tail can be adjusted to fit small front teeth or big back teeth. The head is squeezed so the tail can slip onto the target tooth. A couple of wiggles later, the tooth is in the Gator's tail. About $77,000 later - after lawyers, patent work, Food and Drug Administration approval and prototypes - the Gator Gripper is available online at www.gatorgripper.com for $14.95 plus shipping.

THE TOURETTE SYNDROME Association of Florida, Pinellas County Chapter presents a series of educational meetings at All Children's Hospital Education and Conference Center, 701 Fourth St. S, in St. Petersburg. The meetings are 6:30 to 8 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month until April. "Understanding Tourette Syndrome at School" is Wednesday's topic; others include: "Advocating at school for the student with Tourette Syndrome" Feb. 23; "Medications used in treatment of Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders" March 16; "Behavior therapy for treatment of Tourette Syndrome and Related Disorders" April 20. The meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, call 727-418-0240. IN CASE YOU missed the government's new dietary guidelines announced last week, here's a brief recap.

Eat at least 41/2 cups of fruits and vegetables a day if you have a 2,000-calorie diet.

Eat a variety of foods that are high in nutrients and low in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars and salt.

Eat fiber-rich whole fruits and vegetables and whole grains often. Eat and drink little added sugar or caloric sweeteners.

Keep trans fat as low as possible. Get no more than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fat and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily.

Limit salt to about one level teaspoon a day.

To maintain weight loss, exercise for 60 to 90 minutes daily.

You can do it. In fact, here are some simple ways to get more exercise into your daily. Remember, you can break those 90 minutes into 10 or 15-minute "mini workouts." The most important thing is to get started because every step counts.

--You know this one already, but it worth repeating: Take the stairs when possible. Gradually increase your climb times as you get more comfortable.

-- If you have an hour for lunch, take a brisk 20-minute walk before you eat. Enjoy your meal for 30 minutes, then take a 10-minute walk.

-- Park and walk. Get in the habit of parking a few blocks away from work.

-- Take a 15-minute walk before and after dinner.

-- Before you get out of bed, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100.

[Last modified January 18, 2005, 10:51:52]