One in three Canadians lives with tooth hypersensitivity. Are you one of them?

First noted in a medical journal in 1870, dentine hypersensitivity is a “short sharp pain in response to stimuli.” Anything, from biting into certain foods to using a toothbrush, can cause those who have sensitive teeth to feel the pain.

This isn’t a problem that just comes as a natural part of aging. Most people who experience the twinge are between 20 and 50 years old. The main causes today? Brushing too hard, teeth grinding, gum disease, receding gums and bleaching. As well, the early 20s are when your gums can start to recede, and the newly exposed part of the tooth, which isn’t used to the environment in the mouth, can react negatively to the new stimuli.

At a recent roundtable, Dr. Leonard Litkowski, co-inventor of the NovaMin® Technology in Sensodyne’s groundbreaking new Repair & Protect toothpaste, spoke of the damaging effects of dentine hypersensitivity. “On a global scale, it’s a highly important topic,” Litkowski states. “Pain holds many patients back from doing what they like.”

Luckily, there are options for those living with tooth pain. The NovaMin® in Sensodyne Repair & Protect toothpaste is the first material known to help form a reparative layer over and within exposed dentine. And according to Litkowski, “the reparative layer is harder than the natural, underlying dentine it replaced.” Sensodyne Repair & Protect has a very unique way of generating this layer, which has similar chemical characteristics to the minerals from which the tooth is made. With twice daily brushing, the toothpaste generates the reparative layer where dentine is exposed, helping to prevent pain.

For people who feel the pain of dentine hypersensitivity, this is a fantastic breakthrough. Still offering all the benefits of a regular toothpaste, Repair & Protect will both help repair sensitive teeth and provide protection against future damage, where dentine is exposed and with twice daily brushing. After two weeks of treatment with twice daily use, tooth sensitivity is significantly reduced.

With such innovative new technology, Sensodyne Repair & Protect toothpaste is making Canadians’ smiles look even healthier by helping to repair their sensitive teeth.

For more information, visit the Sensodyne website. 

The investigation continues after a fertilizer plant explosion in Texas killed at least 14 people, including several firefighters and emergency responders. The blast, which happened on Wednesday night, was the strength of a magnitude 2.1 earthquake and resulted in half of the town being evacuated.  Local authorities are working with federal government agencies to investigate the cause of this devastating incident.

Occurring so soon after the Boston Marathon bombing, there were fears that this was another premeditated terrorist attack. The investigation is ongoing, but currently there is no indication that the blast was an act of terrorism or criminal activity. However, the plant had been fined in 2006 for failing to implement a risk management plan and had previously been issued a complaint over a lingering smell of ammonia.

Before the blast occurred, firefighters had been evacuating the surrounding area because of “dangerous fumes,” police said.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors. “We still are holding out some hope,” Tommy Muska, the mayor of West, Texas, said.

Political and community leaders from the Greater Toronto Area met Thursday night at the Harbourfront Community Centre to discuss the ever growing problem of transit in the region.

Answering questions from moderator and Toronto Transit Alliance Chair Sarah Thomson were Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Oshawa Mayor John Henry, Chair of Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance John Tory, and, in place of storm-stayed Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, Mississauga Councillor Bonnie Crombie.

The event drew several influential audience members, including Toronto city councillors John Parker of Ward 26, Denzil Minnan-Wong of Ward 34, Shelley Carroll of Ward 33, and Metrolix CEO Bruce McCuaig.

The roundtable discussion functioned as a platform to spark conversation and involvement between different municipal governments and appeal to the province and federal government for aid in progressing on longstanding and frequently delayed and cancelled plans to improve and modernize the public transit and highway systems that connect the different communities.

While the panel’s answers varied in some regards, it was clear from the outset that they were all in agreement that transit was the number one priority facing the region. Oakville’s Burton drew applause when he stated that “there is a freaking emergency around moving people in our metropolitan area.”

While the group came to some conclusions — increasing property tax is not an option for any of the municipalities represented, higher levels of governments must be involved — the cooperative nature of the meeting was the biggest win of the evening. All involved were hopeful that the discussion would open the door to greater communication on transit issues in the region and lead to cooperation on a comprehensive plan for regional transit.

Filmores Hotel, the notorious strip club along Dundas in downtown Toronto, has a new cringe-worthy message for their marquee letting patrons know that they’ll cover in the case that girlfriends or wives call.

IF ANGRY WIVES OR
GIRLFRIENDS CALL OUR
ANSWERING CHARGES ARE:
“HE JUST LEFT” $1
“HE’S NOT HERE” $2
“NEVER HEARD OF HIM” $20

Although thinking too much about any real marriage where a wife calls around to a nudie joint looking for her husband is enough to make you a touch ill, it is worth noting that Filmores has a long history of funny marquee messages.

Here is a roundup of some of the cheekier marquee messages archived online.

Follow Travis on Twitter at @TravMyers for up to the minute coverage on strip club signage.

Image credits [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Looking for a new way to kick butt and lose weight? MTKT Academy has opened a new location on the Danforth, and they are itching to get more women into training. Muay Thai Kickboxing, the latest trend in fitness, is a great way to improve both your mind and your aura. And that’s the way they planned it.

“We want to inspire people to make a lifestyle change,” MTKT owner and founder Warren Lee says. His academy helps teach a full healthy lifestyle, combining exercise, lifestyle and nutrition and free of negative influences such as smoking and drinking.

When designing his gym, Lee looked at what makes a successful restaurant: The most important thing is the environment, but the whole experience (environment, quality, price) is what keeps people coming back.

Lee purposely created a “non-judgemental” and “ego free” environment, aimed to empower women. The idea of a women-friendly club started after he took a women’s studies course in university, and because he feels women are loyal customers. Believing that the average gym is “too much testosterone and ego,” he wanted to create a good, clean location where people felt comfortable.

And they do. Classes are close-knit and attendees offer each other words of praise and encouragement throughout the training session.

Don’t worry if you aren’t super fit and spent 10 minutes figuring out how to pronounce muay thai. Lee’s classes are designed to accommodate fitness levels. On your first visit, Lee will find out your background, then place you according to your experience level.

Each class starts with a warm-up: skipping, core exercises, pushups, squats, pylometrics, etc. After warmup, participants are divided into several groups: Level 1 A, level 1 B, level 2, and level 3. If you are just starting out, you’ll join the level 1 A group, where an instructor will go over the basic moves with you. As you learn the moves and gain more confidence, you graduate to higher levels. Competitions are an option, but Lee says most people are more interested in the fitness and self-definition aspects.

Once in the groups, participants are taught technique geared to their specific skill set. Beginners are taught proper pad work and basic punches and kicking, allowing them to fight and protect themselves safely. “It’s fighting without fighting,” Lee says.

Above all else, MTKT stresses three main elements: A great workout, have fun and learn something.

“I’ve seen people come and transform both physically and mentally,” Lee says. “But they have to stick with it.”