Magazine
A Shot in the Arm
or a Long Shot?
If you’ve been scrambling to find a Covid-19 vaccination, you’re in good company. With limited supplies and clunky websites, it’s been an exercise in frustration for many of us. Whether we’re helping older family members or trying to score a vaccination for ourselves, the process has proven to be time-consuming and confusing. Ugh!
One place to start is the state website — vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov/ — which lists vaccine providers by county and zip code. Supplies should be increasing throughout the spring as production ramps up and new vaccines get emergency approval. The end, at last, is in sight.
A Generation’s Touchstone
Goodbye, Michael Stanley
Cleveland rock-n-roll singer and songwriter Michael Stanley was part of our lives throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. His death earlier this month was bittersweet.
Stanley stayed here and played here, but the Michael Stanley Band didn’t. We packed up our MSB albums in milk crates and carted them off to dorm rooms and first apartments, where Stanley’s lyrics and rhythms time-stamped our memories. Stanley reminded us of our younger years and hometowns in all the very best ways.
That’s a great way to be remembered.
Clothes Call
Local Company Simplifies Dressing
If you’ve ever tried to help an older loved one (or yourself, for that matter) put together an outfit and struggled to keep everything together in one easy-to-assemble spot, then you’ll appreciate this creative solution from Brecksville’s Erin Naso: The Hanger Valet.
Launched last year, The Hanger Valet is a daily outfit organizer that simplifies getting dressed, a task that can be especially frustrating for people who are trying to maintain independence and the people who help them. But honestly, who couldn’t benefit from an organizer with pockets that drape over a clothes hanger? Think about it: socks, shoes, undergarments, jewelry and anything else necessary, all in one, handy spot.
...Health
By Dr. Steve Marsh
Dentists are frequently asked about the materials that are used for veneers, dental restorations that can rejuvenate a smile.
There are some wonderful choices, each with its own characteristics, with porcelain dominating the field. Though composite plastic material can be used, it is not a common choice when the entire facial – or outside – surface on the tooth needs restoration because it can chip and/or discolor when used as a thin covering. A composite is best used as a filling material or to restore a fractured tooth corner. This is why porcelain is the material of choice, as it is strong and color-stable.
A Smile with Style
There are a number of choices to be made among the various types of porcelain. Much like there are different types of countertops with unique characteristics – like Corian or quartz or marble – each has its advantages and disadvantages, though in veneer work, the differences are subtle.
Feldspathic porcelain is among the prettiest, though it is labor-intensive to fabricate and is a little less strong than the others. Other porcelains, like Empress or E-max, combine beauty and a little more strength. More recently, the use of Zirconium-type porcelain has increased; though it initially was known for its strength, recent incarnations of the material allow it to be aesthetic, as well. The Lumineer, developed by a California laboratory, is also used on occasion; it is actually a brand-name for their veneer, much like Kleenex is a brand name for facial tissue.
In any case, the choice of porcelains for veneers should be based on several factors, including aesthetics, strength and required thickness. Other influences include the colors of the teeth they are covering, the type of bite/occlusion the patient has, and the relative strength of the tooth underneath.
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