HEALTHY LIVING RESULTS

The Atlanta Hawks were a good team in the 08′-09′ season. The Hawks were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers - this would suggest the Hawks are yet to take the leap into one of the better Eastern Conference teams.

The Hawks advanced through the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Miami Heat in round one, before meeting the Cleveland Cavs in the second round. The Cavs pounced on the Hawks, easily defeating them and putting an end to what was otherwise a successful season for the Atlanta Hawks.

The 08′ playoffs against the Boston Celtics proved that the Atlanta Hawks were on the rise and should compete for the Eastern Conference Championship in the near future.

Johnson is a prolific shooter, especially from the perimeter, and Horford is an exceptional, multi-faceted basketball player whose presence has dominated the team greatly during his two seasons in the league. This is the man to build the team around for years to come.

It will be very tough to over take the Orlando Magic in the Southeast division this season. While the Magic have some new pieces in place surrounding Dwight Howard - they are still the favorites.

Rounding out the team are other valuable pieces, which include the ever so talented Josh Smith, point guard Mike Bibby, newly acquired Jamal Crawford, rookie Jeff Teague, and others.

The Eastern Conference just became stronger again with the acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers - how will the Hawks stop Shaq? That remains to be seen.

Coming out of the East won’t be easy and the Hawks will have to fight and claw their way through the upcoming season.

For more Atlanta Hawks chatter, check out the Atlanta Hawks forums at RootZoo Sports, where you can also check out thousands of NBA trivia questions.

The Miami Dolphins were the feel good story of the 2008 NFL season. The team finished with a 1-15 regular season record in 2007, and was written off as quite possibly the worst football team of the decade.

Things didn’t look too much brighter entering the 2008 season, nor did they look much better for Chad Pennington. Regardless, the Dolphins somehow pulled it together and became the Cinderella football team of 2008.

The duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams really came together. This opened up a ton of room for Chad Pennington as well. Anthony Fasano also stepped up as one of the top TE’s in the league. What a year it was!

The Dolphins rode the wave of enthusiasm into the 2009 season and expected big things out of an improved offense that would look to enjoy another successful football season.

After controlling the ball for 45 minutes against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, the Dolphins could not secure the win, heartbreaking no doubt. I really thought they would get the W.

Seven points scored in a game against an average Falcons defense raised questions about the Dolphins’ offense and their effectiveness. It’s going to be a long season if they don’t get it right.

The Dolphins won the division in 08′, but New England’s QB Tom Brady was out the entire year and New York Jets QB Brett Favre was also hurt in the second half of the season - now, the rest of the division has improved. The Dolphins have more questions then answers at this point.

They performed a miraculous turn around in one year; hopefully that type of magic exists with the Dolphins again. If the Dolphins somehow manage a 8-8 season, that would be considered a successful season.

For more Dolphins chatter, check out the Dolphins forumss and create your own sports polls all at RootZoo Sports.

Some time during your life, you probably are going to see something about white teeth on television, and then you are going to look in the mirror and smile; you probably will see that your teeth are not as white as the teeth you see on television. So, you might consider whitening your teeth. Should you?

There are no simple teeth whitening procedures; all take a considerable amount of time or money, oftentimes both. Whitening teeth is not just something you do without a second thought, as there are also some health risks. Think hard about it before deciding to do it.

Teeth whitening can be done with over-the-counter products or with lasers. Over-the-counter products are, naturally, easy to get, while lasers require visiting a health and beauty spa or a dentist, dentist being the most common. The more effective teeth whiteners require the products to sit on your teeth for a long period.

The Amount of Time Needed

Teeth whitening products, which you can buy over-the-counter, are usually required to be used for up to an hour a day and take anywhere from 7 to 14 days of use before the whitening effect is achieved. During that time, you cannot do much else; you cannot eat, drink, smoke, etc.

Do You Even Need to Whiten Your Teeth?

Teeth whitening products are good for people with seriously stained teeth. You might have seriously stained teeth if you have been drinking lots of coffee or tea for a very long time, or you might have teeth like this if you have had braces which stained your teeth. Just make sure you are not “white-orexic” and obsessed with getting your teeth whiter and whiter. Some people will whiten their teeth so much that it looks strange and unnatural.

Your teeth should look normal/normal-white. If they do, you do not need a whitening treatment. White teeth are a nice thing to have, but it can be easily overdone. You will look silly if you whiten your teeth too much.

Are your teeth or gums sensitive?

If you have sensitive teeth or gums, teeth whitening products can be uncomfortable or even unbearable. Whiteners can, and often do, cause tooth and gum sensitivity in even people with normal mouths; this can last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, and sometimes it can be permanent.

Sensitivity that sticks around forever usually only occurs after heavy, long-term whitening. People who follow the directions on the box and use their whitening products in moderation will not use these long enough to experience this, for the most part. However, please understand that permanent sensitivity is a possibility.

You can use Sensodyne or another sensitive-teeth toothpaste during the period before, during, and shortly after your teeth whitening procedure. In fact, we recommend you do, even if your teeth normally are not sensitive, as sensitivity is a very common side effect even in those who have normally non-sensitive teeth.

The decision is yours in the end. Regardless of which teeth whitening treatment you choose, you should make sure to educate yourself before going through with it. Everyone is different, so read the risks and benefits of all of them, do not get caught up in what others think, and finally, choose the product or treatment that is best for you. Happy whitening!

Cody Scholberg, a teeth whitening guru, is an expert on teeth whitening products. Check out his reviews of Crest’s Whitestrips before you buy them!