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Health & Wellness

Feeling great, looking great, enjoying the Okanagan lifestyle. We’ve got the ingredients and expertise to put it all together.


 

 

Lakeshore Vein & Aesthetics Clinic

 

In the past, problems with varicose veins generally resulted in hospital time and painful surgery. But the new laser therapies practiced by doctors Jenna Bentley and Mandy Wong at Lakeshore Vein and Aesthetics Clinic get you back on your feet and feeling better with virtually no downtime.

The Lakeshore team has developed a high level of expertise with therapeutic lasers. Theirs is among the few clinics certified in British Columbia to provide Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT).

EVLT is quick and minimally invasive. It leaves no scar, has little postoperative pain and the recovery period (10 minutes) requires no time off from work. EVLT provides almost immediate relief.

The procedure is performed in the clinic under local anesthesia. An ultrasound probe is used to damage and shrink the walls of the vein so that blood can no longer flow through it. The vein begins to harden and the body breaks it down and absorbs the remaining cells back into itself.

Another issue in this age of heightened body awareness is the fat on thighs, backs and chest areas that no exercise short of a full triathlon seems capable of handling. Doctors Bentley and Wong offer the patented CoolSculpting™ procedure to eliminate fat cells without causing damage to the surrounding skin tissue.

CoolSculpting™ freezes up to 20 per cent of fat cells, which then begin to crystallize. In a few weeks, the body disposes of these dead cells. All of this is accomplished without leaving any fat deposits in the arteries.

“CoolSculpting™ isn’t a weight loss product. You won’t see any results when you step on the scales,” says Dr. Bentley. “But you do see an attractive change in your body’s silhouette.”

With more than 22 years combined experience, the physicians at the Lakeshore Vein and Aesthetics Clinic know how to work with patients to help make sound treatment decisions. Accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, Lakeshore not only provides remarkable aesthetic results, it can also deal with more serious medical issues and is recognized in the treatment of skin cancers.

Skin cancers, especially melanomas, are a growing concern in the Okanagan. Many people don’t really understand that the skin is their body’s biggest organ and that they have to look after it by reducing exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays and the artificial ultraviolet generated by tanning beds.

Because the clinic is a licensed medical facility, Valley physicians can refer skin cancer patients to them. Clinic staff is approved to do excisions for testing to determine whether a skin condition is benign, pre-cancerous or a fully developed cancer. It is also a diagnostic clinic, meaning that a person worried about an abnormal mole or lesion can consult them directly without a referral from their family doctor.

The medical staff at Lakeshore Vein and Aesthetics Clinic are constantly upgrading their skills and are recognized as experts by their peers. Understanding the need for specialized expertise in the unfortunately growing field of skin cancer, Dr. Wong and associate Dr. Henry Docherty are completing their master of medicine in skin cancer qualification through the University of Queensland, Australia.

In February 2011, doctors Bentley and Wong were individually elected as executive board members for the Canadian Society of Phlebology. This capped a year that also saw the two doctors receive appointments to the new University of British Columbia –Okanagan faculty of medicine.

To learn more about the services provided by Lakeshore Vein and Aesthetics Clinic visit www.veinskin.com.

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DermMedica—Kelowna Vein & Skin Solutions

 

Imagine regaining the trim figure you had 15 years ago without the dangers or discomforts of surgery. And, wouldn’t it be great to feel like you did when you first put on your wedding gown or tux. Nationally renowned Dr. Craig Crippen, MD ABPh DPD and DermMedica—Kelowna Vein and Skin Solutions can help you feel it all again with a revolutionary body-shaping technique.

CoolSculpting™ is a new, non-invasive technology developed by researchers at Harvard University. It involves isolating and freezing fat cells in the body. With the very first treatment, fat cells are crystallized and begin to break down. Then the body eliminates them naturally in the days following your first treatment and you start to see results within weeks.

This precision procedure is accomplished without damage to the skin and performed without surgery or anesthetic eliminating any of the risks usually associated with body enhancement procedures. It is particularly effective on places where men and women just can’t seem to lose fat—love handles, muffin tops, back fat and men’s chest fat (gynecomastia).

Treatment begins with a “cool” gel sheet being applied to the treatment area. Then a suction device is used to cool down the fat cells essentially freezing them without hurting the surrounding area. The fat cells begin breaking down once they are crystallized and the body metabolizes them naturally. Patients report no discomfort of any kind.

DermMedica—Kelowna Vein and Skin Solutions is a clinic dedicated to safer, more natural medical procedures that really work.

When supermodel Monica Schnarre had a varicose vein that had been bothering her for some time she turned to Dr. Crippen for treatment. In a recent note of appreciation, she wrote, “Thank you, Dr. Crippen, for treating my vein. It had bothered me for many years and I can’t believe how quick and painless it was. Thank you.”

DermMedica specializes in varicose vein disease and offers a number of treatments. Among the most effective options is EVLT or Endovenous Laser Therapy. Used to treat affected veins lying deeper in the leg, EVLT uses both ultrasound and laser technology. The ultrasound creates a precise map of the target vein before an insulating/local anesthetic solution is injected around the vein and a fine fibre optic laser is inserted to seal the vein from the inside.

With the vein closed, no blood can enter it to cause swelling. Eventually the body breaks down the dried passages and the leg begins to heal.

Dr. Crippen has been so successful with this procedure he has been asked to make a presentation at the upcoming Family Medical Forum in Toronto that will be attended by physicians from across the country.

Closer to home, DermMedica will also host the Canadian Society of Phlebology to demonstrate state-of-the-art treatments like EVLT and the brand new, patented ClariVein procedure.

ClariVein is used for what are commonly called “spider veins.” A catheter with a rotating tip is inserted into the vein. This is followed by a sclerosant drug that is sprayed by the catheter as it is slowly removed from the vein. Eventually the sclerosant helps to breaks down the vein and the remnants are eliminated naturally from the body with the very minimum of discomfort and bruising.

DermMedica was the first clinic in Canada to perform this procedure and will be offering professional development sessions for their national colleagues at the Kelowna conference.

For full details visit the website at www.DermMedica.ca.
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Simply Amazing Smiles

 

It’s not really amazing that the first thing we notice when we look at people is their smile, but it is amazing how positively we react to a beautiful smile. Dr. Trevor Morhaliek and his team at Simply Amazing Smiles knows this and works to make sure everyone who sees your smile has the most positive reaction to you.

Cosmetic dentistry has been around for a long time, but in today’s modern orthodontics practice “good just isn’t good enough.” Dr. Morhaliek says he goes beyond that by building special relationships with his clients and treating them to five-star, VIP hospitality that embodies the culture of care that patients find comforting.

For a lot of clients, going to the dentist has always been a negative experience, but Simply Amazing Smiles has re-invented the traditional dental visit. Dr. Morhaliek’s clinic offers a spa-like experience with comfortable surroundings, private treatment rooms, reassuring massage therapy and even fresh lattes or cappuccinos while you wait.

“In order to make a patient’s experience with us as comfortable as possible, we work to respond to that client’s needs at any given moment. And believing that prevention is the key to a satisfying visit, we take a conservative, but pro-active approach to their overall care.”

Along with general dentistry, Simply Amazing Smiles offers smile design consultation to give you the smile that fits your face and personality; veneer and porcelain restoration; and Invisalign—a transparent alternative to the unflattering railroad track look of metal braces.

While a smile compliments your face, your face is the frame for that smile and it is important to take a holistic view when you consider cosmetic dentistry. Keeping this in mind, Simply Amazing Smiles also offers a unique approach to Botox therapy to harmonize all of your facial features so they enhance each other.

Trevor Morhaliek is an internationally renowned clinician who works beyond his daily routine by teaching other practitioners at home and abroad on cosmetic dental procedures. He is also a lecturer at the California Institute for Advanced Dental Studies and heads up the Okanagan Society for Dental Aesthetics.

So if you’re looking for an amazing reaction to yourself and your smile, consider Simply Amazing Smiles.

There’s more info at www.simplyamazingsmiles.ca.
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iSight Optometry

 

When it comes to health and wellness, vision is a top priority. Dr. Brent Westfall and his partner Dr. Calvin Kettner, together with their team of optometric assistants, opticians and the entire iSight staff are dedicated to providing the best eye care experience through friendly service and with the most up to date equipment available.

Technology is our friend in eye examination and iSight employs the most advanced equipment in the Valley. With the fast, easy and comfortable Optomap Retinal Exam, the doctors are able to detect peripheral retinal disease, a potential side effect of diabetes. They use full visual field testing for glaucoma, OCT for detection of glaucoma and macular degeneration, and Foresee for early detection of macular degenerative changes. Corneal topography comes into play for custom contact lens design and kerataconus management. The best way to protect your vision is regular eye exams.

And when correction is required, iSight offers a wide selection of glasses to fit every need, from kids and teens to industrial and high fashion, with exclusive frame lines and contact lenses.

Whether the eye care issue involves eye health, correcting vision with glasses or contact lenses, or helping a patient find the right frame, iSight’s experienced team will identify and implement the best eye care solutions possible.

“We would like iSight to become your best eye care experience,” says Dr. Westfall, “your vision source.”

Check out www.isightinfo.com for more detailed information.
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Dr. Don MacRae & Associates

 

It’s not easy to find a general dentistry practice these days to look after your whole family’s needs. Dental clinics seem to be more interested in a gourmet menu than the basic à la carte services. But Peachland’s Dr. Don MacRae and Associates maintain that family-focus.

Dr. Don, to his patients, works hard to keep his practice patient-driven. When he speaks about his relationship with the people who sit in his chair, you can hear the pride. “We do what the patient wants, not what we want,” he says.

This includes creating a relaxed atmosphere where new patients are always welcome and the hours make sense for working families. Extended hours run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8 to 4 p.m. on Fridays and by appointment on Saturdays.

Dr. Don MacRae and associates, doctors Jeff Krawchuk and Peter Cormillot along with 13 hygienists, assistants and administrative staff, offer a full list of services like sedation dentistry, orthodontics, sports guards and sleep apnea devices. Dr. Don even does pre-school tours so kids don’t grow up in fear of the dentist.

Since launching his practice in 1993, Dr. Don has developed a reputation for working with children. He sees them both in his 3rd Street clinic and at the Summerland Health Centre, although his hospital visits are not limited to kids.

For mom and dad, he makes visits to his office a little less painful by working hard to maximize the benefits of the family dental plan, including direct billing.

This people-friendly approach has garnered him clients from as far away as Salmon Arm and Washington State. But in the end, it all boils down to great dental health and the fact that, as Dr. Don says, “So much begins with a smile.”

Look for more details online at www.peachlanddentists.com.
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OKAPED

 

OKAPED has a long history of promoting healthy living throughout the Okanagan. The company introduced the profession of pedorthics to the Kelowna medical community in 1997. Its clinicians all have university degrees in health sciences and additional extensive pedorthic training and continuing education in the field of biomechanics, gait analysis and anatomy.

They are experts in performing biomechanical evaluations and video gait analysis and in providing custom foot orthotics, knee and ankle bracing, shoe modifications and specialty footwear.

OKAPED clinicians take a one-on-one approach to conducting their quality assessment of clients’ gait characteristics and possible biomechanical abnormalities. Clients are primarily referred by their family physicians when concerns about foot alignment, gait abnormalities or the effects of diseases such as arthritis or diabetes create complications within foot and leg structures. Some of these conditions can be life limiting or, in severe cases of diabetes complications, limb threatening.

Athletes with performance or pain issues also visit OKAPED to consult about possible biomechanical abnormalities. Recent changes in running styles and the use of minimalist shoes has kept the professionals at OKAPED busy reviewing studies of these trends and helping to mend those runners that are breaking down either due to poor biomechanics or improper training methods.

They also deal with occupational and sports injuries and work with athletes in specialized areas such as reviewing bike fit or ski stance as well as performing individualized running analysis. Their knowledge of foot biomechanics aids OKAPED professionals in designing and fabricating custom orthotics and shoe modifications in their local lab. OKAPED also retails specialty orthopaedic footwear including a product tailor-made for the Okanagan lifestyle—anatomically supportive flip-flops that help keep feet happy and healthy throughout the summer.

For full details visit www.okaped.com.
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Okanagan Dental Care for Kids

 

For a lifetime of dental health, care needs to start early. “My philosophy is that we are here for the children,” says Dr. Terry Farquhar, who runs Okanagan Dental Care for Kids with Dr. Alan Milnes. “My first priority is to provide preventive care and a positive dental experience from a very young age, ideally seeing kids by one year of age or six months after the eruption of their first teeth.”

Dr. Farquhar says this appointment is about the family. “I believe that when parents are given the information they need to prevent cavities from a young age we can reduce the chance that the children will develop cavities in the future.”

Developing a comfort level with the office and team also helps build relationships and a trusting environment where kids can comfortably come with oral health issues of any kind, not just cavities. But if the dreaded C-word does arise, this practice offers a range of support from TLC for the slightly nervous to nitrous oxide and oxygen inhalational sedation (laughing gas), oral sedation, intravenous sedation or even treatment under general anesthesia both at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) and Summerland Health Centre. (This office developed the pediatric dental program at both.)

Okanagan Dental Care for Kids is a place where kids can have all of their dental needs addressed including early orthodontic screening with space management or timely referral to an orthodontist as necessary. Serving the community and the entire BC Interior for 15 years, this practice goes well beyond the basics, providing families with online access to a wealth of information via archived articles written as a public service.

Doctors Farquhar and Milnes are sought after as resources for Interior Health and general practitioners throughout the Okanagan as well as medical colleagues at KGH. Dr. Milnes is also involved with lecturing and guideline development nationally and in the US. “When families come to our office,” says Dr. Farquhar, “they are receiving care from recognized experts in the field.”

Ultimately, though, it’s all about the children. “We live here, we care about our community and we have a vested interest in providing a place where families can come for support for their children’s dental needs.”

To learn more, including info for parents on pediatric dental care, visit www.okanagandentalcareforkids.com.
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Chelation Medical Centers of the Okanagan

 

With the effects of aging, especially heart disease, top-of-mind for so many people today, it’s exciting to learn of chelation therapy, a time-tested option for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. Doubly exciting that it also provides many other benefits.

“We just help you heal yourself,” says Dr. Dietrich Wittel, who adds that he doesn’t own a prescription pad and hasn’t seen a drug rep for 15 years. He compares chelation therapy with pulling a sliver out of a festering wound. Once the sliver is removed the wound usually heals flawlessly by itself.

The way the therapy works is that a chelating agent called EDTA is injected by IV and it literally grabs “the slivers”—toxic metals like lead and stealth infections like certain herpes viruses from the body.

A recent Swedish study showed that for patients with hardening of the arteries, the loss of elasticity in the aorta was reduced by the equivalent of between 20 and 27 years as a result of applying the proper chelation protocol. Remember, says Dr. Wittel, “You are only as old as your blood vessels.”

Dr. Wittel insists that patients of the Chelation Medical Centers of the Okanagan become informed by watching his lecture on DVD and he cautions that they “had better be prepared to listen to our nutrition advice, which differs a great deal from what you see and hear at the hospital.”

Learn more at www.chelationbc.com.
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Westside Dental Centre

 

A key component of overall wellness has to be dental health. We all know that, but finding the motivation to actually work with a dentist, well, that’s another story. It really boils down to relationships and dental surgeon Jack DeGruchy is a master at building them.

Whether he’s working with Robert Bateman to help kids realize a greener future, being instrumental in bringing face masks to minor hockey, helping to develop arts venues for the Okanagan or standing on-call to provide emergency dental care for the Queen, Jack is connecting with people. And that way of life transfers to his dental practice.

Jack has dedicated his life to building smiles in many ways, but certainly through comprehensive, compassionate dental care. He feels strongly that it is vital to build relationships with his patients, to listen and truly hear what they want for their smiles.

At the Westside Dental Centre, Jack specializes in procedures designed to make people want to show off their smile. Not surprisingly, given his long connection with minor sports, Jack uses the most up to date techniques in implant dentistry. He performs a wide range of cosmetic procedures including bonding, gum reshaping, tooth whitening, crowns and veneers. When tooth loss is unavoidable, he consults with patients to determine and implement the most harmonious denture solution. Westside Dental even offers a Fresh Breath Centre. Now we’re talking relationships.

More info at www.jdsmiles.com.
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Rocky Mountain Fitness

 

“Selling fitness is a service business,” says Rocky Mountain Fitness owner, Les Gordichuk. “We take offence when people say their equipment has become nothing but coat hangers.”

Although he and his staff are proud to carry the best product lines, providing value through volume buying, they are determined to see that customers leave with the right equipment to achieve their fitness goals.

Rocky Mountain carries the same selection of quality equipment as stores in major metropolitan areas. Customers will find a wide selection of elliptical trainers, treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines, suspension trainers and multi-gyms. The store stocks equipment for Pilates, vibration training, fight gear and a huge array of weight training gear including benches, racks and free weights. And they offer a full range of price points in all categories to meet everyone’s budget needs.

But at Rocky Mountain the service isn’t just cash and carry. Here customers receive personal attention from trained staff who are constantly updating their knowledge of the latest equipment and the most up to date training techniques.

For people who are ready to make the leap, Les extends an invitation to come in for friendly, honest, dedicated service. He warns that they may not hear what they came in looking to hear, but they will get the truth. A pet peeve of Rocky Mountain staff is mass marketing. They see fad equipment in the same light as fad diets. They don’t want customers settling for the wrong product just because it’s the latest thing they’ve seen on TV. Les says that much of the company’s sales volume comes from repeat customers because fitness is an ongoing process. When people have been counselled wisely and treated fairly, they keep coming back.

And Rocky Mountain isn’t just catering to perfect-body 20-somethings. With growing fitness consciousness among 40- and 50-year-olds, people in this age group are often fitter now than they were two decades ago. “We all know,” says Les, “that we 50-pluses want to be more fit. If we could take off two belt sizes or two dress sizes, we’d want to do it.”

Serving the community for 20 years, Rocky Mountain Fitness is all about personal attention to help people achieve their personal fitness goals.

Find full details online at www.rmfitness.com.
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Singleton Dental Implants

 

The face of dentistry is constantly advancing with improvements in materials and techniques. For many years, the Smile Makeover has been the big buzz. “It’s still an amazing way to change people’s lives,” says Dr. Alan Singleton.

He routinely does makeovers, but these days he is most passionate about the benefits of Invisaline (invisible braces) and dental implants to improve function and aesthetics.

The link between oral health and overall body health, especially heart health, is clear. Dr. Singleton says that keeping your mouth clean and healthy is easier with straight teeth and Invisalign can help achieve this.

He uses dental implants in many different situations from replacing a single tooth to securely holding in dentures. Made from titanium screws, implants are artificial teeth roots that are placed in the jaw to support restoration. “Having teeth that you don’t have to take out is life changing,” says Dr. Singleton. “Eat anything you want, smile as big as you can, no flying denture mishaps.”

Just as significant is avoiding or dealing with potential health problems. Bacteria can grow where teeth used to be or where there is extra space from poor fitting dentures. This can lead to gum disease, adding to the risk for a host of health problems. Missing teeth can also throw the bite off, which can lead to headaches, sore jaws, aching necks and backs.

Dr. Singleton is a dental implant specialist. He understands the need to be aware of all options, outcomes and cost. Before prescribing any kind of treatment, he gets to know his patient’s oral health and then discusses the best option for each individual—right here in the Okanagan.

Find out more at www.dentalimplantspenticton.com.
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