Memory Glass is a little different than normal glass because it contains a very special foreign substance: cremated human remains.
Memory Glass is a type of Funerary Glass
The term 'Memory Glass' refers to solid glass sculptures and keepsake jewelry that contains the cremated remains of friends, family and beloved pets. In these unique art pieces, bone ash is incorporated right into the glass mixture and appears as puffy white clouds under a transparent surface. Sometimes called Funerary Glass this art form is as old as the Romans and has come in and out of style for twenty centuries. Today in 2015, due to shrinking cremation service costs at Basic Funerals and other online undertakers, Memory Glass is coming back into mainstream funeral fashion.
Today beautiful memory glass centers on striking the perfect balance between art glass and the aggregate cremated material which does NOT bond with the glass itself but makes bubbles of white creamy clouds inside the piece. The article on how Cheaper Cremations Increases Funeray Glass on Digital Journal shows Angelo Rossi at Skylon Tower Niagara Falls at work making memory glass and also shows his various shapes, styles and stockpiles of the stuff.
The sifted ashes are delivered from the funeral home in a small glass jar, usually by the funeral director, complete with the paper tags bearing the name and number of the deceased.
Are there glass making chemical components inside human remains?
The Cremation Process is Very Efficient
Commercial crematoriums are designed to produce temperatures between 870–980 °C, though in some situations much higher temperatures are possible, depending on the configuration and off gassing designs. Larger bodies take longer, especially where there's excessive body fat. The time it takes to cremate a body depends primarily on the size of the body..
So what is left at the end? Bone ashes. We call them 'cremated remains' but its a fact that they are the non-burnable elements of the body. For the most part, this is just bones and teeth of the human skeleton.
Cremation temps of approx 800°C vaporizes almost all the tissue in the body, and what remains is the hardest most dense material.
Other things like dental and surgical prostheses may also remain in the ashes, and are usually sifted out of the powder along with larger bone fragments before the dust is delivered to the families of the deceased in a clear plastic bag.
The mineral in bone is hydroxylapatite, a type of calcium phosphate with the formula, Ca5(PO4)3(OH). But in the heat of cremation, it’s at least partly transformed into tricalcium phosphate, or Ca3(PO4)2.
The bone dust is delivered to the glassblower in a small glass jar with the official name and death certificate number of the deceased.
Technical difficulties of making memory glass with cremated remains
The technical difficulties of making memory glass with cremated human remains has a lot to due with expansion co efficiencies of ashes which are three times more expansive than soda lime material. If this foreign material had any density it would certainly crack the glass either while cooling or in future heating and cooling of the glass vessel.
When an object is heated or cooled, its length changes by an amount proportional to the original length and the change in temperature. Linear thermal expansion of an object can be expressed as
dl = L0 α (t1 - t0) (1) where, dl = change in length (m, inches) L0 = initial length (m, inches) α = linear expansion coefficient (m/moC, in/inoF) t0 = initial temperature (oC, oF) t1 = final temperature (oC, oF)
Eric Davy, funerary glassblower in Toronto and principal at Davy Glass specializes in making Memory Glass paperweights. When creating these art glass items he adds the cremated remains into the mix before the first gather, and as the powder expands in the glass it makes wonderful puffy white clouds.
But of course they weaken the glass - not that a paperweight has to be very strong. According to physics its important to note that if the paperweight were to be heated and then rapidly cooled it would break along lines made by the ashes inside.
Linear Temperature Expansion Co efficiency of Calcium Compared to Glass - α - (10-6 m/(m K))*) , (10-6 in/(in R))*)
Calcium
22.3
12.4
Glass, hard
5.9
3.3
Glass, Pyrex
4.0
2.2
Glass, plate
9.0
5.0
Modern glass composition is 65% silica, 25% soda, 10% lime. Silica is the most common element on planet Earth. The oxide is SiO2 and is added to soda, Na2CO3 and lime.
Lime is a calcium-containing inorganic material in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide and or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name of the natural mineral (native lime) CaO.
Like most 'Hot Glass Artists' today, Eric Davy and his assistant Alex Wilson use Studio Nuggets delivered direct to the shop in the 50lb bags seen below.
Soda lime glass is the most common type of glass today, representing 80% of all commercial glass. This substance is extremely important in our day to day lives because it’s used everywhere, in windows, jars, jugs, bottles and drinking glasses. Art glass blowers who make Memory Glass generally buy and use Studio Nuggets soda lime glass pellets which promise the following composition of 60-75% silica , 12-18% soda, 5-12% lime and nothing else.
Eric Davy makes both funerary urns $900, and Memory Glass paperweights $200 es.
Making a paperweight with cremated remains inside.
The finished glass paperweight is beautiful to behold!
As food education improves, Canadians are becoming more health conscious, and are turning away from commercial baked breads to buy healthier cereal alternatives. 2012 Canadian bread sales statistics as reported in Financial Post shows many health conscious shoppers have stopped buying glutinous white bread at the supermarket because there are other more attractive bread alternatives 'rising up' in local markets. Among the most popular new choices are slow cooked sourdough breads made in artisan bakeries. These micro bakers are getting larger slices because they win on taste and health benefits.
Shasha Bread CEO Shaun Navazesh bakes with Sprouted Grains
We began our trek through this remarkable facility in the sprouted grains section of Shasha's large bakery.
ShaSha has been sprouting ancient grains since 1999. Today he sprouts Adzuki Beans, Mung Beans Lentils and Brown Rice which he dries and grinds into flour to make delicious sourdough breads. These organic ingredients are also sold separately in the Organic Food Store on the premises.
Sprouted grains, lentils and beans offer more Vitamin C to human digestive systems; the sprouting neutralizes the phytic acid in the seeds which means the vitamins and minerals in the meal are more readily absorbed by the body.
When the workers make sprouts in Shasha's specially designed high moisture chambers, they're actually starting the seed's germination process, which changes the chemical make-up of the biological package - Mother Nature's reproductive system kicks into gear to make a new organism.
Sprouting dramatically increases the amounts of vitamins and minerals in the lentils, especially B vitamins and carotene.
When sprouting grains to make sprouted grain flour, Shasha Bread company is careful not to allow the sprouts to grow too large. They begin dehydrating the grains shortly after the root tip appears.
To prepare for the next phase of this artisanal baking process, workers dry these activated grains using a fan in a dehydration room (not in the oven). The drying is slow and time consuming; days later these same grains and pods are collected and ground on stone wheels in a grist mill on site to become a wholesome 'sprouted flour' for baking.
Shasha Bread Company Grinds Their Own Sprouted Grains
Although the flour mill occupies only a small part of the bakery, its a very busy work station on most days as so many of Shasha bread recipes require some of the many types of flour made on site. Rich in fiber, antioxidants and essential nutrients, flour made from ancient grains such as quinoa and amaranth are rapidly gaining in popularity. Also consumption of blended flours is increasing among consumers who wish to consume whole grains but are averse to the taste, flavor and texture of whole grain flour products.
With his finger on the power button, Raj the master baker explains how the grains are feed into the central hopper to travel through the machine and be transformed into fresh flour which is then bagged and labeled for the bakers in the next room. Stone ground flour is usually coarser than commercial flour reducing the loss of nutrients due to oxygen exposure. With several studies corroborating the health risks posed by excessive consumption of processed foods, consumers are increasingly including higher quantities of whole grain and fiber into their regular diet. Using this stone ground flour, the endosperm, bran, and germ of the sprouted grains are in their natural, original proportions allowing for higher and better nutrient absorption in the body.
Shasha brand Ezekiel bread is composed of over a dozen different types of flour so the grinder has a busy job.
History of Sourdough Baking - In the Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology M.G. Gaenzle writes "The origins of bread-making are so ancient that everything said about them must be pure speculation. One of the oldest sourdough breads dates from 3700 BC and was excavated in Switzerland, but the origin of sourdough fermentation likely relates to the origin of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent several thousand years earlier... Bread production relied on the use of sourdough as a leavening agent for most of human history; the use of baker's yeast as a leavening agent dates back less than 150 years."Sourdough remained the usual form of leavening down into the European medieval times until being replaced by barm from the beer brewing process, and then later purpose-cultured yeast.
Raj prepares loaves of sourdough bread made from the nutrient rich sprouted grain flour, and then leaves them to rise in a warm room. This is one of the principle differences between artisanal bakeries and commercial breadmakers; the urban bread factories make their bleached white product in under an hour. The flour is mixed, baked, sliced and bagged in too short a time period to allow what's left of the nutrients in the pulverized wheat flour to be released into the bread. Bakers like Raj take it nice and slow and let the bacteria in the sourdough bread break down the gluten and naturally rises up into tall heathly loaves full of natural vitamins and minerals.
This is my favourite picture of Raj the breadmaker!
Today bakers in Toronto and all over Canada can buy dried BIO-Buds to add to their meals, and they can buy flour made from sprouted grains to make their baked goods.
These sprouted grains are dried and sold separately as BIO-Bud baking ingredients in the organic food store on the premises.
Always interested in how new technology improves people's lives, Fuel Ghoul was quick to accept an invitation from Markham dentist at Armadale Dentistry to watch Dr Gabriala Vidmar demonstrate a diode laser during real life dental surgery. This is a first hand account of how modern dentists now use lasers to do soft tissue surgery, and real laser teeth whitening. The future has arrived at this dental office in Markham.
Gabriala Vidmar has been practicing dentistry in Markham for many years at Armadale Dentistry which is located in building 4A in the shopping plaza complex at 7720 Markham rd. at the heart of the big box store complex that has grown up south of Hwy7, and the old Town of Markham.
Gabriala is a veteran dentist who graduated with a bachelor's degree in general dentistry in 1997. Since her graduation, she has continued to pursue extensive training and education in the field of cosmetic dentistry, root canal therapy, oral surgery and Invisalign®. Gabriala also likes new technology and hopes that someday the dental laser might replace the dentist's drill to offer quieter more comfortable treatments everywhere inside and even outside the mouth.
Ezlase products came to the attention of office administrators at Armadale Dentistry last year, because the 940 model delivers up to seven watts of laser power which most dentists believe makes the impliment more of a surgeon's tool, and not just a teeth whitening pen or gimmicky toy. Also notable is that this handheld surgical device comes with a powerful battery right inside the pen itself.. so most procedures can be done without the power supply cord attached. The battery holds a good charge, so she can work with the cordless tool all day long, and doesnt have to constantly worry about anything dangling in the patient's face. That also means she has more freedom to maneuver the ezlase dental laser during complicated operations which all adds up to faster, safer, and more efficient surgery.
The device came in a small cardboard box in which there was also included a laminate brochure which reads 'The ezlase offers the most precise control of tissue cutting for different procedures and tissue biotypes. Dentists and clinicians can choose from the widest selection of tip lengths and diameters", and under the heading 'Soft Tissue Surgery', the description continues, "The ezlase uses better bendable tips for better access to all areas, and offers single-use disposable tips for quick, convenient treatment, and improved cleanliness."
Laser tips are disposable? hmm Fuel Ghoul predicts this will be a big business someday. More research needed to investigate the possiblility of making the largest dental tips inventory warehouse in North America.
Markham Dentist readies Armadale Dentistry clinic's ezlase 940 diode laser for a demonstration.
Specialy trained and now very experienced with lasers, Dr Gabriala Vidmar is also a caring and knowledgeable dentist who devotes herself to patient care. Her vision for the clinic is to offer state-of-the-art comprehensive dental care while achieving her patients’ optimal oral health and esthetics. She wants folks to know that she has the latest high technology devices and can offer a more comfortable experience and get more done in less time
Armadale Dentistry has become a bastion of technology using digital xrays and other advanced machines. Dr Vidmar hopes the laser will someday replace the dentists' drill for all operations. Already the device is quieter and doesnt terrorize patients with loud whinny noise of an electric motor and spinning drill bit.
Its estimated that less than ten percent of Canadian dentists own and are trained to use lasers for soft-tissue surgery. The highly specialized surgery is perhaps the high art of modern dentistry.
Biolase's proprietary laser products incorporate approximately 300 patented and patent-pending technologies. The common goal of the research is to provide superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. The company's innovative products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices.
BIOLASE is acquiring quite a good reputation for offering a diversified array of different dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures. Their tools are used for both cosmetic and complex surgical applications. In one article I read, the author stated that BIOLASE has sold more than 25,000 laser systems in markets all over the world, and that piece was dated Jan 2014. Other laser products they currently have in development address ophthalmology and other medical and consumer markets.
Benefits of Laser Dentistry
Lasers offer many advantages over the scapel, that cruel knife has been the prinicple cutting tool of surgeons the world. However, procedures that are performed using the new soft tissue dental lasers are less painful, lass damaging, more sterile and they heal faster. In many cases the patient's mouth, skin, gums do not require sutures (stitches) after the operation. Certain laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia.
This is mostly because laser dentistry minimizes bleeding and swelling during soft tissue treatments. Bacterial infections are also minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area being worked on. Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized and that means wounds heal faster, and tissues can be regenerated by the body easier
Top Seven Dental Procedures for which the Ezlase 940 Diode Laser is Commonly Applied
Remove Cold Sores - Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
Treating Gum Disease - Lasers are used to remove diseased, infected, inflamed and necrosed (dead) soft tissue within the periodontal pocket.
Crown Lengthening - Dental lasers can be used to reshape gum tissue to expose healthier tooth structure. Referred to as crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for the placement of restoration.
Gummy Bear Smile - Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.
Muscle Attachment (Frenula) - A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.
Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis) - Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Removing Benign Tumors - Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.
Biopsy or lesion removal - Lasers can be used to remove a small piece of tissue (called a biopsy) so that it can be examined by specialists for cancer.
The Biolase ezlase 940 Dental Laser
In addition to it's diverse functionality, the administrators at Armadale dentistry were no doubt also influenced by an exclusive ezlase feature called ComfortPulse™ which lets dentists significantly reduce the amount of time the laser is actually cutting flesh, which works to avoid heat that can cause pain at the surgical site. This unique combination of features means that she can perform most ezlase procedures using topical anesthetic only.
The science of using laser for soft tissue dental surgery
Recent research in the field of laser wavelength absorbtion and innovations inspried by this data has positioned BIOLASE Technology as the leader in medical and dental laser systems. They used the research data to develop the ezlase 940, the first dental laser to obtain clearance at the unique 940 nm wavelength.
Biolase ezlase model 940 dental laser operates at 940 nm wavelength which research proves resonates or rather is better absorbed by hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin than other wavelengths, so the ezlase cuts more efficiently at lower power and with less heat.
The ezlase is FDA cleared for temporary relief of minor pain. The exclusive beam-dispersing handpiece has several therapeutic applications, including providing temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and stiffness.
How do lasers work in dentistry?
All lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light. When used for surgical and dental procedures, the laser is most frequently used as a cutting instrumen, and less frequently as a vaporizer of tissue. When used for "curing" a filling, the laser helps to strengthen the bond between the filling and the tooth. When used in teeth whitening procedures, the laser acts as an activator and enhances the effect of tooth whitening agents.
While all diode lasers cut tissue using heat, many of them can increase tissue temperature excessively, causing patient discomfort. The ezlase keeps patients more comfortable two ways.
Using the ezlase 940 Diode Laser for Teeth Whitening
Diode Dental Laser is designed for a wide variety of procedures, including teeth whitening. Diode Laser Teeth Whitening is achieved with a proprietary photo-activated whitening gel that is activated by the selective absorption characteristics of a specific true-laser wavelength of light.
Even though its quick, it works. The Diode Laser Whitening procedure is completed in just four short sessions, that each last about thirty seconds each, and which are all performed in the course of one short visit, and the results are truly amazing. The new device has proven itself to be one of the most effective teeth whitening instruments available on the market today. The technology has already transformed the appearance of thousands of Canadians teeth, and is remarkably effective even on the worst case scenarios, ie teeth that are yellowed or gray in color, Diode Laser Teeth Whitening offers outstanding results. A full-mouth, in-office whitening can be performed in only 20 minutes, which makes it faster than any other in-office whitening system.
Consumers need to be better educated to know that most dental offices and almost all spas and salons that offer “laser teeth whitening” do not, in fact, use an actual diode laser in the procedure. The term “laser” has been rather loosely applied to every light emitting tool and the lights that most folks use are actually non-laser plasma lights. There is a significant difference in both the effectiveness and safety of these plasma lights, versus true diode laser activation.
The ezlase 940 uses new technology to provide greater patient comfort and superior control of bleeding during dental procedures. Small and ultralight, the ezlase 940 enables this Markham area dental clinic to proudly and confidently offer better dentistry services, which more proceducres done faster and more comfortably than ever before. Can your dentist say the same?
Earlier in August 2014, I published an article on Eligible Magazine entitled Get Your Sexy Mouth On which outlines how getting a sexy mouth makeover can dramatically increase a single person’s sex appeal. Our human mouths are one of the most sexual parts of our bodies, and there are several ways that your dentist can help improve your mouth's appearance beyond whitening, straightening and cleaning your teeth. The scientific instrumentation inside a modern dentist's office is getting smarter, smaller, more comfortable and more affordable every day.
Kristal is a top rated dentist in Oakville who works alongside Dr Anil Ralhan; she was kind enough to let us photograph her for this piece. She is not a cosmetic dentist because there really is no such designation in dentistry, however she's a good choice for anyone seeking help making a sexy mouth.
The term Cosmetic dentistry, when it does appear in advertising and other semi respectable messaging, is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the function) of a person's teeth, gums and bite.
Many dental practitioners refer to themselves as cosmetic dentists for marketing reasons, regardless of their specific education, training, and experience as beauticians or estheticians. This has been considered unethical by the Ontario Dental Association, and other goverining bodies around the world. Here in Oakville, Dr Ralhan does NOT refer to himself as a cosmetic dentist, however their Oakville dental office specializes in oral aesthetics, and these folks do pride themselves at being the best choice in the area for someone looking to upgrade their smile.
Earlier this summer, Katie Lister met with Oakville dentist Dr. Anil Ralhan to explore her dental options. This veteran dentist explained everything possible and listed the possibilities and what he does, and the entire repository of aesthetic procedures he can do at the clinic. He admitted that she doesnt need much, as Katie already has a remarkably white, all natural smile. However if she so desired, she could have any one of the following six procedures:
1. Teeth whitening is the most common cosmetic dental procedure. While many tooth bleaching options are now available, including several over the counter products, dentist-supervised treatments remain the top recommended solutions for lightening discolored teeth. Ie "L A S E R ' more on that laser.
2. Teeth sculpting and bonding can now be performed in a single office visit. Tooth reshaping removes parts of the enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth. It may be used to correct a small chip in a tooth, or to alter the length, shape or position of a bite full of teeth; it can be used to correct crooked or excessively long teeth. Also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty, contouring, recontouring, slenderizing, stripping or sculpting, the removed enamel is irreplaceable, and this may sometimes expose dentin. This procedure offers fast results and can even be a substitute for braces under certain circumstances. 2a. Bonding is the process in which an enamel-like dental composite material is re-applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted into shape, hardened and then polished.
3. Dental bridges are false teeth, known as a pontics, which are fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in areas left by missing teeth. Two crowns hold the pontic in place, these are attached to adjacent sides of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out in the same way that partial dentures can. In areas of the mouth that are under less stress, such as the front teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Cantilever bridges are used when there are teeth on only one side of the open space. Bridges can reduce the risk of gum disease, help correct some bite issues and even improve your speech. Bridges trap food and require commitment to serious oral hygiene tactics but may last up to ten years or more.
4. Veneers are ultra-thin, custom-made porcelain laminates that are bonded directly to the teeth. They are an option for closing gaps or disguising discolored teeth that do not respond well to whitening procedures. Depending on the procedure, tooth reduction may be necessary.
5. Gum lift is a cosmetic dental procedure that raises and sculpts the gum line. The procedure involves reshaping the tissue and underlying bones to create the appearance of longer or more symmetrical teeth.
6. Bite Reclamation is used on patients who have had years of excessive wear to their teeth due to grinding or acid reflux that can alter their vertical dimension. Opening a patient's bite can sometimes even remove unwanted wrinkles in the skin around the patient's mouth.
Oakville dental office also contains recreational technology like gaming consoles in the waiting room, and an operatory with multiple flat screens on armatures that can be swung about anywhere in the room, one for the dentist and one for the patient. Dr Anil Ralhan says there are patients he has that come here looking to relax and take a few hours off from their hectic day. The dental assistant gives them headsets and puts their favourite TV show on screen so they can 'go to the beach' for an hour.
Young Sexy Teeth Can Never Be Too White
Laser teeth whitening is the best choice of all available teeth whitening options, as this new technology requires no personal effort, and can deliver spectacular results in a short period of time for a reasonable cost.
Sexy mouths often have puffy lips over healthy red gums. Contrary to the effects of testosterone on a man’s facial structure, the effects of a woman’s estrogen levels actually serve to maintain her youthful face and appearance. Estrogen helps preserve female juvenile facial structures during puberty and even during final maturation. It has been shown that the more estrogen a woman has, the larger her eyes will be, and the fuller her lips will be, characteristics which are perceived as more feminine, and indeed more healthy. Surveys performed by sexual psychologists have found that men universally find a woman’s full lips to be more sexually attractive than lips that are thin. And so its logical to deduce that a woman’s full lips are more sexually attractive to males because they serve as a biological indicator of a woman’s health and fertility.
Skin, lips and white teeth all work together to make an irresible sexy mouth.
Eric Davy makes both funerary urns $900, and Memory Glass paperweights $200 es.
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