Know the potential effects of occasional cigar smoking and dental health

You probably already know that even occasional cigar smoking is bad for your lungs and heart, but it can also be detrimental for your dental health. Smoking leads to a host of dental problems, including a higher risk of developing oral cancer, gum disease and leukoplakia, a disease that causes white patches to grow inside the mouth. Cigar smoking also causes tooth discoloration, bad breath, a build up of tartar and plaque on the teeth and may lead to loss of bone in the jaw. According to a 23-year long study conducted by the American Dental Association, cigar smokers experience jawbone loss and tooth loss at the same rate as cigarette smokers. Even if cigar smokers do not inhale, they are still at a greatly increased risk of developing oral and...

Common Legal Questions About Virginia Divorce: Child Custody & Support

  Will a court split my children into two different households? Answer:  The courts tend to avoid splitting siblings unless there is evidence that the split is in the children’s best interest.   Does Virginia presume that a mother is the best primary custodian of a child? Answer: No, at this time there are no presumptions in the law regarding custody.  The Virginia courts used to examine cases with young children under the “tender years doctrine” that assumed young children were best cared for by their mother. Virginia courts no longer employ this doctrine.  Instead, the courts will make custody and visitation determinations based on the best interest of the child by considering specific statutory factors statutory factors (Va. Code §...