Some things to know about life and all that other stuff

Up to their eyeballs...

In July, the federal student loan rate will rise to the highest level it has been since 2001. That is bad news for the millions of students who are struggling under a mountain of debt. For some, the debt is so large that it factors largely into the kind of work students choose to do after school, increasing the shortage of qualified candidates in professions such as teaching.

A recent story in Newsday reported:

"Simply put, public service-minded grads faced with tens of thousands of dollars in debt are being forced into the higher-paying private sector, the Public Interest Research Group in Washington D.C. found.

"Burdensome debt likely deters skilled and dedicated college graduates from entering and staying in important careers" such as educating America's children, the report concluded.

Aspiring social workers, with typically lower salaries than teachers, were also burdened with too much student-loan debt.

Nationwide, 23 percent of public college and 38 percent of private college graduates had "unmanageable" debt -- that is, student-loan payments that "hinder their ability to pay for basic necessities."

Parents, meantime, face competing demands for their money. They're trying to save for retirement just as their kids are starting college. Financial planners have long urged people not to delay retirement saving to pay for college. The idea was that students could borrow for college but that parents can't borrow for retirement. (From Al's Morning Meeting.)

Let me see your grillz

The hip-hop culture is sinking its teeth into a new fashion trend. Individual gold-capped teeth have given way to grills and fronts -- removable mouthpieces made of gold, platinum or silver and sometimes studded with jewels.

The trend has been boosted by hip-hop icons such as Nelly and rappers like Paul Wall.

After Nelly's 2005 hit "Grillz," which glorifies the trend, young people all over scrambled to wrap their chops around a shiny grill.

Matthew Messina, a dentist and ADA spokesman, said improper use and care of fronts can result in serious gum disease or cavities.

Messina has no problem with the aesthetic aspect of a grill, but he warns of problems down the road if they are not kept clean or if they are bonded to natural teeth.

Snap-on grills do not fit particularly well in and around the teeth, he said, allowing food and bacteria to get trapped underneath, which can cause cavities or other problems like gum disease or gum recession.

Other dangers include allergic reactions to cheap metals and adverse reactions to jewelry cleaners, which can burn gums, Messina said.

Messina said some vendors may be unaware that in some states ... taking an impression of someone's mouth is considered dentistry, which requires a license. (From Al's Morning Meeting).