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What Are the Risks of Medications on Your Oral Health?

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Oral Health

While medication can help treat illness and improve health, we may not always consider the unintended effects it can have elsewhere in the body.

Did you know that some common prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs can negatively impact your dental health? As it turns out, the mouth is highly susceptible to systemic influences.

In this article, we’ll explore several risks medications pose to your teeth and discuss steps you can take to minimize harm.

1.    Tooth Decay

According to TorHoerman Law, a common medication used to treat opioid addiction called Suboxone consists of two active ingredients – buprenorphine and naloxone. It is available in both dissolvable strips placed under the tongue (known as sublingual films) as well as tablets.

The sublingual film version has proven to be quite effective and easy for patients to use. Buprenorphine helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings by acting as a partial opioid agonist, while naloxone counters the effects of opioids by serving as an antagonist.

However, this medication has been found to significantly increase the risk of severe dental issues due to its acidic properties. In early 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning regarding dental problems reported by those using buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction or manage pain.

In response, the manufacturer added a label on their medications cautioning about potential tooth decay.

Some patients have since come forward with lawsuits such as the Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit, claiming the company failed to properly disclose this side effect to both medical providers and consumers of the drug.  The victims claim that this has resulted in serious dental injuries from taking the medication as prescribed.

However, there are certain steps you can try to prevent tooth decay while you are on Suboxone. For optimal absorption and to reduce acid exposure, it’s best to place all Suboxone tablets or films under your tongue at once rather than splitting the dose. Make sure to keep them separated until fully dissolved.

Once dissolved, rinse your mouth with a generous sip of water, swishing it around to clear any residue and neutralize acid levels. Avoid brushing immediately afterward, as excess acid can weaken tooth enamel.

Wait at least an hour after taking Suboxone before brushing to minimize the risk of tooth decay. Keep your dentist informed about your Suboxone use to address any oral health concerns effectively.

Regular dental checkups and cleanings are essential, and if you notice any new tooth issues like cavities or sensitivity, contact your doctor promptly. By collaborating closely with both your physician and dentist, you can effectively monitor the impact of Suboxone on your oral health.

2.    Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, can be caused by several common medications that decrease saliva production. When saliva levels are too low, the delicate tissues inside the mouth do not receive their usual moisture and may become irritated and inflamed.

This lack of protection raises the risk of infections developing, as well as tooth decay and gum disease. Over 400 prescription and over-the-counter drugs are recognized to potentially induce dry mouth as a side effect. Chemotherapy treatments can also leave patients feeling persistently parched.

Dry mouth can be a potential adverse reaction to various classes of medications. These include antihistamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, inhaled lung medicines, certain blood pressure and heart medications, seizure drugs, isotretinoin for acne, and anti-anxiety tablets may also cause dry mouth.

While dry mouth can be an uncomfortable and inconvenient symptom, in many cases, the medical benefits of continuing the prescribed treatment outweigh the drawbacks.

Simple actions like drinking extra water throughout the day or chewing sugar-free gum may help alleviate the sensation of dryness temporarily.

Saliva substitutes that are sprayed directly into the mouth are also available and may provide relief for those struggling with medication-induced dry mouth. Maintaining good oral hygiene also aids in preventing related dental issues.

3.    Oral Thrush

Inhaled corticosteroids are useful for managing respiratory symptoms as they reduce airway inflammation and suppress the immune response. However, this can have the unintended effect of weakening immunity in the throat and mouth.

Normally, the mouth hosts a balance of various microbes like bacteria and yeasts. A weakened immune system may disrupt this equilibrium, allowing an overgrowth of the Candida fungus. This can lead to oral thrush, also known as oral candidiasis, which is a fungal infection of the mouth and throat.

Candida is commonly present in small amounts on mucous membranes throughout the body.

An overabundance of Candida can develop when the typical balance of microorganisms in the mouth is thrown off. Doctors may prescribe antifungal medications like clotrimazole, nystatin, or miconazole for mild cases. The patient would apply these topically inside the mouth daily for 7-14 days.

More severe infections are usually treated with fluconazole, which a doctor may administer as a pill or intravenously.

4.    Mucositis

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can damage the rapidly dividing epithelial cells that line the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. This leaves the underlying mucosal tissues vulnerable to injury and infection.

Mucosa, also called the mucous membrane, coats all passages open to the external environment in the respiratory and digestive systems. It secretes mucus to shield and lubricate these surfaces.

The oral mucosa lining the mouth is particularly sensitive. It is commonly impacted by chemotherapy and radiation, making the mouth a prevalent site of mucositis.

Mucositis occurs when cancer therapies erode the protective epithelial cell layer, exposing the raw mucosal lining. This induces several problems for patients, including pain, nutritional deficiencies from eating difficulties, and higher infection risk from open sores.

It seriously diminishes the quality of life and may necessitate lowered future chemotherapy doses. Individuals with oral mucositis and low white blood cell counts also face over four times the risk of septicemia. This is in comparison to those with just low white blood cell counts.

While mucositis itself cannot always be prevented, certain steps before radiation or chemotherapy can help minimize its effects and symptoms. It is advisable to consult an oncologist-recommended dentist in advance.

Proper denture fitting is important if they are worn. Any needed dental work, like extractions or denture adjustments, should be finished at least one month prior to therapy to allow full healing and avoid further mouth damage. Seeking early dental care can better protect oral health during cancer treatment.

FAQs

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of oral medications?

A: Oral medications are commonly chosen for their convenience, safety, and affordability, making them the preferred route of administration. However, they have limitations due to the typical movement of drugs through the digestive tract. Absorption of orally administered drugs may initiate in the mouth and stomach.

2. Which medications can cause mouth ulcers?

A: Mouth ulcers may be triggered by certain medications or treatments. These include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, nicorandil used for angina, and beta-blockers prescribed for conditions such as high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms.

3. What are the risks of neglecting oral infections?

A: Ignoring oral infections can result in severe damage to teeth, gums, and jawbone and may even lead to life-threatening sepsis. Historically, tooth decay-related infections were a leading cause of death. Notably, an oral infection may not always manifest with pain.

In summary, while medications serve important purposes, it’s crucial we consider their total impacts on health and well-being.

By keeping open lines of communication between doctors and dentists, we can better monitor oral effects, take preventative measures, and address any issues promptly. Overall, health relies on treating both medical and dental concerns in an integrated manner.

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Health & Fitness

How Long Does It Take For Shrooms To Hit

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Shrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as “shrooms” or “enchantment mushrooms,” have captivated the intrigued of individuals looking for elective ways to investigate awareness, oversee mental wellbeing, or basically encounter a diverse point of view on reality. Understanding how long it takes for shrooms to “hit” or take impact can be pivotal for guaranteeing a secure and positive encounter. In this direct, we’ll investigate the onset time of shrooms, variables impacting how rapidly impacts are felt, and the stages of a commonplace shroom trip.

What Are Shrooms and How Do They Work?

Shrooms allude to different species of parasites containing the compound psilocybin, a common hallucinogenic. When ingested, psilocybin is metabolized into psilocin, a compound that interatomic with serotonin receptors in the brain. This interaction causes the characteristic “trip” or hallucinogenic encounter related with shrooms, influencing recognition, thought designs, and emotions.

The shroom encounter can shift essentially between people, but it frequently incorporates changes in tactile recognition, feelings, and cognitive mindfulness. In spite of the fact that the essential impacts final as it were a few hours, they can lead to enduring bits of knowledge and positive mental changes.

How Long Does It Take for Shrooms to Hit?

In common, shrooms take around 20 to 60 minutes to kick in after ingestion. This time period can shift depending on a few components, such as the strategy of ingestion, measurement, person digestion system, and indeed the particular sort of mushroom. Here are a few common ways individuals devour shrooms and how they affect onset time.

  1. Eating Crude or Dried Shrooms

The most conventional and common strategy of devouring shrooms is eating them crude or dried. Since the body needs time to break down the mushroom fabric and change over psilocybin into psilocin, the onset time is for the most part around 30 to 60 minutes. For a few clients, impacts may be felt sooner, particularly if expended on an purge stomach.

  1. Shroom Tea

Making tea from shrooms is a prevalent choice, as it can lead to a speedier onset. Bubbling mushrooms in hot water makes a difference extricate the dynamic compounds, making them more promptly accessible for retention. Shroom tea ordinarily kicks in inside 10 to 30 minutes and can offer a smoother come-up, regularly with decreased queasiness compared to expending crude mushrooms.

  1. Shroom Edibles

Shrooms can too be made into chocolates, gummies, or other edibles. Like eating crude mushrooms, edibles require absorption some time recently psilocybin is changed over, so the onset is as a rule around 30 to 60 minutes. Be that as it may, the nearness of fats or sugars in edibles may marginally delay the handle, depending on the individual’s stomach related system.

  1. Lemon Tekking

Lemon Tekking includes drenching ground mushrooms in lemon or lime juice for almost 15 to 20 minutes some time recently ingestion. The acidic juice makes a difference change over psilocybin into psilocin exterior the body, driving to a speedier onset, frequently inside 10 to 20 minutes. Numerous clients report that lemon tekking escalate the impacts, so a lower measurements is frequently prescribed for those utilizing this method.

  1. Microdosing

Microdosing includes taking a little sum of shrooms, regularly around 0.1 to 0.3 grams, to create unobtrusive cognitive or disposition impacts without a full hallucinogenic trip. In most cases, the onset of microdosing is around 30 to 60 minutes if any recognizable impacts happen. The affect of microdosing tends to be gentle and may be difficult to identify for a few individuals.

Factors That Influence Shroom Onset Time

Various variables can impact how long it takes for shrooms to hit, from physiological angles to natural conditions. Here are a few of the most imperative factors:

  1. Dosage

Higher measurements of shrooms more often than not lead to speedier and more seriously impacts. A bigger sum of psilocybin comes about in quicker transformation to psilocin, driving to a shorter onset time. In any case, it’s basic to approach measurement carefully, as higher measurements increment the probability of an overpowering or challenging experience.

  1. Stomach Contents

Consuming shrooms on an purge stomach permits for speedier absorption and retention, whereas taking them with a supper may delay the impacts. Eating some time recently a shroom encounter can moderate down the onset since the body needs to handle the nourishment to begin with. Numerous individuals incline toward a light nibble or purge stomach to offer assistance assist the onset.

  1. Digestion system and Body Composition

Each person’s digestion system can essentially affect how rapidly shrooms take impact. Those with a quicker digestion system may feel the impacts sooner, whereas those with a slower digestion system might involvement a deferred onset. Body composition, hydration levels, and indeed common wellbeing too play a part in how rapidly the body assimilates psilocybin.

  1. Tolerance

Recent utilize of psilocybin or other psychedelics can lead to resilience, requiring a bigger dosage for the same impact or causing a postponed onset. Resistance more often than not builds up rapidly with psychedelics and scatters after a week or so of abstinence.

  1. Mentality and Setting

The “set” (your mentality) and “setting” (your environment) can impact the subjective involvement of time and how you see the onset of impacts. When you’re in a comfortable environment and feeling rationally arranged, you might be more adjusted to unpretentious changes, making it simpler to take note when the impacts start.

Phases of a Shroom Trip: From Onset to Come-Down

A normal shroom trip unfurls in a few stages, each with special characteristics. Here’s a common timeline of what you can anticipate amid each stage of the experience:

Shrooms

  1. Onset Stage (20-60 Minutes)
  • The to begin with impacts are more often than not unpretentious and may incorporate a feeling of unwinding or gentle happiness. Visual changes, such as improved colors or slight development in objects, may too begin appearing.
  • Physically, you might feel warmth, shivering, or indeed slight anxiety as the impacts construct. Expanded heart rate and a sense of expectation are moreover common amid the onset.
  1. Top Stage (1-3 Hours)
  • The top stage is the most strongly portion of a shroom trip, with effective tactile and visual impacts. Colors regularly ended up dynamic, designs may move or move, and standard objects can take on unused shapes.
  • Emotions and cognitive impacts escalating, frequently driving to significant experiences, delight, and a feeling of interconnecting with the world. A few individuals involvement “ego dissolution,” where they feel a misfortune of character, which can be either liberating or challenging.
  • Time discernment frequently changes, with minutes extending or compressing in bizarre ways.
  1. Come-Down Stage (3-6 Hours)
  • The crest steadily dies down, and you’ll begin returning to your ordinary state. Amid the come-down, clients regularly feel a sense of calm or satisfaction, with remaining visuals fading.
  • Many individuals reflect on the involvement amid this stage, and they may feel passionate experiences or a sense of clarity. Gentle tiredness or laziness is moreover common as the body starts to handle the psilocybin out of the system.
  1. Luminosity Stage (6+ Hours)
  • After the essential impacts have blurred, a few clients report an radiance, a waiting sense of inspiration, passionate openness, or calmness. This stage can final for hours or indeed days, with numerous individuals feeling more grounded and refreshed.
  • The radiance may take off a enduring impression, with a few individuals finding that the encounter brings enduring positive shifts in disposition or outlook.

How Long Does a Shroom Trip Last?

The full term of a shroom trip is regularly 4 to 6 hours from onset to come-down, in spite of the fact that the luminosity can expand for a day or more. Shrooms are generally short-lasting compared to other psychedelics, making them more reasonable for numerous clients. Be that as it may, each trip is special, and components like dosage, digestion system, and mentality can impact the in general duration.

Tips for a Positive and Safe Shroom Experience

A positive shroom encounter frequently requires cautious arrangement, especially for those unused to psychedelics. Here are a few tips to offer assistance you get the most out of your journey:

  1. Begin with a Moo Dose

If you’re a apprentice, begin with a little dosage, such as 1-1.5 grams of dried mushrooms. This permits you to gage the impacts without feeling overpowered. As you gotten to be more comfortable with the involvement, you can slowly increment the dose.

  1. Select the Right Setting

Being in a comfortable, commonplace environment can make the encounter more agreeable and secure. A calm, secure space can offer assistance you feel at ease, and having a trusted companion or “trip sitter” adjacent can give bolster if you require it.

  1. Remain Hydrated

Having water adjacent is accommodating, as psilocybin can some of the time cause dry mouth. Maintain a strategic distance from liquor or other substances amid a shroom trip, as they can meddled with the impacts and may increment the chance of a negative experience.

  1. Grasp the Experience

Psychedelics can bring up seriously feelings and contemplations. Approach these sentiments with openness, permitting the involvement to unfurl normally or maybe than standing up to or attempting to control it. Letting go of desires can make the trip more significant and enjoyable.

Safety Considerations

Although shrooms are for the most part secure, they do carry a few dangers, especially for those with mental wellbeing concerns. Here are a few security considerations:

  • Mental Wellbeing: Individuals with a history of psychosis or schizophrenia ought to maintain a strategic distance from psychedelics, as they can decline symptoms.
  • Avoid Driving: Shrooms impede coordination and recognition, so maintain a strategic distance from driving or working overwhelming machinery.
  • Know the Lawful Status: Shrooms are illicit in numerous places, so be beyond any doubt to investigate the laws in your region some time recently utilizing them.

Conclusion

Knowing how long it takes for shrooms to hit is fundamental for a well-prepared and secure encounter. On normal, shrooms begin to take impact inside 20 to 60 minutes of ingestion, depending on variables like measurement, utilization strategy, and person digestion system. The whole involvement for the most part endures 4 to 6 hours, with an phosphorescence that may bring enduring positive impacts on temperament and outlook.

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Health & Fitness

Social Support: The Role of Friends and Family in Your Journey

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Weight Gain Journey

The journey through life’s challenges, be it personal growth, overcoming obstacles, or pursuing goals, is rarely a solo endeavor. The presence of a supportive social network – friends, family, and loved ones – can significantly impact our success and well-being. This article delves into the crucial role of social support, highlighting how friends and family can positively influence various aspects of our lives, from physical health to emotional resilience.

Understanding the Importance of Social Support

Social support refers to the psychological and material resources provided by a social network, which are intended to help individuals cope with stress and achieve their goals. It comes in various forms: emotional (empathy, love, trust), informational (advice, suggestions), and instrumental (financial aid, services). Each form plays a unique role in fostering resilience and encouraging personal development.

The Psychological Impact of Social Support

  1. Enhanced Mental Health: Friends and family offer emotional comfort and reassurance, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression. They are a sounding board for frustrations and a source of positive affirmations and encouragement.
  2. Increased Sense of Belonging: Having a support system gives individuals a sense of belonging and acceptance, which is fundamental for mental health and self-esteem.
  3. Stress Reduction: Social support can act as a buffer against stress. The knowledge that one has a network to rely on can alleviate the psychological impact of stressful situations.
  4. Improved Self-Efficacy: Encouragement from friends and family boosts confidence and belief in one’s abilities to face challenges and pursue goals.

The Physical Benefits of Social Support

  1. Healthier Lifestyle Choices: People with strong social support systems are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors like regular exercise, balanced eating, and adhering to medical regimens.
  2. Better Physical Health: Studies have shown that individuals with robust social networks tend to have better heart health, lower blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.
  3. Longevity: Research suggests a correlation between strong social ties and longevity. Socially connected individuals often have a lower risk of premature death.

The Role of Friends and Family in Life’s Journey

  1. Career and Personal Development: In career growth or personal projects, friends and family can offer crucial advice, networking opportunities, and moral support.
  2. Overcoming Obstacles: During tough times, be it illness, loss, or failure, the emotional and practical support from loved ones is invaluable. They provide a safety net that can help individuals bounce back more readily.
  3. Celebrating Successes: Friends and family are not just there for the challenges; they also celebrate your successes, which can amplify your feelings of accomplishment and happiness.
  4. Navigating Life Transitions: Major life transitions, such as moving, changing jobs, or starting a family, can be overwhelming. A supportive social network provides guidance, encouragement, and assistance during these times.

Encouraging Effective Social Support

  1. Communication: Openly communicate your needs to your social network. People often want to help but may not know how.
  2. Reciprocity: Support should be reciprocal. Offering support to friends and family strengthens bonds and builds a more robust support network.
  3. Diversity in Support Networks: Diversify your support system. Different people can offer different types of support, whether it’s professional advice, emotional comfort, or practical help.
  4. Build and Maintain Relationships: Regularly invest time and effort in nurturing relationships with friends and family. Strong relationships are built over time.
  5. Seek Quality Over Quantity: The quality of social connections is more important than the number. Focus on maintaining deeper, more meaningful relationships.
  6. Leverage Technology: In today’s digital world, use technology to stay connected with your support network, especially when physical proximity is challenging.

Challenges in Social Support

  1. Over-Reliance: While social support is crucial, over-reliance on others can lead to dependency. It’s important to balance seeking help with developing personal coping strategies.
  1. Negative Influences: Not all social interactions are positive. Some relationships can be toxic and detrimental to one’s well-being. It’s important to recognize and distance oneself from negative influences.
  2. Changes in Relationships: As life progresses, relationships can change. Friends may move away, family dynamics may shift, and one’s support network can fluctuate. Adapting to these changes is a part of maintaining a healthy support system.
  3. Respecting Boundaries: It’s essential to respect the boundaries of those in your support network. Understanding and acknowledging limits to the support friends and family can provide is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships.

Strategies for Strengthening Social Support

  1. Active Participation in Community: Engaging in community activities, clubs, or groups can expand your social network and provide additional sources of support.
  2. Support Groups: For specific challenges, such as illness, loss, or parenting, support groups offer a sense of community with others who have similar experiences.
  3. Professional Help: Sometimes, professional help from counselors or therapists can complement the support received from friends and family, especially in dealing with complex emotional issues.
  4. Mindful Social Media Use: Use social media mindfully to enhance your relationships. Social media can be a great tool for staying connected but should not replace face-to-face interactions.
  5. Developing Self-Support Skills: While external support is important, developing skills for self-support, such as resilience, problem-solving, and stress management, is equally crucial.
  6. Creating a Balanced Support System: Strive for a balance of different types of support – emotional, practical, informational – from various people in your life.

Conclusion

The role of friends and family in one’s journey through life cannot be overstated. They provide a foundation of support, comfort, and guidance that is essential for navigating the complexities of life. In today’s fast-paced and often challenging world, fostering strong, supportive relationships is more important than ever. By actively building and maintaining these connections, respecting boundaries, and balancing external support with personal resilience, individuals can enhance their capacity to face life’s challenges and celebrate its triumphs. Ultimately, the strength of our social support network plays a pivotal role in our journey towards personal growth, well-being, and fulfillment.

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Health & Fitness

How Choosing which digital transformation is right for you

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digital transformation

Companies unavoidably need to go through digital transformations from time to time. Choosing the right digital transformation technology partner is critical for optimizing outcomes of these projects.

A well-thought out strategy can help to keep things on track and geared toward your ultimate business goals. But where do you start?

1. Technology

Companies that are able to continuously deliver improved customer outcomes through technology will become increasingly competitive. The ability to measure and quantify progress toward these outcomes will also be crucial.

The menu of technological options can be a daunting task for businesses looking to digitally transform, especially in the context of limited budgets. You should choose a partner who is able to understand your existing software and systems – from daily operations right down to core company ethos.

The partners you choose should have extensive experience implementing solutions using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. This helps ensure that the solutions they propose will work with your existing processes without disrupting them. They should also be able to recognize when a solution wasn’t successful and quickly adjust it.

2. People

Digital transformation trends rise and fall in popularity over time, and keeping up with these changes is crucial to ensuring that your digital transformation Website initiatives remain competitive. Many of the hottest digital transformation trends currently involve technology that works alongside humans to accomplish tasks such as improving communication, automating repetitive work, and offering personalized user experiences.

Successful digital transformations can help you save money by streamlining processes, reducing operational costs, and eliminating manual errors. They can also improve productivity by increasing efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

Be sure to consider the skills and capabilities your workforce will need to successfully implement and utilize your chosen technologies. The best digital transformation tools empower employees with in-app guided onboarding, reinforcement training, and on-demand support to ensure a smooth adoption process.

3. Processes

Digital transformations can help streamline internal processes and create a more efficient workflow. For example, moving data to the cloud allows teams to access it more easily and eliminates manual steps that carry a high risk for human error like typing numbers into a spreadsheet or misplacing a paper document.

Additionally, a digital transformation can help businesses increase agility. With increased agility, companies can react faster to new opportunities or threats. For example, when Ikea launched e-commerce, they had to alter their traditional store model and turn them into fulfillment centers.

Choosing the right technology for your digital transformation depends on your business’s goals and needs. Choose a partner that understands the existing systems at play in your organization and can help align tech adoption with your overall company culture.

4. Culture

The company culture is the one aspect that can make or break your digital transformation project. This is because it can create resistance towards change and prevent your employees from embracing new technology.

A digital transformation needs a culture that supports open communication between the team members, allows for new freedom to experiment and innovate and encourages the use of data analysis. Companies with such a culture thrive in the digital age because they prioritize customer experience and streamline internal processes.

It’s important to prepare the employees for a massive change in the organizational structure, so they can take on the challenge with confidence. This can be done through effective communication, training sessions and providing regular updates. This will ensure that they can feel confident in the changes and can also avoid any confusion.

5. Strategy

In order for a digital transformation to be effective, it must be focused on solving business problems. This requires a clear understanding of which processes and operations can be improved to make workflows smoother, easier and more efficient.

Once you understand what problems need to be solved, you can begin the process of drafting an effective strategy that will improve your company’s digital presence. This is where extensive research comes into play, as it will help you to identify the latest technology advancements and how they might impact your business.

It’s also important to communicate with your teams about the changes that will be taking place, especially if they may have concerns. Putting trusted change leaders in charge of communicating with their teams and regularly asking for feedback can help to generate enthusiasm for the changes and keep progress moving forward.

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