^^ inciDENTAL notes ^^

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa may affect dental status

2007-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

There are two psychological eating disorder commonly warning young people; they are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is tremendously not only ‘loss of appetite’ but also ‘objection to eat’ while bulimia nervosa refers to excessive eating desire but vomiting soon after meal.

It is rationally said that both of them rob the essential substances in our nutrition demand. Anorexia nervosa prevents us from having meal. Bulimia nervosa put lots of food into our stomach, but as the food is vomited, the nutritious supply is still absent.

So it’s all about nutrition influencing whole health status, including the dental-respectively. Moreover, repeatedly vomiting in bulimia nervosa could bring stomach acid into the mouth. The very low pH in stomach acid (HCl) would be a high risk in the erosion of tooth enamel.

Blood Typing : Understanding antigen-antibody mechanism

2007-10-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

What is your blood type? Most of our administrational purposes (such as passport, citizen identity) require this information, which would be important in certain emergency circumstances. This recognition of blood type involves the basic mechanism of antigen-antibody reaction.

Main principle: the antigen contained by red blood cells (RBCs) will react with particular antibody in the foreign substances

This observation will remind us to the process. Sample blood in the test was obtained by injuring our finger tip using a sterile lancet needle. Before the treat, skin on the finger tip was wiped by alcohol wetted-cotton. Soon after blood came out, it is dropped to the four side of an object glass.

Four kinds of serum antibody (the blue anti-A, the yellow anti-B, the plain anti-AB and anti D which commonly known as “rhesus”) were applied by putting a drop of each in every side of blood. Mix the blood-antibody compound, and see the result. Parts showed grain-like appearance (agglutination) shows the type of the individual’s blood.

Sorry, the image I took has poor definition due to bad capturing technique.

As a result, the type of the blood we tested is B. It showed agglutination in mixing with anti-B (yellow) and anti-AB (plain) antibody. It means that the blood (in its RBCs) contains antigen B. What about the anti-D (Rhesus) test? It shows no agglutination that the sample was stated to be Rhesus-negative.

This phenomenon is a simple example in understanding antigen-antibody mechanism, as the study could be largely broadened in the field of immunology.

Helping your relatives to quit smoking

2007-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Smoking habit has become an urgent issue not only in the global life but also particularly in dental field. The facts that smoking habits shows its clinical manifestation in oral health are enormous. Dentists are suggested to encourage their patients is smoking cessation, in a serial of manner.

Here’s the list: The four As and Ds

Ask: do the patients have smoking habit? This investigation must be documented

Advise: in many (or even every) dental visit, don’t forget to pay attention to the patient’s smoking status, in such an elegant fashion, surely

Assist: help the patient to get best information related to the danger of tobacco

Arrange: whenever patients ready to quit, help him/her to compose the next steps

While the four Ds are recommended to patients: Delay acting on the urge to smoke, Deep Breath, Drink Water, Do something else.

I find these steps are commonly relevant to most addiction circumstances (aren’t they?)

One thing to remember: the duty to promote smoking cessation does not only belong to health professionals, but generally everyone caring in quality of life

what if i have a million dollars

2007-09-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

what about u?

Hahaha ... I've been tagged (and asked, i think ...) by Adite to answer this. Well, thanks for this task, dude. Quite fun ... I'd like to say some:

First ... the currency above must be refers to American, right? well, we know that there are many countries take it as theirs, in different value exchanged to IDR. So if we change the amount in the tittle above, it will be about IDR 9.500.000.000

wow, what a number!

sorry, i have no extraordinary response. I'll take a half of the number to guarantee my tuition to Melbourne University (ohoho ... i think i like their Dental Department). After a little expense for several girl things (you know ... hahaha), some of them will be the orphans' once i knew and the last part (in a huge number ... still) will be yours, Adite!

Why? simple ... having much money is pretty much not easy. I don't wanna think of risks I'd encounter due to those money sheets. Therefore, I'll leave them for you :p

Cylindrical Brush for You

2007-08-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Still brush regularly, do you? Please meet: my name is interdental brush. I got the name for my cleaning function that is in space between teeth.

My head is formed from a brush arranged in a cylindrical or tapered shape. The length of my head is about 1,5 cm and 0,5 cm in diameter, small enough to reach your space.

Take a mirror and have a look to your dentition. Do your teeth settled tightly close each other or there is any space between them? Even a very little space (less than 1 mm) could be the debris’ favorite place to stay on, being metabolized by bacteria into plaque, then breakdown your teeth structure.

Moreover, you guys wearing ortho-bracket could rely your hygiene on me. Get me, get better protection.

upper image are taken by me, it's Oral-B, while the left one belong to Agami Medical Center

Stay outside, Fellow!

2007-08-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

I remember 2 years ago when Dad took me to a dentist. I had my wisdom teeth surged. After that, in the way home Dad said how brave I was. The big question I had was: really?

well, basically I did nothing there, ... just sit inside the dentist’s office and let him perform everything. Didn’t I feel nervous? Obviously I did! Nevertheless, what else can I do? He’s the only one could save from those disturbing pain.

I don’t think Dad will be so astonished if he were in. though, asking him to come in was not a wise command. No, it’s not only because he had a dentist-phobia or something.
persons accompanying patient are better stay outside to minimize the contamination. Deeply think, they are not in a sterile wearing and performance, are they?

Listen dear, your decay is harmful

2007-08-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

few days ago I got a message from my close pal, Deasy, asked me to accompany her. She needs her wisdom teeth to be extracted (which the right term of her case should be “surged”)

I advised her to have a restoration for her other decayed teeth. In the beginning she spontaneously objected that the pain due to her wisdom teeth has put her in an discomfort situation for such days. Then I told her that the decayed teeth consist of bacteria harm to her healing wisdom teeth. The decay must be treated properly before we make more wound. She agreed.

can I feel like I was in a training to convince patients? :)