Brushing once a day is not good enough!

Today, I had to keep telling my patients that brushing once a day is not good enough.  Please, people brush your teeth at least twice a day and spend at least 2 minutes per brushing.  Even after using an electric toothbrush, the most expensive kind, and flossing,  I still find plaque on my teeth.  That means that it is very very hard to get rid of plaque, communities of lots, lots of bacteria.  It is more than the number of all human kind on the earth!  It is not possible to get rid of all bacteria in our mouth, but please do put some control mechanism to get rid of some, especially if you wish to continue to enjoy food.

Autism Special Talents and Rehabilitation

Since my head is a bit clearer today than last two weeks, I would like to talk about a new company which I have encountered in Korea.  I traveled back to my country and came back in one week.  Change in sleep pattern and a head cold, had made me more tired than before I left New York.

The company name is Autistar.  It is a shortened name for "autism special talents and rehabilitation".  This company tries to discover and cultivate artistic talents of autistic children.  The creations of these new designers become everyday products and gets introduced to public for sale. 

America has been talking about autism spectrum for a while but I wonder how many companies tried to use their talents with purpose.  These high functioning children might be a source of a life changing discovery for all man kind.  We should value and help their special talents to shine just like what the company, Autistar, is doing.  www.autistar.co.kr

Chronic infection causing bone defect

I hope this picture doesn't offend any body.  It is one of my recent case on  bone/socket graft. I  wanted to show bone loss due to chronic infection.  The big hole is socket, where a tooth used to be, and the small hole is bone defect due to having a long standing infection over 10 years.  Patient had a fractured, dead tooth with him over 10 years and he was not aware he had a broken tooth.  He knew he got pimples on his gum once in while but no pain.  The symptom he was describing was a gum boil in a layman's term and a sinus track in a dental term.  A sinus track is a path where pus can escape from an infected/abscessed area.  Patient who has a chronic infection,  usually does not have any significant pain and, in consequence, does not ask for any treatment.  However, the bone loss due to infection is real and needs to be treated.

I apologize for not keeping my blog updated.  I will try to keep it updated from now on.  If not, my wonderful boyfriend, Jason, will nag me to death! Seriously.