The 36TH Asia Pasific Dental Students Association Congress 2009 by Chong Jun Ai

How would you feel if you had the opportunity to spend 5 days and 4 nights with 400 dental students from all over Asia Pacific, namely Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia at a resort next to the beach in Penang?

WOW! COOL! EXCITING!. I certainly had an amazing time during the 36th Asia Pacific Dental Students Association Congress last August. Hence, I would really love to share my experience with you and hopefully, this year, we can book half an airplane to head down to Japan for the congress this year.

Now, picture travelling to 8 countries in one night! That is how I felt during the Cultural Night. You can see people dressed in kimonos, hanbok, cheongsam, baju kebaya exchanging souvenirs from their countries (Yes, I am a proud owner of a basketful of goodies-japanese paper fans, iconic keychains etc!). Throughout the whole dinner, each country took turns to perform traditional dances, songs and drama. It is fun to share a table with someone who can speak Thai or live behind Mount Fuji, so different culturally but yet we share something in common- dentistry! Another great night was Tropical Night where we dressed up in beach clothes and partied!


Besides that, I had the opportunity to show our beautiful country to my friends and share our famous Penang food at Gurney drive during the city tour. It is delightful to see their satisfied faces as they savor the char kuey teow! We also had a telematch session where we battled it out, hopping around in gunny sacks and catching water balloons.


I proceeded to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and had to miss out on the community service slot where a group of dental students visited a school to give oral health education which was held simultaneously. At the AGM, issues pertaining to the association were discussed such as feedback of the current congress, updates on the mid year meeting and bidding of the host country for the 2011 congress. The Executive committee was also elected of which I was selected to be the General Secretary 2009/2010.


Most importantly, I had the opportunity to gather precious
gems of knowledge from top notch speakers during the seminar session. Moreover, I did a poster presentation on the Oral Health Awareness of the Students and Staff at our university in the Scientific Research Competition. I am very thankful for the guidance from Prof Toh Chooi Gait and Associate Professor Dr Seow Liang Lin.


Lastly, the wonderful moments of the congress do not end after 5 days because it is actually the beginning of a great friendship. I am still in contact with my friends from the dental universities in Malaysia and I enjoy meeting up with them at Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) events. Dr Seow once told me that there were 2 things that she most enjoyed during her university days and one of them is APDSA. I certainly agree with her!

Senior Junior Meeting 2010

On the 8th of March, we had a welcoming party to welcome our new batch juniors, DT110 batch. The evening kicked-start with an ice-breaking game whereby juniors and seniors are divided into three groups each, respectively.




Group members were to introduce themselves before the start of the game. Each person is given a newspaper in hand. The game requires one person to be the middle man who uses the newspaper to hit a junior when his/her name is called aloud by a senior member. Each game session proceeded for 15 minutes before seniors are assigned to join another junior group.
After the game, a slide show regarding to “Buddy System” was shown on the screen. The show included description and photos of each senior and junior had an opportunity to identify their “Buddy” by using the tags distributed earlier.



Before the end of the evening, refreshments were served for the juniors and seniors. There were a lot of mingling going on between seniors and juniors. The event was considered a success in hope that both batches could harvest a good relationship in coming years.





As the organizer of the event, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to Mae Yee and Chong Dee’s efforts as part of the organizer too. Thanks to Ji Min who designed the nice and cute drawing to juniors and seniors. I also want to thank juniors who came that day. I also appreciated the help of DT109 batch for arranging the chairs and sending their description before the deadline. Thanks again for a huge success due to the efforts.



photos credit to AZURA (DT109)
report by KAI SHANG(DT109)

Oral Health Target Groups : Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Why do pregnant / nursing mothers make a good target group for oral health education?
What reasons would you give a pregnant mother for stopping smoking?


Pregnant women are generally very receptive to information and keen to do their best for their health and their babies. However, some pregnant mothers are not regular dental attenders and may only come during their pregnancy for the sake of their children. We, as oral health educators need to help patients develop an effective oral health routine and habits, to which they can continue as their families grow.

photo credits : Go with the Flo

In pregnant and nursing mothers, an increased risk of caries and tooth erosion can result from morning sickness.Susceptibility to caries increases during pregnancy due to cravings (often sweet foods), frequent snacking and larger appetite (as they are eating for two), and nausea or disliking the taste of toothpaste which could lead to less frequent toothbrushing.

Also, there will be an increased risk of gingival problems in pregnant patents due to pregnancy gingivitis as there is an exaggerated response to dental plaque due to increased hormonal activity. Pregnant women may complain of bleeding on brushing, spontaneous bleeding and halitosis. We, as dental professionals should look for certain signs of pregnancy gingivitis :

1. Increased tendency for gums to bleed on gentle probing
2. Gingiva - blue-red, shiny, swollen and smooth (due to increased vascular activity)
3. Pregnancy epulis (localised area of swollen interdental papilla)

Periondontal disease during pregnancy can lead to pre-term labour, premature birth and low birth weight. Growth of the baby can be impaired if the immune system is also dealing with periondontal infection.

Smoking during pregnancy will compromise the oxygen carrying capacity of haemoglobin (due to carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke) and also contibutes to stickier plaque formation and dries the mouth. Therefore, pregant women are advised to quit smoking. Not only that, smoking during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature membrane rupture and foetal growth restriction. Emphasize that once the baby is born, a smoke-free environment should be provided whenever possible.

Reference : Basic Guide to Oral Health Education and Promotion by Ann Felton, Alison Chapman and Simon Felton

Launch of 1malaysia MDA-GSK oral health Awareness campaign

1Malaysia MDA-GSK Oral Health Awareness Campaign Programme
Date: Sunday, February 28th 2010.
Venue: Tropicana city mall, main atrium, ground floor.

12.30pm arrival of Y.B. Dato' Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Health Malaysia

12.35pm welcome address by Dr How Kim Chuan, Organising Chairman of 1Malaysia MDA-GSK Oral Health Awareness Campaign

12.40pm Speech by Akhil Chandra, Vice President &General Manager, South Asia, GSK Consumer Healthcare

12.45pm Speech by Dr. Lee Soon Boon, President, MDA

12.50pm Speech by Y.B. Dato'Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Health Malaysia1.00pm Launch of 1Malaysia MDA-GSK Oral Health Awareness Campaign

1.05pm Presentation of Mementos

1.15pm VVIP walkabout - tour around the activities booth

1.25pm Press conference.


Aim: Endeavour to enhance awareness on good oral health to the public
Highlights: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd (GSK), a healthcare organisation with leading brands for the relief of sensitive teeth and denture care, is working with the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) and ministry of health to raise awareness on oral health.


Kuala Lumpur, 28 February 2010 - GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd (GSK), a healthcare organisation with leading brands for the relief of sensitive teeth and denture care, is working with the malaysian dnetal assocation (MDA) and ministry of health to raise awareness on oral health.


Entitled '1 Malaysia MDA-GSK Oral Health Awareness Campaign'. The inaugural event was launched by Y.B Dato'Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Miniser of Health Malaysia at the Tropicana City Mall. Also present at the launch were Akhil Chandra, GSK Vice President and general manager, South Asia; Dr Lee Soon Boon, President of Malaysian Dental Association and Dr How Kim Chuan, President Elect of Malaysian Dental Association.


Y.B Dato' sri Liow Tiong Lai in his speech, congratulated Malaysian Dental Association and GSK for initiating the awareness campaign and lauded the efforts of all parties in organising the event for the benefit of the public.


"This campaign is in line with the Ministry of Health's objective to raise awareness of good oral health amongst Malaysians across the country. Good oral health is more than just strong healthy teeth. It also contributes to enhancing the self-esteem and confidence of individuals. However, only 6 percent of the Malaysian population see a dentist. And this is one of the reasons why there's a high incidence of dental ailments in Malaysia. The public will benefit in the long run with better oral health education and awareness via events such as this, "said Y.AB Daro' Sri Liow.


There were also dentists from UKM and nurses to provide free dental check ups for the public.


Sensodyne and polident, explained hypersensitivity to the public.


Akhil Chandra said "about 50% of the adult population in Malaysia have either sensitive teeth or is a denture wearer. However, public awareness on both of these oral conditions is limited. Thus, it makes good sense for the company through its best-selling brands - sensodyne and polident, to give full support to the initiative of promoting good oral health among the public. and we are proud to be working with the MDA and Ministry of Health in this initiative,"


Dr Lee said, "for many years, the MDA being the national voice for dentistry has organised many activities and public campaigns to advance and promote optimal oral health as an essential component of general health. Indeed, MDA is very honoured that the Honourable Minister of Health Malaysia Yang Berhormat Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai has taken special interest to support this initiative for the betterment of oral health of the "rakyat Malaysia". The MDA is also grateful to have the support from socially responsible consumer healthcare corporation, GSK in making this event a success."




from left to right Akhil Chandra, Dr Kim How Chuan, Liow tiong Lai, Dr Lee Soon Boon, and YBhg Dato' Dr Norain Abu Talib (Principal Director of Oral Health, Ministry of Health of Malaysia).

THE MOUTH MONOLOGUES

The tooth has two anatomical parts. The crown of a tooth is that part of the tooth which is covered with enamel and this is the part usually visible in the mouth. The root is the part embedded in the jaw. It anchors the tooth in its bony socket and is normally not visible.

Enamel The hard outer layer of the crown. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body.

Dentine Not as hard as enamel, forms the bulk of the tooth and can be sensitive if the protection of the enamel is lost.

Pulp Soft tissue containing the blood and nerve supply to the tooth. The pulp extends from the crown to the tip of the root.

Cementum The layer of bone-like tissue covering the root. It is not as hard as enamel.

Structures around the tooth~~

Periodontal ligament: Made up of thousands of fibres which fasten the cementum to the bony socket. These fibres anchor the tooth to the jaw bone and act as shock absorbers for the tooth which is subjected to heavy forces during chewing.

Gingivae (gums): Soft tissue that immediately surrounds the teeth and bone. It protects the bone and the roots of the teeth and provides an easily lubricated surface.

Bone: Provides a socket to surround and support the roots of the teeth.

Nerves and blood supply: Each tooth and periodontal ligament has a nerve supply and the teeth are sensitive to a wide variety of stimuli. The blood supply is necessary to maintain the vitality of the tooth.

TYPES OF TEETH

In the human mouth there are 4 different types of teeth, each specialized for different functions. There are also 2 sets of teeth: the first, also called milk or deciduous teeth- usually erupt over a period from the age of about 6 months to 3 years.

For more information on human dentition, please view the video from the link here :)

Oral Health Committee List

President: Chong Jun Ai

Vice President: Cha Ji Min

Secretary : Natalie Ng

Treasurer: Khoo Chong Dee

Liason Officer: Joyce Chieng

Asst : Vincent Lee Han Hing

Welfare Officer: Chin Meng Yean

Asst: Yan Choong Hoe

Publicity Officer: Candice Liong Ying Yin

Asst: Leong Suet Yen

Funding Officer: Jamie Chew Kwai Yee

Asst: Joyce Chin

Academic Officer: Pook Kei Li

Asst: Nga Joo Yong

Front row (Left-right) : Joyce Chieng, Jun Ai, Candice, Suet Yen, Jamie, Joyce Chin, Kei Li Back row (Left-right) : Natalie, Ji Min, Vincent, Alex, Chong Dee, Meng Yean, Joo Yong