232 teeth pulled from Indian teenager

MUMBAI -- Surgeons in Mumbai have removed 232 teeth from the mouth of an Indian teenager in what they believe may be a world-record operation, the hospital said Thursday.

Ashik Gavai, 17, sought medical help for a swelling on the right side of his lower jaw and the case was referred to the city's JJ Hospital, where they found he was suffering from a condition known as complex odontoma, head of dentistry Sunanda Dhivare-Palwankar told AFP.

"We operated on Monday and it took us almost seven hours. We thought it may be a simple surgery but once we opened it there were multiple pearl-like teeth inside the jaw bone," she said.

After removing those they also found a larger "marble-like" structure which they struggled to shift and eventually had to "chisel out" and remove in fragments, she added.

The youngster's father, Suresh Gavai, said that the family had been worried that Ashik's swelling was a cancerous growth.

"I was worried that it may turn out to be cancer so I brought him to Mumbai," Gavai told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper.

Dhivare-Palwankar said the literature they had come across on the condition showed a maximum of 37 teeth being removed in such a procedure, whereas she and her team had counted more than 232 taken from Gavai's mouth.

"I think it could be a world record," she said.

Gavai's jawbone structure was maintained during the operation so it should heal without any deformities, the surgeon added.

source: interaksyon.com

Oral care: Window to overall wellness

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Steve Mark Gan, one of the Philippines’ most respected dentists, opted to establish a dental practice here instead of in the USA where he had pursued advanced studies in Prosthodontic and Implant Education. One of the compelling reasons why he did so was to promote much-needed dental care and share his knowledge and skills with his fellow Filipinos.

“Dental health is still not a priority in our country. It was number 35 in terms of priority, based on studies conducted several years ago, compared to the USA, for instance, where it is always in the top 10,” says Dr. Gan.

Compounding the challenge was the state of dental healthcare when he first came back. “The standards of hygiene, like correct sterilization, were not being followed by some dental practitioners,” explains Dr. Gan, who founded the state-of-the art clinic Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC).

This prompted him to ally with the government and his fellow practitioners in the mission to improve the state of dental healthcare in the country. Dr. Gan was the former chairman of the Board of Dentistry and former president of the Philippine Academy of Implant Dentistry (P.A.I.D.) under the Philippine Dental Association.

It has also led him to pursue his “SerbisyongBayan” advocacy, where he has embarked on projects to reach out to the grassroots level by organizing monthly dental missions and educate  people on the value of dental care. “Proper oral hygiene plays a significant role in life. Statistics show that 98% of the nation’s youth has dental caries, dental decay, or missing teeth. What people might not be aware of is that oral health can serve as a window to one’s overall wellness.”

Dr. Gan, also known as the “Dentist to the Stars” due to his high-profile, celebrity clientele, also debunks some myths surrounding dental care.





“People generally think that the harder you brush, the better — when in fact, harder tooth brushing only leads to abrasions and gum recession. It is also not true that going to the dentist means setting yourself up for pain.”

On the topic of proper oral care, he touches on the subject of mouthwashes with a “sting.” “More often than not, mouthwashes with a stinging effect due to high alcohol content are detrimental to the health of the gums and to the health of the oral mucosa in the long run,” he points out. “Also, dark mouthwashes should be used sparingly as these mouthwashes have been known to stain the teeth.”

It is important, therefore, to be discerning when choosing a mouthwash. OraCare, for instance, has a no-alcohol formulation with Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide, a breakthrough active ingredient and antibacterial agent that gently cleans without the stinging sensation. It neutralizes odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth, working continuously to eliminate bad bacteria that cause plaque buildup, gum disease, and tooth decay.

To know more about OraCare’s gentle yet effective anti-bacteria action, check out www.oracare.com.ph.

source: philstar.com

Indian dentist couple given life in prison for daughter's murder

GHAZIABAD - A prosperous Indian dentist couple were sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for slitting the throats of their teenage daughter and domestic servant in a case that transfixed the nation.

Rajesh and Nupur Talwar had been convicted on Monday of murdering Aarushi, 14, and Nepalese employee Hemraj Banjade at their home in an affluent New Delhi suburb in 2008, following a trial whose every detail was scrutinized by the media.

Judge Shyam Lal rejected prosecution requests for the death penalty during a hearing on Tuesday, instead giving the couple life in jail for the killings that investigators allege were carried out with "clinical precision".

"Life imprisonment is the basic sentence. We are satisfied with the judgement. The case has come to an end," prosecutor R.K. Saini told a horde of reporters outside the court in Ghaziabad, a satellite city just outside the capital.

The couple's jailing was the latest twist in the long-running case that has been awash with sexual rumors and allegations of police bungling and media bias.

Investigators said the Talwars killed Aarushi in a fit of rage after finding her with the 45-year-old servant in an "objectionable position", suggesting the double murder was a so-called honor killing.

The couple, successful, middle-class dentists, vowed to appeal the conviction, while their lawyers launched a scathing attack on India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The battle is not over, it has only begun. We will file an appeal and we are convinced that the conviction will be overturned," defense lawyer Tanvir Ahmed Mir told AFP.

The trial came as India increasingly focuses on violent crime against women following the fatal gang-rape of a student in Delhi last year that sparked outrage over the country's treatment of women.

The case has also raised awkward questions about the relationship between wealthy Indian families and the poor, often-migrant servants who cook, clean and look after their every need.

Top criminal lawyer Rebecca John accused the CBI of incompetence and abuse of power. It first closed the investigation, citing lack of evidence -- only to later reopen the case at the parents' request and charge them with murder.

"For an agency that asked for a closure of the case to then ask for the death sentence, I think it is a grotesque abuse of power and it raises fundamental issues about our society in the administration of justice," John told CNN-IBN.

"I think this very demand of the CBI (seeking the death penalty) is indicative of the witch-hunt that has taken place in this case."

Aarushi, whom friends described as a chirpy, high-achieving student, was found on her bed with her throat cut one morning in May 2008.

Police initially blamed the missing domestic servant Hemraj -- only to find his decomposing body on the roof a day later with a similar cut throat and head wounds.

Officers then arrested Rajesh Talwar's dental assistant and two other local servants -- Hemraj's friends -- but they were freed for lack of evidence.

The botched probe -- police failed to seal the crime scene or to find the second body for over 24 hours -- prompted investigators to close the case in 2010, citing "critical and substantial gaps" in the evidence.

The Talwars insisted they wanted the killers found and petitioned the court to reopen the case -- only to be charged themselves with murder.

The prosecution has conceded there was no forensic or material evidence against the couple, and based its case on the "last-seen theory" -- which holds that the victims were last seen with the accused.

The case has spawned a nation of armchair detectives debating every twist and turn of the investigation, has turned the Talwars into household names and has polarized public opinion.

Salacious news reports, based often on claims by unnamed police sources, have appeared about their lives, demonizing them as decadent -- even allegedly as part of a wife-swapping club.

source: interaksyon.com