12-18 February 2018 - 16-min

14
12 - 18 February, 2018
W
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Technology & Health
www.NewDelhiTimes.com
◆◆By Smt. Maneka
Sanjay Gandhi
@ManekaGandhiBJP
◆◆
By Dr. Anveeta Agarwal
@AnveetaAgarwal
anveeta@dantah.com
NEW DELHI TIMES
Importance of Frog in the ecological system
hen was the last time you saw or even
heard a frog ? Twenty years ago.
One of the reasons why we have so many
mosquitoes is because we have killed off
their main predators – the frogs. For many
years we exported millions of frogs’ legs to
France, cut from living frogs. By the time
the government banned it, the creatures
were already in steep decline. Then came
the pesticide onslaught, the drying up of
wetlands, water contamination, the invasion
of human settlements into the Western Ghats
and they are almost gone. In the 1950’s
gynaecologists would inject African Clawed
frogs with a pregnant woman’s urine and if
she was pregnant the frog would ovulate and
produce eggs in a day. Between the 1940s
and 1970s, hospitals imported the frogs in
great numbers. Toads from the Bufo genus
were also used, which led to the term “Bufo
test.” Millions died.
Is there any creature left that is not misused
by the human? The Waxy Monkey Tree
Frog of South America has, on its back, a
substance called Dermorphin, 40 times more
potent than morphine in blocking pain and
creating a feeling of euphoria. The mafia in
the racehorse industry use it to prod their
horses into going faster, inspite of the severe
whipping by their jockeys. The blood of 30
horses, tested recently in the US, showed
this illegal substance.
A hundred years ago scientists, experimenting
with skin grafts for humans, used to cut
patches off living frogs and try to graft them
onto human wounds. Not one worked but
ifeless, dull and unattractive teeth can
be made white, even and attractive by
veneers. Veneers are very commonly used
by dental surgeons for smile makeovers.
With the advent of technology; the durability
of veneers has drastically increased and it
is possible to retain the beautiful smile till
more than 20 years.
But what are veneers? Veneers are very
thin, tooth-colored materials that are
custom-fit and bonded to the teeth. They
can recommended by doctors to address the
following complaints:
• Spaces between the teeth:
• Chipped teeth
• Yellow teeth/ Stained teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Uneven or undersized teeth
Veneers are a great option for patients
who have esthetic concerns over the above
mentioned problems and make an effective
and durable method of smile designing.
imagine the agony that this little creature
went through.
Pilibhit was full of frogs. They crossed the
road to mate and we would often stop the cars
and wait for the suitors to cross before we
proceeded. Once I found my security guard,
a six foot warrior from Haryana frozen after
a meeting. He pointed trembling at his feet.
A frog sat comfortably on his shoe.
No more. I haven’t seen a frog in the last
three years.
Frogs cannot survive climate change of
any kind. Their eggs have no shells and
are extremely vulnerable to sunrays which
cause mutations. Amphibians are considered
important indicators of ecosystem health
because their porous, absorbent skin makes
them highly susceptible to pollution and
climate change. Many frog and amphibian
species around the world have suffered
die-offs in recent years because of a lethal
fungus that infects their skin and spreads
quickly between geographic areas. The
chytrid fungus is worse than the bubonic
plague. Unfortunately, the pet industry (and
earlier the medical industry)– which has
done more to destroy entire species than any
other – took the African Clawed Frog in the
1970s all over the globe. This frog carries
the deadly fungal infection chytridiomycosis
which has wiped out frogs everywhere. In
a recent report on the sharp decline of the
frogs in the US, researchers found that frogs
have been disappearing from their habitats
at the rate of 3.7 % a year.
You will be sorry your children never saw
them. They are remarkably wonderful
beings, both clever and beautiful. India
and South America have the most and we
are still discovering new species every few
months. India has tiny purple ones that fit on
your thumb. For sheer cuteness, our showstealer
might be the “foot-flagging frog,”
that sticks out its back foot and waves it like
a hitchhiker to tell females he is available.
They are smart, with beautiful colours and
scientists have just discovered that many of
them speak a proper language.
Even a developing frog embryo in its
jellylike mass is a clever being. If a predator
comes, the red eyed tree frog embryo detects
the threat simply from the vibration and
drops out of its egg to safety within a few
seconds – even though the official hatching
is still a few days away. The embryo knows
the difference between the vibration of a
raindrop, a leaf and a snake, wasp or fungus
! His mother has chosen a strategic spot –
a leaf that overhangs water so as the frog
hatches it can go straight in as a tadpole.
The frog is a fascinating parent. Male
Darwin frogs in Chile swallow their children
in the tadpole stage, incubate them in their
vocal sacs and then spit out as fully formed
Dental Veneers for a Beautiful Smile
What are the types of Veneers?
Indirect Veneers
Indirect Veneers require multiple
appointments with the dental surgeon but
offer better results compared to Direct
Veneers. These are thin shells of porcelain
which bond to the tooth surface and give
lustre and shine to the teeth. The doctor
can do a mock up and show you the final
outcome prior to placing the veneers. The
tooth is reduced by approximately one half
of a millimeter. An impression is taken of the
teeth and sent to the laboratory for creation
of the custom-made veneer.
Porcelain veneers are custom-made in
a laboratory and glued to the teeth with
the help of dental cements. They resist
stains better than composite veneers and
better simulate the shine of natural teeth.
Successful implementation of porcelain
veneers require meticulous planning, as
well as a clear understanding of the patient’s
expectations. With routine care and good
oral hygiene, porcelain laminate veneers can
be a conservative and ideal treatment option.
Direct Veneers
Direct Veneers are done with composite.
Composite is a tooth colored material which
can be directly bonded onto the tooth. Direct
veneers are much faster and cost effective.
Small defects can be beautifully restored
with composite. The doctor would match the
shade of composite to your teeth to get the
perfect natural result. Composite veneers are
thinner and require less removal of the tooth
surface before placement.
Before any kind of veneer is selected, the
dental surgeon would clinically examine
the teeth and take radiographs if necessary.
Based on the expectations of the patient
and the extent of correction needed, the
treatment plan would be recommended.
How should you care for your veneers?
• Veneers should be brushed and flossed
regularly like normal teeth. Practicing good
oral hygiene is paramount for maintaining
the luster of the veneer. Using non abrasive
toothpastes is advised.
• Chewing on hard items like ice and hard
candy might cause chipping and wearing out
of veneers over time. This is also true for
natural teeth.
• Frequent intake of wine, coffee, tea and
tobacco can cause direct veneers to discolor
with time. Indirect veneers are more resistant
to discoloration.
• Veneers can be polished periodically to
allow you enjoy longer results.
• Protect the teeth by using mouth guard
while playing or by using night guard if you
froglets. These unique creatures are now
vanishing because Chile’s forests are being
cut down at an alarming rate to supply the
wood/paper industry. One of the two species
has not been seen since 1980 and is marked as
extinct. The other is less than 2000. Another
unique species of Australian frog – last seen
in 1985 and now declared extinct- were
gastric brooders. The female swallowed
fertilized eggs, turned her stomach into a
uterus and gave birth to froglets through
the mouth. Timber harvesting and the
chytrid fungus are the culprits again. This
phenomenal reproduction will never evolve
again in any species.
The first frog, who lived 70 million years
ago, was a predatory creature known as
the devil frog. Called Beelzebufo ampinga
(after the devil Beezelbub!), he lived in what
is now Africa, and had a massive globular
head, sharp teeth, spiky flanges protruding
from the back of its skull and plate-like
armour down its back. The frog’s spiked
body armour may have helped it fend off
the dinosaurs and crocodiles that prowled
during that time. He hunted by hiding and
pouncing on small mammals.
The mass extinction that wiped out the
dinosaurs paved the way for frogs to explode
in numbers and diversify. According to the
American Museum of Natural History, which
is updated in real time, as of April 2015,
there are 6,482 species in the Anura order
(frogs and toads). But for each species that
we discover – and we discover them every
year– several are wiped out. Even the ones
we discover have only a few representatives
left. Just enough for the universe to show us
what we are losing.
To join the animal welfare movement
contact gandhim@nic.in,
www.peopleforanimalsindia.org
are a night grinder.
What are the risks associated with dental
veneers?
Veneers are very safe and minimally
invasive. Yet the following facts must be
taken into account before deciding to plunge
for them.
• Porcelain veneers are not removable: A
thin layer of enamel is removed to make
room for the veneer. The enamel lost will
not repair itself which makes the porcelain
veneer procedure irreversible. The veneers
must be maintained or replaced to avoid
tooth decay since the protective enamel is
no longer covering the tooth.
• Porcelain veneers may not last a lifetime
and may wear down over time, break, chip,
or fall off. Once a veneer is damaged, it must
be replaced to protect the tooth from decay.
• Some patients experience increased tooth
sensitivity following porcelain veneer
placement. Sensitivity often subsides after
about a week following treatment.
A beautiful smile can do wonders for your
confidence and well-being. With proper oral
care and regular dental visits, long lasting
success can be achieved with veneers.
By Dr. Anveeta Agarwal, BDS, MDS,
Consultant Oral Pathologist, Associate
Dental Surgeon & a Specialist at
Dantah
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