United States Army Africa

MEDFLAG 09: Partnership strengthens ties and friendships

By Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

The US Army Dental Corps continues the tradition of service that Dr. J.T. Russell participated in on numerous occasions in Vietnam Medical Civil Assistance Projects.  Dr. Russell of Yellow Springs Dental Care was oral surgeon for the Khanh Hoa  Provincial Hospital located in Nha Trang, Republic of Vietnam, during his year of service there.

The Tradition continues...

MANZINI, Swaziland – Partnership was the key to success during MEDFLAG 09, a U.S. Army Africa exercise held this August that benefited thousands of people in Swazi villages.

That partnership was built on cooperation between the U.S. military and government of Swaziland, said Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa.

“Our pledge is to continue to serve side-by-side with our national and international partners to promote security, stability and peace in Africa, and of course in Swaziland,” Garrett said. “MEDFLAG 09 has been an important demonstration of our commitment to our African and partnered nations.”Dr. R. practiced in a tent for much of his year in Vietnam

The exercise included the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force, the Swaziland Ministry of Health, U.S. Army Africa and U.S. Africa Command.

Swazi medical staff got firsthand tips from U.S. medical officers. Meanwhile, the U.S. troops learned how to overcome the challenges to offering healthcare in rural African villages, Garrett said.

At a medical professional exchange, a dozen Swazi military and civilian medics took part in a seminar with U.S. medical officers – sharing ideas that build capacity to work together in the future. Through “first responder” mentoring, 25 Swazi medics from the USDF and the health ministry gained important tools that can help them in a crisis.

Overall, 16 Swazi medics, both military and civilians, took part in joint medical missions in local communities that helped Swazi people in need.

“Our Soldiers learned important lessons about how to operate in Africa, while the Swazi medical staff increased their capabilities through our interaction,” Garrett said. “As an added benefit, the people of Swaziland received quality care from this partnership effort.”

During the two-week exercise, roughly 2,400 medical and dental treatments were performed during visits to Swazi villages. At veterinary clinics, nearly 10,500 animals received treatment.

While in Swaziland, Garrett visited the joint U.S.-Swazi medical teams and spoke at the closing ceremony, held Aug. 14 at USDF headquarters.

“American and Swazi medics worked side-by-side to improve our readiness and enhance our ability to work together in combined medical operations,” Garrett said.
U.S. and Swazi teams carried out six veterinary civil assistance projects (VETCAPs), including a two-day visit to Hhohho Village in Zinyane Province, one-day at Shiselweni Village in Mkhwakhweni Province, one day at Manzini Village in Matufseni Province and a two-day visit in Lubombo Village in Maloma Province. During the VETCAPs, the veterinary team treated 6,792 cattle, 3,381 goats, 195 sheep, 195 dogs, one horse and one pig.

They also operated and successfully removed a benign tumor growing on the throat of a cow on the first day of VETCAPs.

“It was an unexpected surprise,” said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Simpson, of the Fort Dix, New Jersey-based 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, who was leading veterinary efforts during MEDFLAG 09. “Even though the tumor was benign it was near the throat. If it continued growing, it would have cut off the cow’s air passage and it would have suffocated.”

As the U.S. and Swazi veterinary teams treated the Swaziland livestock, medical and dental teams treated the local villagers.

The medical teams, which consisted of members from the 212th Combat Support Hospital, the U.S. Army Center for Health and Preventive Medicine and the 21st Sustainment Command, treated 1,519 patients during the six medical civil assistance projects (MEDCAPs).

“We saw patients who had everything from the basic cold to an elderly woman who had a goiter,” said 2nd Lt. Matthew McCreery, MEDFLAG 09’s executive officer.

The dental team, which consisted of members from the 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Patrick AFB, Fla.; 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Medical Hall, Texas; and 212th CSH, treated 262 patients and extracted 273 teeth during the six dental civil assistance projects (DENCAPs).

“We were able to gain the trust of the Swazi villagers,” said Air Force Col. Dean Whitman, oral and maxillofacial surgeon. “Conducting these sorts of missions is important so the Swazis know we have good intentions and our primary concern is to help.”

During MEDFLAG 09, both U.S. and Swazi personnel conducted classes on disaster medical planning and operations, a mass casualty exercise and humanitarian and civic outreach to local communities. Classes included first responder familiarization, disaster relief, preventive medicine and tropical medicine.

“The health of the Swazi people and their livestock is clearly very important,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Money, co-director of MEDFLAG 09. “It is our distinct privilege to have worked side-by-side with our new found friends from the USDF and the Ministry of Health, to deliver medical and veterinary care in all four regions of this beautiful land.”
Cleared for public release.

Photos by Air Force Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters. CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

PHOTO CAPTION: Army Pvt. Reginald Lee, 212th Combat Support Hospital dental hygienist, assist Air Force Col. Dean Whitman, 59th Medical Wing Wilford Medical Hall oral and maxillofacial surgeon, in an extraction procedure during the combined medical and dental civil assistance project (MEDCAP and DENCAP) as part of exercise MEDFLAG 09 in Lubombo Village, Swaziland on August 13.

The images are generally considered in the public domain. Request that credit be given to the U.S. Army and individual photographer.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

But in our complicated healthcare system, it seems that some maladies rate higher  than others.

Among medical specialties, some are more prestigious than others. 

The more highly ranked specialties and diseases involve vital organs. Those ranked lower involve chronic conditions.  But age and the bodily location of diseasecan  contribute to high and low prestige.

Certain diseases consistently rank at the top (myocardial infarction, leukemia, brain tumors) and others at the bottom (fibromyalgia, anxiety neurosis).

How Diseases stack up

Here’s the complete list of diseases, ranked from most prestigious to least. Note that 38 is a small number of diseases, so there are conspicuous omissions, such as breast cancer.

Myocardial infarction [heart attack]
Leukemia
Spleen rupture
Brain tumor
Testicular cancer
Pulmonary embolism [usually a blood clot in main artery of lung]
Angina pectoris
Extra uterine pregnancy
Thyroid cancer
Meniscus rupture [knee cartilage tear]
Colon cancer
Ovarian cancer
Kidney stone
Appendicitis
Ulcerative colitis [type of inflammatory bowel disease]
Kidney failure
Cataract
Duodenal ulcer [ulcer in upper part of small intestine]
Asthma
Pancreatic cancer
Ankle fracture
Lung cancer
Sciatica [injury or compression of sciatic nerve]
Bechterew’s disease [ankylosing spondylitis, spinal arthritis]
Femoral neck fracture [top of the thigh bone]
Multiple sclerosis
Arthritis
Inguinal hernia [abdominal protrusion through inguinal canal]
Apoplexy [bleeding of internal organ]
Psoriasis
Cerebral palsy
AIDS
Anorexia
Schizophrenia
Depressive neurosis
Hepatocirrhosis [cirrhosis of the liver]
Anxiety neurosis
Fibromyalgia

 But have no doubt--at Yellow Springs Dental Care the mouth is always TOPS!

http://www.thehealthculture.com

Why is oral fitness important?Today’s Soldiers need to stay physically fit and healthy in order to support their unit’s preparations and deploy rapidly toany region of the globe. Combat-ready Soldiers need healthy mouths for:1. Communication (speaking, smiling, or whistling). The teeth work with the lips and tongue to make the soundsthat we use for talking.2. Energy intake (tasting, chewing, and swallowing). A healthy, high-fiber diet requires chewing. Your body canget more vitamins and nutrients from food after it has been chewed.Oral diseases interfere with these functions, and can cause severe, life-threatening illness. Every time a Soldier has to betransported out of the area of operations for dental treatment, they expose themselves and their fellow Soldiers to attacksfrom insurgents. Soldiers who do not take care of their mouths could put their buddies in the line of fire.There are three major causes of dental casualties during training anddeployments:• Painful or infected wisdom teeth• Periodontal disease (gum disease)• Dental caries (tooth decay)Why do we have wisdom teeth?Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, come in last, usually between the agesof 17 and 25. Wisdom teeth are just as useful and valuable as other back teethif they come in straight, and the gum heals around them.What causes wisdom tooth problems?If there is not enough room in the jaw for a wisdom tooth, it can become trappedpart way beneath the gums. Wisdom teeth are often tipped sideways, and cannot come in all the way. Tipped or partially covered wisdom teeth are calledimpacted. They are hard to clean. The area around the tooth traps food andplaque. Bacteria or germs grow in the plaque and cause the tooth to become decayed, or cause the gums around thetooth to become swollen and infected. They can cause the tooth next to them to become decayed or develop gumdisease, also.The gums over this erupting wisdomtooth are swollen and painfulUnfortunately, many Soldiers stop cleaning their mouths every day duringdeployment. Many also use harmful oral habits, such as tobacco use andexcessive consumption of sugary drinks or snacks, to stay alert or deal withthe stress of deployment. Soldiers who do not take care of their mouthsduring deployment can develop severe wisdom tooth problems that requiremedical evacuation and emergency surgery.Wisdom teeth that do not come in at all can cause serious problems also.The sac around the developing tooth can turn into a tumor that expands anddestroys the nearby bones and teeth.What are the symptoms of wisdom teeth problems?As with all oral diseases, wisdom tooth problems are like ticking time bYou usually cannot tell that you have a problem until it causes:ombs.This erupting wisdom tooth has becomeinfected• Crowding of the other teeth • Inability to sleep • Pain• Difficulty eating • Swelling of the gums, mouth, face or neckWisdom teeth that do not come in at all often do not cause any symptoms, even when they develop tumors or otherproblems. Unerupted wisdom teeth should be x-rayed every few years and watched carefully for problems.U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive MedicineDirectorate of Health Promotion and Wellness410-436-4656 or DSN 584-4656Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5403How can you prevent wisdom tooth problems?When wisdom teeth are erupting and the gums are sore, rinse with saltwater several times a day to keep the area clean and aid healing. Mix 1⁄2tsp. of salt with 8 oz. of warm water.Avoid becoming a dental casualty by attaining Dental Class 1 (no dentaltreatment needed) before you deploy. Have a dental exam and a cleaningevery year to detect and treat wisdom tooth problems as soon as possible.If the dentist decides that your wisdom teeth need to come out, have themtaken out as soon as possible. Younger people recover from surgerymore quickly and have fewer complications.The most common complication following wisdom tooth extraction is a “drysocket”. This happens when the blood clot that has formed in theextraction site falls out and exposes the bone. The condition is painful andslows down healing. Dry socket can be caused by smoking, high estrogenlevels, and poor oral health care habits. To prevent dry socket:• Stop smoking for at least 24 hours before and after wisdom teethextractions.This wisdom tooth did not come in, and madea large cyst that hollowed out thesurrounding jawbone• Females taking oral contraceptives should schedule extractions during days 23 to 28 of their cycle.• Avoid drinking soda (carbonated beverages), spitting, sucking on a straw for several days.• Avoid eating foods that can remain in the mouth such as popcorn, peanuts and pasta for several days. Eating softfoods such as mashed potatoes, clear soup and pudding helps ensure food particles do not interfere with thenormal formation and healing of the blood clots.• Swish gently with salt water after meals to keep the mouth free of excess bacteria.If your wisdom teeth come in straight, and you can keep them clean, you can keep them your whole life. Protect them byusing Combat Stress Control techniques to deal with the stress of deployment, instead of harmful oral habits. Just like agood motor sergeant uses a PMCS schedule (preventive maintenance, checks and services) to keep his/her vehiclesrunning, you need to PMCS your mouth every day during deployment to stay fit and healthy!DAILYClean Your Mouth Watch What You Put In Your MouthFloss daily to clean between teeth where a toothbrushcan’t reachAvoid or cut back on tobacco. Smokeless tobacco wears away yourgums and increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Itcauses white leathery patches that can turn into oral cancer.Smoking can cause gum disease, bone loss, tooth loss, and oralcancer.Brush after meals or before sleeping to remove fooddebris, plaque buildup and bacteria. Use a toothbrush witha small head that fits around the back teeth and can cleaneverywhere.Eat healthy foods from the 5 major food groups. Your mouth needsnutrients such as vitamins A, C, D, E, B2, Niacin, B6, B12, Folic Acid,and minerals such as Zinc, Iron, and Calcium to repair the lining ofyour mouth, maintain your gums, and prevent bone loss around yourteeth.Use fluoride toothpaste and a gentle, circular motion for 2minutes

The one she had to leave when she was transferred. The One who seems so perfect but kept her waiting.  She was secure in all the ways that made which dentist her choice. 

Then she saw the ad. 

It struck a chord, sure, professionals were a dime a dozen but… 

Maybe it was the location, or his ”one patient at a time“ approach, but she sensed here was someone who knew both how to communicate and provide care.  

Who was dependable, not an HMO, and an advocate for his patients.

Who just maybe… she didn’t want to get her hopes up. Still-email is free so she took the next step and embarked upon the next chapter of the Tale.

Dealing with someone's bad breath.

So your date, your boss, or whoever's talking to you has terrible breath. For whatever reason, you don't want to breach etiquette and just tell them to fix it. Here are some creative ways to drop the hint.

Steps

1. Offer the person a unique gum or a mint. Get one for yourself, then offer them one, as if you're just being polite by sharing. If they turn you down, say "You sure? I love this flavor. You should try it!" This is especially effective if you carry candy with you that has an unusual flavor, because you can use that as a reason to pressure the person if they don't get it: "You have to try these popcorn-flavored jelly beans."
   • Do this simultaneously: place a mint in their hand while saying "here," incline your head toward them slightly and give them a polite but firm smile. Then immediately go on with your conversation (about something else).
2. If the person is your significant other, use kissing as positive reinforcement: "I love to kiss right after you chew that mint gum. It feels so minty and cool." You can even make it into a playful little ritual--kiss them every time they chew gum, eat candy, or just finish brushing their teeth. They might catch on and learn to use that as a way to hint for a kiss!
3. Offer the person a snack or drink. Sometimes people get bad breath because their mouth is dry. Any drink or snack will help, even a glass of water. Just don't offer them any food or drink that might make their breath worse, like milk or anything with garlic or onion in it.
4. Pretend you have bad breath. Say something like "Ugh, I have some weird breath right now. I haven't eaten for several hours, maybe that's why. Do you have any gum?" Sometimes this will make the other person wonder about their own breath, and perhaps use whatever remedy they give to you.
5. Find a way to talk about dental hygiene. The objective is to raise their consciousness about dental health. You should judge your conversation on how well you know the person.
   • I always forget to floss. My dentist says I should though, and I've noticed that when I floss regularly, I don't get bad breath as often. Do you floss?
   • Have you ever used one of those tongue scraper things? Apparently the bacteria that causes bad breath sits mostly on your tongue. Do you know how to use one? I've never tried.
6. Lead by example. Practice good dental hygiene in front of this person as much as possible, and act like you're assuming they do the same. After eating, for example, excuse yourself to brush your teeth. Carry some travel sized mouthwash and floss with you. Ask them if they want some.
7. Practice Radical Honesty. Think about it first. How would you like to be told? Simply saying "Your breath is bad/weird/funky. Here, have some gum." is embarrassing and offensive. Let them see you checking your breath, and then offer the gum. If they take the hint, fine. If not, just go on.
8. Water is the solution. As someone said above, a dry/dehydrated mouth will cause bad breath. Water is usually a better solution than gum or a mint, even. Not any snack or drink will do, as something with sugar will make things worse. Constantly have a water bottle with you and offer your companion a drink. If you don't have a water bottle, tell your companion, "I'm really thirsty. Come with me to get a drink from that water fountain." They'll probably take one too.

Warnings

• Many instances of bad breath have nothing to do with oral hygiene -- mostly it is caused by sinus problems
• A lot of people with chronic bad breath know they have it, and yet are unable -- in spite of great effort and attention to dental hygiene -- to get rid of it. They know you are dropping hints and at that point it is just as rude and pointless as hinting to a wheelchair bound person that she should stand up and walk onto the bus so that you don't have to wait for the chair lift that is inconveniencing you.
• Anyone may get terribly embarrassed when discovering they have bad breath.
• Any matter of personal hygiene can be sensitive. Tact and discretion must be used.
• Bad breath may be a sign of a dental or other health problem.

Related wikiHows

• How to Tell Someone They Have Bad Breath
• How to Fix Bad Breath on the Spot
• How to Get Rid of Bad Breath
• How to Deal With a Bad Kisser

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Deal With Someone's Bad Breath. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

staff.A similar symbol,”the B@CalamityvilleOH Logorazen Sepent”of Nehushtan, is mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 21:6-9) the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch. 

"Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live."

 Caduceus

In 1902 The Caduceus was added to the uniforms of Army medical officers.

It is relatively common, especially in the United States, to find the caduceus, with its two snakes and wings, used as a symbol of medicine instead of the correct rod of Asclepius, with only a single snake. This usage is erroneous, popularized largely as a result of the adoption of the caduceus as its insignia by the US Army Medical Corps in 1902 at the insistence of a single officer.

The rod of Asclepius is the dominant symbol for healthcare professionals and associations in the United States. One survey found that 62% of healthcare professionals used the rod of Asclepius, while 76% of commercial healthcare organizations used the caduceus.^[25]

The initial errors leading to its adoption and the continuing confusion it generates are well known to medical historians. The long-standing and abundantly attested historical associations of the caduceus with commerce, theft, deception, and death are considered by academics to be inappropriate in a symbol used by those engaged in the healing arts.

But the over one hundred years of US Army Medical Corps service, in peace and in war, has trumped the petty cavils of the nitpickers who were safely ensconced in Ivory Towers.  The Authority of that service long ago sanctified The Caduceus, as the symbol of the US Army Medical Corps. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caduceus.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus#cite_note-5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius 

You can download your high-resolution shade guide here

Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to?

A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss.

“If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could bring only one thing, you’d want it to bring floss,”

Top Ten Reasons for Not Flossing:

Excuse #1: Food doesn’t get caught between my teeth, so I don’t need to floss.

Flossing isn’t so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease — and, eventually, tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth.

Excuse #2. I don’t know how to floss.

Flossing isn’t easy.  Low calls it “the most difficult personal grooming activity there is.” But practice makes perfect.

Here’s how: http://www.soundentistry.com/view-our-videos

Don’t forget to floss the backs of your last molars. “By far, most gum disease and most decay occurs in the back teeth,” Low says.

Excuse #3. I’m not coordinated enough to floss.

Many tooth-cleaning options exist for people whose manual dexterity is compromised by poor coordination, hand pain, paralysis, and amputations — or simply by fingers that are too big to fit inside the mouth.

One option is to use floss holders. These disposable plastic Y-shaped devices (some equipped with a spool of floss) hold a span of floss between two prongs to allow one-handed use.

Another option is to forgo floss and clean between teeth using disposable toothpick-like dental stimulators (Stim-U-Dents, Soft-Picks, and so on); narrow spiral brushes (interproximal brushes); or the conical rubber nubs (tip stimulators) found at the end of many toothbrushes or mounted on their own handles. 

Excuse #4. I don’t have time to floss.

Effective flossing does take a while -- once a day for a “good three to five minutes” according to Low. But even 60 seconds of flossing is of enormous benefit. As with exercise, bathing, and other daily activities, the key is to make flossing a habit.

Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, chairman of the department of cardiology and preventive medicine at New York University School of Dentistry in New York City, keeps a stash of dental stimulators in his car. “I use them when I am stuck in traffic,” he says.

Excuse #5. It hurts when I floss.

If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease -- precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.

“Flossing should not be a painful experience,” Wolff says. “But stopping flossing because of bleeding [or pain] is just the opposite of what you should be doing.” The good news? With daily brushing and flossing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see a dentist.

Excuse #6. My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.  

If unwaxed floss doesn’t work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of superslippery polytetrafluoroethylene (sold under the brand name Glide).

If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like “superfloss” may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.

If you’re having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance -- and may even offer free samples.

Excuse #7. The floss keeps shredding.

In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work -- often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult your dentist.

Excuse #8. I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.

Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work.

Excuse #9.  I’d rather use a Water Pik.  We approve of  this reason.

Excuse #10. I’d enjoy my bad breath.

Here is a thorough webinar on over-eating.  It uses your Mouth but it starts in your brain.

This is a very complete webinar on the overeating.  You could pay hundreds of dollars if your Dayton doctor were to discuss this problem with you as a patient.

This valuable information that will help you understand the physiologic basis for overeating. Because this is important to you general heath, Yellow Springs Dental Care and Dr. Russell want to make this educational material available to you.