The Two Sources of Truth

I recently listened to this book on CD by Francis Collins called: The Language of God a Scientist Presents evidence for belief. Dr. Collins who has a PhD in chemistry, an MD, and various other degrees and who was the head of the human genome project spoke at our dental school graduation this past May. I was stunned when a good portion of his speech was about God, Family, and making contributions to society. He said that eventually all of us will have to deal with the big questions of life like: "What is the purpose of life?" and "Why are we here?" The amazing thing about this renowned scientist is that he was once an atheist and it was not until his residency following medical school when he was confronted with patients facing imminent death that he came to question his lack of belief in God. He then said that a friend recommended the writings of C.S. Lewis which he read and began his logical basis for belief in God. I highly recommend Dr. Collins' book, he also has a website dedicated to reconciliation of Faith and Science called the BioLogos Foundation. I agree with Dr. Collins: you can be a firm believer in God and still be a good scientist, and the two main sources of truth are rigorous science and God himself.

How to save space on your hard drive and extend the useful life of your computer

I recently have been worried that my computer was running out of space on the hard drive. With all the modern files we store on our computer nothing takes up more space than digital video. I have been taking home videos of my family for about two years now along with digital photos. My little 160 GB hard drive only had about 7 GB left.

I found this amazing free utility that helped me save 30 GB of hard drive disk space in a matter of minutes: SequoiaView this amazing utility graphically displays all of the files on your hard drive by how large they are. You can use this utility to quickly locate where these large files are and if you don't need them you can delete away! I found an old episode of The Office recorded on my hard drive from my TV tuner that was taking up nearly 15 GB of space. I saved some space by disabling hibernation mode on my Windows XP machine. Finally, I am going to burn all of our home videos onto DVDs so they don't need to sit on our main hard drive. I have a large external hard drive but I use it strictly for back up so now I will have an external hard drive copy and a DVD copy of our family videos.

Other ways I could save space was by using the free Duplicates Killer which allows you to search by file type in a specified directory on your hard drive. By using this application I was able to find large duplicate files of video (AVI files), MP3s, and other large files. I recommend searching by file type starting with the largest file types first. I still have a lot of duplicates that I can find and get rid of so my 30 GB of saved space is likely to increase.

I was so glad I was able to save so much space on my hard drive and that I won't have to buy a new drive. It's not that expensive to buy more storage space but I'm on a tight budget and why waste the money if I don't have to. Maybe now I could install Windows 7 Beta but that is a whole new ball game.

Feeling sick?

Well just about everyone in the neighborhood is sick. If I remember correctly then it was about this time last year that we all got sick also. It seems to happen right after all of our many family & friend gatherings around Christmas time. I did get my flu shot which was said to be effective this year but I think I just have a common cold. In case anyone else is suffering from a cold here is an excellent website with good supporting research: http://www.commoncold.org/ another great website that has some conflicting views with the previous website but also provides a good evidence based and concise review of treating the common cold is: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-remedies/ID00036

I hope everyone has a great new year!

How to Prevent Tooth Decay Re-Visited

In a previous article I wrote on ideas for preventing tooth decay. I would like to re-visit this topic because despite the fact that we have the means available to completely prevent this disease it is still very rampant in our society. Take a look at this well-written article on WEBMD:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-decay-prevention

I liked this article and thought it was a good practical summary of prevention ideas similar to my article on prevention. However, cavity prevention cannot be achieved simply by reading a list of instructions in every case. There is a reason why less educated and people with lower socioecconomic status have a much higher rate of tooth decay: more than likely they were never taught the habbits that lead to oral health and they probably don't understand how this disease process works. I would like to expound on this article and the one I wrote previously. Tooth decay is a multifactorial disease meaning there are a lot of causes. However, Understanding a few basic ideas of how tooth decay works can help you change your daily habits and prevent new cavities from forming.

We were taught in dental school that 3 conditions must exist for a cavity to form:
#1 an agent: bacteria
#2 a succeptible host: you
#3 an environment that supports the agent or reduces hosts defenses.

#1 Tooth decay is the result of a bacterial infection. Your mouth is chuck-full (yes this is a very scientific term) of bacteria! The specific types of bacteria that cause cavities like Streptococcus Mutans are passed from mother to child. Cavity causing bacteria eat and digest sugar and other easly broken down carbohydrates then they produce acid. This acid is what starts to brake down your tooth structure forming a cavity. The bacteria cannot be eliminated completely with our current treatments. Even after rinsing with Listerine (which does kill them) they will re-bound, antibiotics would have a similar effect except with more negative side effects.

#2 Tooth decay is the result of a succeptible host: you! These bacteria need a hard surface to attach to: your teeth! Newborn babies that do not have teeth yet have very low numbers of these cavity causing germs. As soon as infants get some teeth especially molars with grooves in them the levels of cavity causing bacteria go up exponentially. Part of your succeptibility to decay may be genetic. Some people may have natural cavity protection in the form of good anti-cavity saliva and less succeptible tooth anatomy. However there are aspects of you that you can change. "Soft teeth" is usually not the reason for your decay. There are very rare disorders where the dentin or enamel on your teeth does not form properly thus this person would truely have soft teeth.

#3 Cavities are the result of an environment conducive to the growth of specific bacteria. If I were a cavity causing bacteria I would love the following environment: a dry mouth and plenty of carbohydrates frequently placed in the mouth of my host throughout the day and especially right before bed. The frequency of carbohydrate or sugar consumption throughout the day is a risk factor for tooth decay.

We learned about something in dental school called the Stephen's curve which describes the pH or acidity of your mouth immediately after eating a sugary or carbohydrate rich food. In some people who have poor quality or low quantity of saliva it takes a long time (more than 30 minutes) for the acid to be neutralized or brought above the critical pH of 5.5 (the critical pH is the acidity level at which your enamel begins to dissolve or de-mineralize). If this type of person is snacking on crackers, sipping soda, eating bread, or cookies 5-6 times throughout the day then there teeth may be in an acidic environment all day long. People with very dry mouths may have an oral environment which is constantly below the critical pH of 5.5. However in someone with normal salivary function the acid is neutralized within 20 minutes but even in this case the person could spend a significant portion of the day with their teeth being dissolved!

Now a few things you can do about it: You can't completely eliminate the bacteria or change your genetics but you can drastically change the environment that the bacteria live in.

#1: Chew a piece of sugar free gum or suck on a sugar free mint after meals and snacks. The main goal here is saliva stimulation immediately following a meal... Why? Because saliva in most cases is very effective at neutralizing the acid produced by the bacteria and washing away excess bacteria and food debris. Unfortunately a great deal of our modern medicines have the side effect of inhibiting the production of saliva causing dry mouth. This is why people can go their whole life without having much decay then all of the sudden when they start taking medicines which cause dry mouth (Xerostomia) they get a lot of cavities. If you have a dry mouth then you need to see your dentist and ask him or her about how to prevent decay with aggressive high strength fluoride therapy and saliva substitutes.

For everyone with normal saliva flow the sooner you can stimulate saliva following a meal, snack or drink of soda the faster you will reduce the acid levels in your mouth to normal and thus prevent decay. So chew some xylitol sweetened gum! If you don't have any gum then buy some, if you can't buy some then get a drink of water after a snack or meal.

#2 Don't rinse with anything including water for at least 30 minutes after you brush your teeth (with ADA approved fluoride toothpaste). Fluoride has the opposite affect from sugar on your teeth, it re-mineralizes rather than dissolves the tooth structure. The problem with fluoride is that it has poor substantivity meaning it does not stick to your teeth very well. After brushing your teeth you should spit the remaining paste out THEN DO NOT RINSE WITH WATER! If you rinse after brushing you are washing away most of the protective fluoride. Fluoride needs contact time with your teeth and in your saliva to help repair the damage done by the acid producing bacteria. It is especially important if you have a high risk for cavities to expose your teeth to fluoride right before bed as the fluoride can remain in your mouth uninterrupted for 7-8 hours. If you don't brush and floss your teeth before you go to bed then you are letting the bacteria dissolve your teeth for 7-8 hours!

In short your teeth are constantly in a flux of either being re-mineralized or de-mineralized. Tooth decay depends on how well you keep your teeth in the re-mineralized category. Your job is to stop the teeth from dissolving by stimulating saliva with a sugar free gum or sugar free candy and help the teeth re-mineralize or solidify by allowing your fluoride toothpaste to sit on your teeth uninterrupted for as long as possible.

Or if you want it in even simpler terms... For cavities: Fluoride & Saliva GOOD, frequent sugar exposure without anything to neutralize the acid BAD!

I'm glad I don't have to go to school tomorrow it's getting late!

Here are some other suggestions for preventing cavities:

7 Ways to Prevent Cavities
http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/tp/preventing_cavities.htm

Going the Distance

Last weekend I ran the Richmond Suntrust Marathon. I was standing back with the 3:40 pace team when the marathon started.

I stayed with the 3:40 pace team running an 8:30 mile for 13 miles...

Then I hit the wall...

I was still able to walk, then jog, then walk, then run until I finished the 26.2 miles with a time of 4 hours 36 minutes or a (10:35 per mile pace).

Running the marathon was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, I ran 745 miles in training and although I did not get a sub 4 hour time like I wanted, I was happy that I was able to finish. Out of the nearly 4,000 runners who signed up about 3,000 finished and I finished in 1,686th place.

Exercise, its good for you!

Due to the fact that I don't have nearly as much homework now as a 4th year dental student, I have had a little extra time to dedicate to training for the Richmond Suntrust Marathon coming up in November. Here is my training schedule:I have never run a marathon before so my goal is to just finish it and hopefully do it in under 4 hours. I have spent my Saturday mornings doing long jogs. Last Saturday I was able to beat my previous personal distance record of 16 miles by running a full 17 miles.

This episode of NOVA on PBS inspired me because there were people with some serious health problems who were able to finish the Boston marathon so I figured if they could do it so could I. I watched this episode for the second time about six months ago around the time when I started to seriously train for the marathon. I began my training around May as you can see on my training schedule the numbers highlighted in yellow are the runs I have completed. Thus far I have been doing intensive training for nearly 4 months and have run a total of nearly 500 miles.

Running and exercise in general is much easier to do with a friend. My buddy Jonathan has helped out quite a bit because he has gone with me on nearly every one of my training runs. He has run in a few marathons already so he has some experience I can learn from. There are actually a lot of very talented runners at my dental school. One of the 2nd year dental students finished 7th at the last Boston marathon and another friend of mine, Jake ran in college and has gone on some of the longer runs with Jonathan and I.

One tip we have learned for anyone who is an endurance athlete is that low fat chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink after doing a long run because it has the correct protein: carbohydrate ratio and it just tastes good.

Another tip I have for runners is to buy shoes frequently and if you can afford it get them from a running store where they can match your running style to your shoe. I broke both my feet with stress fractures in high school running cross country due to over training and not replacing my shoes frequently enough. I went through months of recovery and physical therapy and after all of it was over I had some custom orthotics made by my podiatrist which I still wear all day every day some 10 years later. Once I get a job I think I will have a podiatrist make me a new set of orthotics.

Other lessons learned from breaking my feet: eat a good diet with calcium and vitamin D. (I eat a good diet and I take a multivitamin daily). AND build up your endurance and fitness slowly! Your bones need time to get stronger, your muscles and tendons need time to rebuild and re-tool themselves to be able to withstand the intense pounding of a long run.

While intense exercise like marathon training is rewarding and challenging, exercise in general is essential to good health. We were not built to sit around. Diet is more important for weight loss than exercise (probably because as you exercise a lot you need to eat more). However, exercise is very beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight along with prevention of cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of death in the USA.

Check out this Wikipedia article on exercise and this article on MayoClinic.com and finally this concise list of the benefits of exercise from Georgia State University.

Exercise will improve your ability to learn, prevent disease, and improve your mood. Just Do It!

Second Hand Smoke Causes Asthma

On Friday afternoon I got home from school and my wife told me that our son had been diagnosed with asthma. (If you scroll down you will notice my article on second hand smoke—is there a correlation? OF COURSE!!!) Our son had been throwing up almost every night starting about a month ago (shortly after our new smoking neighbors moved in) but when we visited family out of state for two weeks he had relatively no problems at all. We thought at first that the problem was acid reflux. The doctor listened to his lungs and checked his Oxygen saturation and diagnosed him with infantile asthma. My initial reaction was anger at the fact that I knew something like this was coming. I have been spending every free moment trying to seal our apartment to keep the smoke out. We were given a nebulizer to give him some medication but he screams and screams until he throws up making the whole medication idea pointless. So now we just have to focus on creating a healthy environment.

Here is what we have done so far:

1. Purchased a new vacuum with a true HEPA filter for $140
   
2. Purchased 2 Honeywell True HEPA air filters from Wal-Mart and left them running on full power while we cleaned the house the larger air filter/purifier was about $130 and the smaller one was $85. In addition to the HEPA filter they have an activated carbon pre-filter to help with the smoke. These filters have made a significant difference in the smoke smell in our home. There are better air filters/purifiers on the market which implement the same basic technology of a true HEPA filter with an activated carbon pre-filter but they cost nearly $600 and are not found in your basic Home Depot or Walmart. See the photo below...
3. Vacuumed the entire house with the new vacuum including the sofas
4. Removed most of the dust in the house
5. Washed all the sheets, blankets, washable pillows, drapes, and rugs in HOT water and dried them In the dryer on HOT to kill/remove any dust mite colonies
6. Sealed off some suspected remaining entry points of smoke into the house
7. Placed a top of the line furnace air filter with an activated carbon layer to absorb smoke and chemicals.

What I plan on doing:

1. Finish Cleaning: I still have to clean the kitchen floor and do more dusting.
2. Purchasing a Dehumidifier: Humidity should be low to reduce the incidence of dust mites which are a very significant allergen and contributor to asthma; chances are you have dust mites in your pillows, sofas, mattresses, and elsewhere. I take back my comment on the last post where I say you should open your windows. It is good to open your windows assuming it is not too humid outside and the air quality outside is good. Centralized air conditioning is good in that it reduces humidity.
3. Purchasing dust mite proof encasings for our mattresses and pillows.
4. Eventually I will purchase leather sofas to prevent dust mite infiltration
5. Someday I will find that last little spot where the smoke is getting in... you would not believe how many hours I have spent on sealing little air leaks probably near 40 hours so far at least. (in addition to being a full time dental student, dad, etc) This little area above the furnace closet was a highway of air coming from our neighbors apartment, whenever our AC would run it would suck the smoky air from their apartment into ours. Solution: stuff it with insulation and cover with plastic and duct tape, in addition to keeping the furnace closet door open to prevent the "suction effect":
   

My theory is that my son developed asthma when the cigarette smoke in combination with the dust mites and other irritants overwhelmed his lungs. It probably does not help that we have smokers next door, live in 30-40 year old apartments, and live in a very humid part of the country.

For information on second hand smoke see my last post.

For more information on dust mites see the following:

http://healthandenergy.com/dust_mites.htm

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dust-mites/DS00842\

One recent systematic review in the Cochrane Database suggests that efforts to reduce dust mites do not have any clinical affects at reducing asthma: I still think it is worth trying to reduce dust mites in combination with avoidance of cigarette smoke and other potential triggers.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/04/18/got-dust-mites-just-live-with-them.html

However this study shows that overall reduction in multiple allergens can help reduce symptoms of asthma.

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2008/niehs-29.htm

I figure it is still worth the effort of trying to prevent and control the problem rather than medicate it. It just breaks my heart that my poor son has to suffer due to the inability of his parents to afford a nicer place to live and the poor choice of our neighbors nicotine addiction. At least all this effort makes me not feel so guilty so I can sleep at night knowing I have done everything possible to prevent/treat his condition. Good news is that we will be moving in less than a year following my graduation from dental school and hopefully be able to afford a clean place to live in the future.