I am an ENTREPENEUR !! (oh yaaay)

Phone bell ranged one fine evening.
Me: Hey!
Talha (my fiance): Hey !!
Me: Sup?
Talha: hmm.. well, Im thinking of starting a business to cater books to people at their doorstep, colleges, universities etc. And I've decided to keep you in the communication department. All you need to do is reply to emails that we get in ouor gmail account, website, and facebook. You interested ?
Me: (not willingly) Sure.
Talha: Great !! Let's get started.

Love. Love makes you do things; stupid things and not-so-stupid things too. Well, the idea was great but I had no knowledge on how to run a business, but all I knew was that it was Talha's vision and I humbly said yes to help him to achieve his dream....

With over hundred schools spanning all over Karachi, the biggest city of Pakistan, our quest for inculcating reading habits in children began in February 2014- just months after establishing our bookstore brand, BOOKWORM PAKISTAN.

Bookworm Pakistan is not a publishing brand nor is it a regular bookstore where books are displayed for sale. It is, in fact, an online business that caters to people’s need; the need to fulfil education by providing books to individuals at their doorsteps, colleges, universities etc.

Bookworm Pakistan was started by young entrepreneurs in November 2013, and no sooner has it become a renowned business with delivery reaching to people living outside Karachi.

With over 60% illiteracy rate in Pakistan, the vision of promoting and instilling reading habits among children became a mission that was quarterly accomplished with our visits to different schools, in a chronological order, ST. PATRICT HIGH SCHOOL, THE WHITEHOUSE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, YEN ACADEMY, HAPPY HOME SCHOOL, and the MIND SET INSTITUTE .

That's not all. We have even started to designs cirriculums! Stay tuned for more exciting stuffs we plan to do in the upcoming months. 

HOW TO CURB AWAY PERIODONTAL PAIN

It’s that time of the year where you haven’t really got over with the spirits of Eidul Fitr, one of my two favourite occasions- the other being my Birthday, and waiting for the grand Eid to strike; Eidul Adha, that is. The latter is known mainly for the food that is practically eaten thrice a day. So it’s, indeed, a MEATY affair, as the only item on the menu is MEAT!

Meat, as we studied back in our biology class, consumed more than required is hazardous to one’s health. Well, so is protein and carbohydrate. So, why is meat the only macro nutrient that is the much talked about?

This article is not based on to what amount meat should be consumed or which meat of the two; the red or the white meat, is good for one’s health but it is basically a warning for everyone to restrict on your meat consumption during the festivities so that you can enjoy eating just about anything and not turn up at the dental clinic right after the holidays.

Here is a relatable story. You go in a ‘dawat’(a gathering), a grand feast is presented before you and you can’t really help but start hogging on it until you realize that a small piece of it has stuck between your teeth. If the teeth happens to be the ones in the anterior then this small mishap really doesn’t stop you from indulging in the delicious saucy meat. But, if the calamity has struck your posterior teeth then your tongue will act as a natural cleanser in your mouth and try to floss subliminally.

Tongue, toothpick and finally floss or whatever comes in hand that is sharp yet slender, is the tool you’d like to grab to banish the villain that’s coming in your way from enjoying the most amazing meal you had in ages! But your arch nemesis won’t go away easily. So you leave it where it is and retire to bed. The first thing you notice when you wake up is the swollen area around the teeth where the small meat was stuck. That area is basically numb (not entirely anesthetized) yet tender. Immediately, not realizing what time it is, you call your dentist, asking for a medication that can curb away the pain.

The most painful condition associated with oral cavity, after dental pain, is the pain of gingiva. The more the gingiva is aggressively handled, the more relax you feel. Yes, blanching gingiva stops the blood supply, which, in turn, halts the painful stimuli reaching the affected site. So, let us look at the regime that can act as an analgesic.

The infamous clove or clove oil gives a soothing effect to the gingiva while the tannin present in tea leaves, too, seems to work by temporarily stopping the blood supply. Tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant, such as black, green and oolong tea, contain a variety of compounds like minerals, vitamins and caffeine. What is very often referred to as tea tannins are in actuality called polyphenols. Polyphenols, which include flavonoids, give tea a boost of health benefits that help to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke.

So what exactly are polyphenols? Basically, they are natural chemical based compounds found in tea leaves that have antioxidant qualities. These antioxidants help prevent damage to the cells in our bodies and strengthen our immune system. A subgroup of polyphenols in tea is called catechins and one of the most powerful catechins in tea, especially green tea, is called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which is said to be a particularly strong antioxidant. Because green tea goes through a minimal fermentation process, and white tea goes through none at all, these two have the highest amounts of antioxidants.

Other natural pain relievers are the amino acid, tryptophan (found in avocados, bananas, grapefruit, nuts, seeds, papayas, peaches, and tomatoes) encourages production of the calming neurotransmitter, serotonin. Particularly beneficial foods for pain include broccoli, cauliflower, winter squashes, sesame and flax seeds. Strawberries contain natural salicylates, and are cooling and anti-inflammatory. Enzymes, present in unheated foods, reduce inflammation, which is often a factor in pain.

The natural pain relievers among herbs are the Cayenne pepper which stimulates endorphin production and is an anti-inflammatory agent. Topically it is used diluted in salves, as it blocks transmission of substance P, which transports pain messages to brain.

Corydalis root, a relative of Poppy helps relieve pain from traumatic injury. Corydalis binds with opium receptors in the body and slows down the breakdown of choline. It is analgesic, antispasmodic and sedative.

Cramp Bark is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and sedative. It can calm menstrual cramps, rheumatism and spasms of legs and lower back.

Feverfew herb inhibits certain inflammatory type hormones known as prostaglandins and prevents blood platelet aggregation (clumping together). Used on a regular basis it helps prevent migraines, relieve arthritis and menstrual cramps. Feverfew is anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.

Ginger root is warming and improves circulation. It can improve the pain of arthritis, backache, and menstrual cramps. Chew a piece of fresh root for sore throat. Ginger is analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

Hops strobiles, a relative of Marijuana, are sedating to the nervous system. They calm cramps, insomnia, restlessness, stomachache and stress. Hops are an anodyne, antispasmodic, and sedative.

Kava kava root, enjoyed by many tropical island natives is a skeletal and muscle relaxant. It improves anxiety, cramps, gout, insomnia, neuralgia, pain and rheumatism. It is an analgesic, antispasmodic, and sedative.

Passionflower, doesn’t make you more passionate, but slows the breakdown of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Try it for cramps, headache, insomnia, muscle spasms, neuralgia, shingles and stress. It is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and sedative.

So, next time, when you get a call from your patient, you can advise these natural pain relievers instead of the medications like paracetamol or aspirin, which, in the long run, has addictive effect, not to mention, are not safe for one’s body.
 Hope these remedies help you guys !

DO DENTISTS PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH ?

Dentists around the world preach like a cleric/priest. We ask patients to clean their teeth with a proper brushing technique, floss and rinse their mouth after every meal. Ask them to avoid chocolates, especially the yummy caramel ones, keep the snacks to minimum and say no to fizzy drinks. Clearly, our patients need not have a life while we eat back our words- and chocolates of course, and hog on just about anything.

My question here is, do we- the dentists, practice what we preach? I don’t. 

With the help of my principal, Dr. Navid Rashid Qureshi of LCMD and the supervision of my two favourite teachers, Dr. Naheed Najmi, the vice principal of LCMD and Dr. Tahera Ayub, the administrator and an assistant professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department, I set out on a journey of research. A survey which comprised of questionnaires and an examination I had to do on the dentists’ oral cavity.

A research, which, initially, became a crucial task for me as I had examine my doctors’ oral cavity to grade their DMF (decayed, missing, filled teeth) score. Out of a few dentists, nobody let me do the deed. It was a tough task but, nonetheless, a challenge which I was happy to be a part of.

Questionnaire comprising of questions like the number of times brushing should be done in a day, the time it should be done for, the brands of toothpaste and toothbrush used, if the toothpaste they used contained fluoride, if other method(s) were used for cleaning the teeth, use of mouth, eating habits, any oral treatment done etc. In total there were seventeen questions asked from the dentists and the patients (control group). At the end of the form, there was a Silness-Loe Index printed to score the dentists and the patients’ oral hygiene.

50 dentists were questioned and examined and the same numbers of patients were used as a control. Once the details were collected, information was compiled in the computer to sum up the result. MS Excel was used for it. Chi tests were performed.

First, an ‘observed’ data was entered in MS Excel for questionnaire. Then, an ‘expected’ data was used to get the chi test performed by the computer.

The result deduced by this survey was that dentists, indeed, practice what they preach. As this research was done entirely in LCMD, survey on this topic should be done in other colleges too so that majority of dentists can be evaluated.

This research was then made into a poster and presented in Pakistan Dental Association 10^th international 30^th National Dental Congress, where I won a special prize for the poster competition.  

WHAT'S NEXT AFTER BDS IN PAKISTAN

After getting admission in a dental institute, taking a peace breath is as difficult as finding water in a desert. No sooner, ‘in a blink of an eye’ for our kits and kins, we are bidding adieu to our teachers, friends, classmates etc and having flashbacks of all the cherished memories we made in our 4 years journey of BDS. Just when we think we can breathe a sigh of relieve, we are bombarded with thoughts, not to mention, immense pressure from family and friends, of what next after BDS? In this article, let us look at some of the opportunities that lie before the dentist.

 

1.      Pursuing post graduation in U.S is almost every man’s dream, which, apparently, still holds as much importance as it did before 9/11 in every dentist’s heart. But is it worth spending dollars when one can do MDS/MS/PhD in his or her home country at a much affordable price?  To start with, once you are in States, after completing BDS, you need to pass the National Board Dental Exam step 1 and 2 in order to start DDS (doctor of dental surgery), which is a 5 years course and would take up a lot of time and money. Having done a year of DDS myself, before switching to BDS, the former, in my opinion, is definitely worth spending dollars for. But only if one can. Countries like the UK, Canada and Australia luckily has set lenient rules i.e. a BDS degree combined with a 1 year house job can fetch an admission in these countries.

2.      Most dentists in Pakistan opt for Fellowship of the College of Physician and Surgeon (FCPS) part 1 and 2. It is the most difficult exam, but most excel in it in their very first attempt. After clearing FCPS part 1, which consists of MCQs in general subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology etc, one can specialize in any dentistry related field from institutes recognized by College of Physician and Surgeon (CPSP). Likewise, there is another option, MCPS (Member of Physician and Surgeon). College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan is a firm responsible for the registration of Postgraduate Doctors of Pakistan. It makes rules, enrolls doctors and conducts exams for the Post graduation in Pakistan. In the long run, one can expect a handsome income after clearing the exams. More information related to this can be found on the CPSP website.

3.      Academic lecturer. This has got to be the most versatile profession. One can be a demonstrator, a counselor or even join the administrative department in a learning institute, earn a handsome amount for a salary and, if one is opting for teaching then it is unlikely for all that knowledge to evaporate over the years. Rather, it shall be an adding to the learning experience from being in touch with day to day developments in the field of dentistry.

4.      Government service. Although this is the toughest exam, Central Superior Services of Pakistan (CSS) is supposedly one of the best options after graduation. The examination tests students on diverse courses, which vary in their content and difficulty level. Once you clear the exam, you are recruited to post in BS-17. For more information regarding the eligibility criteria and to see the sample exam papers, you can visit the official website.

5.      Master in Business Administration. This is currently on the rise. For a dental graduate, the options in management studies include Hospital Administration, Health Administration, Pharmaceutical Management and plane MBA specializing in general fields like Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Operations or Systems. It can be pursued as a full time course or part time, the duration depends on the institute you are opting for. The duration of the courses varies from 1 year to 2.

6.      Opening your own clinic. Although this is a very competitive option, it surely keeps one up to date in practical skills and with a proper clinical set up and a hardworking team, you can start earning a fortune. However, this does require a lot of patience and perseverance.

7.      Diploma. Diploma courses are usually short term courses of one or two years’ duration that teaches a BDS graduate the basic skills that will definitely enhance the clinical prospects of the student. At the same time, he/she also learns the newer techniques of implants, endodontics, orthodontics that is of immense help in clinical practice.

8.      Research. As the field of science is progressively advancing, a dental survey or research can prove advantageous especially if one wishes to study in the West.

9.      Like medical nanotechnology, you can opt for M Tech in dental technology. The main aim of this course is to educate and train students to become part of the dental team for the planning, designing and fabrication of intra-oral appliances. Dental technology is divided into four main areas, fixed prosthodontics, complete denture technology, removable denture technology and orthodontic technology. Of course, to earn a degree in M tech, one need to do a B. Tech too.

Sometimes, soon after BDS, one may regret choosing this profession but those grueling four years that one spent becoming a dentist, cannot be understated and with patience and perseverance, nothing is impossible.