Dental Reflections 006

how many factors can you think of that will mess with good matrix band placement and hence hinder the interproximal contour of a Class II restoration? here's a short and by no means exhaustive list...

1) insufficient tooth structure to band securely and still touch the adjacent tooth/teeth
2) weird concavities in the root surface that prevent the band from adapting well despite attempts at wedging
3) unusual coronal morphology/the cusp of Carabelli
4) long-standing cavitation into which the abutting tooth has drifted
5) a diastema whereby even furious burnishing will not stretch the band far enough to allow a contour that prevents food trapping

and how to overcome them?
1) euuhhh... work in CR. freehand yourself some buccal and mesial structure, then band from there.
2) with crappy wooden wedges, not a lot a man can do. prepare to stuff a fine diamond or an EVA into the interprox region...
3) this is actually, strangely enough, not too bad if you work in CR. you can shape the tooth bit by bit and respect the original structure. if you work in amalgam... fat hope
4) enamel mod *hack up coughcough* the offending neighbour!
5) this is counterintuitive... leave the gap big enough so that any food which makes its way in comes out easily. and teach the patient the joys of the interprox brush.

Prisoner of Love - Utada Hikaru

Under A Warm Sky

just when i was least expecting it, an email plopped itself into my mailbox, and now i know that i have my marching orders. to Queenstown it is then. i guess this isnt the place to dissect exactly why i've been sent there, but i dont feel too much of a wrench. after all,
1) am i not the most junior employee, and a maggot amongst the maggots? if i got everything i wanted and word was sweet and easy, it would be called fantasy and not a job.
2) wherever i go, God has a plan.

went to Cedele with Peijun for lunch. now, i think my views on priorities in food are well known. flavour and quantity are the 2 pillars of a good meal, in my opinion. secondary considerations include service, ambience (whereby i mean good seats and lighting and decent music) and costing. Cedele was established on the principles of providing alternative food choices. to whit, they concoct egg-free desserts and gluten-free mains. all very noble, of course, but how does it all match up? after all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating...

Cedele did not get off to a good start with its surly front-door dude. but we persevered (on the uncomfortable front-door purgatory seats, no less) and were rewarded with a table near the window. within a few seconds it became apparent that the outlet (apparently the Wheelock branch is newly opened) was having staffing problems. a full house, and many staff running around like headless (but stylish, mind) chickens, bussing tables, pouring water and doing every damn thing but actually taking orders. finally a nice young man *yay* came to our aid and took the orders for our mains, as well as our drink orders. while our mains did arrive, the drink orders fell through the cracks. i mean... one warm water and one iced water, and a reminder is needed? severe work flow problems. and down to the mains...

Peijun ordered what basically amounted to a mushroom and bacon fettucine carbonara. i felt adventurous and had some fusion-sounding thing that basically said steak and pasta. firstly there really wasn't much to say about Peijun's food. it was competent but... meh. if you can screw up a pasta with cream and cheese and bacon in it, you should be hung from the nearest crossbeam available. my food... was weird. firstly, if the menu promises medium-rare pieces of beef, i most certainly do not expect the pieces well-done in the style of a boot sole. and squeezing lime juice on it most certainly does not help things. damn tree hugger chefs. disappointment was written on my face, enough for my dearest lunch partner to see.

so after that fiasco we had a quick look over the dessert menu. they were offering a free scoop of icecream for orders totalling over $25 *handily achieved*. the Honey Nut was rather good, a base flavour of vanilla given life by a hint of honey and some nice bits of nuts. we also ordered a Cranberry Scone, enticed by the purported hot scones and cranberry jam. alas, this was not to be. half an hour of waiting later, we politely called for the bill and cancelled the scones. not 2 minutes later, the prodigal scones finally arrived. we stuck our ground and the scones were taken away and we caught a glimpse of them being binned... *tragedy in freefall*

so yeah... Cedele. not going back there in hopes of a good square meal. this is the kind of place girl gangs go to gossip over cakes and coffee. lime my beef steak? *unmentionable* you!

Back Again

so i return to stick my head into the grind once again. i really hope that all i've gained over the week will not fade from me as sunsets collect. its been a rare and precious experience, something to be treasured for a lifetime.

so there i was, a new church camp looming on the horizon. school had precluded any attempts at attending for the last four years, and i was really wondering what this camp would turn out to be like. it didnt help expectations to have, as its theme and song, 'A Passion for Thee'. i have to confess, i truly cannot stand that song. hearing makes me feel as if heat-plasticised treacle is being poured into my head via a hole trephined by a squad of upset monkeys. nothing to do with the words, guys, its the tune and chord work. if the tune gives me the musical equivalent of an MSG headache, i will have trouble liking it. but that's just me...

getting there and starting to do stuff, this camp exceeded all expectations. it was good to be playing again. even despite all the difficulties of an ad-hoc gang of noisemakers which were often-times difficult to round up. i was also blessed to have as a discussion group a fellowship of people who could open and talk about the things of life. it wouldn't have been the same without them. people to laugh with, cry with, and do nonsense with. valuable beyond belief.

at this point i'd also like to make a shout-out to Debbie and Norman, Tapir-boy and Angel-girl, dynamic duo, partners-in-crime and life and soul of our gang. they've been a literal blessing to ACTS (and i say blessing because every other word is inadequate) and the camp really wouldn't have been the same without them.

and finally i'd like to remember the camp speaker. Pastor Richards delivered the Word simply and truly. i just wish more people could have had the chance to hear him *brandishes sermon VCDs* best. camp. messages. ever.

back into the real world, i'll be waiting to see what's on my plate for monday. going to be reorganising my life a bit to give me more prayer and bible time. hope that all i've seen and heard doesn't get swept away in the rush of life...

Heart of Worship - Matt Redman