The Pre-Dent PressUC Berkeley Pre-Dental Society

Volume 8, Issue 4 March 13th, 2013

Upcoming Events

In this Issue

3/23-3/31 ISL Dental Missions Trip to Panama

4/1-4/5 Dental Health Awareness Week

4/3 5th General Meeting: Officer Positions

4/10 Social: Dental EthicsVisit http://pds.berkeley.edu/calendar to see our calendar and keep up to date on our latest meetings and events.

Letter from the Editors 1

Prehistoric Ancestors 1 Teaching Us a Thing or Two About Oral Health

Members’ Retreat 2

PDS Aces “Ace of Cakes” 3

2012-2013 Officers 4-5 and Interns

Dental School Spotlight: 6 Marquette University

Dental Crossword 6

The Pros and Cons of 7 Mouthwash and Dental Floss

Nasal Anesthetic Spray 7 - Less Painful Trip to the Dentist?

Pictures: PDS Giving Back 8 to the Community

DAT Corner 8

Letter from the EditorsHello Pre-Dents! Spring semester has officially

begun and we are right in the midst of midterm season. Good luck on all of your midterms, projects, and papers!

This issue features the PDS officers of Fall 2012 - Spring 2013 as well as our newly elected interns. There are also many interesting dental research articles along with a couple of updates on recent PDS events. You may also find a section evaluating the pros and cons of mouthwash and dental floss, which may inspire you to think twice before purchasing a dental product next time!

If you would like to submit an article or have any suggestions about the Pre-Dent Press, please contact us at cal.pds.publicity@gmail.com.

Sincerely,Corissa Chang and Amy Zhao

- Tanya Varimezova

Prehistoric Ancestors May Teach Us a Thing or Two About Oral Health

With the advent of new dental technologies and improvement in oral health awareness and hygiene over the past decades, it is difficult to face a new study suggesting that our diets today may, in fact, be more detrimental to our oral health than diets 10,000 years ago.

A study recently published in Nature Genetics conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide’s Australian Center for Ancient DNA, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, and the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Archaeology in Scotland, has shown that through the centuries, the human oral cavity has undergone a dramatic change. We have lost valuable bacteria which

used to contribute to great diversity of microbes in the oral cavity. The proposed reason for this decline is the introduction of processed sugar, flour, and other carbohydrate-rich foods into our daily diet. As a result, such foods destroy helpful bacteria and increase our chances of developing cavities. It seems that our hunter-gatherer ancestors had better oral and dental hygiene than we do today!

Dr. Christina Adler, the main author of the paper, and other scientists involved in the project studied 34 samples of prehistoric human remains. They obtained DNA samples from calcified dental plaque (tartar), which represented a snapshot of oral health and diet

preserved in crystallized saliva, and discovered that the diversity of bacteria once present in the oral cavity is much greater than that of today. This data suggested that the shift from hunter-gatherer groups to farming and agricultural societies of the Neolithic period to the Bronze and Medieval Ages experienced a major shift in dietary customs. Tbe addition of wheat and barley, which are composed of carbohydrate m o n o s a c c h a r i d e s and disaccharides, easily ferment and

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create acidic conditions that eat away at the enamel on teeth, resulting some protective bacteria to be eliminated. Only certain harmful bacterial strains were allowed to survive in such conditions, as they outcompeted other less aggressive strains.

During the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s, the introduction of processed sugar, flour, and other complex carbohydrates into daily diets further homogenized bacterial in the oral cavity. As good bacteria were wiped out, acidity was able

to erode at tooth enamel and promote even more gum disease and tooth decay, to the extent that we face 60 to 90 percent tooth decay and gum disease in children of industrialized countries. Thus, over the past 7,500 years, our natural defenses against foods’ negative effects have been depleted considerably.

Dr. Alan Cooper, study leader and ACAD director, states, “The modern mouth basically exists in a permanent disease state.” This is certainly a scary thought and we will hopefully utilize

the knowledge of this study to implement improvements in our daily diets, not only for our oral health, but also overall health.

Sources Dallas, Mary E. “Human Teeth Healthier in the Stone Age Than Today: Study.” MedlcinePlus. National Institute of Health, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Draxler, Breanna. “Ancient Tooth Plaque Reveals Dietary Decline.” Discover Magazine. N.p., 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Healing Teeth Naturally. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Kankudti, Affirunisa. “7,500 Year Old DNA Shows Rotting Teeth a Result of Modern Food Habits.” Counsel & Heal. N.p., 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

The Pre-Dent Press

Cal Pre-Dental SocietyUniversity of California, Berkeley

c/o ASUC Office of Student Affairs400 Eshelman Hall, MC 4500

Berkeley, CA 94720-4500

The Pre-Dent Press

The Pre-Dent Press is an ASUC sponsored publication. Cal Pre-Dental Society general meetings are ASUC sponsored and wheelchair accessible. For information on publications, please contact Wilson and Stephanie at cal.pds.publicity@gmail.com. For information on advertising with Cal PDS, please contact Patrick and Michelle at cal.pds.finance@gmail.com.

Publicity Committee: Corissa Chang, Amy Zhao, Mina Arbabaraghi, Sameera Arbabaraghi, Kenneth Chan, Arjun Gupta, Tanya Varimezova

Contact us at calpredentalsociety@gmail.com,visit us online at http://pds.berkeley.edu/.

Volume 8, Issue 4

For active PDS membership status, members must complete 5 events: 1 community service event, 1 social, and 3 other events of choice. Active members may miss no more than two general meetings. Any further missed meetings are required to be made up through attending officer meetingsMembership fees are curretly $25. New members must submit a membership appplication along with fees.

The Pre-Dent Press is accepting article submissions for the next issue. Articles may be on anything dental-related, including but not limited to information on dental schools, community outreach opportunities, and PDS events. Please submit materials to cal.pds.publicity@gmail.com. Articles should be approximately one page, double-spaced, and 12 pt font. An article submission counts as 1 credit towards active membership.

PDS is also currently accepting donations of new and used DAT preparation material. If you would like to make a do-nation, please email calpredentalsociety@gmail.com. These materials will be made available for active members to rent.

Member Reminders

Contribute to the Pre-Dent Press

Donate DAT Materials

AnswersThe DAT Corner: 1. A, 2. E, 3. B, 4. B, 5. D

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Dental Crossoword1. Bur2. Retractor3. Burnisher

4. Mirror5. Hatchet6. Forceps

7. Excavator8. Plugger9. Spatula10. Explorer

Spring 2013 Members’ Retreat- Kenneth Chan The PDS mini-retreat on Saturday was a great start to the semester where students engaged in various activities. We started the day off by playing multiple interactive icebreak-ers. After everyone had the chance meet one another, we were all sorted into three families: Brace Yourselves, HWhitening, and MolarStars. The majority of the mini-retreat revolved around a scavenger hunt; families had to race against each

Previous page: Silly group photo in front of Haas Pavil-lionThis page: Molar-Stars family photos.

PDS Aces “Ace of Cakes”- Arjun Gupta

As PDS entered the event, the unmistakable aroma of freshly baked cupcakes filled the air. “Ace of Cakes” is an annual competition held by Circle K during which multiple clubs try to decorate the most creative cupcake in style and content. Following the completion, the cupcakes are presented to the audience and then voted by the attendees. The cupcake designs from this year’s competition were some of the most creative I had ever seen. Some groups created Pokemon-themed cupcakes with some favorites such as Pikachu. Others had combined all their cupcakes together to make a massive island with different aspects to it. Because Internal Fairs Officer, Michael Shen said, we were not going to win by making adorable

cupcakes, we decided to play on our strengths and made dental-themed cupcakes. Raymond, our Finance Officer and I put together a multi-layered cupcake designating the different layers of teeth: enamel, dentin, and the pulp. Michael spent most of his time perfecting a sculpted molar. We decided to make our cupcake presentation like a dental education workshop and presented our works of art in addition to giving tips on how to keep your teeth clean. In the end, our efforts paid off as PDS took First Place! The event ended with a lot of socializing and photo-taking. New friends were made, fresh bonds were formed, and old ties were strengthened.

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The Pre-Dent Press Volume 8, Issue 4

Top left: Arjun Gupta, Corissa Chang, Michael Shen at the eventTop right: Cup-cake entriesBottom left: Presenting cup-cake designsBottom right: PDS cupcake design in action!

other to solve various prepared riddles. The actions that stu-dents had to perform while being captured by camera in-cluded a mock interview and even a short race. About two hours into the retreat, lunch was served. We had a sandwich bar, along with salad and fruit, which provided a light and healthy alternative to the students. The scavenger hunt then resumed at Dwinelle Hall with “The Telephone Game” in which families tried to illustrate the phrase they were given without speaking to their family member, until it reached the end of the line. The af-ternoon ended in front of Haas Pavilion where the students gathered for various serious and goofy photos!

The Pre-Dent PressVolume 8, Issue 4

2012-2013 Officers & Interns

Name: Cari YangYear: 3rdMajor: Public HealthPosition: SecretaryWhy PDS?I love the welcoming environment. We are a supportive community of scholars and aspiring dentists in the making!

Name: Emily YangYear: 4thMajor: Integrative Biol-ogyPosition: PresidentWhy PDS? PDS inspires me to take on the roles of a dental educator and oral health promoter as a pre-dental student!

Name: Raymond LeeYear: 3rdMajor: Integrative Biology and PsychologyPosition: Finance CoordinatorWhy PDS?I appreciate the passing down of years of experience from one to another.

Name: Eric LinYear: 4th Major: Molecular Cell BiologyPosition: External AffairsWhy PDS? I enjoy interacting with other students who share a passion for dentistry.

Name: Michelle KhouriYear: 3rdMajor: Molecular Cell BiologyPosition: Finance CoordinatorWhy PDS?I love the sense of community the club establishes, and the knowledge and resources it has to offer.

Name: Michael ShenYear: 4thMajor: Integrative Biol-ogyPosition: Internal AffairsWhy PDS?PDS allows me to form friendships that open my eyes to different perspec-tives of dentistry, and to help others around me.

Name: Amy ZhaoYear: 2ndMajor: Integrative BiologyPosition: Publicity CoordinatorWhy PDS?I am always excited to meet and learn from other inspiring pre-dental students at Berkeley.

Name: Corissa ChangYear: 3rdMajor: Integrative Biology Position: Publicity CoordinatorWhy PDS?I enjoy making friends with those who are both interested in and passionate for the field of dentistry.

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2012-2013 Officers & Interns

Name: Ivy VuongYear: 3rdMajor: Molecular Cell BiologyPosition: Community Service InternWhy PDS?I get to meet lots of people, and seeing familiar faces always makes this campus seem much more smaller.

Name: Stephanie ShimizuYear: 1stMajor: Integrative Biol-ogyPosition: Dental Educa-tion Outreach Program InternWhy PDS:I love the people! It’s so nice to get to know great people with common goals and interests.

Name: Sharlene CamYear: 4thMajor: Integrative Biol-ogyPosition: Community ServiceWhy PDS?It’s dynamic; we’re always looking for ways to im-prove in order to build a better sense of community for pre-dental students at Berkeley.

Name: Han TranYear: 2ndMajor: PsychologyPosition: Internal Affairs InternWhy PDS?I love the supportive com-munity of students who are all striving for a com-mon goal.

Name: Chloe TsangYear: 2ndMajor: Molecular Environmental BiologyPosition: Dental Education Outreach ProgramWhy PDS?I am constantly inspired by our commitment to our aspirations in dentistry, our community, and each other.

Name: Steven RyooYear: 2ndMajor: Integrative Biol-ogyPosition: Community Service InternWhy PDS?I get to make lasting friendships!

Name: Katherine LeungYear: 3rdMajor: Integrative BiologyPosition: Community Service InternWhy PDS?I really like the friendly atmosphere of the club - there’s always someone there to provide guidance and support for your dental school application process.

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The Pre-Dent Press Volume 8, Issue 4

Volume 8, Issue 4 The Pre-Dent Press

Biology Requirement8 semester hours with lab

Chemistry Requirements8 semester hours of general chemistry with lab8 semester hours of organic chemistry with lab

Physics Requirement8 semester hours with lab

English Requirement6 semester hours

Additional Required Courses3 semester hours of biochemistry

Average Class StatsNumber of Applicants: 2,582Number of Seats: 804 Year Total Tuition: approximately $208,000DAT AA: 19.5DAT PAT: 19.58Overall GPA: 3.63Science GPA: 3.57

The only dental school located in Wisconsin, Marquette University School of Dentistry prides itself in its unique curriculum put together by its faculty in order to help its students thrive in dental practice and patient care. The school provides its students with the most developed clinical resources and instructional technology. With the assistance of these resources, Marquette is able to fulfill its vision “to train highly skilled oral health care practitioners to bring top quality dental care to urban and rural communities across the country and around the world.”

In order to best prepare its students to enter the world of dentistry after receiving

their degree, Marquette University has designed its curriculum such that it reflects a dental practice. Students spend more time with patients than they spend in classrooms. They take part in university outreach programs, allowing them to gain experience in public health and improve their hand skills. In fact, one fourth of the program involves attending to patients at urban and rural clinical sites associated with Marquette University.

This curriculum is based on the Catholic, Jesuit view that the classroom does not depict the real world. The school believes students will obtain their skills by working with actual patients. Beginning with their

first year, students work on patients at urban and rural clinical sites with faculty once a week and take part in small-group learning.

To further prepare its dental students for the real world environment of dentistry, Marquette University has also incorporated practice management into the curriculum. Professional dentists discuss the aspects of dentistry related to business and teach students how to be a successful businessperson.

Dental School Spotlight: Marquette University School of Dentistry- Mina Arbabaraghi

Dental CrossworD Puzzle

Across3. Used to smooth amalgam7. Used to take off soft carlous8. Amalgam condenser10. Used to probe tooth surfaces for decay

Down1. Used for cutting tooth or bone2. Can be used to push aside the cheeks, lips, and tongue4. Used to view oral cavity with indiret vision5. Used to cut enamel6. Tool used to extract teeth9. Used to mix dental cements

- Sameera arbabaraghi

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Volume 8, Issue 4

Since the turn of the century, there has been an explosion of over-the-counter dental products, which are commonly advertised to significantly improve our oral hygiene and asthetics. Do the ef-fects of these products meet our expectations? Are there any aspects that we should consider when purchasing them? Here, we will examine the pros and cons of two types of products - mouthwash and floss - to evaluate their effectiveness.

Mouthwash

Floss ( T - traditional, N - newer kinds i.e. toothpick floss)

the Pros anD Cons of Mouthwash anD floss - Arjun GuptA

The Pre-Dent Press

Pros:o Leaves your mouth with a good, clean feeling and pleasant odoro Kills off various microbes within the biome in your moutho Can help prevent the emergence of gum disease

Cons:o Can irritate sensitive gum tissueo Allows certain foods like coffee to stain your mouth more easily (mainly applies to prescription grade mouthwash)o Might kill off the helpful and necessary bacteria in your mouth that help to protect your teeth and gums, which may lead to increased susceptibility to gum disease

Pros:o (T) Has worked well in the past and is recommended by dentists and is supplied by dentists o (T) Fairly cheap and easy to get at any storeo (N) Allows you to reach in usually difficult-to-clean crevices within your moutho (N) There are countless types available so you can find something suited to your personal tastes

Cons:o (T) Some teeth, which are tightly packed, can shred through flosso (T) Somewhat tedious to use and is disliked by many young children and even adults across the nationo (N) Some of the more popular brands tend to be quite expensiveo (N) Many brands come in and are gone within months—some say there is no consistency

nasal anesthetiC sPray - less Painful triP to the Dentist?- saMeera arbabaraghi

A new anesthetic in the form of a nasal spray, is said to help make trips to the dentist less painful for patients in the near future. Claims have been made that it may potentially replace dental injections used to numb the mouth during a dental treatment.

Dentist Mark Kollar first came up with the idea of the nasal spray when he had to get his nose straightened after getting hit in the face by a basketball. The doctor who treated him sprayed the injured part of his nose with the anesthetic Tetracaine. It not only numbed the arch of his nose, but also

his upper teeth. This sensation made Kollar realize its potential use in dental treatment.

In order to put his idea into effect, Kollar worked with Steve Merrick, the CEO of St. Renatus. The anesthetic nasal spray is currently in phase-three of FDA Clinical Trials and it seems as though things are going well. St. Renatus hopes to have the drug approved by 2014. Although the drug currently only numbs the upper teeth, it is likely that advances would be made in its design to affect lower teeth as well in the future.

According to Merrick, “Only 50-percent of people presently go to the dentist, and I’m hoping that’s because of their fear of needles and pain. Ultimately what we’re trying to do is break an irrational fear of dentists that we develop at an early age. I’m hoping this drug, if it’s as effective as we believe, will help break that cycle.” Additionally, the nasal anesthetic, unlike oral injections, does not circulate in the body for hours, and hence has less adverse effects on the kidneys, lungs, and liver.

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ALINA MILLER

Year: SophomoreMajor: Molecular ToxicologyWhat I like about PDS: PDS provides a great support system, from giving guidance on dental school applications and salient information about the dental field, to being a social platform where you can meet people who can be your mentors or partners in crime!

:

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MEMBER of theISSUE

The DAT Corner

GENERAL CHEMISTRY2. What is the percentage of oxygen

by weight in Zn(H2PO4)2 (259 g/mol)?

A. 53.3%B. 24.7%C. 39.5%D. 6.18%E. 49.4%

QUANTITATIVE REASONING4. $180 is to be shared by Bob and Frank so that Frank gets 25% more than Bob. How much does Bob get?A. $72B. $80C. $100D. $108E. $144

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

3. Which of the following compounds is the strongest Bronsted base?A. CH4B. NH3C. H2OD. HF

PERCEPTUAL ABILITYThe black dots represent holes that were punched into the paper. What would the paper look like when you unfold it?

PDS is currently accepting donations of new and used DAT prepara-tion material. If you would like to make a donation, please e-mail calpredentalsociety@gmail.com. These materials will be available for active members to rent.

The Pre-Dent Press Volume 8, Issue 4

BIOLOGY

1. The addition of potassium iodide as a nutritional supplement to common table salt would most directly affect the function of which of these glands?

A. Thyroid

B. Sweat glands

C. Adrenal cortex

D. Kidneys

E. Parathyroid

Courtesy of predds.net

(See answers on page 2.)

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02/16: DEOP at Rosa Parks Elementary

02/02: UCSF Give Kids A Smile Day

Corissa Chang, Cari Yang, Sean Sunyoto holding dental educa-

tion puppets

Cari Yang, Sharlene Cam with UCSF dental student

Cari Yang face-painting

Tanya Varimezova, Chloe Tsang, Alvin Jogasuria with

UCSF dental student

Alvin Jogasuria, Lawrence

Wong, Chloe Tsang

PDS Giving Back to the Community

CONTACT

NAMEEmily YangEric LinMichael ShenCari YangCorissa ChangAny ZhaoMichelle KhouriRaymond LeeSharlene CamChloe Tsang

POSITIONPresidentExternal AffairsInternal AffairsSecretaryPublicity CoordinatorPublicity CoordinatorFinance CoordinatorFinance CoordinatorCommunity Service CoordinatorDEOP Coordinator

CELL PHONE408-806-3677650-3802658650-862-7515916-307-8063949-903-9079510-604-2422408-506-5083714-833-4803909-659-5908650-307-7666

EMAIILemilypyang@gmail.comcal.pds.external@gmail.comcalpds.internal@gmail.comc.yang@berkeley.educorissapchang@gmail.comamy.z@berkeley.edumkhouri@berkeley.eduraymondhlee@berkeley.edusharlenecam@berkeley.educal.pds.deop@gmail.com

YOUR OFFICERS

Check out our website at pds.berkeley.edu

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