Early Detection for Oral Cancer

Contributed by the Specialist Dental Group

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month. Although oral cancer is not as common as lung and breast cancer in Singapore, it is important to treat it during the early stages. One of the leading causes of oral cancer are high consumption of cigarettes and alcohol.

Knowing the Symptoms

Being aware of oral cancer symptoms enables early detection and treatment when the odds of survival are still very good. Some of the symptoms are:

·               A sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal within two weeks.

·               A lump in the cheek.

·               A white or red patch on the gums, tongue or tonsils.

·               A sore throat and difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

·               Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.

·               Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.

·               Bleeding in your mouth and loose teeth.

Get Help!

Get help from the professionals! If you feel discomfort / abnormalities or notice one of the symptoms mentioned above, please visit your dentist or doctor for a check-up. Your dentist/doctor will perform a thorough examination and may take an x-ray, CT Scan and/or recommend a biopsy. Treatment options can then be recommended based on the results.

When surgery and chemotherapy or radiation are recommended to treat the cancer, your dentist will do a thorough dental assessment prior undergoing the treatment to identify and address any outstanding dental issues such as gum disease and or tooth decay. This will assist in minimizing the risk of oral complications during and after treatment cancer treatment. Regular visits to your dentist will help in early oral cancer detection and save you much cost, pain and psychological trauma. In short, prevention is always better than cure.

Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). For more information on the different types of dental treatments, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883.

Pasir Ris

By Dolores Parker

Photos: Dolores Parker & Ester Tay

Crabs that climb trees!  Poison pong pongs!  Roots that grow up from the ground and fish that breathe air!   We saw these amazing things and more at Pasir Ris Park.  Although the area feels very remote from Orchard Rd, it is easy to get there by transit.  After a short walk from the Pasir Ris MRT station we met up with our National Park guides. 

Mr. Yusoff and Yvonne led us through the fascinating Mangrove forest.   As we strolled along the shady boardwalk we learned about this important ecosystem and what is being done to protect and propagate it.  The guides pointed out plants such as the nipah  palms, cabbage trees, pong pong trees and the mangrove trees.  They explained the uses and dangers of some of these plants as well as the creative ways they have evolved to propagate themselves. 

The animals were also really interesting. we saw mud skippers, mud crabs, a mangrove eel and grey herons. The guides answered all of our questions about these creatures and even provided several buckets with examples of molluscs for us to examine and handle. after our tour, we had just enough time for a quick tour, we had just enough time for a quick walk toward the sea to have a look at the Kalongs before heading back to the white sands mall for a very welcome air-conditioned lunch. Many of us are planning to return with our families to explore more of Pasir Ris Park and to share what we learned about its unusual plants and animals.

Mangroves...Monitor Lizards... Geocaching and QR Codes

By Christa Craats
Open Minds Coordinator, Tanjong Katong Campus

Unique to this year’s Canadian International School (CIS) grade 4 open minds experience was the inclusion of iPads as a perfect way to integrate technology into the Open Minds programme. The Open Minds Coordinator worked closely with Mr. Norman, the IT Integration Educator at CIS Tanjong Katong, to create an educational Geocache for the Mangroves and a QR Code scavenger hunt for Sungei Buloh.  

Geocaching

Geocaching is “a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific  set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at a location”. 

QR Codes

Used by businesses and organizations around the world, QR Codes are, essentially, barcodes – that when scanned, allow access to specific content. 

Our Grade 4 team created QR Codes for a scavenger hunt at Sungei Buloh.  Students were given a clue about a plant or animal that they had to locate.  Once located, the students used iPads and iPhones to scan the code, which linked them to information that was read and discussed.

Technology, when used properly, can play a powerful role in making student learning meaningful and purposeful.

“Using the iPads and phones makes our learning go beyond. It makes it less limited instead of using just our journals.  It lets us and the teachers learn more.The Geocaching is fun and it lets you learn along the way, and it’s not just for us kids, it’s for everybody” - Ben 

Mardi Gras Race 2012

Sally Monteith

Once again the annualMardi Gras race elicited much fun and excitement from the dragon boating community. There were 11 boats, each with 16 paddlers from various teams, working hard to complete the unusual tasks set around the course. Every team went to 6 stations, unless they were lucky enough to receive the baby at the cake eating station behind the start line, which allowed them to be exempt from one station. At each station there was an activity to be completed and only when the task was successfully finished did the teams receive their letter and piece of clothing worn by the steersperson. The various pieces of clothing, or adornments, included headwear and Mardi Gras beads, which were at the Merlion, an obligatory station. It was a fun, social day that ended with a beach BBQ.

Stay tuned for the results of the Sava MR 500 race on March 24 and 25 and the upcoming international DBS race on May 6th and 7th.  Of course, there is the Singapore Regatta at the end of June. Come out and have some fun and start practicing so you can join the team for one of these great races.