Give Your Child’s Teeth a Healthy Start

Have you ever wondered when is the right time to bring your child to see a dentist? Many parents might not realize this but you should bring your child to see a dentist no later than two years of age.

Ideally, bring your child along with you for your own dental appointments. He or she will start getting used to visiting the dental clinic, and when it is time for his or her turn to see the dentist, there will be easier adaptation.

Why is it important?

It is important that the child visit the dentist for a check-up to ensure the teeth are growing properly and that there are no cavities or other dental issues. Such “well teeth” check-ups will set the stage for a positive experience when visiting the dentist in the future.

Tips for mothers to prepare their kids for their first dental visit

• Schedule the dental appointment when the child is rested and not hungry
• Do not pass any anxiety that you may have to your child and refrain from using the dentist as a threat (e.g. "if you eat too many sweets or you have to see the dentist")
• Choose a dentist who is familiar with providing dental care for children, and a child-oriented dental clinic

To find out more about common children’s dental issues visit our Children’s Dentistry page

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·      Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services. For details, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883

Campus Radio 938 Live hosts talk show at CIS

By / Dr. David Ansbacher, High School Principal, Lakeside Campus

If you happened to tune in to 938 Live on the morning of Friday, 14 September 2012, you got a treat, as our Grade 12 students held a thought-provoking conversation on the weekly Campus Radio talk show.

Hosted by Joel Chua, a crowd of grade 12 students gathered in the auditorium to discuss the topic, “Do teens today believe that they need to be perceived as beautiful (attractive) in order to succeed?” Two of our students, Tanya Deol and Connor Chilton, were on the panel with Rick Butler, our DP Theory of Knowledge teacher and Catherine Chan, the Managing Consultant of Iconiq Image. They discussed perspectives on the definition of beauty and the importance of beauty in regards to student success in life.

Our Grade 11-12 Theory of Knowledge students have been reading and discussing writers throughout history and perspectives on beauty; with this, the discussion ranged from comments on current media culture, cultural perspectives on beauty and so much more.

Great Cheese! Which Wine?

Text & Photos : Herb Pilles

Bread, wine, and cheese are a classic combination that go way back in time.  I’ll bet there was a generous chunk of goat cheese on the table with the bread and wine at The Last Supper, along with olives and dried figs!

Today, of course, we have a variety of wines and cheeses available to us, and we try to enhance our enjoyment of both by finding just the right combination.

Imagine a platter with a stunning variety of cheeses on it- brie, stilton, a creamy goat, and one or two hard cheeses like grana padano, and well-aged cheddar.  How do you find a wine that matches all of these cheeses?  You don’t.  Consider carefully selecting just one amazing cheese.  Take your time to taste and savour it, then ask, what would go well with this?

Forget about apples, grapes, pears, or other fresh fruit.  They might enhance the cheese, but they destroy the wine.  Dried fruit like figs, dates, and nuts work well if you feel you need something else on the plate.   You can also forget about flavoured crackers like shrimp or seaweed - they get in the way of everything.  Thin slices of good baguette, some unflavoured bread-sticks, or bland crackers such as matza will allow you to enjoy both the cheese and the wine.

Don’t bother with an expensive wine!   It’s hard to enjoy the delicate nuances of a fine wine when you have a mouth full of butterfat or stinky gorgonzola.  An expensive wine might not enhance your cheese, but a rich creamy cheese will make a cheap bottle of red taste fantastic!  (Beware of wine tasting events that serve cheese first!)

To match cheese with wine, start with a fabulous cheese then try to imagine what would complement this taste sensation?  The answer might not be wine.  A strong stinky cheese like munster or limburger might be best with a cold lager.  A fine single malt might be just the thing to honour that wonderful, well-aged cheddar. A young white cheddar with Gewurztraminer, or sauvignon blanc?  A rich dark port with that stilton?  A lovely, delicate goat cheese with a sweet Mosel riesling?

Resist the temptation to google, “What goes with...?”  Taste the cheese and trust your judgement.  Or, offer a number of alternatives and let your guests choose what they like best.  It might lead to some interesting conversation!

Photo caption:
Three Fabulous cheeses meet their match.  The Alps Blossom cheese is rich and earthy, matched with a wonderful flowery French Merlot.  The Chiriboga Blue meets a dreamy late harvest red made from over-matured grapes, and a Spanish Manchego is paired with a Rioja, but would also be set off nicely with a dark Port.  The cheeses come from Toque on Dunhearn Road.

A Taste of Penang

By Heather Michaud

A one of the more storied and colourful destinations you can fly to for a weekend getaway from Singapore is the island of Penang, off the west coast of Malaysia.  Recognized along with Melaka as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, the historic heart of George Town is full of exuberantly ornate temples and charming shophouses.  These provide the backdrop for what is undoubtedly the most popular pastime in Penang: EATING.

My husband and I traveled to Penang in early September and the Hungry Ghost festival was in full swing, with Chinese clans laying out spreads of food and incense burning in the alleyways to appease their ancestors. 

We were guided on our culinary quest for street food by our foodie friends and bloggers…and our eyes and noses.  Talk to anyone in Penang, and they’ll point you in the direction of a cart or hole-in-the-wall spot that serves up the best laksa, the best char kway teow, or the best cendol in town.  Locals delight in their island’s multicultural mix of Malay, Chinese, Peranakan, Indian, Thai, Portuguese, and more.

At the quaint Campbell House boutique hotel where we stayed, our host waxed poetic about the chicken rice in a nearby shop.  After breakfast, he walked us over to the place serving his favourite dim sum, wheeled through a crowded dining hall on

steaming, stainless steel carts.  After this second breakfast, we went in search of the famed coconut tarts at the local bakery.  We weren’t not able to sample them, however, as they are so popular that they sell out on weekends - by 9 in the morning.

For more information:

Reuter’s “Travel Postcard”:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/31/us-travel-penang-idUSBRE87U09Y20120831

Penang-based travel writer and foodie Robyn Eckhardt’s in the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704113504575265443635851202.html