The World is a Much Bigger Place

By John Nnamchi, Canadian student at McGill University, graduating class of 2017

As the end of the semester approaches the pace by which the past year has gone by is remarkable. For some, it is the end of first year discoveries, for others, graduation and entry into the real world awaits. What may be more striking than the realization of yet another completed year, though, is the diversity of paths each and every one of us take immediately after this period: it is impossible to find any two classmates who led remotely similar lives this past summer. Take the most mundane example of two life science students, under-taking summer research in the same lab. I can guarantee that neither one’s experience will be remotely close in similarity. Expanding this thinking to all your peers dotted around different fields, the possible walks of life grow beyond control.

These realizations lead to a newfound awareness about the journeys of life: there are too many to count, too many follow, too many to conceive. I am writing this because such a level of thinking did not exist for me as a student still in high school. My world revolved around those I knew, and strangers didn’t exist. Yet, as I entered university, my student body grew from 300 to 6000 people and in my first year it seemed the amount of people to meet was endless. If six thousand students seemed like too many, imagine six billion. So if asked what the greatest thing to have taken out during one’s time in university, it is the awareness that the world is a lot bigger than it seems.

Visting Vientiane

Laos (officially known as Lao People's Democratic Republic) is a landlocked country in the middle of the Indochinese peninsula of mainland Southeast Asia. Laos is surrounded by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. The capital city is Vientiane. Other large cities include Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, and Pakse. Like Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos was a French colony and it also was affected by the Vietnam war in the 1970s.

Vientiane is the largest city in Laos with an estimated population of 760,000 (2015). Vientiane is situated along the Mekong River. It has two seasons, tropical wet (monsoon season) between April and October and dry between November to March. Two or three days is enough time to see all of Vientiane. Some highlights of my visit to Vientiane were:

Patuxai : The most prominent landmark in Vientiane is the memorial monument Patuxai which began construction in 1957 and was completed in 1968. The design is like the Arc de Triomphe with additional Lao motifs including “Kinnari,” a mythical bird woman.

That Dam:
That Dam, in Lao means black stupa in Lao, is a large stupa located in the middle of the city. Many Laotians believe it is inhabited by a seven-headed nāga who tried to protect them from an invasion by the Siamese army in 1827.

Wat Mixai :
Wat Mixai is one of the many Buddhist temples along Setthathilath Road in downtown Vientiane.

Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) Museum and Centre :
COPE was formed in 1997 by agreement between the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR and a group of NGOs including POWER, World Vision and Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O). COPE provides Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) survivors with the care and support they require, including orthotic and prosthetic devices, rehabilitation and physiotherapy. COPE is also a resource for skills development and training, upgrading clinical skills in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and P&O within the government rehabilitation services.

One place that had rave reviews that we didn’t have a chance to visit was Buddha Park. Buddha Park contains a collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, scattered amongst gardens and trees. The park is 28 km from Vientiane at the edge of the Mekong River.

Patuxai

 That Dam

 
That Dam

Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise
(COPE) Museum and Centre

ASK THE DENTIST – TEETH GRINDING

Written by The Specialist Dental Group ®

Q: My husband grinds his teeth at night and it is causing his jaw to ache. What should we do?

Teeth grinding (also known as bruxism) can be caused by various reasons such as stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea). Therefore, it is important for your husband to visit a dental specialist/dentist for a thorough examination to find out the cause, fix any existing damage done to the teeth and prevent it from worsening.

Depending on your husband’s condition, here are a few possible treatment options:

Medication – depending on the medication prescribed, it can help to relieve any pain and inflammation present or to relax the muscle and improve sleep.

Diet adjustments – change to a soft diet and cut food into bite size so as to reduce the amount of chewing required.

Mouthguards – custom made, fitted plastic mouth piece to wear over one’s teeth to protect tooth enamel from being damaged. It will also help to reduce jaw pain and protect the temporomandibular joint.

Botox – these injections help to relax the muscles at the jaw and provide tremendous relief from jaw soreness, headaches and other painful side effects of teeth grinding. Note: check with your dental specialists/dentists if they are certified to use Botox for treatment.

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Dr Ho Kok Sen is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with Specialist Dental Group®. Dr Ho is a mentor, lecturer and examiner to students in the Graduate Diploma in Dental Implantology course at the National University of Singapore. Dr Ho is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Academy of Medicine Singapore. He has a special interest in dental implants, jaw surgery, bone grafting and complex extractions. For more information, visit www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call (65) 6733 7883.

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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.