Laughter Can Be (Chinese) Food for the Soul
By David G. Jones
Who can bone a chicken in under 20 seconds, create a 14-course Chinese banquet before
your eyes, and tell you all there is to know about Chinese and Asian cuisine? Yan can.
Celebrated master Chinese chef Martin Yan will make a special presentation of his well-known humor and cleaver-wielding panache to dental professionals from around the country
at the ADA Annual Session in San Francisco. Yan will address attendees from 8:30 until 11
a.m. Oct 25.
In his presentation titled "A Culinary Journey with Martin Yan," he will demonstrate his
cutlery skills and wok techniques, and talk about the most popular ingredients and seasonings
used in Chinese cooking. He'll also demonstrate his great sense of humor which has helped
propel him to fame in the culinary world.
"Everyone wants to have a laugh, because when you laugh you show your teeth," Yan says.
"And in humor we show a common bond, so it's a better way of looking at life -- not taking
it too seriously."
He tailors his presentation to each audience, and the ADA Session is no exception.
"I'll talk about the dental profession, and how important food and teeth are," he says. "You
can't enjoy good food unless you have a good set of healthy teeth. And you smile when you
laugh, and it's a lot more pleasant to look at someone with a nice set of teeth. I'm going to
cook, and smile a lot, and dentists will appreciate that."
Yan said he'll cook something easy on the teeth and to exercise the jaws, but not too hard,
too firm, too hot or too cold.
"It'll also be fantastic treatment for the taste buds, like cashew chicken or almond dishes
because of the crunch and texture."
He wants those who come to view is cooking demonstrations to take something special away
with them.
"Take my dirty dishes away. I hate to wash up. Take all the leftovers, too," he says. "But
seriously, I hope they have a good time and leave with enthusiasm. It's amazing how many
people consider Chinese cooking to be mysterious. If I could, I would debunk that myth one
audience at a time."
Born in Guangzhou, China, Yan began his culinary career as a young Hong Kong restaurant
apprentice and later graduated from the Overseas Institute of Cookery in Hong Kong. After
emigrating to the United States, he earned his MS in Food Science from the University of
California at Davis. Moving to Canada, Yan received more extensive restaurant training and
was certified as a master Chinese chef by the Ontario Chinese Restaurant Association.
His first television appearance was on a Canadian talk show in 1978. Yan was such a hit, he
was subsequently offered his own series, the "Yan Can Cook Show" -- the beginning of a
successful television career.
In 1982, San Francisco-based public television station KQED began producing "Yan Can
Cook," and it has since become one of the most popular cooking shows in America. The
series reaches more than 85 percent of all households in the United States on public
television and has been seen in more than 70 countries around the world. The television
series is a two-time winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, once for Best Television
Cooking Series in 1994, and again for Best Television Food Journalism in 1996. In addition
to being a veteran of more than 1,500 cooking shows, he has written 15 cookbooks and is
also a cooking instructor.
As an instructor, Yan teaches Chinese and Asian cuisine at many top culinary institutions,
including the California Culinary Academy, the Culinary Institute of America, and the New
England Culinary Academy, and at Johnson & Wales, one of the world's leading culinary
training institutes, where he received an honorary doctorate in culinary arts.
In addition to hosting his televised cooking series and teaching, Yan is a restaurant and food
consultant and a much sought-after public speaker, spending more than half of each month on
the road.
He is also a popular radio and television guest, and has appeared on such national television
shows as The Phil Donahue Show, The Home Show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Yan's latest cooking shows, "Yan Can Cook: The Best of Asia," and "Yan Can Cook: The
Best of China," are currently airing on public television stations nationwide. Both are
co-produced by Yan Can Cook, Inc. and KQED.
The show has found an eager audience around the world, but not in his native Guangzhou, a
dilemma he answers with typical wit.
"My dream is that one day I will be seen all over China. I'll be a Chinese, coming from San
Francisco, going to China to teach the Chinese how to cook Chinese food," he says.
Technology Day
Most dental practices today depend on the computer to make each day more productive. Computers are put to work on tasks ranging from electronic billing, to practice and accounts management, to scheduling. But that may be just the tip of the iceberg, technologically speaking.
To help dentists and their staffs understand how to get much more out of their computer systems, ADA is sponsoring a special Technology Day on Oct. 23 as a pre-session registered clinic program the day before the ADA Annual Session gets under way in San Francisco. The all-day program, "Taking the Byte Out of Technology," will offer dental practitioners and office staff a chance to get a more in-depth view of the use of the computer in a dental practice.
"The computer is changing the way we deal with our patients," says Lawrence Emmott, DDS, a private practitioner in Phoenix, Ariz. He is one of two dozen dentists, consultants, and experts who will explain how to maximize office management, insurance interface, clinical applications, information exchange, and marketing efforts by exploiting the capabilities of a computer.
Emmott proposes using the computer in the treatment room, a step he says, "will ultimately enhance patient communication and education, save you time and paperwork, and vastly reduce the errors."
Computers in treatment rooms can give patients a detailed look at treatment that has been proposed, using digital photos and X-rays. Computers can also be used to send digital images to other dentists for consults, and to document insurance claims. They can also be used to market a dental practice through an Internet site on the World Wide Web.
The Tech Day registered clinic will take place from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Moscone Center Esplanade Ballroom. Attendees must arrange for their own transportation to the convention center since shuttle service begins at 11:30 a.m.
Advance registration is recommended because attendance is limited. Tickets are $225 for dentists and $150 for staff. For additional information, call (800) 232-1432 or (312) 440-2658, or e-mail annualsession@ada.org.
Strolling in the Garden of Technology
The 1998 ADA Annual Session in San Francisco will feature a Technology Day, which will offer a full day of informative sessions and exhibits about emerging technology for dentists.
Following are a few "Technology Quick Tips" that dentists can use now:
* Treatment Room Computers: The single most significant way a dentist can improve the use of technology in the office is to put computers in the treatment rooms. Although that may seem excessive, the computers provide tremendous opportunities for record keeping; faster, more accurate communications; recording of practice data; digital radiography; and much more.
* Imaging Systems: Dentists who have a CCD (digital) X-ray imaging system might try using the "reverse contrast" or "reverse grayscale" mode in such instances as examining the PDL for thickening with a suspected early periapical infection, or with evaluation of the furca area in lower molars that has periodontal involvement. Studies show that this image processing tool is more revealing clinically.
* Electronic Notes: Electronic notes will stand up to legal scrutiny in court, regardless of what the general belief might be. Although it's possible a record can be changed, there are many ways to detect alterations to computerized records, including location on the hard disk.
* Technology Budget: A dental office would plan to invest at least 7 percent of the gross income annually in technology training, software upgrades, technical support, additional hardware and replacement hardware to protect the initial investment.
* Screen Saver: Never leave data relating to one patient on a treatment room monitor for another patient to see. Use a screen saver to inform the patient about new procedures such as whitening or implants.
* Handle emergencies away from the office: Software programs are available that provide home PC or laptop access to an office computer system via modem from other computers with the same software. Access to records provides the patient's history.
* CD-ROMs: Many sources of information are now available via CD-ROM, including drug references, patient education systems, fee surveys, letter files, OSHA manuals, new software and much more.
Internet Provides Sources for Domestic Violence Information
Domestic violence is a universal health care problem, affecting millions of individuals worldwide, as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the United States alone, approximately 2 million women per year report abuse episodes.
Because of the social stigma of domestic violence, lack of family and community support, risks of escalated violence, and an uncertain future after intervention, episodes are often not reported. Despite the widespread nature of the problem domestic violence resources, and access to them, vary widely among cities and towns. Although not a substitute for direct interventions, the Internet presents opportunities to direct health professionals and their patients to useful resources that could contribute to improved management of this pressing problem.
Following are some useful web sites for medical and community-oriented sites that health care professionals may either reference or recommend to a patient:
*Minnesota Center Against Violence & Abuse
www.umn.edu/mincava
*Family Peace Project (Maintained by the Medical College of Wisconsin)
www.family.mcw.edu/ahec/ec/medviol.html
*Family Violence Prevention Fund
www.frvpf.org
*Domestic Violence: A Practical Approach for Clinicians
www.sfms.org/domestic.html
*American College of Emergency Medicine (Carries articles and resources about domestic
violence.)
www.acep.org
(Mention of a web site does not imply endorsement by the Journal of the California Dental
Association. All of the web addresses listed were active and accurate at the time of
publication. However, because of technical considerations and other factors, links may
change or become inactive.)
Have No Fear
The average dentist has to deal with the psychology of fear and patient anxiety just to stay in
business, reports AGD Impact, the magazine of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Jane Stewart, PhD, a psychologist based in Oregon and a formerly phobic patient,
explains what types of situations feed patient anxiety.
"Who wants to be confronted with color photos of inflamed, receding gum tissues while
trying to relax in the dental chair?" she asks.
From the patient's perspective, Stewart recommends removal of dental fear cartoons and
dental disease photos.
There are many types of fear that practitioners must deal with, including fear of the needle,
fear of disapproval, fear of embarrassment and fear of the sound of the drill.
Robert F. Kroeger, DDS, an author of books about patient care, recommends desensitizing
the patient to the sight of the needle and giving the patient a form of control. The doctor is
asked to make three statements to their patients: 1) If you want to take a break during the
drilling, please raise your hand to stop me; 2) I can produce a profound numbness in your
tooth that will be effective; 3) If the pain continues, I have a technique that will produce
profound numbness in that area.
Dr. Kevin Oreiux of British Columbia tries to change the perception of the dental office for
children who have come for treatment. The patient is introduced to the drill as a whistle, not
as a high-pitched sound. The dental unit water line becomes a power washer, like a "car
wash" in the mouth. Tooth cleaning "gets rid of sugar bugs."
All of the advice from the experts promote an increased communication between doctor and
patient. To keep patients, the practitioner has to reach out and address patient fear. Whether
it is assisting the patient to overcome fear, or dispelling it before it has a chance to take root,
the dentist has methods for allaying those fears, which are a detriment to the patient's health
and to the dentist's practice.
Turbo Tea
Tea, be it green, black or oolong, comes from the leaves of a single plant, Camellia sinensis. That evergreen contains some of the most powerful antioxidants known, which is why many scientists now believe tea -- especially green tea with its potent dose of the plant chemicals -- might help stave off cancer.Human bodies continuously produce oxidants, rogue molecules that, having lost an electron, are extremely unstable and chemically reactive. To become stable, oxidants steal electrons from other molecules in the cell. In the process, they damage critical cell proteins and genetic material. To protect itself, the body makes antioxidants, which scavenge and sequester the oxidants.
Usually the system is in balance," notes Enrique Cadenas, PhD, USC professor of molecular pharmacology and toxicology. But, when the scales get out of whack, the body is thrown into a state of oxidative stress.
"That can lead to mutations and start the process of carcinogenesis, or other disease processes," Cadenas says.
The body's ability to produce antioxidants diminishes with age. Scientists think that oxidation plays a role in many aging-related diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis, cataracts, emphysema and Alzheimer's disease.
Green tea's most active compounds are a trio of antioxidants called catechins that have been shown to be 100 times more powerful than vitamin C at protecting proteins and DNA from oxidative damage. They are 25 times more powerful than vitamin E, and leagues in front of resveratrol, the antioxidant found in grapes and wine. While black and oolong tea contain the same kind of antioxidants, black tea contains only 40 percent of green tea's dose, with oolong falling somewhere in the middle.
In research studies, the catechins have been shown to halt tumor cell growth as well as to protect healthy cells from damage. Other research has suggested that green tea can protect against changes that can lead to artery disease.
Before scientists can recommend drinking green tea, however, more research needs to be done examining green tea's chemopreventive value for humans, something that is still not conclusive.
"Just because something is an antioxidant doesn't mean it will protect against disease," Cadenas says.
Reprinted with permission by USC Health magazine.
Genetic Programming Could be Smoking Factor
Genetic factors may determine the degree to which cigarette smokers become addicted to nicotine, suggests Dr. Ernest Noble, Pike Professor of Alcohol Studies at UCLA, in an editorial published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Noble explains that people whose genetic makeups contain A1 and B1 alleles (variants) of DRD2, the dopamine receptor gene, may be predisposed to start and continue smoking. These less common forms of DRD2 are linked to the brain's pleasure response system. As a result, Noble says, these individuals may prove "less willing or able to give up their smoking habit than those without this genetic variant."
Noble and colleagues previously had demonstrated that individuals who have the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene have fewer than normal dopamine receptors, which provide the basis for the brain's pleasure and reward system. These people appear to have a more biologically based and severe craving for pleasure-inducing substances, including alcohol and nicotine. These substances may help compensate for their reduced ability to feel normal pleasures in life by stimulating their existing dopamine receptors.
Noble notes that smoking rates in this country declined dramatically between 1965 and 1990. Despite increasing public pressure, however, the rate of American people who smoke has leveled off at 25 percent. This percentage of the population could represent individuals who have both a genetic predisposition to smoke and a resistance to environmental influences that might induce others to quit.
Buckle Up -- At the Grocery Store
Falls from shopping carts are the leading cause of head injuries among young children. In 1995, more than 22,000 children age 5 and younger were taken to the emergency room after falling from the seat or basket of a shopping cart, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Half of the injuries suffered were classified as severe, including concussions, broken bones, and broken or chipped teeth.
It's important for dentists to remind patients who have children to use the safety straps and seat restraints on shopping carts. If a store does not have safety straps, they should be requested from the store manager. In some states, manufacturers are required to equip all new carts with safety straps.
Honors
Dr. Donald R. Poulton, professor and director of the University of the Pacific School of
Dentistry's graduate orthodontic program, assumed the position of president of the American
Association of Orthodontists (AAO), at the AAO annual meeting in Dallas, Texas in May. In
addition to being a member of the AAO Board of Trustees since 1989, Poulton was chair of
the UOP School of Dentistry's orthodontic department from 1981-1996 and past president of
the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists. He was also past president of the California State
Society of Orthodontists and received the association's 1997 Award of Merit.
Anna Nelson, CDA, RDA, of San Francisco was installed as vice president of the American
Dental Assistants Association at the recent ADAA annual conference held in Boston in
conjunction with the Academy of General Dentistry. Nelson is director of the City College of
San Francisco Dental Assisting Program, a post she has held since 1985.
Upcoming Meetings
1998
Sept. 11-13 Oral Health 2000 Consortium, San Diego (312) 836-9900
Sept. 12-16 American Academy of Periodontology's Annual Meeting, Boston (312) 573-3210
Sept. 16-19 American College of Prosthodontists Annual Session, San Diego (800) 378-1260
Oct. 1-3 Annual Scientific Session of the Academy of Surgical Research, Nashville, Tenn.
(612) 927-6707
Oct. 1-3 Third International Congress on Dental Law and Ethics, London, England (44) (0)
171-935-0875
Oct. 2-3 Society for Advanced Dentistry Inaugural Meeting, New Orleans (317) 290-2613
Oct. 8-12 World Dental Congress, Barcelona, Spain +44 171 935 7852
Oct. 8-10 American Society for Dental Aesthetics International Conference on Aesthetic
Dentistry, Chicago (800) 454-2732
Oct. 24-28 ADA Annual Session, San Francisco (312) 440-2500
Oct. 31-Nov. 3 Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Annual Session, Palm Springs, Calif.
(415) 441-2410
Nov. 19-21 International Dental Showcase, NEC Birmingham, U.K. 01722 335599
1999
Feb. 3-6 Academy of Laser Dentistry's Sixth Annual Conference and Exhibition, Palm
Springs, Calif. (248) 548-7171
Feb. 11-13 East Coast District Dental Society Miami Winter Meeting and Dental Expo,
Miami (800) 344-5860 or (305) 667-3647
April 8-11 CDA Scientific Session, Anaheim (916) 443-3382, Ext. 4470
April 13-17 International Dental Show, Cologne, Germany, http://www.koelnmesse.de/ids
Sept. 16-18 CDA Scientific Session, San Francisco (916) 443-3382, Ext. 4470
Sept. 17-18 Society for Advanced Dentistry Annual Meeting, New Orleans (317) 290-2613
To have a meeting included on this list, please send the information to Upcoming Meetings,
CDA Journal, P.O. Box 13749, Sacramento, CA 95853 or fax the information to (916) 443-2943.
