Dental anesthesia

The most commonly used local anesthetic is lidocaine (also called xylocaine or lignocaine), a modern replacement for novocaine and procaine. Its half-life in the body is about 1.5-2 hours. Other local anaesthetics in current use include septocaine, marcaine (a long-acting anesthetic), and mepivacaine. A combination of these may be used depending on the situation. Also, most agents come in two forms: with and without epinephrine.

The most common technique, effective for the lower teeth and jaw, is inferior alveolar nerve anaesthesia. An injection blocks sensation in the inferior alveolar nerve, which runs from the hinge of the jaw down the back of the mandible, connecting to the lower teeth, lower lip, chin, and tongue. The inferior alveolar nerve probably is anesthetized more often than any other nerve in the body. To anesthetize this nerve, the dentist inserts the needle somewhat posterior to the patient’s last molar. Several nondental nerves are usually anesthetized during an inferior alveolar block. The mental nerve, which supplies cutaneous innervation to the anterior lip and chin, is a distal branch of the inferior alveolar nerve. When the inferior alveolar nerve is blocked, the mental nerve is blocked also, resulting in a numb lip and chin. Nerves lying near the point where the inferior alveolar nerve enters the mandible often are also anesthetized during inferior alveolar anesthesia. For example, the lingual nerve can be anesthetized to produce a numb tongue. The facial nerve lies some distance from the inferior alveolar nerve, but in rare cases anesthetic can diffuse far enough posteriorly to anesthetize that nerve. The result is a temporary facial palsy (paralysis or paresis), with the injected side of the face drooping because of flaccid muscles, which disappears when the anesthesia wears off. If the facial nerve is cut by an improperly inserted needle, permanent facial palsy may occur.

The superior alveolar nerves are not usually anesthetized directly because they are difficult to approach with a needle. For this reason, the upper are usually anesthetized locally by inserting the needle beneath the oral mucosa surrounding the teeth.

introduction to faculty of dentistry UKM

The Faculty of Dentistry UKM was started in 1996 as the second dentistry faculty in the country. It is located in the Kuala Lumpur Campus, next to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. The Faculty offers the Bachelor of Dentistry programme with students graduating with the degree of Doctor of Dentistry. The faculty is equipped with modern facilities for learning, teaching as well as for dental treatment services. UKM provides residential colleges in the vicinity of the faculty for undergraduates as well as transportation for the students to move around campus.

Objectives of Programme

» To create dentistry graduates able to exercise excellent work culture, are responsible
and able to meet the needs for dental services by society.

» To make the Facultyas the best dental entity for higher learning equipped to bring
about new knowledge through research while being able to continuously increase
competency in learning and teaching to meet the country’s needs.

» To make dental treatment in UKM as the best in the region, by providing the highest
quality training scheme for its lecturers who are imbued with positive values while also
equipping the faculty with the latest in dental treatment technology.

List of Departments

» Mouth and Maxilofacial Surgery
» Periodonthology
» Clinical Mouth Biology
» General Dental Health
» Orthodontics
» Mouth Pathology and Mouth Medicine
» Operative Dentistry
» Prosthodontics

Study Programmes

The programme entails a five year period of study and is divided into two phases. The Fundamental Dentistry Phase is introduced in year one and two focused on basic medical and dentistry subjects as well as their significance in clinical applications. The students are given an early exposure into clinical dentistry with the oral Health Course. They will also take up Operative Dental Simulation Course to learn how to handle caries using various techniques and dental materials by using a phantom head. In year three, four and five students will go through the Clinical Dental Phase where they will apply the knowledge acquired in medical and dental fields into managing patients with dental needs. The students have to complete a series of demonstrations for dental treatment procedures before they are allowed to treat patients under the supervision of clinical experts. Teaching and learning are performed through lectures, tutorials, case studies and interactive sessions at the polyclinic during treatment sessions with the patients.

That's important!

That's important!

Bismillah wal Hamdulillah...

Few days left for my final exam but i still feel the needs to jot down something which i would probably summarise this entry as IMPORTANT.
People understand the word important as do myself. They have their priorities in life which make them to think those are important for them. It is important for us to know what is important in our life and appreciating its importance. A small kid like my niece or nephew might think that his or her toys are important for them. What else? Sleeping, playing and attention from his or her parents. Human being as small as a newborn baby also knows what is important and what is not.
This is the first scenario..

The next scenario is when you are regarded as important by people around you without you realising it. It is pretty unusual. But anyhow what will you do then? You do not know such till the very last minute and suddenly things burst out.......And at the end, you also do not know what to do. Can you summarise yourself as "not smart" because you failed to see things using your inner sense. Like it or not, thing has happened and you also do not how to reverse it back. Well, my advice, " be smart and pretending to be one." You should appreciate who you are and walk straight !!!!


p/s: all the best..