Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | June 2013 A3NEWS “ SPACE, page A2 Ad such as Streptococcus mutans among crew members. It was concluded that this was due to the dehydrated diet that astronauts consume. This could be a potential contributor to oral health issues during extended missions, espe- cially if a crew member begins to lapse in proper oral health care. Dental emergencies in space would be challenging to handle as well. A mis- sion to Mars would require a one-way flight duration of six to nine months. Owing to the alignment of earth and Mars, the nominal mission would spend either 30 days or a year and a half on the Martian surface. Were an oral emergency to occur during the outbound flight, there would not be a safe-return-to-earth capability. Not enough fuel could be carried to coun- teract all the forces of launch that pro- pel the crew on their voyage. In essence, all emergencies would have to be han- dled by the CMOs either in flight or on a planet with a little more than one-third of the gravity of earth. In space, “for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction” has special meaning to the treating CMO and the crew member receiving treat- ment. Just the act of giving an injec- tion would send the crew member and CMO darting away from each other if proper techniques were not followed. The luxury of gravity does not exist, and simple procedures can become ma- jor challenges without it. Consider for a moment trying to give CPR without the force of gravity holding you in place. Working in the oral cavity poses special concerns, since the very act of breathing not counteracted by gravity would have a tendency to draw any- thing loosely held within the oral cav- ity back into the lungs. There is also the concern of the limit- ed medical skills of CMOs, and the one- way communication delay with ground support of 20 to 25 minutes. In other words, it could take 45 minutes for a flight physician to deliver instruction to the treating CMO. Prayers would be in order for the afflicted crew member. What measures are being considered to overcome these problems? Recent discussions in relation to explo- ration-class missions have proposed instrumentation for semi-annual den- tal exams and cleaning for each crew member, as well as additional equip- ment for the diagnosis and treatment of dental emergencies. Some of the equipment considerations include a high-definition intraoral camera sys- tem, a method for detecting interproxi- mal decay and osseous infections while limiting radiation, as well as a battery- operated dental handpiece and head- light. Material considerations include an intermediate restorative material that is easy to use, does not require special equipment for mixing or curing, releas- es fluoride, and could last for the dura- tion of an exploration-class mission. The U.S. Navy is currently conducting research on a restorative material for field use that fits this description. A glass ionomer restorative material is also under consideration, although this would require special packaging to allow for controlled mixture by hand in a microgravity environment. Discussion about medications indi- cated that all drugs would need to be freshly manufactured and would re- quire special packaging to maximize shelf life, especially those medications that are sensitive to moisture and radi- ation. Software considerations include training videos for the crew members to review and train to keep abreast dur- ing their travel. President Obama speaks of sending humans to Mars as early as 2030. Do you believe that these plans are realistic? It is my understanding that there are no definitive plans for a manned mission to Mars in the near future. Recent cuts to NASA’s budget have slowed progress for a manned mission to the red planet. Our closest neighbor is explored using robotics, and there is much to learn about Mars prior to risking the lives of A toothbrush and toothpaste in front of mission specialist Barbara Morgan on the flight deck of Shuttle Endeavour. humans on such a distant journey. However, planning and research for manned exploration-class missions is still being conducted, and the Orion project is still in progress. There are so many hurdles to overcome before such a journey could be undertaken. Currently, NASA is formulating plans for a three-month mission to rendez- vous with a near-earth asteroid. This would be a scientific mission requiring a one-month flight to rendezvous with the asteroid, conduct research and fly back to earth. If NASA offered you the opportunity to go on a three-month mission like that, would you accept it? Since I was a young boy I have looked to the heavens and been fascinated by its beauty and have always dreamed of go- ing into space. Given the opportunity, I would go in a heartbeat.