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Dental Tribune Pakistan Edition

Editor - Online Haseeb Uddin INTERNATIONAL NEWS6 DENTAL TRIBUNE Pakistan Edition November 2014 ERLIN, Germany: Manuel Neuer, currently the World’s Best Goalkeeper, has attended a sitting to be measured for the creation of his wax twin, which is soon to be exhibited in Madame Tussauds wax sculpture museum in Berlin. In addition to body size, and eye and hair colour, the experts from London needed a dental cast to create a true-to-life smile for the wax figure. The 28-year-old goalkeeper, who together with his team won this year’s World Cup, has achieved many football successes: World’s Best Goalkeeper in 2013, German footballer of the year in 2011 and 2014, Golden Glove Award in 2014, UEFA Champions League winner in 2013 (FC Bayern München). “Manuel Neuer is one of the most popular football players and since the World Cup the most desired football figure of our visitors,” said Sandra Schmalzried, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Berlin. “We would love to show the whole world champion team; however, unfortunately, at a cost of approximately €200,000 per figure that is not possible.” Thus, Neuer’s wax figure will represent the entire national team. For the sitting, during which all of the necessary measurements were captured, a Madame Tussauds team of three travelled all the way from London with several boxes of equipment. With a tape measure and callipers, they took 226 measurements and more than 150 photographs of Neuer’s head and body from different angles. Using colour scales, his skin, hair and eye colour were determined. Dentures produced by external dental laboratory Even though a small part of the body, the wax figure’s teeth require precise work and collaboration with a dental laboratory. “When we meet the celebrity for a sitting, we create a dental impression, like a dental cast, which we cast out of silicone or putty. We then send this straight to the dental laboratory to replicate and create a denture,” a Madame Tussauds wax artist explained to Dental Tribune ONLINE. “When we receive the teeth, the gingivae are made out of wax and the teeth from acrylics. We analyse them, look at them and check measurements. We try them in the wax head by inserting them through the neck. If they are signed off by the senior sculptor, we send them back to the same dental laboratory for processing. The wax gingivae are replaced with hard acrylic, a type of resin used for manufacturing dentures. When we receive the final set, we reinsert them through the neck to be fitted properly into the wax figure’s head.” For historical figures, or when the wax figure creators are not able to meet with a celebrity and take a dental impression, they create a research file of information about that person’s teeth, containing photographs of him or her smiling and photographs that show his or her gingival colour. They blow up the photographs to be life-size and then the dental laboratory produces a set of dentures based on the information they have collated, including measurements, and tooth and gingival shades- always working from an anatomical standpoint to ensure that the teeth would function in theory in an actual head. Wax figure reflects personality and character During his sitting, Neuer was also closely observed by the wax artists to establish every detail, including the way he Continued to page 11 B ONDON, UK: Figures by the National Health Service indicate that at least one in 15 adults in the UK currently suffers from the most severe form of periodontal disease. Worldwide, the situation looks even more devastating with the condition to be found in roughly 11 per cent of the earth’s population. An international review published by researchers from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and dental institutions in Australia and US in the Journal for Dental Research has recently provided the first insights into the global dynamics of the disease and where it is most prevelant. According to the paper, prevalence as well as incidence of severe periodontitis was reportedly highest in East Sub-Saharan Africa and most parts of South America. Several countries including Australia, Indonesia or Greece, among others, also ranked below the global average. Regions with low occurrence were North America, followed by developed countries in the Asia Pacific region, as well as Oceania and Western Europe. While no statistically relevant difference could be found between genders, the researchers said the condition seemed to increase with age throughout all surveyed countries. Hence, people at age 38 and beyond are most at risk for developing severe periodontitis. Overall, the study found that more than 700 million new cases of severe periodontitis worldwide add to the already large burden every year, which makes the condition rank among the six most prevalent diseases worldwide. If untreated, it can lead not only to physical pain and psychological discomfort, but also to functional limitation, as well as physical and psychological disabilities, according to the author, Director of Research at Barts Health NHS Trust Prof. Wagner Marcenes, who headed the study. “The number of severe periodontitis cases has increased dramatically between 1990 and 2010. Since we did not include other types of periodontitis such as its mild and moderate forms, we are facing an even more serious problem in the population’s oral health,” he commented on the results. He said that the data are currently being evaluated further to find out what might cause this high prevalence including socio-economic indicators and other risk factors. One of the largest assessment ever conducted on the disease, the review was looking at epidemiological data from more than 70 studies involving 300,000 patients from 37 countries. While it provides insight into the realities of the disease, according to the researchers, the results will have to be treated with caution owing to the problem on how to actually measure periodontal disease. A new standard introduced by the American Academy of Periodontology and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007, for example, made it difficult to compare any data collected prior. In the report, the researchers indicated any site with Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs 4, clinical attachment of larger than 6mm and pocket depth of 5 as periodontitis. L DT International Report DT International Report EW YORK, N.Y., USA: The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal recently presented a historical review of what Western doctors and scientists knew about defects known as cleft lip and palate. The authors of the review sought to verify that treatment and surgical techniques for these malformations were largely esthetic and unchanged until the 19th century. When the printing press was invented in the mid-1400s, it had an unexpected effect on the practice of Western medicine. With the creation of moveable type, works by ancient and medieval doctors could be preserved, and contemporary surgeons were Continued to page 11 DT International Report N World’s Best Goalkeeper sits for dental impression for Madame Tussauds Little progress recorded in historical cleft lip and palate treatment Barts study on severe periodontitis reveals looming crisis

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