Ask the
Experts
THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS
Question: How do I know if I am a candidate for dental implants? Prof. Hesham Marei, Consultant Oral
Maxillofacial Surgeon & Implantologist, Dean, College of Dentistry, Gulf Medical University responds: “Today, placement of dental implants is the standard of care that is offered to patients with missing teeth. If you have missing teeth, you need to visit your dentist, who will perform a clinical and radiographic examination. If you are medically fit and well and have good quantity and quality of bone at the site of missing teeth, the implants placement will be a straight forward and simple procedure. However, if you are suffering from systemic problems such as uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension or taking any regular medications, consultation with a physician is essential to control the medical problems before proceeding with dental implants. When there is a limitation in bone quantity, use of short/narrow implants or bone grafting are options that can be selected to allow patients to replace their missing teeth. So, if you have missing teeth, proceed and book an appointment with your dentist immediately.”
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From pediatric questions to general medical queries, our panel of experts is here to answer your questions.
TOXIC POSITIVITY
Question: In my efforts to always stay positive, a friend pointed out toxic positivity; why is this detrimental? Mai Elsayed, Clinical Hypnotherapist with
Psychotherapy Skills, Internationally Published Author/NextGen MENA Committee member responds: “As much as having a positive mindset is beneficial for our overall health and well-being, practicing toxic positivity can cause more harm than good. Toxic positivity is putting a positive spin on everything, even situations that can be traumatic and emotionally excruciating. Under the name of positivity, people neglect their own need to grieve and express their emotions. Being positive all the time is not humanly possible as we all go through emotional and psychological cycles. We may also face situations that hurt our feelings. We need to keep in mind that our emotions, no matter how unpleasant they may feel, serve a purpose and when we inhibit, hide or mask our true sentiments, we invalidate our internal human experience. It can cause us to go into a state of denial or repression, which can in return transform the energy of our repressed emotions into psychosomatic illnesses.”
