Evolution of Scuba Diving Equipment

 Scuba diving is a sport or activity of swimming underwater using a scuba. It can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome with stories about warriors breathing via a hollow reed beneath the sea to avoid Persian foes. The history of scuba diving cannot be examined without considering the evolution of scuba diving equipment.

In the ancient days, underwater diving was performed by people who would dive while holding their breath or using homemade breathing devices like hollow plant stalks. The first major advancement in scuba diving was the diving bell which was created in the 1500s. Developed by Greek philosopher Aristotle, the diving bell was a cauldron used to retain usable air or the diver by overturning and forcing it into the waters. During these risky travels beneath the water, people tested the limits of physics and their bodies, as they knew little about oxygen intake at the time. More advanced equipment began to arrive around this period.

Later on, in 1771, diving suits and helmets surfaced. After the air pump was invented, it was used to pump leather diving suits via long, flexible hoses from the surface. By the 20th century, two basic architectures for underwater breathing apparatus were invented. One, the open-circuit surface supplied equipment through which the diver's exhaled gas was vented directly into the water. Two, the closed-circuit breathing apparatus in which the diver's carbon dioxide was filtered from the exhaled breathing gas, then recirculated, with more gas added to replenish the oxygen content.

Further, one of the pioneering innovations in scuba diving was developed by escape artist Harry Houdini who designed a diving suit that was simple to remove in 1921. With this, divers could now easily remove their suits if they became tangled or imprisoned, potentially saving their lives.

Scuba diving is progressing swiftly, with new and groundbreaking equipment being created and deployed every year. Masks, fins, and snorkels have improved to new heights, making diving and snorkeling more comfortable and convenient. Purge valves on snorkels, flexible or split fins on fins, and tempered glass masks keep divers safe at deep depths.

Lately, drysuits have been improved, making diving in cold water much easier. Drysuits have been around for a long time but were not available to the general public until recently. The advent of the LED light, which aids divers in lighting the profound darkness of the underwater world, is the most recent advancement in scuba diving.

All of these new gear allows scuba divers to dive more, making the once remote and terrifying underwater world slowly but steadily come into focus, and more divers are entering the field each year. More dive shops and dive sites are opening due to the millions of qualified scuba divers.

It is important to note that nowadays, the fundamental list of scuba diving equipment consists of a few items such as masks, snorkels, fins, and booties. All of these have been designed and improved over time to keep recreational and professional divers safe and aid in efficient underwater operations.

Scuba diving has gone a long way since it began as freediving decades ago. It remains one of the most popular and thrilling recreational sports of all time.

Prevention of Childhood Tooth Decay

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that nearly 20 percent of children under 11 have decay in at least one tooth. More than 15 percent of children have a condition known as hypomineralisation, which causes the enamel to soften. These children are even more susceptible to tooth decay.

Some people mistakenly think that cavities in primary teeth can go untreated since they will fall out in time. However, tooth decay in children can have a long-lasting impact on oral health. Tooth decay develops on the outermost layer of the tooth, known as the enamel. When bacteria come into contact with sugars, it creates a corrosive substance that burrows into the tooth. Eventually, a cavity will develop.

It can be difficult to detect tooth decay in young children, as early stage cavities often cause no symptoms. If left untreated, the cavities can deepen and funnel bacteria into the interior of the tooth.

Severely damaged baby teeth are at risk of falling out early. As primary teeth act as guides for permanent teeth, this can cause severe misalignments and bite problems. Children may also experience pain and swelling in their gums. This can make it difficult to eat.

There are several reasons for tooth decay in young children. For instance, nursing infants may develop cavities if parents allow them to fall asleep with a bottle containing milk or other sweetened liquid. The sugars in the drink collect on the teeth and sleeping babies do not produce enough saliva to wash the bacteria away.

Older children who consume too many sugary beverages are also at higher risk of tooth decay. Parents should also avoid giving their children acidic drinks like citrus fruits and soda.

Very young children also have difficulty performing oral hygiene tasks, so it is up to adult caregivers to clean children’s teeth. Parents should start an oral hygiene routine as soon as the first tooth emerges. Since consuming toothpaste can be toxic, parents should only use water to clean their infants’ teeth.

Parents can begin using a very small amount of toothpaste after children turn 6 years old. However, children won’t have the motor skills to efficiently clean their own teeth until they are about 8 years old, so parents should provide assistance and supervision until then. Children with special needs may require support for an extended period, or indefinitely.

Parents should model proper hygiene practices for their children and ensure they brush and floss twice a day. In addition to establishing a healthy oral hygiene routine, parents should also take their children to the dentist twice a year after they reach 12 months old. During a routine exam, the dentist will look for signs of decay.

There are also preventative procedures that dentists can do to make the enamel more resistant. For example, dentists can apply a thin protective layer on top of the molars to prevent cavities. They can also provide fluoride supplements or coatings for children living in areas that do not add fluoride to the drinking water. Children with hypomineralisation can benefit from sealings, fillings, crowns, or, in severe cases, extractions.

ADA Launches Data-Driven DERE Program

The American Dental Association (ADA) is a professional membership organization that promotes better oral health by advancing dentistry. It supports dentists through credentialing tools, continuing education opportunities, and clinical resources.

Founded in 1859, ADA leads advocacy efforts for oral health in the United States. It is committed to improving dental care through evidence-based methods and policy reform. In 2021, ADA lobbied for the inclusion of dental benefits in Medicare, with a special focus on low-income seniors.

To fulfill its mission, ADA provides its members with educational and clinical programs to advance their careers and boost patient care. For example, ADA offers online continuing education courses that tackle key topics, including implantology, restorative dentistry, and practice management.

ADA organizes licensure exams for aspiring dentists. It developed the Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) in June 2020. State boards of dentistry use the exam to assess the clinical knowledge and skills of licensure candidates. Compared to its predecessors, the exam relies on 3D models rather than actual patients, making it a safe and ethical form of assessment.

Additionally, the ADA Science and Research Institute, LLC makes valuable contributions to dentistry standards and formulates evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. These important accomplishments help dentists enhance their clinical decision-making process. However, such standards are traditionally relayed to dentists in a unidirectional format.

Aiming to advance the dentistry field furthermore interactively, ADA created a data-driven program targeting dental practices. In July of 2021, ADA established its Dental Experience and Research Exchange, or DERE, program to improve patient outcomes through better data exchange.

The DERE program functions as an outcomes assessment program involving research and reporting between dentists. The first of its kind in dentistry, DERE aims to collect data from dentistry practices to establish a comprehensive database that guides future clinical decisions.

The database covers clinical information and dental findings. The long-term aggregation of collected data generates patterns that are analyzed to improve treatment strategies and overall patient outcomes.

Dental practices that use the Open Dental Version 19.3 or higher can participate in the DERE program. Enrollment is free of charge. Participating practices connect to ADA’s Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW), a cloud-based platform that collects participants’ data upon enrolling in the program.

After successful connection, the CDW extracts clinical data from the practice’s management system directly. All practice and patient data is protected and stored safely on the platform. CDW conducts full data analysis and creates a customized data portal accordingly.

Dental practices gain access to the portal through their personalized dashboard. Practices use their dashboards to review and check the latest data. The generated data trends are available in reports discussing patient population profiles, disease management, and net revenue per patient. By applying data findings to their practice, dentists can develop the appropriate tactics for better patient care.

As more dental practices participate, CDW analyzes and aggregates more data. The growth of a database facilitates the development of evidence-based guidelines and effective healthcare policies. At this stage, practices can compare their performance to other participating practices, enabling them to learn and improve cyclically.