Here are some recent cases Had a great abscess case. I didn't get a picture of the x-rays, but you can see the very large and well developed abscess in front of the 2nd molar. If you look at the wisdom tooth behind it you can see a little abscess also forming in the same location. Both teeth ended up being pulled, and a lot of scar tissue had to be scraped out all around them. Had a great case of Hairy Tongue (actual name for it). This occurred in...read more

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What do you do for fun in Iraq? It's a question I get asked from time to time. I guess it depends on the location you are at, the time of year, how creative you are, and how built up the location you are at is. Here's some examples from our base. There are intramural games - football, basketball, softball that are organized Golfers can even find some driving ranges I've seen Soldiers flying kites Go for a run or work out in the...read more

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As we continued our tour of the Airforce College, we were also able to tour the Medical clinic and speak with one of their medical officers. It was very interesting to have the chance to ask questions about their military and how things like moves to different bases occur. The medical facility was pretty basic. If further care is needed they transport to a nearby hospital in the city. Exam and minor procedure room Their recovery and inpatient...read more

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Saturday we had the chance to see the Iraqi Air Force College - our equivalent of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. One of the Air Force staff that works there is an Air Force dental hygienist, so he invited us for a tour. Our base had been the original location for the college before the war. They are just getting things up and going again with the help of US Air Force advisors. The cadets attend classes like this one I even came to realize...read more

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I was able to experience my first sand storm since I've been here. It wasn't the thick swirling sand like you saw in the movie "The Mummy" - it was the fine particulate dust that just goes everywhere. It almost looked like fog the way it reduced visibility I've heard the storms can get much worse then this. This one was blowing sand in the evening - even the next day until afternoon there seemed to still be particulates in the air....read more

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It's less then 30 days to the Army Dental Corps Centennial. There will be a big celebration with lots of continuing education credit and fun down in San Antonio to celebrate the Dental Corps 100th Anniversary on March 3. That was the one negative aspect of this deployment is that I would miss it. Want to make sure to get the word out in case anyone else is interested in attending or purchasing some of the centennial momentos.

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Since being over here I've been able to see a lot of things that open a small window into what this place may have been like when the Iraqi's were here. This was the base swimming pool. Obviously not much swimming occurs here. The old sports stadium Iraqi Bomb shelters Old toilets Scattered around the base are old pieces of Iraqi military equipment set up as monuments/displays. There are still old neighborhoods left on the base. My guess...read more

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Here are some cases from this past week. A patient had come in complaining of pain coming from her impacted canine (see upper center - tooth that is diagonal at the root level). It had been bothering her for the past month, but when she had gone home for R & R - they just gave her some medication and told her they would take care of it later. See the bulge on the roof of the mouth First thing after pulling the gum back was to drill away the bone to reveal...read more

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As I have been deployed here in Iraq I've come to realize that deployments are actually a blessing for some people (notice I said some). I know it definitely isn't for everyone, and there can be some problems back home with deployments - but something I've noticed is that for some people it's a great thing. I have the chance to talk with a lot of patients, and as I ask them what they do - I have had quite a few of the Reserve Component tell me that they were...read more

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In almost 3 months in Iraq I've seen a little bit of wildlife. I haven't seen any camels but here are some shots of what I have seen on the base. Rueppell's fox is the biggest animal we have here. We see them pretty frequently - usually at night, sometimes morning, and occasionally during the day. You can see them running through the fields and even through our housing areas. I've only seen one sun spider (at night) The lizards like to...read more

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