February 9

 

FEBRUARY 9

Mr. & Ms. Vol. 22 No. 41, February 9, 1999
On the front cover: Brad Pitt
On the back cover: Maricel Soriano for the Green Cross Alcohol print ad

 

Events that happened on February 9

1780 – The Tobacco Monopoly in the Philippines by the Spanish government was established by a royal decree.

1939 – The off-Shore Patrol, composed of three torpedo boats, was organized.

1986 – Thirty computer personnel of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) walked out upon the instigation of cheating.

Personalities and celebrities born on February 9:

1837 – Jose Burgos, writer, leader of the secularization movement in the Philippines, and one of the three martyred priests, Gomburza – in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. (d. February 17, 1872)

1884 – Concepcion Felix, lawyer, feminist and founder of the Asociacion Feminista Filipina – in Tondo, Manila. (d. January 27, 1967)

1914 – Emelina G. Masangkay (birth name Emelina Delgado Gregorius), socio-civic leader – in Iloilo City.

1915 – Roseller Tarroza Lim, jurist, lawmaker and politician – in Zamboanga (d. July 5, 1976)

1951 – Ricardo “Joy” Cleofas, basketball player.

1978 – Mark Kenery Muñoz, Filipino-American mixed martial artist known as the “Wrecking Machine” – in Yokosuka, Japan.

1985 – Gabe Norwood (full name Gabriel Daniel Norwood), American-Filipino basketball player – in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

HOW DOES TOOTHPASTE PROTECTS YOUR TEETH?




Lizbelle Marie Pascual-Galusa

putting toothpaste on the brush
on the cover of Health (February 9, 2004).
Cover photo by Roger Alcantara.

          You have seen commercials telling us that toothpaste protects our teeth.  With the help of over-simplified animation aimed at young viewers, advertisers try to tell us how this is so. But what really happens when we brush our teeth? What does the toothpaste really do to protect our teeth?

          Dental enamel or the hard glossy covering that surrounds our teeth is mainly made of hydroxylapatite, which is composed of calcium, phosphate and hydroxide. The attack on the enamel by acids normally present in the mouth such as lactic or acetic acid, tends to dissolve the enamel and produce carries or tooth decay. When we brush our teeth, we use toothpaste containing fluoride ions. Through chemical reaction, the flouride ions replaced the hydroxide ion in the enamel. Thus in the presence of fluoride ion, insoluble calcium fluoride forms, and the process produces a layer of fluorapatite. The fluoride-treated enamel became more resistant to acid attack.

          Tin fluoride, which is particularly effective in treating teeth to reduce the rate of dissolution of enamel in acid solution, is a constituent of many brands of toothpaste. The increased protection in the presence of tin ions is attributed to the absorption by the fluoride-treated enamel of very thin layer of basic tin phosphates.

          The fact that teeth are composed chiefly of hydroxylapatite is actually the basis for the fluoridation of water. Apparently the proper amount of fluoride ions in the water promotes the formation of teeth that are especially resistant to decay by increasing the fluoride ion content and decreasing the hydroxide and chloride ion content of the enamel. This is incorporated in the formulation of fluoride toothpaste.

          In one laboratory test, extracted teeth were exposed to a buffered lactic acid solution, and the rate of dissolution of enamel was measured. Different samples of teeth were then treated with one of two fluoride solutions of different concentration and the rates of dissolution were again measured. The result is a high reduction in the dissolution rate, that is, the teeth were significantly protected by the fluoride solution during the standard exposure time of the test.

          Toothpastes are not meant only for cleaning the teeth, but are chemically formulated for the protection of the teeth’s enamel. So kids, don’t forget to brush your teeth and keep them clean and strong.

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Shirley MacLane and her three-year-old daughter Sachi
on the cover of Life (February 9, 1959).

Picture Trivia

          The name of Hollywood actress Shirley MacLane (real name Shirley MacLean Beaty), according to her parents, came from the name of another Hollywood actress, Shirley Temple (1928-2014), which was already a superstar at the age of six. MacLane’s first film was Alfred Hitchcock’s The Trouble With Harry (1955) for which she won a Golden Globe Award as “New Star of the Year.” In 1983, she won the Academy Best Actress Award for her portrayal in the film Terms of Endearment.
          MacLane has a lone daughter, Sachi Parker, from her husband Steve Parker.

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Quote of the Day

          “The best relationship is when you can act like lovers and best friends at the same time.” – Will Smith, Twitter.