Shiny white beautiful smile
By Yayu



Maybe "Beyond" is the most effective and safest form of tooth-whitening treatment on the planet.
Miss Zhou, a beautiful girl with a very attractive appearance, has worried about her teeth for a long time. "I have tried many different ways to whiten them, but failed each time. Until I finally found it in Beijing". She said to me with her beautiful smile and of course, her white and bright teeth.

Not only girls like Miss Zhou want to whiten their teeth, people with teeth that have been stained by smoking, by beverages like coffee or tea, by the antibiotic tetracycline or speckled by fluoride, all have a strong passion to whiten them.

"Patients are eager to find the perfect way to whiten their teeth," said Dr Yu, the co-director of dentistry at the No174 Hospital. As it is well known, the people born in China during the mid 1970s suffered from tooth staining due to the medicine tetracycline(四环素). Now some of these people face difficulties finding good jobs or finding lovers in their life because of their stained, unpleasant looking teeth.

Although there are a lot of technologies out there to deal with discolored teeth, most of them cause some pretty unpleasant side effects. For example, their teeth staining again very quickly or even destruction of the gum tissue(牙龈), "But maybe "Beyond" is the most effective and safest form of tooth-whitening treatment on the planet." Yu said in a very satisfied tone.

He referred to "Beyond" as the newest accelerated whitening technique available. It includes safe blue light activation and a special whitening formula containing hydrogen peroxide(H2O2), a 20 nanometer silicon dioxide(SiO2) mouth piece, along with other special ingredients. The procedure rapidly oxidizes the pigmentation of 16 or more teeth at once, through a special reaction between the hydrogen peroxide and the concentrated blue light, restoring them to beautiful porcelain white.

The procedure takes about half an hour, after which teeth gain a 5~14 shade improvement on the Vita shade guide's internationally recognized dental test. Throughout the whitening process, the most advanced blue light technology is used. A wavelength of 480~520 nanometers exactly is required to properly activate the chemicals being used. The light is directed through a filter that contains over 12,000 fibers with a total distance of 1 mile, then finally through two optical-lenses, each coated with more than 30 layers of special light focusing material, removing infrared and harmful ultraviolet light completely.

"Beyond"also operates at a lower temperature than similar products, due to the use of the latest optical focusing techniques, helping to avoid unnecessary irritation to the nerves of the teeth. The results depend on how discolored the teeth were originally, but the end result will definitely be sparkling white and shiny teeth.The short and convenient process is very effective for teeth that have been stained by smoking or by beverages like coffee and tea. It is also an effective treatment for teeth discolored by medicine such as tetracycline or that have been speckled by fluoride.

Maybe it's the perfect way to resolve the problem for patients who want whiter brighter teeth. However, it also costs a considerable amount of money. "Every individual procedure costs RMB 1800", Yu said, and till now, his dentist office is the only holder of this technology in all of Fujian Province. Patients like Miss Zhou needn't go to Beijing or Shanghai to do it any longer,where it costs more than RMB 3000.

This all sounds perfect, but how long will it last? "This varies from person to person and depends on your diet, but the effects should usually last for at least two years."Yu said.

About "Beyond"


Dr Yu on his whiten operation.

Will it hurt?
Most of our customers experience no pain or sensitivity after the treatment. A very small percentage of patients may feel a minor ache for the first twelve hours following the procedure. Taking a mild analgesic can almost always resolve this symptom. Avoid cold or hot drinks for the first 24 hours if there is any tooth sensitivity.

Is it safe?
Yes, scientific articles have shown that using hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth is effective and safe. The international dental community has used it for tooth whitening for years now. It does not change or damage the structure of the teeth; it merely makes them appear whiter and brighter.

How long does the treatment take?
It only takes about 30 to 40 minutes; discoloration that has built up over the years will magically disappear. It takes no longer than the time it would for you to have a haircut or a manicure, or have a cup of coffee even.

Xiamen University introduces the Sephis Programme to China
Willem van Schendel (Chair, Sephis Programme)

On April 18 to 20, 2004 an unusual conference will be taking place in Xiamen. It is unusual because it is the first time that Xiamen University will join up with the Sephis Programme to organise a conference. Xiamen University is of course well known in China but the Sephis Programme is still largely unknown.

Sephis stands for "South-to-South Exchange Programme for Research on the History of Development". The programme was set up in 1994. It is run by an independent international Steering Committee which currently consists of researchers from the Philippines, India, Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, the Netherlands and Brazil. Former members of the Steering Committee also came from Malaysia, Tanzania, Argentina, Barbados and Bolivia.

Who is the Sephis Programme for?

Sephis is interested in encouraging historical researchers in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America (today often referred to as "the South") to network with each other. The idea is that historians in the South have a lot to teach each other but they have relatively few options to meet. Sephis tries to act as a bridge, so that Southern historians can learn from each other about the historical trajectories in each other's societies and continents, and about the various research traditions in different parts of the South. The programme offers a variety of options for individual researchers and for departments and institutes of history to participate. Eligible candidates are historians and other social scientists with a research interest in history and who are located in the South. Colleagues from the North cannot be beneficiaries of the Sephis Programme. For the purposes of the Sephis Programme, all of China is defined as part of the South, and colleagues from China are encouraged to become involved in the programme.

What are the objectives of the Sephis Programme?

The main objectives of the Sephis Programme are to encourage the formation of a South-South network directed towards comparative historical research on long-term processes of change. The comparative perspective is at the core of the Sephis Programme. This means that it aims at encouraging the production, distribution and discussion of historical information which transcends local realities and is embedded in theoretical and/or comparative reflections. By choosing a comparative approach, Sephis acknowledges the existence of a variety of historical trajectories and perspectives. Conceding that the word "comparative" may have different associations for each of us, Sephis does not use a single definition of comparative, but tries to encourage historians to reconsider the links between empirical research and methodological and conceptual issues.

What are the Sephis activities in which you can participate?

The Sephis Programme now has many different tools for the use of Southern scholars wanting to network with colleagues in other parts of the South. I mention the major ones here but for more information please visit the Sephis website or contact the Sephis secretariat.

Applications should be written in English but the publications resulting from the grant can be written in another language of academic communication, e.g. Chinese. Incomplete applications, applications by fax or e-mail and/or too lengthy applications cannot be taken into consideration. Applications and all requests about the Sephis grants programme should be sent to: Sephis Grants Programme International Institute of Social History Cruquiusweg 311019 at Amsterdam The Netherlands .