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http://www.thecharlottepost.com tlCIje Cliarlotte ^o£(t LIFE THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2006 Section Jewelry adds bite to smiles, style THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OKLAHOMA CITY-Jesse Griffins gleaming smile has little to do with pearly whites. His glistening grins come courtesy of a 14-karat gold “grill.” “I wear it every day,” said Griffin, 18, a junior at Norman North High School. “Except for when I eat. When I’m eating, I’ll take it out, but then Ill put it right back in.” Inspired by Southern hip- hop culture and the platinum grimaces of rap superstars, Griffin and other Oklahomans are concealing their natural teeth beneath custom dental overlays- known as grillz, fronts or caps-made of precious metals and gemstones. Some cement the overlays onto their real teeth, forming' a fairly permanent bond, but most slip them on and off like Halloween novelty teeth. Prices range from $40 for a single 10-karat gold cap to $20,000 or more for the jewel- encrusted grOlz worn by rap pers such as Ludacris and Mike Jones. “It’s a fad,” said Katina Theus, 32, manager of the 3- Dimensions Visions of You store in Crossroads Mall. “It’s the hottest thing going with teenagers, mostly guys, peo ple who are into the hip-hop scene.” The fad may not be harm less. Dental professionals are concerned people who sport grillz may inadvertently be placing themselves in danger. They say many grill shops in the Oklahoma Cily area are not operating within the law. And they’re urging those who have grillz to see dentists and make sure no damage has been done. “I understand wanting ... what everyone else has,” said Linda Campbell, director of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. “But they really need to make sure they’re get ting adequate care.” Theus sells grillz at the mall. N.Y. Grillz, not far-away on SE 44, sells them out of a strip plaza near a tattoo parlor and a body piercing shop. At least two vendors at a southside flea market specialize in gril lz, and a University of Oklahoma freshman sells them from his dorm room. None are licensed to per form dental procedirres. None claim to be dentists. “I don’t need a dental license because I’m not doing dental work,” said Sherie Mathenia, 33, who operates Right Sh3Tie Gold Grillz two days a week at the Old Paris Flea Market. “I’m selling jewelry. ... I’m not like actually filing teeth or bonding teeth, Frp simply making impressions and drawing designs.” In fact, most local griU shops do little more than take teeth impressions. Their main job is acting as intermediaries between customers and jewel ers - taking orders, making molds of customers teeth, sending the molds to jewelers and then giving the finished product to the customers. Trouble is, the intermedi aries may be breaking the law without knowing it. Under Title 59, section 328.49 of the state statutes, it is a misdemeanor offense for anyone other than a dentist to practice or attempt to practice dentistry or for anyone other than a dental hygienist to act Please see JEWELRY/3B COURTESY OF DARYL JACKSON Prom circumstance Formal dance creates memories that last a lifetime By Aisha Lide THE CHARLOTTE POST It’s about that time again, prom season. The moment every high school student is waiting for. Themes like “A Moment Like This,” to “Once Upon A Time.” Prom is the night that every teenager remembers, positive or negative. Proms have, evolved over- time. Proms went from paper crowns to expensive tiaras; jeans and blazers to fancy tuxedos and elaborate col ors. “It is the everlasting moment,” said ’Johnson C. Smith University junior Daryl Jackson, who attended proms as a freshman and senior. “ I wanted to make ‘sure everythir^ was right from A-to-Z, the memory and the moment.” Jackson says he enjoyed his prom much more than his dates. “I didn’t really do much in the planning stages for her prom,” he said. “I enjoyed my prom more than my dates. I had more involvement in my prom. I helped with everything, picking out the car, my tuxedo and my dates dress.” Prom night brings anxiety. Ifeenagers face fears about being in-vited, what to wear, how much to spend, how to find the money, whether to drink alcohol, take illicit drugs, and engaging in sexual rela tions on the night of the event. A few Please see PROM/2B Cosby implores parents to take active role THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CINCINNATI-Bill Cosby’s first appearance here in five years was not for telling jokes, but to implore parents to be involved in all aspects of their children’s lives. “If you’re not doing that, then you should, be ashamed of your self,” Cosby said Thursday as the moderator for discussions on par enting, education and social at Xavier responsibility University. The 68-year-old comedian’s appearance was part of the U.S. tour “A Call Out 'With Cosby.” Speaking to a crowd of about 1,200, Cosby said parents should have a network of people who can help look after kids who might be headed for trouble. During a question-and-answer session, he granted a local minis ter’s request to speak with Rodney Lee, 18, whom the minis ter said had lost direction in his life. Cosby and Lee spoke private ly for nearly 45 minutes as the audience continued to question a panel of child experts. Cosby was making his first -visit since he canceled two shows fol- Please see COSBY/2B Cosby Is misogyny hip hop’s cultural legacy? By Chens F. Hodges cheri5ttodges@thecharionepos1.com First in a three-part series examining the objectification of women. Is the image of black women under attack? And is hip-hop to blame? Essence magazine thinks so. The women’s publica tion launched a protest against hip-hop’s negativity in its “Take Back the Music” campaign in 2005. On April 28, a panel of experts, including Michaela Angela Da’vis from Essence, will meet at UNC Charlotte. The forum is free and sponsored by Fashion, Arts, Music and Entertainment One. ‘'We’re not trying to tell people what to think about this; we simply want to encourage them to think,” Davis said. What Davis and others want men and women to think about is the images that come from some hip- hop songs and videos. FAME president and UNCe senior Bridgette Wright said after an intern ship with Essence, she thought bringing the cam paign to Charlotte would be a great idea vrith a positive impact on the entire com munity. Wright said that she’s seen negative behav ior on campus that both men and women seemed to have picked up from hip- hop. “There was this girl that was dating one of the more popular guys on our cam pus and they got into it and he told her that she was number three but if she acted right, she’d move up to number one. And she stayed with him,” Wright said. Much like the videos fhat dominate BET and MTV, some young men and women try to imitate the pimp/whore lifestyle. According to the Take Back the Music web site. Essence officials decided it was time to stand up gainst these images. “'We at Essence have become increasingly con cerned about the degrading ways in which Black women are portrayed and spoken about in popular media, particularly in pop ular urban music and music videos. Aware that these images may be hav ing a negative impact on Please see HIP HOP/2B Dogs dispatched to comfort sick children THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALBANY, New York- Jane is scampering around the children’s cancer center, nuzzling a toddler who had a brain tumor removed, when 14-year-old Alexia walks in. Girl and dog both flop on the hospital floor. Alexia scratches Jane’s belly two- handed and gives a big smile. Jahe licks Alexia’s face. The two met when Alexia was horribly sick with non- Hodgkins lymphoma, when she was suffering through chemotherapy, when .she was sad and wanted a fiiend. Alexia couldn’t get out of her hospital bed then, so Jane would curl into bed with her. “She saved the day,” Alexia says, rubbing Jane’s thick black coat near her “I AM A THERAPY DOG” tag until Jane’s handler, 'Iferi Conroy, finally walks her over to another child who’s in for treatment. 'Therapy dogs, so often associated with nursing homes, have expanded their range. The trained animals now comfort people every where from disaster sites to hospitals, schools, even pris ons. A recent trend is for dogs like Jane to work in libraries, helping children practice reading aloud. The dogs provide an attentive, non-judgmental audience for young readers still budd ing up their confidence. 'Therapy dogs were dis patched to Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 attacks and to the Gulf Coast after Katrina. "They have been a big hit at faedities serving emotionally troubled or learning disabled chddren. At Green Chimneys in Brewster, students not only read to dogs to budd up their confidence, they train dogs too. “It works for some difficult students you have trouble reaching,” says spokes woman Deborah Bernstein. “It’s a wonderful way to reach them and motivate them to do better in school.” 'Therapy Dogs International has registered more than 12,000 dogs and 9,500 handlers. Another nationwide animal group. Delta Society, has about 8,000 “pet partner” teams registered, most of them the Please see THERAPY/4B Skin cancer can affect blacks, too More than one million cases of skin cancer wdl be reported in the United States this year, and over 24,000 cases (about 2.4 per cent) will arise in African- Americans. Although skin cancer is frequently not considered to be as deadly as other types of can cer, it does result in a significant number of deaths. 'The present article seeks to answer some of the most frequent questions about skin canepr. What are the types of skin can cer'? Skin cancers (carcinomas) are generady classified as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carci noma, or malignant melanoma. Basal and squamous ceU skin cancers are the most common skin cancers. These lesions occur in areas that are exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears, neck, bps, and back of the hands. Basal and squamous ceU cancers can be either fast- or slow-grovring, but they rarely spread to other parts of the body. If detected and treated early, these types of can cer have a 90 percent cure rate. Melanoma, on the other hand, accounts for only a smaU per centage of skin cancer. It is, how ever, far more lethal than basal and squamous cell cancers. In fact, melanoma accounts for more than 75 percent of aU skin cancer deaths and can spread to other organs, such as your liver and lungs. What are the risk factors for skin cancer? Risk factors for skin cancer include improtected or excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radi ation or sunlight; having a fair complexion; work-related expo sure to coal, tar, creosote, arsenic compounds or radium; having a family history of skin cancer; having multiple or atypical moles; and experiencing severe simbums as a child. Are there ways to reduce the risk of skin cancer? 'The best way to reduce the chance of developing skin cancer is to avoid intense sunlight expo sure and to practice sun safety. Several guidelines for protection fix)m the sun include: 1) Avoiding the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, 2) 'Wearing protective clothing when out in the sun, and 3) Using sunscreen vrith a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. You should remember to apply generous amoimts of sun screen before you go outside and to reapply after swimming, towel drying, or perspiring. 'The use of sunglasses with 99 percent to 100 percent "UV absorption pro vides optimal protection for the eyes and siuTounding skin. It is important to follow these prac tices even on cloudy or overcast days, as UV rays travel through the clouds. * What are the signs of skin can cer? Understanding the signs and symptoms of skin cancer fre quently leads to earlier detection and a better clinical outcome. You should check your skin regu larly. Common signs of skin can cer include any change in the size or color of a mole or darkly pigmented growth. New oozing, bleeding, irritation or change in the appearance of a bump or skin nodule should also prompt con cern. If you notice these symp toms, you should consult a doctor immediately. By John H. Stewart IV MD. For more information about the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health, visit www.wfubmc.edu/minorityhealth. O #0
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