#Dental Category

[awkward-teabag]

But there's a labour shortage, they should have no problem getting another job 'cause companies constantly complain about how they can't find employees! /s

this layoff shit is eerie. hundreds of people across industries and companies getting canned all at once, all the time, every day. my linkedin feed is full of people begging for work, more and more every day. companies who can definitely afford these people but wanna save a few extra bucks. who's gonna be left working?? what are we doing here

[transsexualutopia]

"Stop treating your assistants as work wives and a possible dating pool."

Dentists:

[felinefractious]

Do you consider brachycephalism in cats as serious as in dogs? I'm in veterinary medicine but I don't encounter many brachy kitties and would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Brachycephaly is a problem.

Schlueter et al (2009) categorized brachycephalic head shapes into four categories randing from mild to severe.

Moderate brachycephaly is where we begin to really see problems and profound or severe brachycephalic cats are going to have a real issue.

The British Shorthair (left) is a breed where mild brachycephaly is part of the standard compared to an Exotic Shorthair (right) where profound - severe brachycephaly is desireable.

On the left with have a British Shorthair, in the center an Exotic Shorthair and on the right a Persian.

One of the problems we see with brachycephalic breeds is stenotic nares, which are narrow nostrils. You can’t even make out the nares on the Persian shown above and, as one may expect, this affects how much air they move through them.

We can see similar obstructive effects in cats with nasopharyngeal polyps, masses or reconstruction due to scarring from chronic rhinosinusitis problems.

Due to their inability to breath normally through their nose these cats tend to be heat and exercise intolerant and can run into trouble more quickly during high stress events.

Stenotic nares can be surgically corrected but I don’t think this is as common in cats as it is in dogs, at least I haven’t encountered many cats who’ve undergone the procedure. I don’t know if it’s not as necessary, if cats don’t respond as well or if cat owners are less likely to seek treatment.

Or maybe it is as common and my lack of experience is the outlier.

Brachycephaly is also associated with malocclusion and dental disease, chronic epiphora, facial dermatitis related to the chronic tearing and ocular issues such as conreal sequestrum or entropion related to the protruding eye structure.

I know globe proptopsis is a problem in some brachycephalic dog breeds like pugs but I haven’t heard of this specifically happening in brachycephalic cat breeds.

Exotics and Persians are obviously the worst when it comes to brachycephaly in cats but the Bombay and (American) Burmese are also offenders.

There are other breeds which don’t call for a brachycephalic head shape (or even default it) or call for only a mild version but certain breeders are selecting for extreme typeing anyways because even though their cats might not win any shows they can sell them as designer variants for more.

On the left we have a Sphynx and in the right we have a Devon Rex both with an extreme head type contradictory to the breed standard.

So yes, unfortunately the brachycephalic head type is a problem in cats. Some try to argue that brachycephalic animals often live long lives which means the abnormal structure isn’t a problem… but longevity is only one measure of a breeds ethical soundness, quality of life and history are also important in my opinon.

[mylittleredgirl]

how did you get your tv growing up? (if you had multiple houses or technologies, pick the one you most identify with your formative childhood tv experience)

op's formative tv experience was in a rural area with rabbit ears in the 90s, but before 18 i lived in a place with every one of these except satellite. rotary antenna is its own category because i will never forget the day when a friend's family put one in. the sheer power of turning that knob and seeing a wholeass giant roof antenna turning around and then you can pick up the x-files?? fucking religious experience.

[thornowl]

Halo Pack (4 accessories, T-EU)

Unfortunately, they have nothing to do with the hit FPS game by Bungie.

Unisex, teen-elder (might convert for toddlers and children if there's demand for it).

All 4 accessories include proper handmade (not decimated) LODs (halo4 LOD3 is 272 tris, for example).

Original meshes. 32px textures. Technically CASTable, but they weren't meant to be, so patterns appear tiny.

The glowing effect is thanks to basic Sims 3 bloom. If you have disabled it, the accessory will appear as a silhouette.

Custom CAS thumbnails.

Download (SFS):

Install only one version!

Dental category — get this one if you're unsure.

Left garter category — alternative version for sims who are already using a dental accessory. Camera zooms in to a sim's thighs when CASTing the accessory.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Bites & Stings

References (Dog Bites; Cat; Human; Spider; Bee & Wasp; Snake; Jellyfish)

Bites and stings - puncture injuries inflicted by an animal that penetrate the skin.

DOGS

A typical dog bite results in a laceration, tear, puncture, or crush injury.

Bites from large, powerful dogs may cause fractures and dangerous internal injuries. Dogs trained to attack may bite repeatedly during a single episode.

Infected bites usually cause pain, cellulitis (inflammation of the connective tissues), and a pus-filled discharge at the wound site within 8–24 hours.

Many infections are confined to the wound site, but some of the microorganisms in the mouths of dogs can cause systemic and possibly life-threatening infections.

Rabies is rare among pet dogs in the United States, most of which have been vaccinated against the disease. Tetanus is also rare but can be transmitted by a dog bite if the victim is not immunized.

CATS

The mouths of cats and dogs contain many of the same microorganisms.

Cat scratches and bites are also capable of transmitting the Bartonella henselae bacterium, which can lead to cat-scratch disease, an unpleasant but usually not life-threatening illness.

Cat bites are mostly found on the arms and hands.

Sharp cat teeth typically leave behind a deep puncture wound that can reach muscles, tendons, and bones, which are vulnerable to infection because of their comparatively poor blood supply.

This is why cat bites are much more likely to become infected than dog bites.

Also, people are less inclined to view cat bites as dangerous and requiring immediate attention; the risk that infection has set in by the time a medical professional is consulted is thus greater.

HUMANS

Humans bites result from fights, sexual activity, medical and dental treatment, and seizures. Bites raise the possibility of spousal or child abuse.

Children often bite other children, but those bites are hardly ever severe.

Human bites are capable of transmitting a wide range of dangerous diseases, including hepatitis B, syphilis, and tuberculosis.

Human bites fall into two categories:

Occlusional (true) bites present a lower risk of infection.

Clenched-fist injuries, which are very infectious and can permanently damage the hand, usually result from a fist hitting teeth during a fight.

People often wait before seeking treatment for a clenched-fist injury, with the result that about half of such injuries are infected by the time they are seen by a medical professional.

SPIDERS

As a rule, people rarely see a black widow bite, nor do they feel the bite as it occurs. The first (and possibly only) evidence that a person has been bitten may be a mild swelling of the injured area and two red puncture marks.

Within a short time, some victims begin to experience severe muscle cramps and rigidity of the abdominal muscles. Other possible symptoms include excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and vertigo, as well as breathing, vision, and speech problems.

A brown spider’s bite can lead to necrotic arachnidism, in which the tissue in an area of up to several inches around the bite becomes necrotic (dies), producing an open sore that can take months or years to disappear.

In most cases, the bite simply produces a hard, painful, itchy, and discolored area that heals without treatment in 2–3 days.

The bite may be accompanied by a fever, chills, edema (an accumulation of excess tissue fluid), nausea and vomiting, dizziness, muscle and joint pain, and a rash.

BEES & WASPS

The familiar symptoms of bee and wasp stings include pain, redness, swelling, and itchiness in the area of the sting.

Multiple stings can have much more severe consequences, such as anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs in hypersensitive persons.

SNAKES

Venomous pit viper bites usually begin to swell within 10 minutes and sometimes are painful.

Other symptoms include skin blisters and discoloration, weakness, sweating, nausea, faintness, dizziness, bruising, and tender lymph nodes.

Severe poisoning can lead to tingling in the scalp, fingers, and toes; muscle contractions; an elevated heart rate; rapid breathing; large drops in body temperature and blood pressure; vomiting of blood; and coma.

Many pit viper and coral snake bites (20–60%) fail to poison (envenomate) their victim, or introduce only a small amount of venom into the victim’s body.

The wounds, however, can still become infected by the harmful microorganisms that snakes carry in their mouths.

Coral snake bites are painful but may be hard to see.

One to seven hours after the bite, a bitten person begins to experience the effects of the venom, which include tingling at the wound site, weakness, nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, and irrational behavior.

Major nerves of the body can become paralyzed for 6–14 days, causing double vision, difficulty swallowing and speaking, respiratory failure, and other problems.

Six to eight weeks may be needed before normal muscular strength is regained.

JELLYFISH

Jellyfish venom is delivered by barbs called nematocysts, which are located on the creature’s tentacles and penetrate the skin of people who brush up against them. Instantly, painful and itchy red lesions usually result.

The pain can continue up to 48 hours.

Severe cases may lead to skin necrosis, muscle spasms and cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, excessive sweating, and other symptoms.

In rare instances, cardiorespiratory failure may occur.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References More: Writing Realistic Injuries ⚜ On Anatomy ⚜ Poison ⚜ Fight Scenes Part 1 2

[fleckcmscott]

Take a Step

Summary: Arthur and Y/N put away the mundane to create a memorable Valentine's Day.

Words: 4,785

Warnings: Smut, Swearing

A/N: A Valentine's story? In September? It's either really late or really early. ⏰ @jokerownsmysoul made this request over three years ago, the longest it has taken me to fulfill one. 🤯 That puts it in the really, really late category. 😂 Thank you so much for your patience! I hope you all like it!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

Mint and sulfur straggled through the sterile air, an unpleasant mixture that tautened his thighs to tight ropes. Breath rushed through flared nostrils, like a bear wanting to be left the hell alone so he could go hibernate. Skip the dreary dread of winter right to spring. He pressed the crown of his head to the wall behind him.

How had she talked him into this. How had he let her talk him into this?

Arthur and the dental profession had never been friends. The last seven years had gone by without just fine, thank you very much. Gotham Dental School's discounted amalgam fillings remained intact. The hole left by his missing pre-molar was convenient, really. A good place to stick a straw.

This would be more of the same old, same old advice, all of which he'd ignore. Start flossing. Use alcohol free mouthwash for dry mouth. Chew sugar free gum after smoking - or better yet, quit that entirely. Now go pay the receptionist and pick a prize out of the treasure chest.

He supposed he should be happy to have a wife who took care of his appointments, who pushed him to take care of himself. Mostly he was. But Y/N had shoved him into this office with an appointment card and a kiss on the cheek. "Dr. Miles does good work," she'd said. "He'll keep that sunny smile sexy."

Compliments were a surefire way to talk him into this.

The memory was enough of a trapdoor to step through, a cubbyhole of comfort that slowed his pulse. In an attempt to ignore the whirr of the drill in the next room, he studied the blotted watercolor of a beach on the opposite wall. The pile of yellowed "What Does God Require of You?" tracts by the overgrown philodendron on the bookcase. Anything but the giant tooth model showing the stages of periodontal disease.

He rubbed the top of his legs to loosen them, crossed them at the knee. His foot bumped the round ottoman that doubled as a newspaper holder. A headline below the fold caught his eye: "Valentine's spending set to shatter records."

A sunny, sexy smile spread across his face.

As a child, the day had meant a break from schoolwork for cupcakes with pink frosting and valentines slipped into a decorated shoebox on each student's desk. Sure, he'd only received a handful. But that'd been enough. A nice change from the usual teasing. When puberty had possessed him, hair and sweat glands sprouting in new places, Valentine's Day had been his personal pining hell. Dates didn't happen. He'd misread basic politeness as flirting. No one invited him anywhere.

Adulthood had been more of the same.

Television was a reminder of what he couldn't have. Advertisements for housewares, for cars, for grape juice all featured couples. They all had an us. One had a pair playing tennis, scoring 40-Love and discussing Speed Stick for Him and Her. A man ran a palm along a woman's leg in another, a commercial for No Nonsense pantyhose.

When would he get to fondle a woman's leg, he'd wondered? When would he get to score Love?

Way back when, Arthur had imagined an imperfect but wonderful evening. An amalgamation of simple yearnings and being green. A homecooked meal with his beloved, a slow dance in the kitchen. The softness of her, the kindness of her. Beauty buttressed by kisses and the kind of infatuation found in storybooks. A break from the bitterness that lurked a heartbeat away.

Now that he had his special person to cook and dance with, it was a holiday to relish. On which to buy a gift for his one and only. To show her off and show off how much he loved her.

There were a million ways to say I love you. Perhaps he'd get her one of those cards edged in lace or a sateen box of gourmet chocolates. Not the Brach's brand from the drug store - those were dry and sour - but from Cane's Chocolatiers, filled with mousse.

He could write a bit for her, perform a private set over coffee and cake. They could stroll along the docklands and listen to the ocean. Watch the moon shine on the incoming tide and their wedding rings. He'd take her hand, lead her out onto the pier, where they'd dance, and her dress would billow in waves. Where he'd twirl her until fell into his arms. Where he'd slip eager fingertips through the slit at her-

"Mr. Fleck," called the dental hygienist from the doorway. Toothbrushes dotted her purple scrubs. "We're ready for your x-rays."

Blinking, he rose and straightened his cardigan. Once the hygienist rounded the corner, he snatched the paper, folded it into thirds, and stuck it in his jacket pocket.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, Y/N waited at Gotham Savings Bank, paycheck and checkbook in hand. With the line a twelve-person-deep swarm, it was doubtful her errands would fit into her lunch hour. She adjusted her purse. Bounced between toes and heels. She'd have to steal bits of an Italian Style Swanson over her typewriter.

As she advanced through waves of mumbling and murmurs, a buoyant post came into view. Pink as an orchid, covered in enough silver glitter to give the janitor a headache, it advertised the Valentine's Club, a special savings account just for the holiday. Perfect for a cruise on the Finger River, starting with a candlelight dinner and ending with an engagement ring. A flash of a smile ruffled the corner of her mouth.

Though a decade had passed since she'd last celebrated, the day was nothing new. In elementary school, the teachers had passed out candy and cards. "I think you're sharp," they'd said, or "You pass the test!" Beyond the chance to eat sweets and the peril of cooties, none of the six-year-olds had really understood what it'd meant.

Despite being serious and stuffy, not one for grand romantic gestures, her ex-husband Jeff had been good at Valentine's Day. He'd eschewed Boonville's diner, pharmacy soda fountain, and immortal dive bar Fogey's in favor of a reservation out of town. Pulled her chair out for her, placed a respectable kiss on the cheek. At the end of the night, he'd given her carnations in the privacy of their living room, even when they'd been too distant to share the depths of their hearts.

One year, he'd whisked her away for an overnight at the Windsor Hotel, a three-story joint on the outskirts of St. Louis that featured coin-operated vibrating beds and a heated pool. They'd been stuck in a single directly under the hotel bar, a place filled with lonely hearts on the hunt for Cupid. Every laugh and every sob had penetrated the popcorn ceiling. Each footstep a bass drum threatening to crash through.

They'd tried to distract themselves with a quickie, but the bed's whirring motor had added to the racket rather than drowned it out. A bath in the jacuzzi was the next attempt to salvage the evening. But when she'd turned on the jets, the pipes squeaked and squealed as if mice ran through them, sprinting towards an entire wheel of cheese. She and Jeff had barely gotten dressed before racing home.

Last year, Valentine's wasn't a priority. She and Arthur were so busy with his move, it hadn't been a blip on her radar. He hadn't exactly been comfortable living together. Not yet. Akin to an anxious guest, he'd hesitated to touch anything. To affect the space that was now his. And he hadn't had access to all of his medications, refusing to elaborate on the cost besides a discouraged, dismissive "expensive."

Arthur's face had been a mask of embarrassment when he'd apologized over evening dishes. "For once in my life, I have someone who needs me. And I- I didn't do anything."

"Did you sample my Stevie Wonder record?" she'd asked. An inner joy had sprung at the progress that represented.

Arthur had dried his three-tone brown mug, set it next to hers on a one shoulder shrug. "Yeah."

"We took a big step in our relationship." She'd scrubbed the frying pan with firm, circular motions. "We stepped towards each other. What could be more of a celebration than that?"

"Okay, but-"

She'd pressed a sudsy hand to his sternum. "I know you love me. I love you, too." She sought to brighten him, to lighten him, and settled on another track he might have heard. "Either way, Arthur, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours."

The sigh of his entire frame as he'd dropped the dish towel and gathered her to his chest had made her love him all the more.

A middle-aged man in a threadbare beret shuffled forward, making Y/N next in line. The teal and peach lovebirds riding his shoulders pooped streaks of white and brown down the back of his suede jacket. She stayed in her spot and stayed silent. Nothing in this city surprised her anymore. At least he sounded polite.

She eyed the poster anew. This being the first Valentine's Day since marrying Arthur gave it an air of distinction, of specialness she was happy to embrace. Especially for him, her romantic at heart. Maybe they could go ice skating in the park, or take a carriage ride through Gotham, replete with flannel blankets and hot chocolate.

She smiled at the way he conjured such images, how he'd taught her to enjoy the special gestures she hadn't thought necessary.

"Next, please!" From the teller on the right.

Y/N scanned the floor for white and brown splats. At the window, she straightened and said, "Hi, I'd like to deposit this into my checking account." She pushed her paycheck under the glass. But her current preoccupation with Arthur stalled her hand. "Actually, I have to correct the cash back form. I'll need an extra fifty."

~~~~~

A blizzard had rolled in Saturday, bringing Gotham to a standstill under twenty-six inches of snow. Most trains were back on schedule by Sunday evening, but on Monday all city parks remained closed. Waltzes on the pier and carriage rides would have to wait.

What they settled on was closer to Arthur's humble fantasies of yore. He was fine with that - it'd be easier to make reality match the movie in his mind. Gifts after breakfast that her office's delayed opening had turned into brunch and catching Singing in the Rain at the Monarch that night. A flick that guaranteed they'd wear themselves out laughing (or fooling around in the back row if the mood struck).

And an afternoon delivery, a cliché and a classic he prayed would work despite the frost.

Their home was tranquil, serene, the only sounds their hushed voices and gentle conversation. Court for the next three days was sure to be cancelled, so Y/N planned to review older cases, ensure their documents were in order. Arthur would head to the children's clinic with heart-shaped lollipops tomorrow. He'd salted the building's entranceway while she'd showered. ("I got out your boots," he told her. "It's slippery out there." "You take such good care of me," she said.)

The familiarity of their everyday discussions was a comfort, as cozy as a well-tended hearth. Yet, lovely though it was, he wanted less everyday, more play. Less work and chores, more Us.

He eyed the fruit plate. Fresh pears were new to him, and a lifelong dislike of canned made him skeptical. He went for the cantaloupe. "What was the first thing you noticed about me? When we met?"

Y/N munched at her cinnamon oatmeal. "Your hair."

"My hair?" People tended to comment on his laugh or skinniness, if they noticed him at all.

"There's a confidence to keeping it long. And it was obvious you used conditioner. That told me the rest of you was well kept, too." She wet her lips between each spoonful. "How about you? What did you notice about me?"

"That you blushed." He took a cautious nibble and frowned, a taste he could only describe as sweet garbage swamping his mouth. He laid the slice politely in his bowl. Cleared his throat, chugged the rest of his coffee. "Other woman don't do that around me."

"Well, they must be blind, Mr. Fleck, because you're gorgeous. That's the second thing I noticed."

Ducking his chin, he thumbed the handle of his mug. Fitting that she'd see beauty in him he hadn't realized existed.

A sudden anticipation seized him, the urge to shove his gift at her mid-bite. He excused himself, hurried to his desk. Retrieved the key from under the desk lamp. Pulled open the bottom drawer.

The bundle covered in red tissue paper dared him to do it.

He held it with both hands. Reverently, as if it could singe. He wasn't certain what had loaned him the panache to buy this. Maybe being a husband had made him a new and improved Arthur. This felt more daring than marrying her. Than sleeping with her. Solicitation shielded in scarlet.

She was scooping the last morsel of oatmeal in her mouth when he set it beside the fruit plate. Perched on the chair diagonal from her, he rubbed sweaty palms under the table.

Frantic tearing at the paper, her smile rounding to a pleased O. "Oh, Arthur…" She hooked her fingers through the babydoll's straps. A laugh bubbled up, fresh color flooding her cheeks. "I have to admit I'm surprised you got me something like this. But I'm happy you did. Come here." She leaned forward and grabbed his chin.

Deep satisfaction eased his nerves, while her firm, wet kiss sparked others anew. He held her forearm. Parted her lips with his own.

Quick as a flash, she broke away. "I'm gonna try it on," she said, and sprinted in the direction of the bedroom.

His gaze followed her until she was out of sight. A pleasing lightness coursed through him. Lifted him from his chair. Drove him to move, turn on one foot from the table to the sink to rinse their bowls.

Less than a minute later, she'd returned. "What do you think?"

He glanced towards the kitchen entrance, over his shoulder. Registered what he'd seen and glanced again. A knot rose in throat, that glance becoming a full-on stare.

Powder blue chiffon draped over her form, the hem floating below her hips in a soft sway. Dainty white flowers trimmed the v-neck, starting at her breasts, climbing along the halter straps that disappeared beneath her tresses and were tied in a bow at the nape of her neck. Brown aerolas were brazen pendants beneath the lingerie. The strip of mesh that ran under her bust drew his stare downward, to the outline of her comma shaped navel.

"You…" He gulped. Below was a silhouette of dusky hair, a demure triangle at the apex of her thighs. The nightie was more diaphanous than the sales catalog had led him to believe. He lowered the bowl like a man hypnotized. It met the bottom of the sink with a soft clink. "You're beautiful."

A giggle as she covered her face. "You make me feel beautiful."

She went to him, the air around her electrified, sparking with each footfall. She pulled a red envelope from behind her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

With the care of a curator of rare antiquities, he slid his fingertip under the flap. The lilac greeting card had a tic-tac-toe game in which the Xs had lost, and the Os were a horizontal line of three hearts. "You won my heart," it said. Y/N had added a short note in her rounded script: "(You made it a very easy game.)" He traced the letters, his chest swelling with pride. Inside, he found a perforated certificate, akin to an old movie ticket, where a couple tangoed across a black background and gold cursive declared, "Good for three lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studios."

His fantasy of them on the pier flashed behind his eyes. Had she misread is mind? "But I don't need lessons."

"No," she said, and closed the gap between them. "But I do."

Tender adoration flooded his frame, a gooeyness starting in his scalp and ending in his toes. She was timid about dancing, insecure in the way he was about too many things. And here she stood, willing to take part in one of his passions. To be the center of attention. To get out there in front of everyone to learn to dance. With him. Simply because she loved him.

With a woman like her in his life, it was easy to be a new and improved Arthur.

Relaxing into a grin, he grabbed her hand and snatched her about the waist. She yelped, her palm flying to his bicep. A step forward with his left foot, a slide to the right with his right. He led her through the passthrough galley in a sort of jogging quickstep. His uneven shoulders shimmed, a happy tune behind his teeth.

"What are you humming?" Y/N asked.

"'You Were Meant for Me.'" A number from the flick they'd catch tonight. He lifted their arms above their heads, tried to ease her into a natural spin turn.

Her toes collided with his, her weight off balance as she floundered. She laughed a nervous laugh. "Even though I don't have your grace?"

"But you're the prettiest," he said, and bent to kiss her. His fingers splayed on the elegant curve of her back. "The sweetest." Her form pressed closer, soft curves on hard angles.

He traced a path down her arm, gaze falling to the slopes of her breasts. Fabric obscured the faint stretchmarks, her puffy aerolas now tight dots. Their steps slowed, their dance burgeoning to a dire need for friction. He guided her jaw upwards, his voice velvet edged. "The sexiest."

Her eyes softened, gleaming garnets worthy of song and Solomon. "I love you."

"Shameless," he rasped, thin lips claiming hers.

Her arms flew about his middle, mouths meeting and parting with languorous urgency. Stirring below his waistband swelled to an assertive ache in his abdomen. Heavy and full, he strained against the seam of his pajamas.

She writhed against it, ground her hips into his. Wanton fingers cupped him through the thin cotton. Squeezing, scorching, a fervent up and down. Clasping her upper arms, he walked her backwards, erection bobbing with each step.

When he lifted her onto the counter, lusty laughter filled her throat. Sultry, silky, a sound he longed to wrap himself in. To draw from her tongue. Her knees fell open at his hips. She scooted forward, away from the microwave and upper cabinets. Her breasts jostled with each movement. He cupped one, jiggled it until she snorted and dug her toes into his leg.

Gauzy fabric caught on her nipples. He drew one downward with his thumb, watched it spring back. Gently, he rolled it between his fingers. Pinched and groaned as it grew harder. On a choked cry, she arched into his touch. Reached to tug at the strap by her neck.

He caught her wrist. "Leave it on." Touching her directly was intoxicating, a liquor he preferred to wine. But something about her nightie separating them gave the encounter an illicit air, like he was privy to a secret. A green light of want that flashed only for him.

She leaned back a bit, just enough to loosen the tie of his pajama bottoms. Slide them past his pelvis. The thin cotton pooled at his skinny ankles. She whispered caresses along his ribs, teased the hollows of his hips. The hem of her nightie crept to her waist. He was fully aware of his cock brushing her inner thigh.

She grasped his shaft, ran the tip in a line along her slit. Smeared his arousal from her clit to her plump lips. Pleasure spiked through him. A flinch and a gasp as he sprang to his toes.

Her bedroom eyes met his. "Make love to me."

He breathed a shivering breath. This was more than he'd imagined, yet exactly what he'd yearned for.

He slid into her deliciously. She was fiery, like a furnace, heat radiating from each cell. From this angle, he could see every detail of her sex. The pretty pink, the glistening want of him, her creases and fleshy folds. It was incredible, exciting, and with a hungry grunt he filled her anew.

Peeking out from its hood, her bundle of nerves begged for his touch. He dragged the pad of his thumb across it. Did so once more. Nails biting his shoulders, she jolted, cried out. Another sweep and a canyon formed between her brows. She tossed back her head without a care-

Bang!

A yelp cut off her mewling. Arthur halted mid-thrust, hands hovering by her ears. "Are you okay?"

Laughter cracked out of her. She grabbed the crown of her head. "The cabinet is more dangerous than it looks."

He chuckled along with her and pecked her hair. Scooped her up by the waist and spun them around. The pajamas at his ankles forced his walk to a scuffing. He set her on the dinette table, on the side free from coffee mugs and sickly sweet melon.

Laying down, she stretched her arms out behind her, grasped the edge of the table. Diaphanous blue rode further upward. Gravity flattened her stomach. Her legs dangled over the side.

He rocked into her again, and she smiled his favorite kind of smile. Wide and open, built from love and delight. One hand ran from her shoulder, over her breast, to her hip. Then lower and lower still. Her fingertips quivered at her clit, short strokes that made her thighs twitch. "Just like that," she said, ending on a whine.

He plunged faster, her quickening fingers a guide. Strained to bring her to completion. She bucked lightly, a subtle circling that struck a vibrant chord within him. He bent forward, pressed a palm to her sternum. Urged her to take all that she needed. All that she wanted. All of him.

Ruddy patches bloomed across her chest, crept up her neck, tinged the shells of her ears. A heady moan slipped from her. The rise and fall of her ribs went herky-jerky, her head craned back. Her walls spasmed, clutching and groping him in a rhythm that doubled him over. Warm and nimble, the kind of dance she excelled at. The dance for which she'd taught him all the steps.

"You're so good at this," she purred once her shakes had abated.

A smug smile spreading wide. "Am I?" He flexed the muscles of his pubis, watched her eyes widen with delight.

Her hand went from her center to trail tickling fingers up his spine. "You fuck me like you mean it."

Bottomless contentment unfurled in him, enveloped the peaks and valleys of his soul. "I do mean it," he said, and rotated his pelvis into hers.

Arching to meet him, she tugged at his tousled curls. "Like I was meant for you."

Delving deeper and deeper with each push. "You were."

Managing to be tender and firm at the same time, he cupped her face with both hands. Today was a day for romance, and he wanted to kiss her when he came. The touch of her lips was a thousand-volt shock. His tempo quickened, breath emerging in short, desperate pants. A sudden burst within him, his whole being flooded with besotted bliss. His hips stuttered, every pulse a pierce of pleasure. Eyes screwing shut, he whimpered into her mouth.

Peaceful, warm, and tired, he slumped on top of her. Basked in her smooth skin. Her fingers in his hair, his arm pillowing her head, the sweaty press of their stomachs. He could've stayed in that naked reality forever, signed a lease and moved right in.

But Y/N kissed his shoulder and said, "I should get ready before Phil has to ask why I'm late to work." Her free hand felt around for the fruit plate.

Arthur groaned and propped himself on an elbow. Fumbled with a flower on her neckline. "Well, what would you have said?"

She took a bite of pear, munched thoughtfully before replying. "That my husband had me in flagrante delicto." She pressed the rest of the pear to his mouth. He closed his lips around her fingertips, took the juicy morsel with tongue and teeth. "That you caught me in the act," she said, brows arching twice. His belly tightened on a breathy laugh.

Combing through her bedhead, she scooted to stand. Pulled the nightie down to her hips. Arthur bunched up his pajamas and briefs, held them in front of his thighs. Just as she was about to exit the kitchen, she stopped and turned back. "You make me so happy, Arthur. There's no one else I'd rather have been meant for." A peck to his cheek and she left.

Say something, he thought. Say anything! But his mouth was a stubborn seam, and it was only after the bathroom door had shut that he could even move. That he could even breathe. He fell back against the counter, grasped the edge for purchase. Dropped his clothing and rubbed his hand over his heart.

This damned life had brought so much pain, but then it'd brought her. It was almost enough to forgive and forget all those wasted Valentines.

The rush of the faucet brought him back to the present. He marched to the phone and dialed. Even if he couldn't find the words, this was something he could do.

"Hi, this is Arthur. Arthur Fleck. Is it too late to change the delivery for Y/N Fleck? At Dube and Ellis?" The phone cord curled around fidgeting knuckles. "Okay, good. Can I make it two dozen?"

~~~~~

"Could you fax that attention Y/N Fleck, please?" Y/N said into the phone. She hadn't gotten a chance to shower after this morning's impromptu rendezvous, but she'd run a washcloth over the vital parts and didn't seem to smell of sex. A pity, really. She wouldn't have minded a hint of her husband's piney scent as a private perfume. She'd nuzzle him tonight at the movies to make up for it.

Y/N, you're at work. Stop it.

She crossed her legs and ran a finger along her collar. "No, not Flick. Fleck. F-L-E-C-K."

Terry swaggered through the firm's door and in her direction, carrying a looming bouquet of roses and baby's breath in a fluted vase. Had he forgotten today? Was he on his way over to celebrate a last-minute victory?

"Yes." Again into the receiver. "Thanks a lot. You, too." Once she'd hung up, she relaxed into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "You made it just under the wire," she told Terry. "I'm surprised there were any flowers left in the city. Your wife'll love them."

"Are you kidding? And risk my hide like that?" He stopped in front of her desk. "I made a reservation months ago. These are for you."

She squinted in confusion. "What?"

"At least, that's what I assume." He made an exaggerated show of reading the floral card. "'To my saucy and sweet Y/N.'"

"Oh my god." She shot upright, her head a fireball.

He surveyed the office. "I don't see any other Y/Ns around here."

"Give me that." She snatched the card from him.

A goofy snicker left Terry, a barrel of ha-has. "Now I know your secret." He squeezed the vase between her typewriter and coffee mug. "Remember that during fundraising season."

When he took off towards his desk, she called after him. "Bribery is illegal." He waved her off with a So Sue Me gesture.

Spicy floral caught her nose, not on par with Arthur's scent but lovely all the same. She traced a bloom, cupped one in her palm. After ensuring the coast was clear, she pulled the card away from her chest. She read the courier font, her smile soaring to an all-out beam:

To my saucy and sweet Y/N, Everyone should know we make a great pear. Your valentine, Arthur.

She made a soft sound, ran her thumb over his name. The salutation was corny and charming and embodied everything she'd come to appreciate about him. To love about him. A declaration as proud and plain as their wedding bands, the last name on her name plate, the photo on her desk.

One more example wouldn't hurt.

Careful not to a disturb a petal, Y/N stuck the card back in its holder. Stood and slid the vase to the outer corner of her L-shaped desk, a vibrant and happy display.

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​​​​​ @ithinkimaperson​​​​​ @sweet-nothings04​​​​​ @stephieraptorr​​​​ @rommies​​​​​ @fallenstarsabyss @gruffle1​​​​​ @another-day-in-chuckletown​ @hhandley80​​​​​ @jokerownsmysoul​​​​​ @rafaelbottom @ralugraphics​​​​​ @iartsometimes​​​​​ @fleckficgirl

[mychlapci]

I've heard of robot that gets off to using high amounts of processor power, like by just looking up the hardest math problems ever and going hog wild. but what I want to propose is robot that has a fetish for jiggly tits and ass and belly bc calculating the physics gets those same motors running. Jiggle physics fetish IRL. there should be an entire porn category that's just "shaking as much as possible". Cybertronians hear about twerking and they're like OHHH some things are universal constants. Anyways. I think prowl should ride a fucking machine in front of a mirror and cum super hard from the overstimulation of calculating his milkers trajectories. Also kinda want tf prime starscream going from having nothing to shake (bc seekers don't DO that), to being sparked up and unable to get Megatron's paws off his ALMOST medium sized boobs that will totally stop growing if you keep squeezing them like stress balls, primus damn it. He just doesn't realize that as soon as the sparkling is out of him, his tummy and fattened up aft will get the attention. He bitches and moans, but when he ACTUALLY starts losing the carrying weight, he starts eating double rations and does his best to get a second sparkling going. Honestly would be funny if he was trying to grow his boobs, but everything went to his thighs, aft, and stomach instead. Megatron definitely isn't complaining about it, though. Smedium breasted evil advisorwife

ahsjsbhshsh Meduium breasted advisor wife… is Starscream, by any chance, looking for a job? i offer dental.

hrhhhhh okay, oh yeah, I am always down to fatten up tfp Starscream. and we will come back to jiggle physics fetish, but for now I gotta say that i need Megatron to put a big ass baby in that twink. get him heavy and fat and growing large tits. Well, as large as Starscream’s itty bitty milkers can get. Get him fat!

[taralen]

I love that Spamton is simultaneously:

Funny

Scary

Hideous

Handsome

Tiny

Gigantic

Angelic

Demonic

Villain

Anti-Hero

Piece of @#$%

Lovable Weirdo

Disgusting

Sexy

Silly

Angsty

Manic

Depressed

Chubby

Thin

Buff

Dirty

Clean

Ball-jointed

No jointed

Badass

Loser

WINRAR

He's like the perfect poster boy. He fits into so many categories, and yet, most of them fit him anyway. Want an ad for something horrific? SPAMTON G. SPAMTON. Need a model for the latest lingerie? SPAMTON G. SPAMTON. Looking to advertise good dental care? SPAMTON G. SPAMTON. Need a scapegoat for all the city's problems? SPAMTON G. SPAMT—

[astrhoeluvr]

Astrhoe Observations Pt.4 🫂🥰🫶🏻

(HAPPY SAG SEASON AND ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME😘🫶🏻, I’m back with another one for y’all)

Back to 👉🏻 my materialist 👁️🫦👁️.

a lil disclaimer : these are just my personal observations, so don’t take any of them to heart🥳.Some could be applicable to you and some would differ, so take all of them with a grain of salt OKIE! enough of me blabbing let’s get on with it🫶🏻🥰

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦: The house where your mercury sits in could indicate where your sibling played the most crucial/impactful role in your life.

Eg. Mercury in the 7th house could mean meeting your future spouse with the help of your sibling💍💖, Mercury in the 10th house could indicate working with your sibling or maybe your sibling could have some sort of influence over your career!💼✍🏻📑

🤪🥳: Mutable mercury’s and using a shit ton of emojis 🥰😍🤩😈😘🥲🤪👀🌺💴🤑😍 (esp Pisces, Gemini and Sagitiddies😘🫶🏻, Virgo’s are more of the :) , :0, ,-_- kinda emojis yk? Are these even emojis 😭? Or emoticons? Wtv y’all wanna call it🤷🏻‍♀️) fire mercury’s could also fall under this category 🔥💅🏻!

🥵😩: If you have someone’s Mars in your first house, you’d just wanna get it on w them yk😳🫵🏻 *aggressive lip bite* 🫦👀🔥! The physical attraction is palpable😈😵 pshh this is not always a good thing tho😃🙂🤺 but nevertheless a VERY spicy placement🌶️🥵.

☕️😴: I’ve seen a lot of Mutable/Leo and Aquarius placements addicted to caffeine 🤨🤨🧐? Y’all just don’t wanna fall asleep at an appropriate time huh??? YES, I SEE YOU 🫵🏻🧐 IT’s okay you can complete that assignment LATER 📝✍🏻or watch the last episode of a Netflix show the next day!📺💃!! GET SOME SLEEP luvs😴💤

🤥❌: One thing for sure is Y’ALL 👏🏻 CANNOT 👏🏻 LIE 👏🏻 TO 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 MERCURY 👏🏻 IN 👏🏻 SCORPIO 👏🏻 INDIVIDUAL 👏🏻. Even if you try lying straight through your teeth with the utmost of confidence they’d be like “HMMM SOMETHING DOES NOT ADD UP🕵🏻, SEEMS VERY FISHY TO ME🐠🤺” , would definitely look at you like this: 🤨🤨🤨 and will surely find out what sneaky business y’all are up to.👀🧐

📸😀: Okay mercury/neptune/mars - uranus aspects, lemme see your search history real quick📸👀🤨 y’all probably be searching up the most kinkiest/concerning shit😀. My friend has one of these placements and the first thing on his search history was “how do we steal a baby?” And “are polar bears multicoloured?” LIKE BABY WHAT? 😭😭😭😭😀🤺🤺 JAIL. RN.

🥗🍜: Venus- Uranus placements could have a very wide palate when it comes to trying out new dishes🍟🌮🍱🍝🥮🍫🍬🍪. They’re the typa people who are always down to try various cuisines👩🏻‍🍳🍛.

👯‍♀️😘: Venus in the 11th house culture is looking at your homie and saying “I might just kiss you rn” as a joke😏😏and they’d be like “haha bet😏👀”, and BOOM y’all are making out the next minute😭😈. Venus in the 11th 🤝🏻 flirting with their friends as a joke..unless??😏👯‍♀️😍👀.

🤑🛍️: Libra/Leo/Taurus/Cancer placements 🤝🏻 retail therapy 🛒🏬🎁💐👙👗.

🦷😬: Capricorn placements 🤝🏻 having issues with their teeth. Capricorn placements are most likely prone to sensitivity in their teeth or any tooth related problem!! Y’ALL PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHILE EATING ICE CREAM /ANY COLD FOODS OKAY🍦🫶🏻, ik sometimes you just wanna maybe TRY biting into an ice cream but for heavens sake do not let your intrusive thoughts win bwhahaha😀😭. Make sure to get your daily dental checkups y’all, this is not just for cappy placements!! but everyone 😗🥰🫂😁!

Okay that’s all for today luvs🥰🫶🏻

(Please do not copy or plagiarise any of my work <33)

- san✨🍵🪴📖🧘🏻‍♀️

[sniffanimal]

Dont count baby teeth unless they're just permanently in your mouth and havent been removed. Don't count implants, bridges, or dentures, veneers are on thin fucking ice. Half/chipped/cracked teeth still count as long as there's some tooth where it goes. If anyone's wondering I have 23 lol my wisdom teeth wrecked my other teeth on the way in.

This is obviously no moral judgement on dental hygiene, orthodontics, age, or anything (as I'm someone missing a lot of teeth). I'm mostly just curious at how common a mouth like mine is! There's many causes for tooth loss, and none of them are more Noble or Valid than another.

edit: hell i messed up the numbers but Whatever i meant for 28 to be in the category above it but its fine just vote for what the categories say lol just dont @ me for having bad math

[harrystylessmuttyfics]

AUs/Tropes

(WIP — Updated July 24th, 2023 at 11:24 AM)

Do you have a category you’d like us to add? Please reach out to us!

(🔞 — Trigger Warning)

AUs

Demon/Incubus!Harry

Ritual

Vanilla Lime (5 Chapters)

Hell of a Morning

Tales of the Modern Incubus (20 Chapters)

Teacher/Professor!Harry

Wildest Fantasies (17 Chapters)

Risk It

Pornstar!Harry

Money Shot

Gravity (7 Chapters)

Royal!Harry

The Queen’s Secret (16 Chapters)

The Mean Prince (3 Chapters)

Mafia/Gang!Harry

Getaway Car (8 Chapters)

Compromised (15 Chapters)

Smitten (7 Chapters)

Doctor!Harry

Dr. Styles

The Dental Assistant (7 Chapters)

Step!Harry

Whatcha Doin', Step-Bro?🔞

Whatcha Doin', Step-Bro? (Prequel)🔞

Tattoo/Piercing Artist!Harry

Tropes

Enemies to Lovers

Harry's Home (4 Chapters) 🔞

Friends to Lovers

Best Friend’s Brother/Brother’s Best Friend

Age Gap

[liaromancewriter]

Sugar Bugs

Premise: The twins visit the dentist's office.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Ramsey Twins (OC children) Rating/Category: General. Fluff. Words: 745

Eloise Ramsey loved sweets. It was just too bad that her teeth didn’t share the sentiment.

She half-listened to Mindy, her dental hygienist, as she updated her mom on the cavities she found during the check-up. El didn’t need to pay attention because Mindy had already told her everything.

She and Sophie had been going to Dr. Baker’s office for years for their teeth cleanings and check-ups. Mindy was part of the team, and El liked how she didn’t treat them like babies, so she always asked for her.

She stared at the ceiling and sighed deeply, the weight of the world on her shoulders. She just knew her dad would use this as an excuse to cut her off from all the sugary goodness that was her weakness.

El gave her mom’s profile a shifty, side-eyed look. If she thought about it, it was her parents’ fault for filling their home with cakes, candy and other sweets. She wouldn’t be tempted to eat sugar if they didn't buy them.

So, really, she shouldn’t be held responsible for doing what kids did. She was only nine and at the mercy of adults.

She glossed over the fact that her parents doled out sweets in moderation and only on special occasions. It was immaterial to the indignation playing out in her head.

The door to the exam room swung open, and Sophie rushed inside, followed by a smiling Dr. Baker.

“Guest what, El?” Sophie exclaimed, tugging at her sister’s arm before continuing excitedly. “Dr. Baker said my teeth are perfect!”

Of course, they were. She loved her sister to the moon and back, but there was no denying she was perfect at everything. Little Miss Perfect. El rolled her eyes internally, stopping midway when she realized Sophie had seen the gesture.

Instead of being offended, she grinned and stuck out her tongue. El smiled. This is why she loved her twin. Where others might bristle at her sharp remarks, Sophie always took them in stride.

“Well, young lady, let’s have a look,” Dr. Baker called out a little too cheerfully for El’s taste.

The man really did love staring into people’s mouths, she thought wryly as he pressed a button to lower the chair.

He parked himself on the padded stool and rolled closer, grabbing one of the shiny instruments from the tray before peering into her open mouth.

“Yep, those definitely look like sugar bugs,” he said with a nod, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners.

His childish description, one that used to make her giggle when she was five, now only made her roll her eyes. At this rate, she’d hit her daily quota of eye rolls before noon.

“They’re called cavities,” El muttered dryly, the snark creeping into her voice.

He smiled. “Ah, but calling them ‘sugar bugs’ makes them seem much less scary, don’t you think?”

Sophie giggled from the corner, always entertained by the dentist’s antics. El shot her a look that said traitor.

“Yeah, sure, because what could be more terrifying than a bug made out of sugar?” El replied, deadpan.

Dr. Baker chuckled, completely unfazed as he continued his examination. “Looks like this apple didn’t fall far from the Ethan Ramsey tree.”

“She’s definitely her father’s daughter,” her mom commented, a hint of laughter in her voice.

“The cavity isn’t too bad,” Dr. Baker said, straightening his back and glancing at his watch. “I’ve got time now. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes, and it’ll save you a follow-up visit. I know how busy you and Ethan are these days, Cassie.”

"El?" Mom prompted, looking over at her.

Forgetting her earlier irritation at her parent’s role in her current predicament, El softened at the question. She appreciated how her parents always let her and Sophie make their own decisions. Her mom could’ve pulled rank, but she rarely did, and her dad was the same. They actively encouraged their daughters to be independent and make their own choices.

El exhaled dramatically, giving a mock royal wave. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Baker nodded, turning away to prep his tools.

“We’ll be in the waiting room,” her mom said, gently squeezing her shoulder. “Come on, Sophie.”

“Good luck, El!” Sophie called out with a grin, following their mom out of the room.

Dr. Baker leaned over her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “And don’t worry. Those ‘sugar bugs’ don’t stand a chance.”

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @justyourusualash

@lady-calypso @kyra75 @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect

@queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @snoopdogcone @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

I had never thought about the fact that snakes would have more than the set of initial fangs so that post you did on snake bites is fascinating!! Thank you so much for all the information you give us, it is very much appreciated how much time and effort you put in to helping people learn about snakes!!

I have a couple questions for you regarding snakes teeth!

1. Do all snakes have the same amount of teeth once they've reached adult hood or do different breeds have different amounts for their specific needs?

2. Do snakes have and lose their "baby" teeth and grow in adult ones like other animals and humans? Or do they grow with the snake as they age?

3. I work in the veterinary industry with dogs and cats and your post also made me think about if snakes would need dental care like dogs and cats do, like would you ever have to have a snake have a tooth pulled if there was an issue with it? Made me picture a little snake under anesthesia with its little tongue hanging out while getting it's teeth cleaned like I see with dogs and cats and it made me laugh!

Sorry if these are silly questions, again thank you so so much for all your hard work 🩷🩷

Great questions!!

First thing, before I get into your specific questions: not all snakes have fangs! There are exceptions, but snakes generally fall into four dentition categories.

Aglyphous dentition is when snakes don't have fangs at all. Teeth are generally the same size and shape. All nonvenomous snakes, like boas and pythons, fall into this category! These snakes tend to have a lot of teeth (hundreds!) and they can be in a single row or multiple rows.

Then there's solenoglyphous dentition, which is what people generally think of when we talk about snake teeth. There's comparatively very few teeth and two large, hinged fangs that fold up against the roof of the mouth. Vipers are solenoglyphs.

Next, there's proteroglyphous dentition, which looks similar to solenoglyphous dentition except the fangs are much smaller and always in place. Elapids (cobras and their relatives) have this type.

The last major type of snake dentition is opisthoglyphous dentition, which are our rear-fanged venomous colubrids. These snakes have large fangs at the back of their mouths; it's kinda a garbage fang system but they're doing their best. Hognoses, boomslangs, and most other venomous colubrids are here.

Okay, now that we've got the basics out of the way...

Baby snakes are born with the same number as adults, but as I'm sure you've already guessed from the pictures above, the number varies wildly by species! Snakes average around 50-100 teeth across species, with the number skewing upwards thanks to nonvenomous snakes, but vipers and elapids typically have less than fifty.

Snakes don't have baby teeth! Teeth fall out and are replaced throughout their lives.

Snakes generally don't need dental care (although that image is super cute!). However, teeth can totally cause problems. The most common ones I see are stuck teeth - because snake jaws are so flexible, sometimes they accidentally get a tooth stuck in their gums. That can usually be fixed by simply gently guiding the snake's mouth open, but sometimes stuck teeth do require professional help. Even at its most complicated, dental care for snakes usually just involves a round of antibiotics in the case of infections - problem teeth often fall out on their own or are easily pulled with the help of local pain relief.

[texasdreamer01]

Atlantis Expedition: Science Division Departments - Medical Department

Continuing from my starting post here, I'm now breaking things down by department, beginning with the Medical Department.

I did end up heavily revising this department after the commentary on the general departments post, and also after a lot of looking up of the actual divisions of medical specialties. So, first, the (new) numbers:

> Head: Carson Beckett (later, Jennifer Keller, later, whomever) > Contains: Surgery, psychiatry, physical therapy > Function: Maintaining health of expedition members > Examples of function: surgeries, medical prescriptions, recuperation from injuries, mental stability > Personnel quantity: 1 (Head) + 10 (surgical team) + 5 10 (nurses non-surgical team) + 1 (psych) + 1 (phys. therapy) + 1 (anesthesiologist) (grouped under non-surgical team) = 19 23 total > A/N: Nurses have training in medications and physical therapy, surgical team also doubles as general practitioners

Information carried over from the first post, with struck text indicating revisions. The new total is 23, and the author's note is now irrelevant in light of new information. Mostly.

After doubling the amount of nurses, realizing "nurse" is a very broad category of medical professional with multiple definitions and aspects of job duties in multiple countries, I did a bit of renaming of the teams within this department: surgical, non-surgical, and miscellaneous (sorry guys).

Something I had realized was that this was not going to be a typical medical department (duh, in hindsight). These people are all going through the SGC, and the SGC quite likely not already has their own training protocols in place for dealing with SGC-specific situations, but also adapted technology from Goa'uld tech. What is Goa'uld tech? Appropriated Ancient tech, but without the gene component - fascinating, but also a post for another time.

This did inform how I revised which personnel to include, their specialties, and their duties. You're not exactly going to be shoving a whole MRI machine through a gate, so a radiologist isn't going to be a necessary specialty. Because of this, there's going to be a lot more cross-training, and more of a focus that's similar to what Atlantis would actually operate as: a forward operating base.

So, on to the teams (commentary included).

Surgical Team

> Personnel quantity: 10 > Minimum education: Doctorate in Surgery (ChM) > All of these people are already trained in basic medical knowledge and practices, and also overall surgical practices in different areas of the body

Specialties

> Neurosurgery > Dentistry | Oral and maxillofacial surgery  » In the US, trained to do general anesthesia and deep sedation > Orthopedics  » Musculoskeletal > Trauma surgery  » Can contain combat surgeons  » 2x of these > OBGYN > Urology > Cardiothoracic  » 2x of these, by speciality:   ⇛ Cardiovascular surgeon    ⟹ "involving the heart and the great vessels"   ⇛ Thoracic surgeon    ⟹ involving the lungs, esophagus, thymus, etc. > Surgical technologist  » "In the military they perform the duties of both the circulator and the scrub."  » Creates and maintains a sterile surgical environment  » Anticipates the work a surgeon needs to do  » Walking compendium of surgical techniques and stitches

I had wavered a bit on qualifications, and thus who to include - at the end of the day, it was probably going to be on an American standard, given the physical location of SGC. This meant I got to do a nifty thing of having my oral/maxillofacial surgeon be the dentist that's also an anesthesiologist, even if this is apparently considered odd in many other countries.

Mostly I wanted to go by section of the body, and see what kind of specialties there were, and what did and did not overlap. Surprisingly, it was more difficult to figure out who did abdominal surgeries than it was neurosurgery or dental surgery, hence two people in cardiothoracic surgery and two "general" surgeons in the form of trauma surgery because, again, forward operating base - they have no idea what Atlantis will be, so some assumptions will need to be made and better to err on the side of caution.

In a more delicate but still very necessary subject, one OBGYN (obstetrics and gynecology) and one urologist (aka urinary system and male reproductive system). For various obvious reasons, everyone's health in this area still needs to be taken care of, so it's better to have them on the team than politely handwave the idea.

Neurosurgery, for an obvious reason - it's highly specialized and without significant overlap, while also being a critical function on a surgical team with the demands the Atlantis Expedition will likely face.

Orthopedics are musculoskeletal, or deals with muscles and the skeletal system. A fair amount of what they do has overlap (see: trauma surgeons), but having someone specialized for the particularities of setting bones and handling surgeries on things like the joints is incredibly useful when presuming setting up camp in an active combat zone (which they really, really did).

Trauma surgeons are, more or less, the ones that you would see in an emergency situation - acute situations and their injuries are their specialty, and for this expedition likely the head of the surgical team by dint of their training to assess a patient quickly and develop a care plan very quickly. Because of this, I found the overlap of combat surgeons immensely helpful, which means that there's a significant probability that this surgical team has military personnel assigned to it. These surgeons are also the ones most likely to be SGC-imported, and trained to deal with things like injuries from Goa'uld and Goa'uld devices.

All these very highly-trained people, who are all probably very, very smart - who supports them? As it turns out, at least in the operating theater, not the nurses, but surgical technologists.

Surgical technologists main job, at least here, would be to set up the operating theater and anticipate whatever it is a surgeon needs in assistance. This includes things like training on a wide variety of surgical techniques (i.e. stitches), disinfection procedures, and medications such as anesthesia (ish). I included the quote about military duties because it saves money on how many people to include in the expedition, and penny-pinching is the backbone of any hiring process.

Now, the surgical team is all done! That's ten people right there, and on to the non-surgical team.

Non-Surgical Team

> Personnel quantity: 10  » 5 Technicians/Nurses, 5 Non-Surgical Medical Specialists

Nurses

> (Advanced Practice) Nurses  » 5x of these  » Registered Nurse   ⇛ As the general minimum educational and experimental requirement  » Perioperative nursing   ⇛ Assists surgical team, helps with pre- and post-surgical patients  » Emergency nursing   ⇛ Can do triaging, suturing, casting/splinting, local/regional anesthesia, and other doctoral skills as needed   ⇛ Likely the SGC training model incorporates all of the above, and also training on medical technology adapted from Goa'uld healing technology (which is really Ancient but without the ATA gene lock)    ⟹ Radiology tech    ⟹ MRI tech (which is radiology but a bit to the left)    ⟹ Other adapted diagnostic equipment

Non-Surgical Medical Specialists

> Pathology  » 2x of these  » Coordinates with Life Science Department to develop diagnoses for novel diseases (in the Pegasus galaxy) > Internal medicine | Internists  » 2x of these > Anesthesiology  » For everything the OMS people don't do in terms of anesthesiology  » See also: Anesthesia (topic)

Remember how I said the qualifications were a doozy, and that nurses were a broad category? ... Yeah, this is why. The medical field is probably current in flux right now, given the shifting priorities of medical personnel and so much research that is still in the process of being applied, but I waved my magic plot-fixing wand and assumed the SGC figured this out for me.

All of these nurses are likely to be SGC imports, and thus unbelievably well-trained in everything that the SGC needs them to do. These are the personnel who know how all of the Goa'uld tech works on a functional level, have gotten the goodies first from engineering, and are waving their handheld MRI and other diagnostic equipment over their patients like a fairy godmother in scrubs. As with a real world hospital, these are the people actually running the show, and likely making the surgical team look like hypercompetent show poodles.

As for non-nurses who are also non-surgeons, pathologists are the ones who work up what people will actually be diagnosed with, figuring out all the newest and shiniest diseases and cataloguing them for reference. Doctor Biro is a pathologist, for example.

The thought occurred to me that we still need something resembling a general practitioner, but in light of fancy things like handheld MRIs and other scanners, this role is much reduced in favor of people who pack a greater intellectual punch.

However, I found that internists not only fill this gap, but are also hyper-specialized in their own way, in the respect of their knowledge base being internal diseases and multi-system diseases. Ergo, two of them, because they're just that useful. They'd probably coordinate quite a bit with cardiothoracic surgeons, as those are overlapping areas of study based on region of the body.

One (1) anesthesiologist, because the OMS cannot - nor should they - be the only person to perform anesthesia. This person functions as a sanity checker, and also the thin margin of the anesthesia that the surgeon doesn't cover.

We still need to round out this department, though. So far I've managed to cover in-patient, out-patient, and the various surgical stages. What else?

Well, recuperation - patients can't actually linger in the infirmary for the entirety of their healing process, for such practical reasons as beds available and boredom of patient, so the transitional phase needs to be covered.

Hence, the highly uncreative placeholder section name of Miscellaneous:

> Psychiatrist  » 1x of these, because canon says so? > Physical therapist  » 1x of these, because canon says so?

Now while personnel such as nurses and internists are meant to convey educational material and instructions to patients about recuperation, it helps to actually have specialists on hand to make the patients commit to the bit.

Having only one psychiatrist on hand seems a bit of a Star Trek logical fallacy, but I'm once again waving my plot wand and assuming anyone that managed to get through the arduous employment process of 1) being told the Stargate exists (and coping with their world views being upended), 2) being employed by the SGC in general, and 3) passes their psychological assessment is probably mentally stable enough to only need one psychiatrist for the entire expedition.

(Yes, this does mean everyone on the expedition got their rubber stamp of sanity, and probably in grueling triplicate. Such as it can be defined a fanfiction-like world of scifi. I think they're coping pretty well with everything, no?)

With all the work that the surgical and non-surgical teams put into taking care of injured expedition members, a physical therapist is, as with everyone else here, very good at their job, but ultimately one of the last steps for patients that require longer term care. Think gaining back muscle after a broken leg, or more serious injuries that require months of guided exercise to be back to gate team-ready health (or general running for your life because Atlantis is just as dangerous).

Total Medical Department Personnel

Head of Department: 1

Surgical Team: 10

Non-Surgical Team: 10

Miscellaneous: 2

Total total: 23

I'll be going over headcanons on canonical personnel, such as Carson Beckett, Jennifer Keller, and Biro in their own posts, but for now this is a general accounting of the expedition's medical department.

Shout-out to @savestave and @stinalotte for the discussion and feedback on the original post!

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

What's the risk level for spread of STIs with oral sex? Specifically cunnilingus. I assume it's different giving vs receiving. Thanks for all the knowledge you share!

hey! great question! and a rad excuse to show you all this banner from the CDC's page on orally transmitted STIs:

that link will take you to a really good tool that breaks down specifically what types of sex (giving/receiving, body parts involved, etc) can transmit which STIs, but the TL;DR is that chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HPV can all be transmitted by oral sex, and all of them can cause infections in your mouth/throat the same as your genitalia.

HIV and trichomoniasis fall in the category of STIs that *can* be spread orally but are very unlikely to be, but for everything else mentioned, the odds are about as good that they'll be transmitted orally as any other type of sex. unlike, for instance, penis-in-hole sex, where the person receiving is much more likely to be infected, oral sex is pretty equal opportunities in that giving and receiving can both be equally risky.

oral sex on the anus also has specific, anus-related risks, such as the transmission of hepatitis A and B and, sometimes, parasites.

use those dental dams, kids!