Dental Therapists and Patient Satisfaction
“Patients attending therapists were found to have a significantly higher level of overall satisfaction…than those attending appointments with dentists.” Click here for the report from the British Dental Journal.
A Cautionary Commentary on Spurious Conclusions
Conclusion: “The evidence provided by the present study does not support the hypothesis that treatment of periodontal disease during pregnancy in this population prevents preterm birth, foetal growth restriction, or pre-eclampsia.”
“So, is there really no relationship between periodontal disease and preterm or low birthweight? Or did the scientists just ask the wrong question?” asks Richard Neiderman.
Click here for the abstract of the study & Richard’s excellent commentary.
Unassisted Smoking Cessation: A Success Story
From: Chapman S, MacKenzie R (2010). The Global Research Neglect of Unassisted Smoking Cessation: Causes and Consequences.
What Message Should Smokers Get about Cessation?
There is good news about cesssaton: in a growing number of countries, there are more ex-smokers than smokers.
Up to three-quarters of ex-smokers have quit without assistance (“cold turkey” or cut down, then quit), and unaided cessation is by far the most common method used by most successful ex-smokers.
A serious attempt at stopping need not involve using NRT [Nicotine Replacement Therapy] or other drugs or getting professional support.
Early “failure” is a normal part of trying to stop. Many initial efforts are not serious attempts [but might be considered “rehearsals for eventual success”].
NRT, other prescribed pharmaceuticals, and professional counseling or support also help many smokers, but are certainly not necessary for quitting.
For the full report, click on: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000216
[A summary was published in the March 2010 Public Citizen’s Health Research Group Health Letter. To subscribe ― and you should ― go to www.citizen.org/hrg]
Give Thumb Suckers a Break
While it might seem logical to stop children from thumb sucking around age 3 or 4, is it possible without physical restraint? The plethora of medieval devices (application of bitter, foul-tasting, anti-finger-licking sticky liquids and sprays; tying on gloves and thumb shields; cementing palatal rakes in the mouth) suggests that not even physical restraint is very successful. Besides, not all thumb-sucking children develop malocclusions. Is it fair, then, that they should all be subjected to this trauma? A more reasonable approach is to ignore NNS [non-nutritive thumb or finger sucking] at this early age and even later if there is no evidence of a developing malocclusion, such as an open bite. For the complete article in DrBicuspid.com, click on: http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?d=1&sec=nws&sub=rad&pag=dis&ItemId=304276&wf=487.
Do You Smell a Rat?
Neil Johnson, working in the labs of Frey and Leah R. Hanson, PhD, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., found that lidocaine or Xylocaine, sprayed into the noses of laboratory rats, quickly traveled down the trigeminal nerve and collected in their teeth, jaws, and mouths at levels 20 times higher than in the blood or brain. The approach could provide a more effective and targeted method for treating dental pain/anxiety, trigeminal neuralgia (severe facial pain), migraine, and other conditions, the scientists say. For the full olfactory experience, click on:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513104818.htm
U.S. Dentist Shortage Predicted/Crushing Debt on Graduation
As if there isn’t already a shortage of dentists, a study sponsored by Delta Dental Plans Association predicts that retirement and career changes could outpace dentist school graduation by 2012. For a summary report and Related Reading visit:
www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspxsec=sup&sub=pmt&pag=dis&ItemID=304110
Kansas School Board Bans Sugary Beverages, Foods in School Vending Machines
One board member voted against the ban, saying he didn't support it because students will cross the street from the school and purchase bigger sodas and bigger bags of chips. A good point; so perhaps the stuff should be banned from all stores within, say, 10 miles of schools? Click here for this item.
A 2008 Report on Medicaid Coverage of Adult Dental Services Before the “Recession”
“As of early 2008, 45 states, including the District of Columbia, provided some type of coverage of dental benefits to at least some Medicaid-enrolled adults. However, this coverage ranged from comprehensive dental care to coverage limited to emergencies, or coverage for only certain categories of enrollees. Our snapshot indicates that there may be an increasing recognition of the importance of oral health to overall health.”
See: www.nashp.org/sites/default/files/Adult%20Dental%20Monitor.pdf