Untreated Cavities 5 Times More Likely In Kids From Low-income Communities Than High-income Ones, UK
April 3, 2008
About 31 percent of low-income children ages 2 to 5 have dental cavities that don’t get treated, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A much smaller portion of high-income children — about 6 percent — have untreated cavities.
The data come from surveys conducted between 1999 and 2004. If untreated, the infection (dental caries) that causes tooth decay and cavities can also lead to pain, tooth loss and more serious infections. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a dental check-up at least twice a year for most children. Some children need more frequent dental visits because of increased risk of tooth decay, unusual growth patterns or poor oral hygiene.
AHRQ’S data also show:
-Among children from poor families, untreated cavities were more common in those age 6 to 11 (37 percent) than children 12 to 17 (27 percent).
-Likewise, among children from wealthy families, untreated cavities were more common among ages 6 to 11 (12 percent) than children 12 to 17 (7 percent).
-Only 36 percent of poor children visited a dentist in the past year compared to 70 percent of wealthy children, according to a 2004 survey.
This AHRQ News and Numbers summary is based on data from the 2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report, which examines shows disparities in Americans’ access to and quality of health care by race, ethnicity, income, and education.
http://www.ahrq.gov
Charles N. Bertolami Assumes Presidency Of American Dental Education Association
April 3, 2008
Charles N. Bertolami, D.D.S., D.Med.Sc., Herman Robert Fox Dean of the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry, was installed as ADEA President on April 2 at the 2008 ADEA Annual Session in Dallas, Texas.
“Having worked with Dr. Bertolami on the ADEA Board of Directors, I believe he will be an aspiring and informed leader of the Association,” said outgoing ADEA President James Q. Swift, D.D.S.
Dr. Bertolami has been a member of ADEA for 25 years and was chair of the first ADEA President’s Task Force on Future Faculty and is currently co-chairing an ADEA-American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) panel on Curriculum and Clinical Training in Oral Health for Physicians and Dentists. He has served on the faculties at the University of Connecticut, Harvard University, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he served concurrently as Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Chief of the UCLA Medical Center’s Dental Service, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. Prior to becoming Dean at NYU, he was the Dean and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
Dr. Bertolami has had diverse roles in dental education and research, including service as President of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and work with the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel on Research Training and Career Development. Dr. Bertolami’s research has focused on wound healing and connective tissue repair; however, more recently his contributions have dealt with curricular reform, the significance of research in dental education and practice, and ethics.
After earning the D.D.S. degree from Ohio State University and a D.Med.Sc. from Harvard University, Dr. Bertolami completed residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
About the American Dental Education Association
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and postdoctoral dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. The mission of ADEA is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings, and communications like the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services AADSAS and PASS.
American Dental Education Association
Bad Teeth Pose Heart Disease Risk In Younger Men, Study Shows
April 3, 2008
Boston University researchers show conclusively periodontal disease is a risk factor for coronary heart disease in men less than 60 years-old independent of established cardiovascular risk factors in a study released April 1 in Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association.
“This is the first study to find a significant association between chronic periodontitis and the risk of coronary heart disease, even after adjusting for important confounding factors,” says Dr. Thomas Dietrich, associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine and one of the study’s authors.
Researchers took into account factors including age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, cholesterol, and blood pressure in 1,203 men in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging and Dental Longitudinal Studies. The men received comprehensive medical and dental examinations every three years for up to 35 years.
The full text of the study, “Age-Dependent Associations Between Chronic Periodontitis/Edentulism and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease,” is available online at here.
The research was supported by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
The mission of Boston University School of Dental Medicine is to provide excellent education to dental professionals throughout their careers; to shape the future of dental medicine and dental education through research; to offer excellent health care services to the community; to participate in community activities; and to foster a respectful and supportive environment.
Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Milk Teeth From 100,000 Children Sought By Tooth Bank
April 1, 2008
The Norwegian Tooth Bank is requesting milk teeth from 100 000 children in Norway and could become the biggest tooth bank in the world. Milk teeth can give unique information about environmental influences and nutrition in the foetus and in early childhood. The Tooth Bank is a sub-project in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), and is a collaborative project between the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Bergen.
Soon, over 100 000 babies and children will be taking part in MoBa. The new Tooth Bank, MoBaTann, is encouraging all parents who are taking part in MoBa to deposit one or more of their child’s milk teeth to the new “bank.”
Milk teeth can give invaluable information about environmental factors and nutrition in the foetal stage and in early childhood. MoBa is collecting large amounts of information about each mother’s diet and environment through pregnancy with the use of questionnaires, plus blood and urine samples from both parents. The children are followed as they grow up with a series of questionnaires. This information, together with the milk teeth, will give knowledge about the effect environmental pollutants have on children’s health.
“Milk teeth can give important information on the cause of diseases and therefore how disease can be prevented.
Globally, the Tooth Bank will be unique because of the link to the large amount of information in MoBa. If we can collect milk teeth from 100 000 children we will definitely be the largest in the world”, says project leader for Tooth Bank MoBaTann, Helene Meyer Tvinnereim, at the University of Bergen.
Parents who are taking part in MoBa receive an invitation to the Tooth Bank when children are 6 years and 9 months.
“Interest from parents has been great since the first invitations were sent out in February and the first milk teeth have begun to arrive. We are asking for one or more teeth from every child,” says Meyer Tvinnereim.
Milk teeth develop in the foetus and in early childhood. Substances that are built into tooth tissue during tooth development will mostly remain there. Milk teeth therefore act as a “black-box” recording of what the mother and child have been exposed to. These teeth have almost unlimited durability if they are stored dry, so that the tooth’s value will remain for future research.
“Milk teeth in the Tooth Bank can therefore be useful for hundreds of years,” says Meyer Tvinnereim.
The milk teeth will be kept in envelopes in secure storage boxes at the University of Bergen. They will be anonymous, only identified by a bar code.
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Source: Media Contact
Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Healthy Gums Are Something To Smile About
April 1, 2008
A smile is one of the most universally recognizable facial expressions, helping to depict an individual’s happiness, confidence, attractiveness, sociability and sincerity. And now, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology (JOP), the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), a smile may also help convey healthy teeth and gums. Researchers found evidence that periodontal, or gum, disease may negatively affect an individual’s smiling patterns and deter someone from displaying positive emotions through a smile.
The study, conducted at the University of Michigan, evaluated the smiling patterns of 21 periodontal patients while viewing a segment of a comedy program. At predetermined measurement points throughout the segment, the researchers assessed three dimensions of the patients’ smile: the horizontal width of the mouth in millimeters, the open width of the mouth in millimeters, and the number of teeth shown. In addition, the researchers also noted the number of times the patient covered his or her mouth while watching the segment. Individual perceptions of how the patient’s quality of life is affected by oral health were also considered. The data were then evaluated along with a clinical exam of the patient’s periodontal health.
“Since periodontal disease is prevalent in such a large number of adults, we sought to investigate if the disease affects a person’s smiling behavior,” said study author Dr. Marita R. Inglehart. “Smiling plays a significant and essential role in overall well-being. Previous findings suggest that smiling can affect social interactions, self-confidence and can influence how people perceive one another.”
The study findings indicated that periodontal disease can certainly impact how a person smiles. The more symptoms of gum disease found in a patient’s mouth, such as periodontal pockets between four to six millimeters deep or loose, moving teeth, the more likely the patient was to cover his or her mouth when smiling or to limit how widely the mouth opened during the smile. In addition, the more gum recession seen in the patient, the fewer teeth he or she showed when smiling. The way patients perceived their quality of life as a result of their oral health was also significantly correlated with the number of teeth affected by periodontal disease.
“It is already widely known that periodontal disease is connected to systemic health,” said Dr. Susan Karabin, President of the AAP. “These results help demonstrate that periodontal disease may affect more than just overall health. It can also impact actual quality of life, making caring for one’s teeth and gums all the more important.”
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To find a periodontist or to find out if you are at risk for periodontal diseases take the Academy’s risk assessment test. A referral to a periodontist, additional information, and brochure samples are available online at http://www.perio.org/.
About the American Academy of Periodontology
The American Academy of Periodontology is an 8,000-member association of dental professionals specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth and in the placement and maintenance of dental implants. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
The JOP article: “Periodontal Health, Quality of Life, and Smiling Patterns - An Exploration.”
The public and/or non-AAP members can view a study abstract online, and the full-text of the study may be accessed online for $20.00 at http://www.joponline.org/.
Source: Meg Dempsey
American Academy of Periodontology
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Releases 2008 Official Guide To Dental Schools
April 1, 2008
The 2008 ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools is now available. The Official Guide has been published for over 40 years and offers the most comprehensive and authoritative information on dental schools in North America.
“ADEA is proud to release the 46th edition of the Official Guide to Dental Schools and looks forward to assisting those interested in pursuing dental education,” said ADEA President James Q. Swift, D.D.S.
The Official Guide is a resource for those interested in exploring dental education, advisors, and educators. The book offers valuable information on how to choose the right dental school, the application procedure, financing, and an overview of the profession, including career and specialty options. Individual profiles for all U.S. and Canadian dental schools have been completely updated for students entering dental school in fall 2009, along with at-a-glance tables with specific data on the admissions requirements and required academic preparation for and unique characteristics of each school.
The Official Guide is updated annually with assistance from the ADEA Division of Educational Pathways (DEP), formerly known as the Division of Application Services. ADEA DEP is the gateway to dental education and helps assure the quality and diversity of the oral health care workforce. Using the latest technology, offering the highest quality centralized application services, and through collaboration with others, the division facilitates the recruitment, admission, and retention of individuals into the dental education pipeline. ADEA DEP creates community, advances best practices, and promotes ADEA’s values by being an essential resource for prospective students, students in dental education programs, counselors, advisors, admissions officers, and dental educators.
Printed copies can be purchased for $35 each, or $29 each for orders of 10 copies or more. Online access to the Official Guide will be available later in the year. To place your order, please contact ADEA publications at publications@adea.org.
About the American Dental Education Association
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and postdoctoral dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. The mission of ADEA is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings, and communications like the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services AADSAS and PASS.
American Dental Education Association
Bleak Second Birthday For New Dental Contract, Says British Dental Association
April 1, 2008
Susie Sanderson, Chair of the Executive Board of the British Dental Association, today issued a statement to mark the second anniversary of the new NHS dental contract, introduced in England and Wales on 1 April 2007.
“This is a bleak second birthday for the new dental contract with criticism from the profession and patients continuing to gain momentum. The level of concern is starkly revealed in the evidence given to the Health Select Committee, currently investigating the impact of the Government’s troubled and controversial reforms of NHS dentistry.
“In the course of this second year, we have seen:
-statistics released that revealed 47% of dentists failed to meet their first year UDA targets
-figures that show access to NHS dentistry has still not been improved by the reforms
-a Patients Association survey of MPs that found dentistry was the health issue that caused most concern to their constituents
-the decision by the House of Commons’ Health Select Committee to undertake an inquiry into the dental reforms.
“The BDA will continue to call for action to tackle the flaws in this target-driven system and is also working proactively at a local level to encourage the commissioning of dentistry which genuinely meets local people’s needs.”
1.Dental contractors (a dentist/dental practice) are commissioned by their primary care trusts to deliver a fixed number of units of dental activity annually, which is written into their contract. It is the only measure used to establish whether a contractor has complied with the contract. (The BDA argues a wider range of measures should be used, for example, patient experience). BDA analysis of information supplied by the NHS Business Services Authority showed in the first year of the contract that 47% of dental contractors failed to provide at least 96% of the contracted number of UDAs. These are the latest available figures. If a contractor exceeds the number of contracted UDAs they won’t get paid for this additional work, and if they fail to reach their target, they risk having to pay money back to the PCT which can run into thousands of pounds.
2The Department of Health acknowledged in 2007 that approximately two million people who wanted to access NHS dentistry were unable to do so. For details, click here.
According to the latest statistics available from The Information Centre, 543,000 fewer patients were seen by an NHS dentist in England in the 24 months up to 30 September 2007, compared to the 24 months up to 31 March 2007. For details, click here.
A survey of patients by the Healthcare Commission in 2007 found that 69 per cent of those not registered with an NHS dentist would like to be. This equated to approximately 15 million people. For details, click here.
3 Patients Association: The new dental contract: full of holes and causing pain, March 2008.
4 The Health Select Committee has just concluded taking oral evidence from a wide range of interested parties, including patient groups, commissioners of dentistry, dentists and the Department of Health.
5 The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 22,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces.
British Dental Association
NICE Revises Guidance On Prophylactic Antibiotic Cover Against Endocarditis
March 31, 2008
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has just published a guideline entitled Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis.
The new guidance, arrived at following a comprehensive analysis and review of all published evidence, now states that antimicrobial prophylaxis is no longer considered necessary for any patients at risk of developing infective endocarditis when undergoing dental procedures. In addition to advice for healthcare professionals, the guideline also includes advice from the patient perspective, which may be useful for dentists and other dental professionals who have to communicate the changes with their patients.The new guidelines are also summarised in the new edition (No 55, March 2008) of the British National Formulary (BNF).
The full NICE guideline can be found here.
The current BNF guidance can be found at: http://www.BNF.org.uk
The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 20,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces.
British Dental Association
UK Dental Regulator Prosecutes Bristol Man For Illegal Dentistry
March 31, 2008
The UK dental regulator, the General Dental Council (GDC), has successfully prosecuted Stuart Folland of 43 Whitchurch Road, Bristol for the illegal practice of dentistry.
At Bristol Magistrates Court recently, Mr Folland pleaded guilty to practising dentistry illegally from 24 January 2007 to 8 October 2007. He carried out dental work during this period despite being removed from the Dentists Register in January 2007 for non-payment of the annual fee. Practising dentistry without being registered with the GDC is a criminal offence under the Dentists Act.
Mr Folland was fined ￡400 and was ordered to pay the GDC’s costs of ￡1,548.
GDC Chief Executive and Registrar Duncan Rudkin said:
“The General Dental Council’s priority is to protect the public. We can do this by taking action against individuals who practise illegally. Dental professionals must meet the high standards the public expect of them.
You can check whether somebody is registered with us as a dental professional by logging onto our website http://www.gdc-uk.org or calling us on 0845 222 4141. If you have any information which suggests that an individual has practised dentistry illegally you should contact us.”
1. The Dentists Act 1984 makes it a criminal offence for anyone other than a registered dental professional to carry out dentistry. The GDC is committed to protecting the public by bringing cases of illegal practice to court.
2. As the UK regulatory body of the dental profession, the GDC has a duty to protect the public. Registration with the GDC is a legal requirement for dentists and the following dental care professionals:
- clinical dental technicians
- dental hygienists
- dental technicians*
- dental therapists,
- dental nurses*
- orthodontic therapists
*from 31 July 2008
General Dental Council
The “Academy Award” Winner Of Cosmetic Dentistry Can Transform Your Smile
March 28, 2008
When it comes to your eyes, your heart, your lungs or your brain, you would want the best medical care. It should be the same with your smile. LUMINEERS™ continue to set the gold standard in veneers among the most respected cosmetic dentists in the nation. This year, one of the most influential dental trade publications, The Dental Advisor, has given LUMINEERS resounding praise by awarding the minimally invasive veneer option “Top Cosmetic Product” for 2008. Also receiving the highest Five Plus, LUMINEERS demonstrated a 96% clinical rating, making it on par with Academy Award winning talent in the entertainment industry. (http://www.lumineers.com)
Without the need for anesthesia or painful shots, a LUMINEERS placement doesn’t require the painful removal of original tooth structure that’s necessary with traditional veneers. LUMINEERS creates a custom-made smile clinically proven to last up to 20 years. LUMINEERS is the best of both worlds - ultra thin, yet super strong for a radiant smile. The procedure leaves original teeth intact and is reversible.
“Veneers have always been that coveted cosmetic procedure that instills fear in people, because they hold the stigma of ‘painful dentistry,’” states Dr. Michael Schneider of Los Angeles. “LUMINEERS are the best of the best, which is the only way to go when it comes to your teeth. They are painless, easy and extraordinarily beautiful in the most natural way.”
LUMINEERS provides instant teeth straightening and permanent whitening and is a convenient substitute for braces and other orthodontics. The procedure may also be used on worn teeth to strengthen them and prevent further wear. LUMINEERS can even be placed over crowns to improve esthetics and help rejuvenate a smile. All LUMINEERS come with a 5-year warranty.
LUMINEERS can only be made from Cerinate® porcelain, a unique, patented porcelain, crafted through a proprietary process unavailable anywhere other than the Cerinate Smile Design Studio at Den-Mat Holdings, LLC, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of professional dental products.
“We are honored that LUMINEERS has received The Dental Advisor’s Top Cosmetic Product 2008 recognition,” states Nick Teti, CEO, Den-Mat. “LUMINEERS have changed the face of cosmetic dentistry and The Dental Advisor award is proof that this minimally invasive yet lasting smile enhancement technology is invaluable to dentists and their patients.”
LUMINEERS is revered in other top trade publications, including Dental Products Report, which has consistently awarded LUMINEERS a spot in the “Top 10 Products” list.
LUMINEERS is a product of Santa Maria, California-based Den-Mat Holdings, LLC. More information is available at 1-877-LUMINEERS (586-4633) or visit http://www.lumineers.com.
