Calif. water district sued over fluoridation program

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) is allegedly using an unapproved drug to fulfill its water fluoridation program, according to a lawsuit filed August 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (Case No. 11-cv-01765-JLS-BLM). The lawsuit, filed by four Southern California residents “on behalf of themselves and the general public,” alleges that MWD is injecting hydrofluosilicic acid into the water supply for the

Dental Heroes: A day in the life of Dr. Cherilyn Sheets

At first they seem like two very different worlds. One is a dental center for poor children and blue-collar families off a gritty thoroughfare in Inglewood, CA. The other is a high-end aesthetic dentistry practice, resplendent with potted orchids and a view of the Pacific, an hour up the freeway in Newport Beach’s posh Fashion Island enclave. Cherilyn Sheets, DDS Cherilyn Sheets, DDS Then you meet Cherilyn Sheets, DDS, educator,

Another Calif. town considers banning dental amalgam

Santa Ana, CA, appears to be following in the footsteps of a neighboring Southern California community that last year called for a ban on dental amalgam throughout the city. On August 2, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido issued a proclamation in support of mercury-free dentistry. In the proclamation, Pulido acknowledged the work of Californians for Green Dentistry, a project of Consumers for Dental Choice, and announced his support of their

OSAP appoints director of research, scientific affairs

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) has named Charles John Palenik, PhD, its inaugural director of research and scientific affairs. In this role, Palenik will oversee the activities of OSAP’s Research and Scientific Affairs Committee. He is also charged with advancing organizational and individual research efforts concerning infection prevention and human health and safety, continual improvement of the scientific content of OSAP’s annual symposium, and formal review of

Hypnotherapy helps major league ballplayers quit tobacco

When San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy decided it was time to quit using chewing tobacco, he turned to a solution that worked for fellow members of the Major League Baseball team: hypnotherapy. Bochy was skeptical at first, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. But he decided to give it a try when his bullpen catcher Bill Hayes and equipment manager Mike Murphy vouched for the services of AlVera Paxson, PhD,

Tooth Doctor for Kids reaccredited by AAAHC

Arizona’s Tooth Doctor for Kids, an affiliate of American Dental Partners, has been reaccredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Arizona’s Tooth Doctor for Kids is a dental group practice that provides dental care to children through seven locations and two mobile dental units in metropolitan Phoenix and Globe, AZ, and participates in health plans contracted with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid

NCOHF announces new board members, 2012 officers

The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy (NCOHF) recently welcomed two new board members: Kent Chiu, president of Septodont, and Allison Farey, president of Wells Fargo Practice Finance. The organization also announced the election of new officers for 2012: Chairman: Christopher Clark, president and chief operating officer, Dentsply International President: Fern Ingber, MEd, NCOHF First vice president: Thomas Prescott, president and CEO, Align Technologies Second vice president: Tom Engels,

U.K. student gets $453K for oral cancer research

A research project studying the impact of oral cancer on cancer survivors has secured a prestigious fellowship and funding of 281,000 pounds ($453,000 U.S.). The National Institute of Health Research has awarded a Research Training Fellowship to Holly Cole-Hawkins, an academic clinical fellow in the University of Bristol School of Oral and Dental Sciences. Her postdoctoral project, “Survivorship in people with oral cancer and their partners — a mixed methods

Dental clinic in Tenn. children’s hospital reopens

Delta Dental of Tennessee and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, recently celebrated the reopening of the dental clinic located inside the hospital’s Patient Care Center. The renovated, full-service clinic features a new floor plan that provides a more patient-friendly facility and accommodates new equipment donated to the clinic by Henry Schein and Midmark, according to the company. Delta Dental contributed $200,000 to fund the construction. The improved

Music reduces cancer patients’ anxiety

Cancer patients may benefit from sessions with trained music therapists or from listening to music. A new Cochrane systematic review shows using music can reduce anxiety in cancer patients, and may also have positive effects on mood, pain, and quality of life (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011, Issue 8, Art. No. CD006911). Music and music therapy are used in a wide range of clinical settings, noted the study authors

Multimodality approach aids oral neoplasia detection

When used together, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and polarimetry offer a power diagnostic tool for the dysplasia that typically precedes squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, according to a study in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (July 6, 2011). A noninvasive diagnostic modality would enable monitoring of dysplastic lesions at regular intervals and enhance detection at a very early, relatively harmless stage, according to the study authors from Pukyong

Oolong tea polyphenols help prevent dental caries

Oolong tea, a popular traditional Chinese beverage, may help prevent caries in humans by inhibiting dental plaque, according to a presentation last month at the 58th Annual ORCA (European Organization for Caries Research) Congress in Lithuania (originally published online in Caries Research, May 12, 2011). Researchers from the Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry in Japan previously demonstrated that oolong tea extract, when added to drinking water, reduced plaque accumulation