Periodontal disease pushes thousands to the ER

Individuals with acute and aggressive periodontitis are more likely to visit hospital emergency departments (EDs) than those without, costing U.S. hospitals millions of dollars in the process, according to a study in the Journal of Periodontology (December 7, 2010). While the chances of presenting to hospital EDs are significantly higher in individuals ignoring regular dental care and in those with medical conditions, little is known about estimates of hospital-based ED

To polish or not to polish?

Since the theory of selective polishing was introduced, dental hygienists have been ethically challenged. They are torn between the desire to conserve the fluoride-rich, outermost layer of enamel and patients demanding that their teeth be polished. After all, prior to the existence of the selective polishing concept, an oral prophylaxis always included polishing of the teeth. Not surprisingly, some patients interpreted the implementation of selective polishing as laziness on the

Cigna dental program expands coverage, benefits

Cigna Oral Health Integration Program now includes coverage for more conditions, including stroke, chronic kidney disease, head and neck cancer radiation, and organ transplants, the company announced. Effective January 1, 2011, the program became available to all Cigna Dental DHMO, DPPO, DEPO, and Indemnity customers with qualifying medical conditions, who will no longer need to be enrolled in a Cigna medical plan to utilize the program. The upgraded Oral Health

Allcare goes out of business

Allcare Dental & Dentures, a provider of low-cost dentures and dental services with more than 50 offices across the U.S., is reportedly going out of business. Employees were contacted on New Year’s Eve by company officials and told that all facilities were being closed and that their health benefits would cease as of midnight that night, according to a story by WKBN in Youngstown, OH. On January 3, Allcare posted

Kids with asthma have more caries, gingivitis

Children and adolescents with asthma have somewhat more caries and suffer more often from gingivitis than people of similar age without asthma, according to a thesis presented and successfully defended at the Sahlgrenska Academy, part of the University of Gothenburg. Malin Stensson, dental hygienist and researcher in the department of cariology at Sahlgrenska’s Institute of Odontology, conducted four separate studies involving children, adolescents, and young adults with and without asthma.

New DentalEZ handpiece maintenance kit saves money

DentalEZ Group is now offering a maintenance kit designed to extend the life of all StarDental handpieces. The StarDental Handpiece Maintenance Kit contains everything needed to perform maintenance and minor repairs on the entire line of StarDental products, including high- and low-speed handpieces, the Blis-sonic scaler, and the Prophy Star 3 hygiene handpiece, according to the company. Each kit includes DentaLube II handpiece lubricant, Junk-Out chuck cleaner, a variety of

Craniofacial changes occur with aging

Wrinkles and sagging skin result not just from changes in the tissue but also from aging-related changes in the underlying facial bones, according to a new report in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (January 2011, Vol. 127:1, pp. 374-383). Led by Robert B. Shaw Jr., MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the researchers analyzed CT scans of the facial bones in young (ages 20 to 40), middle-aged (41 to

Head and neck cancer treatments often don’t meet guidelines

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Care for U.S. patients with head and neck cancers deviates significantly from national guidelines, if the findings of a new study hold true. Researchers at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center saw a widespread lack of compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines when they reviewed the care patients received before coming to them with recurrent or persistent disease. Out of 107 patients, 46 (43%) “had

Foundation gives $204K for Mont. kids’ dental care

A $240,000 New Year’s Eve grant from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation will underwrite three years of dental screenings for low-income children in Montana, according to a story in the Missoulian. The grant to the Montana Primary Care Association builds on a 2008 donation that provided 2,700 children with dental care and referrals. The money was used in community health centers in Missoula, Billings, Butte, Bozeman, Kalispell, Cut Bank,

Periodontal therapy does not improve preterm or low birth weight rates

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Periodontal therapy of pregnant women does not reduce the rates of preterm or low birth weight (LBW) infants, a new meta-analysis shows. “Clearly, periodontal disease is an important oral infection that must be always treated when diagnosed in order to promote oral health, but we cannot recommend it for pregnant women with the goal of reducing preterm births and low birth weight,” Dr. Mariana Fampa

Jones Foundation supports orthodontic program

The Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation has joined Smiles Change Lives (SCL), a national nonprofit organization, to help low-income Kansas children get orthodontic work. Youths ages 11 to 18 in Coffey, Lyon, and Osage Counties in Kansas are being sought for its affordable orthodontic program, the organization announced. The Jones Foundation has provided financial support to children in these counties who cannot afford braces. SCL is now the

Many physicians still resist doing oral health assessments

It’s been 10 years since the U.S. surgeon general’s report on oral health in America, which among other things advocated interdisciplinary training between medical and dental providers. But current research shows that primary medical care providers are still not comfortable performing basic oral health assessments, and many consider oral health outside their realm of practice. “The time has arrived for each profession to recognize the benefit of coordinated treatment plans