Dental Hygienist Honoured with Premier’s Award

Ottawa, ON, Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) member and Canadore College dental hygiene graduate, Elina Katsman, is the recipient of the 2013 Premier’s Award for Health Sciences, in recognition of her outstanding contributions, commitment, and dedication to her profession. The annual Premier’s Awards honour the important social and economic contributions made by Ontario college graduates … Read more

12 Genius Uses for Toothpaste

 Here’s a cheap product everybody owns (or should own!) that has a bunch of clever uses around the house: toothpaste. It contains mild abrasives and detergents suspended in a creamy gel that keep your teeth clean and bright. Those same ingredients can help you MacGyver a number of messes without resorting to expensive specialized products … Read more

Receding Gums: A Major Issue Affecting Oral Health

MISSION, KS – (Family Features) Affecting nearly half of the U.S. population, gum recession is an oral health issue in which the gums have worn away, exposing teeth to damaging, disease-causing bacteria. While traditional treatments exist, they come with a painful surgery with a long recovery time. A new treatment option, however, offers better, nearly … Read more

2013 ERNEST C. MANNING INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS

BRITISH COLUMBIA, ONTARIO, NOVA SCOTIA. YOUNG CANADIAN AWARD WINNERS FROM ONTARIO AND QUEBEC. Winners of 2013 Ernest C. Manning Innovation Awards were announced today by Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation President Jennifer Diakiw. (www.manningawards.ca) The 2013 winners, from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, share $145,000 in prizes. The 2013 Young Canadian Award winners from … Read more

Health Mission Outreach

Health Mission Outreach, founded in 2009, is a registered Canadian non-profit medical/dental outreach organization consisting of licensed health care professionals and general volunteers. The organization was created in response to the overwhelming need to serve those without equal access to dental and medical care. They provide heath care to the disadvantaged: those who are deprived … Read more

Expectant Mothers’ Periodontal Health Vital to Health of Her Baby

When a woman becomes pregnant, she knows it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure both the health of herself and the health of her baby. New clinical recommendations from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) urge pregnant women to maintain periodontal health as well. Research … Read more

Colorectal cancer may be triggered by mouth bacteria

Two new studies published in the past few weeks suggested that a type of gut bacteria found in the mouth may trigger colorectal cancer by influencing the immune response and switching on cancer genes. The researchers believe their findings may lead to more timely and improved ways of diagnosing, preventing, and treating colorectal cancer. Our … Read more

HPV infection linked to poor oral health, say cancer prevention researchers

Infection with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) – a main cause of throat cancer – could be linked to poor oral health, including gum disease, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. Researchers from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston analyzed data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition … Read more

Poor dental health may lead to Alzheimer’s, study suggests

People with poor oral hygiene or gum disease may be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study led by The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) School of Medicine and Dentistry suggests. The research, which has received international collaboration, and led by Professor Stjohn Crean and Dr Sim Singhrao from UCLan, examined … Read more

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s is one of those growing issues in an aging community. The incidence of this disease rises from 17.4 per 100,000 between ages 50 and 59 to 93.1 in 100,000 between ages 70 and 79. Unlike other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinson’s patients remain in the community for a long period. The typical onset … Read more

Menopause and Dental Decay

Surveys of adult patients in the waiting rooms of UK and Ontario dental practices show that almost half are age 50+.  That means that 1 in 4 patients are women entering or experiencing menopause. In the current issue of the Australian Dental Journal, a study shows that women in menopause produce significantly less saliva when … Read more

Soaring to New Heights with SCN

I have just returned from the Speaking Consulting Network (SCN) meeting, held June 6th to 9th 2013, in Loveland, Colorado and what an amazing experience! Approximately 200 + dynamic, high energy and enthusiastic individuals gathered to  mix, mingle, share, learn and laugh, focusing on building skills as speakers, consultants, authors and contributors. SCN was founded … Read more

Are we counseling our older patients?

Counseling the patient on eating habits and smoking are standard procedures for managing adult dental decay. Or at least they should be. A recent Swedish study reports that older patients did not receive the same level of counselling on eating or smoking, as younger patients (Chart 1) (Chart 2). Chart 1 Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23230808 Chart 2 … Read more

We know what the crowd says about improving dental care

In a recent crowdsourcing of ideas to improve the American healthcare system, The Regenstrief Institute, an informatics and healthcare research foundation affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, found that affordability was top of mind and prevention versus treatment was the most common path to affordability. How does this canvas of ideas and opinion … Read more

Anxiety and going to the dentist

Dental research has customarily focused on another anxiety – the fear of the needle and the drill. We know, for example from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey in the UK, that 1 in 3 adults sitting in the waiting room are anxious about dental procedures. But surely, in the context of The Atlantic’s survey, … Read more

Facial Fillers a Ticking Time Bomb? Skinspirations Discloses Dangers of Botched Fillers

Tampa Bay-based non-surgical cosmetic center Skinspirations details the dangers of receiving fillers from an unqualified provider. As Americans increasingly put importance on outer appearances, the lengths to which people go to retain their youth seem endless. Dermal fillers have seen a rise in complications—a reported 84% of people who suffered complications from permanent dermal fillers … Read more

Listen to your community

In my community, the press has reported about a difficult situation for many dental practices. Seems there is an over-supply and an under-demand for these services. Of course, readers of this blog will know that this isn’t a phenomenon isolated to Toronto or Ontario. It is a trend evident in many communities and for many … Read more

ADDE 2013 Survey on the European Dental Trade

While at the IDS in Cologne, Oral Health’s Senior Publisher, Melissa Summerfield, attended a press conference put on by ADDE (Association of Dental Dealers in Europe) and FIDE (Federation of the European Dental Industry). At this event, they shared some highlights from the recent 2013 survey on market trends in the European Dental Trade. Here … Read more