Water fluoridation prevents dental cavities, which are a costly public health concern. But despite the benefits supplemental water fluoridation remains a controversial subject. Some indicate it may cause long term health problems, but studies reporting side effects have been minimal or inconclusive. The long-term effects of ingested fluoride remain unclear. A recent study published in … Read more
It’s one of the most universal recommendations in all of public health: Floss daily to prevent gum disease and cavities. Except there’s little proof that flossing works. Still, the federal government, dental organizations and manufacturers of floss have pushed the practice for decades. Dentists provide samples to their patients; the American Dental Association insists on … Read more
Five research projects that aim to improve our understanding of the human microbiome have been selected to receive the first round of funding from the University at Buffalo Community of Excellence in Genome, Environment and Microbiome (GEM). The projects, together awarded nearly $200,000, will study how the interplay of the human microbiome – the collection … Read more
Underserved Kentuckians living with HIV/ AIDS can continue to rely on comprehensive oral health care offered through the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, thanks to $2 million in federal funding. The funding has been awarded to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Public Health HIV/AIDS Services Branch, Ryan White Part … Read more
An innovative program that serves low-income and uninsured children in Los Angeles, the UCLA–First 5 LA 21st Century Dental Homes Project, has more than tripled preventive dental visits for children from birth to age 5, according to a new policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Some parents think that because their children’s primary teeth, … Read more
By Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations University of California, Berkeley, student Hường Trần has such dazzling smile, it’s hard to imagine she hasn’t always been flashing that 1,000-volt grin… But Trần, a 21-year-old integrative biology major and aspiring oral surgeon, underwent numerous medical and oral surgeries and bone grafts starting at age one to repair a … Read more
The following comes from the Department of Health in Jolly Olde: This letter from the Chief Dental Officer (England) clarifies the situation with regard to decontamination and re-use of instruments, especially those used in endodontic treatment, in the context of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). It contains revised advice that dentists are expected to follow. Dentists are … Read more
Critical Issues in Dental Education The traditional method for the delivery of didactic instruction and patient care in dental schools has come under fire from a number of sources over the past several years. The AmericanDental Education Association and others have outlined numerous issues impeding the swift progression of student learning through the dental curriculum. Declining state revenues allotted … Read more