Month: October 2016

What are the ethical issues of terminating a patient?

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An interesting article titled “The ethical issues of saying good-bye to a patient” appears in the July 2016 issue of JADA and written by Gary Herman. The article addresses the ethical issues that result from terminating a relationship with a patient. There are certain reasons for terminating a patient. This includes discharging a patient who is difficult or noncompliant, a patient who notifies you that he or she is choosing to go elsewhere, and a patient who just seems to disappear. A dentist of course is always concerned with treating a patient well. If you terminate a patient the practice goes against this goal. An article on risk management lists failure to recognize problem patients and failure to dismiss those patients properly as some of the biggest mistakes dentists make. The article states “When patients make unreasonable demands, have impossible expectations, or prevent … Read more

What Makes the Best Dentists?

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There’s plenty of dentists to choose from and we know that finding the best one can be quite difficult. Dental health is not a matter that can be taken for granted and you need to know that your dentist will efficiently see to your needs. A good dentist will be concerned for his patients well being and will focus on it. A good dentist is also honest and won’t try and get you to buy all unnecessary dental treatments and products. After all he’s a dentist, not a salesman. You Should Feel Safe In Your Dentist’s Office: In a dentist office, it’s easy to feel vulnerable. Dentists see everything in your mouth, and regardless of what you’ve told them, they can tell how often you’re brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. When you have to undergo a procedure, from tooth extractions … Read more

Nanoparticles can be used to break up plaque and prevent cavities

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Bacteria living in dental plaque contribute to tooth decay which is often resistant to traditional antimicrobial treatment. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took advantage of pH sensitive and enzyme like properties of iron containing nanoparticles to catalyze the activity of hydrogen peroxide. The activated hydrogen peroxide produced free radicals that were able to degrade the biofilm matrix associated with tooth decay and kill bacteria thus preventing plaque and reducing tooth decay. The researchers said that even a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide was effective at disrupting the biofilm. It was found that adding nanoparticles increased the efficiency of bacterial killing more than 5,000-fold. The work built off a seminal finding published in 2007  showing that nanoparticles, long believed to be biologically and chemically inert, could in fact possess enzyme-like properties. This study showed that an iron oxide nanoparticle behaved similarly to a … Read more

Additional link between cardiovascular and periodontal disease

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A new study has shown a relationship between chronic periodontitis (gum disease) and lacunar infarct which both impact the eldery. Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the gums while lacunar infarct is a type of cerebral small vessel disease that has the possibility of leading to a stroke. Researchers hypothesize that periodontitis leads to systemic inflammation and the health of the blood vessels can be affected. Furthermore, chronic periodontitis and lacunar infarct may share some common vascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. The researchers observed that people diagnosed with periodontal disease had roughly a 4-fold increased risk of developing lacunar stroke compared to those without periodontitis. The researchers feel further interventional studies should be performed to assess the potential benefit of periodontal therapy in patients with lacunar stroke and periodontitis. Periodontal treatment may also decrease systemic inflammation and may reduce the risk of … Read more

Can you fight cavities by taking a pill?

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Researches from the University of Florida have have identified a new strain of bacteria in the mouth that may keep bad bacteria in check. They believe this could lead to the development of a supplement (a probiotic) that patients could take orally to prevent cavities. While developing an effective oral probiotic will require more research, a possible candidate organism has been identified: a previously unidentified strain of Streptococcus. To maintain a healthy mouth the oral environment must have a relatively neutral pH. When the environment in the mouth becomes more acidic, dental cavities can develop. At this point bacteria on the teeth make acid and acid dissolves the teeth. Researchers were aware that bacteria were responsible for breaking down these compounds but wanted to investigate which bacteria do this best which they found to be called A12. The researchers wondered if a probiotic formulation could … Read more