united states

Comparing Wisdom Teeth in the United States of America and Sweden

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An interesting article titled “Contrasting Patterns for Missing Third Molars in the United States and Sweden,” appears in the 2017 edition of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by Magraw et al. (vol. 75, pp. 1113-1117). The article seeks to compare the prevalence of wisdom teeth in different age populations among the United States of America and Sweden. The authors wanted to look at data regarding the prevalence or absence of wisdom teeth in various populations. At the time of their study their were only two studies that they were aware of. The authors thus took data from these two studies for comparison purposes. Specifically the studies used were: 1) Hugoson et al. “The prevalence of third molars in a Swedish population. An epidemiological study,” Community Dent Health vol. 5, no. 121, 1988 and 2) Magraw et al. … Read more

Dietary Goals of the United States

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I have previously written about  Dr. McDougall through finding his newsletter in a Google Search where he discussed how to protect yourself from abusive doctors. See http://blog.teethremoval.com/how-to-protect-yourself-from-abusive-doctors/. Earlier this year I also discussed in a post some of Dr. McDougalls thought’s on Food, Children, and Diet where he wrote to governor Rick Scott of Florida claiming that various food industries are engaged in child abuse. In his newsletter from October 2012, he discussed former democratic senator George McGovern and his McGovern report from 1977 where guideline for eating were developed, http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/oct/mcgovern.htm. Dr. McDougall says that the McGovern report says “…there is a great deal of evidence and it continues to accumulate, which strongly implicates and, in some instances, proves that the major causes of death and disability in the United States are related to the diet we eat…What are the … Read more

Anti Affordable Care Act (Anti ObamaCare) Ads with Uncle Sam

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In the United States, with the ObamaCare exchanges set to go live on Tuesday and the looming government shutdown also set for Tuesday, I wanted to draw your attention to some recent ads you may have missed. Now I came across these ads watching Real time with Bill Maher last week, where Bill plays one of the ads on his program and discusses it. The videos are designed to deter young people from signing up for the ObamaCare exchanges and do so by featuring a young man and a young woman about to undergo prostate and pelvic exams. The ads are from from Generation Opportunity, a Virginia-based group with ties to the Koch brothers. I have embedded the two ads below and they both show two young college age students who have their first doctors appointment using the new ObamaCare … Read more

How does the U.S. Health Care System Differ From Other OECD Countries

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An interesting article written by Victor R. Fuchs titled “How and Why US Health Care Differs From That in Other OECD Countries” appears in JAMA, January 2, 2013,Vol 309, No. 1, pp. 33-34.  The article attempts to discuss the difference between the U.S. Healthcare system and other countries in the  Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). One way they differ is that the healthcare expenditures in the U.S. are twice as high. A second way they differ is that the share of expenditures funded by the U.S. government is lower. Most OECD countries have a tax-supported system healthcare system that is able to have lower administrative costs and is able to negotiate costs more aggressively with drug companies and physicians. Thirdly, there are differences in care with the U.S. being more technology intensive such as with MRIs. The author … Read more

Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults

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An interesting article titled “Health Reform and the Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults” written by Lauren Slive and Ryan Cramer appears in the Summer 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (vol. 40, issue 2, pages 383-390). A discussion is made regarding how sometimes when getting health care services confidential information can be inadvertently disclosed. If a breach of confidentiality can occur then a minor or young adult may not seek the health care services. The authors state “Of primary concern is that young adults, not just minors, who remain on their parents health insurance plans often forgo sensitive services with the concern that explanation of benefits (EOBs) from such services will inform their parents, the policyholders.” In addition, of note and some may not be aware of, with the passage of the Affordable … Read more