Doctors

Can Surgeons Learn Lessons from Olympians?

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An interesting article titled “Performing to a world class standard under pressure—Can we learn lessons from the Olympians?” by Serryth D. Colbert and et. al. appeared in the 2012 issue of the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (50, pp 291-297). With the Summer Olympics this year in London, the authors decided to ask Team Great Britain Olympic rowing squad what makes a winner. The authors state: “We explored the concept of ‘mental toughness’ and the impact this has on successful performance under intense pressure. Our aim was to use their experiences to possibly improve oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ performance in critical situations.” The researchers consulted a leading performance development consultancy and made a questionnaire which was given to both the rowers and the surgeons at a joint conference.  The results were that the rowers responded to the questionnaire … Read more

Litigation In the National Health Service for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

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An article appears in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery titled “Litigation in National Health Service oral and maxillofacial surgery: review of the last 15 years,” by A. Gulati et. al. (50, pages 385-388, 2012). The authors state: “Published data regarding litigation in other surgical specialties are plentiful, but to our knowledge there is little detailed analysis of claims within the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) despite information being freely available from the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) under the Freedom of Information Act.” The authors used data from April 1995 to August 2010 from the NHSLA. A total of 318 claims were registered during this 15 years. Claims have been increasing in recent years. Of these claims 253 were closed. A total of 137 claims (54%) resulted in compensation with the rest not being successful. The … Read more

Oral Surgeon Investigated for Reusing Needles and Syringes

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The Colorado Department of Public Health has released a lengthy document regarding an oral surgeon regarding unsafe injections. The document is from July 20, 2012, and is located over at http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/Epidemiology/dentistFAQs.pdf. The document states: “Between September 1999 and June 2011, syringes and needles were re-used for multiple patients to give intravenous (IV) medications, including sedation. The IV medications were given during oral and facial surgery procedures. Needles and syringes were used repeatedly, often for days at a time. Because there can be a small amount of blood that remains in syringes and needles after an injection through an IV line, there is a risk of spread of bloodborne viruses, such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, between patients.” Patients who saw the oral surgeon in question were sent a mailing if they could be identified via medical records and … Read more

Death and Greed at the Dentist: Is Your Child at Risk?

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A new investigation came out recently by ABC News appearing on both “Nightline” and “World News With Diane Sawyer” looking at sedation deaths from dentistry. The story is located over on the ABC News website which appeared on July 12, 2012 and is titled “Death, Greet at the Dentist: American Children at Risk.” A synopsis of the investigation appeared on drbicuspid.com on July 13, 2012, titled “ABC News spotlights pediatric dental sedation risks.” The story over on ABC News opens up with “American children are being put at risk by inadequately trained dentists who often seek to enhance profits by sedating their young patients for even routine tooth cleaning and cavity treatments.” In the segment on “Nightline” Brian Ross says “…it is a scandal in many cases driven by dentists who are told they can increase their bottom line. Hundreds … Read more

Evidence Base for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Journals

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An interesting articled titled “The evidence base for oral and maxillofacial surgery: 10-year analysis of two journals,” appeared in the January 2012 edition of the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 50, issue 1, pages 45-48) wirrten by Amandip Sandhu. The author opens by discussing an editorial in the Lancet in 1996 which discussed how there is a lack of scientific rigor in surgical research. The author states “There is a well established hierarchy of levels of evidence, and the medical community considers that meta-analyses and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the most scientifically stringent means of investigating the efficacy of one intervention against another. Other grades of evidence (in increasing weakness of level of evidence) are case controlled studies, comparative studies, case series, correlation studies and expert committee reports, and the clinical experiences of respected authorities.” The … Read more