Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Block for Headache Relief

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Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) block has been shown to help provide migraine headache relief for both children and adults. A small flexible catheter is inserted into each nostril and a local anesthetic is administered to the SPG, a nerve bundle thought to be associated with migraines, located at the back of the nose.  The anesthetic briefly disables the SPG and can disrupt and reset the headache circuit, which can break a cycle of severe migraines. A SPG block takes almost immediate effect with relief potentially lasting for many months. The SPG blocks have been performed in children. A child qualifies for the treatment if he/she has been diagnosed with a severe migraine and that migraine has not responded favorably to first-line medications and treatments. This form of treatment can be performed in an outpatient setting by an interventional radiologist. It can … Read more

Exploring the Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults with Migraine

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Researchers at the University of Toronto have shown that generalized anxiety disorder is more common among adults who have migraines than those without migraine (6% vs. 2%). The link between migraine and generalized anxiety disorders was partially explained by the high prevalence of debilitating chronic pain (30%) and problems in managing household responsibilities (28%) among those with migraine. The researchers were not surprised chronic pain played a role in the association between migraines and generalized anxiety disorders. The unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of migraine pain can be anxiety producing as it can interfere with family and work responsibilities without warning. The study found men with migraine had almost double the odds of generalized anxiety disorder compared with women with migraine. The researchers found this result to be surprising because in the general population, women are more likely than men to develop … Read more

Dental Fads Busted!

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There are many dental fads that exist in the world of dentistry. To help you learn more about dental fads, an infographic is presented below which busts four dental fads. The first dental fad is tooth jewelry. The reality is that tooth jewelry can irritate the gum tissues and wear away tooth enamel. The second dental fad is a fruit diet. The reality is that a high fruit diet lacks basic vitamins like Vitamin B, Vitamin D, and calcium. The vitamin deficiency and high amount of acidic content can lead to tooth decay. The third dental fad is activated-charcoal toothpaste. The reality is that charcoal is abrasive and can damage the tooth enamel and gums. The fourth dental fad is dental grills. Dental grills can aggravate tooth decay and damage gum tissue. This infographic is from https://www.medicaltourismco.com/

Rethinking dental insurance

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An interesting article titled “Time to rethink dental “insurance”” written by Marko Vujicic appears in the Nov. 2017 issue of JADA (vol. 147 issue 12, pp. 907–910). The article explorers some issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the U.S. and it’s impact and medical insurance and dental insurance and argues that dental insurance should be combined into dental insurance. It says that the percentage of Americans lacking health insurance coverage has fallen to 9.2%, which is lower than pre-ACA levels. In addition more Americans than before now now have a personal physician, health care costs are growing at much lower rates, and amount out-of-pocket health spending is declining. The article states “Earlier predictions that the ACA would cause dramatic increases in premiums, the elimination of health insurance coverage by employers, and a slowdown in the US economy have not happened. (emphasis … Read more

Fluoride Mouthrinse May reduce Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents

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An interesting article titled “Limited evidence suggests fluoride mouthrinse may reduce dental caries in children and adolescents” appears in the April 2017 issue of JADA written by Linda L. Cheng (issue 7, p263–266). The article explores the following question “In children and adolescents, does fluoride mouthrinse prevent dental caries compared with a placebo or no treatment?” The article discusses how reviewers searched 9 databases with no restriction on language or date of publication up through April 22, 2016. At least 2 reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Dental caries were defined as clinical and radiographic lesions recorded at the dentin level of diagnosis. A total of  37 trials involving 15,813 children and adolescents, aged 6-14 years, were included in the results. Nearly all of the trials were conducted in schools on the supervised use of fluoride mouthrinse except … Read more