dentists

U.S. Dental Schools Teaching little on Sleep Disorders

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American adults suffer from sleep disorders and the number is quite large, around 70 million. U.S. dental schools are not teaching their graduating soon to be dentists the importance of screening their patients for sleep disorders. A survey sent out by researchers from the University of California — Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry,  indicates that dental students spend an average of 2.9 instruction hours during their four years of dental school studying sleep disorders. The main problem is for those 18 million Americans that suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It estimated that 80 % to 90 % of patients with OSA are not diagnosed and this can consequently raise the patients risk for many diseases and problems. The researchers feel since dentists see patients on a regular basis, they can notice early warning signs of sleep disorders. This … Read more

The Role of Dentists in Diabetes Screening

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A study, led by Dr. Shiela Strauss, Associate Professor of Nursing and Co-Director of the Statistics and Data Management Core for New York University’s Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, examined data from nearly 3,000 adults in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not been diagnosed with diabetes. The results appear in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry in the article titled “The dental office visit as a potential opportunity for diabetes screening: an analysis using NHANES 2003-2004 data.” The results indicate that the majority of people who have periodontal (gum) disease are also at high risk for diabetes. In addition, half of those at risk had seen a dentist in the previous year. This one can draw the conclusion that dentists should consider offering diabetes screenings in their offices. Dr. Strauss and colleagues determined that 93% … Read more

Latest Dental News

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There are some articles I found recently that I feel may be worth a read. 1) Unfortunate Error in Oral Surgeon’s Background This article from the L.A. times discusses how Dr. Suzanne McCormick, president of the Dental Board of California,  wrongly removed 2 permanent molars instead of wisdom teeth from a patient several years ago, and settled out of court. 2) Some Facts your Dentist Does Not Want you to Know This interesting article provides insights in how you should be managing your dental care. Two fascinating tidbits from this article are “It is estimated that 15 to 18 percent of dentists are addicted to drugs or alcohol.” “Dr. Jay Friedman, the nation’s leading authority on dental quality control, once told me the source of the conventional wisdom that you should brush your teeth twice a day…He told me it … Read more

Vasovagal Syncope at the Dentist

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Vasovagal syncope is characterized by a loss of consciousness and muscle tone, which typically are preceded by non-specific symptoms that last anywhere from a few seconds to a minute. These symptoms result from alterations in the nervous system that can include dizziness, lightheadedness, paleness, palpitations, nausea, sweating, hyperventilation and changes in vision. According to Dr. Kapusta, DDS, “Any patient who experiences a syncope reaction may have an underlying cause that can predispose him or her to a life-threatening situation.” It is considered the most common clinical problem that occurs among patients of all ages, affecting 3.5 percent of the general population. Emotional stress, anxiety, pain, fatigue and being in a hot and crowded environment can lead to vasovagal syncope. “It is not uncommon for patients to experience some anxiety when visiting their general dentist,” says  Melvin Pierson, DDS. “Yet, there … Read more

Dentists Reviewing Literature

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I think this is somewhat of joke; however, dentists are soon going to be getting their hands dirty reviewing dental literature. The American Dental Association (ADA) is starting to practice evidence based dentistry (EDA) as opposed to biased dentistry. They should have been doing this decades ago! The recent ADA’s Evidence Reviewers workshop in late June of 2008 taught clinicians and researchers how to critically assess scientific literature and how and why critical summaries should be written. “I was able to come away from the EBD reviewer workshop training with a dramatically new and refreshing perspective on evidence in dentistry,” said Dr. Joseph Hagenbruch of Harvard, Ill., a general dentist and incoming chair of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs. “More importantly, I was able to learn skills and techniques for use when reviewing dental literature for determination of … Read more