Dental Tribune US Edition, Vol. 5, No. 19

Sedation and general anesthesia practices in U.S. dentistry vary widely A wide variation has been found in the training for and practice of seda- tion and general anesthesia within the dental profession in the United States. Safe, effective pain and anxiety control techniques are an essential part of dentistry. A survey designed to be a snapshot of common practices provides insight into this limited area of research. An article in the June issue of the journal Anesthesia Progress reports the results of a survey of 717 provid- ers. The questionnaire-based survey, conducted from April to December 2008, investigated training, practice characteristics, and anesthesia tech- niques of dental care providers. A universal instructional standard for sedation and general anesthesia is lacking in the training require- ments of U.S. dental boards, although similarities do exist. Most commonly, training was through oral surgery res- idencies. Overall, respondents report- ed that 33 percent of their postgradu- ate instruction was hospital-based. Thirty-five percent of dental anes- thesia assistants were without formal training, closely followed by 33.5 per- cent who received training through an American Association of Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons program. A much lower 7.3 percent were trained through an American Dental Society of Anesthesiology program. Other aspects of the survey includ- ed types of patients and procedures for which sedation or general anes- thesia were used. The questionnaire also asked which medication agents were most commonly used and how they were administered. Postanesthe- sia care was most commonly found to be given by the actual provider (51.7 percent of cases), but a nurse or assis- tant often provided recovery care as well (45 percent). Most survey respondents, nearly 82 percent, were both dentist and anesthetist for their practice, a long- established tradition. However, the authors note that recent state regula- tions as well as anesthesia education in U.S. dental schools are now limit- ing this method of practice. Full text of the article, “Practice Characteristics Among Dental Anes- thesia Providers in the United States,” Anesthesia Progress, Volume 57, Issue 2, 2010, is available at www2. allenpress.com/pdf/anpr-57.2_52-58. pdf. About Anesthesia Progress Anesthesia Progress is the official publication of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA). The quarterly journal is dedicated to providing a better understanding of the advances being made in the sci- ence of pain and anxiety control in dentistry. The journal invites submissions of review articles, reports on clinical techniques, case reports and confer- ence summaries. To learn more about the ADSA, visit www.adsa- home.org. DT (Source: ADSA) News DENTAL TRIBUNE | September 20104A AD Researchers say the best teeth whitener is fruit A recent study by Harvard Univer- sity revealed that eating fruit daily is the best way to whiten teeth. Through a three-month clinical study, it was determined that strawberries, orange peels and lemon juice are the most effective teeth whiteners in the world. Strawberries can be made into a puree and smothered on the teeth. Strawberries have a natural enzyme that removes tooth stains, according to teethwhitener.net. Orange peels can be used to remove tooth stains, just by rubbing the inside of a peel against tooth surfaces. A little lemon juice and salt work very well to remove stains. Just wash your mouth out with this or even rock salt and warm water will work at night to remove stains. Baking soda has long been known to work wonders for smiles. It may taste awful, however adding bak- ing soda on a toothbrush along with mouthwash can help alleviate the negative taste. Also a strawberry mix- ture added to baking soda/peroxide not only adds a sweet taste to the concotion, but is yet another effective whitener. It is best to not drink coffee, tea, colas or red wine, which are all known to stain teeth and cause some decay of the enamel. Apples and potatoes can cause discoloration, but they also tend to clean off the teeth. Mouth washing is important after eating apples. Also, stop or slow down tobacco use, as both dipping and smoking can cause tooth discoloration. Avoid mouthwash, as it sometimes will stain teeth. Finally, remind patients that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Going to the dentist once or twice a year for a cleaning and checkup is strongly sug- gested. DT (Source: PRWEB) Fruit has been found to be the most effective teeth whitener in the world. (Photo/Vertes Edmond Mihai, Dreamstime.com) What’s your specialty? Whichever area of dentistry you practice in, you will find articles of interest at www.dental-tribune.com: Cosmetic Dentistry Using provisional restorations in complex restorative cases By Christopher C.K. Ho www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/specialities/section/ cosmetic_dentistry/id/2275 Dental Hygiene Enlightened and whitened: An overview on bleaching and patient assessment By Julie Seager www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/specialities/section/ dental_hygiene/id/2401 Orthodontics Simpli5: the next generation in invisible orthodontic therapy By Neal D. Kravitz www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/specialities/section/ orthodontics/id/1921 www.dental-tribune.com