DT U.S. Edition, October 2010, Vol. 5, No. 21

Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Editorial Board DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · US Edition Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com Vice President Global Sales Peter Witteczek p.witteczek@dental-tribune.com Chief Operating Officer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com Group Editor & Designer Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com Editor in Chief Dental Tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter d.hoexter@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Implant, Endo & Lab Tribunes Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Ortho Tribune & Show Dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com Online Editor Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com Product & Account Manager Mark Eisen m.eisen@dental-tribune.com Marketing Manager Anna Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com Sales & Marketing Assistant Lorrie Young l.young@dental-tribune.com C.E. Manager Julia E. Wehkamp j.wehkamp@dental-tribune.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 Tel.: (212) 244-7181 Fax: (212) 244-7185 Published by Dental Tribune America © 2010 Dental Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accuracy in its news and clini- cal reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Group Editor Robin Goodman at r.goodman@dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume respon- sibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The pub- lisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune America. Asthmatic kids and tooth decay In the past, there have been suggestions that asthma and tooth decay were linked, especially for children. But according to a new report from the American Dental Association, that is apparently not the case. A critical review of the lit- erature examined 27 separate stud- ies published in 29 different papers between 1976 and March 2010. The studies looked into possible connections between asthma and dental caries. Gerardo Maupomé, professor of preventive and community dentistry at the Indiana University School of Dentistry and author of the new study, said: “We found little evi- dence to suggest that asthma causes tooth decay. In fact, the two larg- est studies we reviewed found that children with asthma appear to have fewer cavities than others. This may be because their parents are used to taking them to health-care provid- ers, and routinely bring them to the dentist.” “The notion that there is a link between asthma and tooth decay may have its origin in anecdotal statements by emergency room workers who see children with poorly managed asthma,” Maupomé said. “These children could also be more likely to have poorly man- aged dental conditions, and there- fore tooth decay. It’s reasonable to believe that poor clinical manage- ment may be associated with both conditions, not the asthma that is causing the cavities.” The study does acknowledge that it is difficult to explicitly determine if there is a connection between asthma and dental decay — predom- inately because of the large num- ber of variables related to asthma, including the wide range of treat- ments for the illness and the severity of asthma symptoms. Yet, research- ers suggest there is no need for parents with asthmatic children to be concerned. However, children who use nebu- lizers to control their asthma may be increasing their exposure to sugars, as nebulizers often contain fructose. Frequent intake of sugar can lead to tooth decay as the sugar reacts with the plaque on teeth and forms an acid that gradually dissolves the pro- tective enamel coating on the teeth. Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Founda- tion, advises the best way to protect children’s teeth from decay is to make sure they brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. It is also important to cut down how often sugar occurs in a child’s diet. Carter said: “It is vital that chil- dren brush their teeth both morn- ing and night for two minutes with f DT page 1A, GUM DISEASE g DT page 4A helping frame the conference’s rec- ommendations that could be used by many sectors, including educational institutions, professional organiza- tions and policy makers.” Professionals concerned about oral health for vulnerable older adults and people with disabilities, including dentists and dental hygien- ists, geriatricians, nurses, oral health advocates, aging and disability advo- cates, long-term care providers and policy makers and legislative staff, are encouraged to register for the conference. Dental experts will present top- ics of critical importance in meet- ing the oral health needs of special populations, including collabora- tion between disciplines, oral health delivery systems, policy implications, medical dental considerations and coalition building. Responding to each presentation will be an expert from outside den- tistry, representing geriatric medi- cine, long-term care, aging advocacy, state health and policymakers. Active audience participation will follow as attendees have the oppor- tunity to provide input as they discuss the presentations. “The conference is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of oral health care and improve the quality of life for vulnerable older adults and those with disabilities,” said Gist. “We highly encourage those interested professionals to attend.” DT (Source: American Dental Association) take good care of your periodontal health with daily tooth brushing and flossing, you should expect to get a comprehensive periodontal evaluation every year,” he advised. According to Paul Eke, MPH, PhD, epidemiologist at the CDC and lead author of the study, the findings have significant public health implications. “The study suggests we have like- ly underestimated the prevalence of periodontal disease in the adult U.S. population,” he said. “We are current- ly utilizing a full-mouth periodontal examination in the 2009/10 NHANES to better understand the full extent and characteristics of periodontal disease in our adult population.” Eke added, “Research suggests a connection between periodontal health and systemic health. In light of these findings, understanding the relationships between periodontal dis- ease and other systemic diseases in the adult U.S population is more crucial than ever.” Patients can assess their risk for periodontal disease and learn more by visiting perio.org. DT (Source: AAP) About the AAP The American Academy of Periodon- tology (AAP) is the professional orga- nization for periodontists. Periodon- tists are also dentistry’s experts in the treatment of oral inflammation. They receive three additional years of specialized training following dental school. The AAP has 8,000 members worldwide. Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see more articles about? Let us know by e-mailing us at feedback@dental-tribune.com. If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks to process. Tell us what you think! News DENTAL TRIBUNE | OctOber 20102A AD f DT page 1A, ADA