Dear Hygiene Insider,
Research has shown that pregnant women can be susceptible to periodontal disease. Now a new study in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics finds that dentists can target those at high risk by asking a simple question: Do you have tooth mobility or swollen gums?
In a review of 409 postpartum women, researchers from the University of Milano found that maternal clinical periodontal disease at delivery may be related with self-perceived gum swelling and tooth mobility. Read more in this Hygiene Insider Exclusive.
In other Hygiene Community news, thousands flocked to a four-day clinic in Oakland, CA, in March, hoping to receive free dental and medical care. The event spotlighted the growing access-to-care challenges many California adults are facing in the wake of layoffs and state budget cuts. Read more.
In a related article, DrBicuspid.com has launched a new series, Dental Heroes. The first installment featured Stan Brock, founder of Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit charitable organization that has provided dental, optical, and medical treatment to hundreds of thousands of Americans in need.
And while the first graduates of Minnesota's groundbreaking dental therapist program say they will focus on treating the poor, children, and the elderly, many other state-based efforts to develop midlevel provider programs and legislation have so far met with keen opposition.
In business news, Philips Oral Healthcare will discontinue certain advertising claims for its Sonicare FlexCare and FlexCare+ toothbrushes after Procter & Gamble filed a complaint with the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Click here to read more.
On the clinical front, the adjunctive use of antibiotics such as metronidazole or amoxicillin during periodontal treatment has been shown to offer short-term benefits. But a new study has found that another antibiotic -- azithromycin -- does not appear to offer the same benefits when treating advanced periodontal disease. Read more.
Also, an educational campaign at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry helped raise awareness among dental students regarding the importance of reporting incidents of bloodborne pathogen exposure.
And the diet of elite triathletes is consistent with a high-risk profile for caries and erosion, according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
Meanwhile, Sunstar Americas has expanded its periodontal disease treatment tool kit with PerioShield, a low-alcohol mouth rinse that provides a unique plaque-blocking technology to prevent biofilm from adhering to teeth and periodontal surfaces. Read more here.
Finally, a report released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) confirmed that the Dayton VA Medical Center in Ohio failed to follow infection control policies, putting hundreds of dental patients at risk of infection for nearly 20 years. But Dwight Pemberton, DDS, the dentist at the center of the controversy, has denied the allegations.
