Dear Hygiene Insider,
Green tea should be added to dentifrices as an active ingredient for managing periodontal disease, recommend the authors of a new study in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene. They found it to be a beneficial adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Read more in the Insider Exclusive.
In other Hygiene Community news, dental therapists may be able to effectively screen for caries and periodontal disease in low-risk patients, according to a new U.K. study in the Journal of Dental Research. Read how these midlevel providers detected common dental diseases almost as often as dentists.
Meanwhile, the sugar industry influenced U.S. caries eradication research during the 1960s and 1970s, according to a new study in PLOS Medicine. Click here to read how a sugar trade organization helped shift the focus of U.S. research at the time from limiting sugar intake to finding alternative caries prevention strategies.
Also, an overall shortage of more than 15,000 dentists is projected in the U.S. by 2025, according to a new government report. However, the reverse is projected to be true for dental hygienists, as the supply will be greater than the demand. But the ADA cited evidence that there is significant unused capacity in dental offices and that dental care utilization has been falling steadily. Read more here.
And a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more than half of teenagers have caries, and oral health disparities persist for ethnic groups, especially among Hispanic, black, and Asian children. Click here for details.
Finally, practicing good ergonomics in dental offices can preserve the longevity of your dental career, according to a presentation at the recent 2015 Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. Read how being mindful of your working techniques can enhance your dexterity and preserve your strength while avoiding neck and back problems.
