Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Lots of interesting -- and some controversial -- research news this week:
Dental practitioners can accurately screen patients for diabetes and prediabetes using results from two measures they already routinely assess, according to a new study in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR). Even so, will dental offices add this to their daily routine?
There is no significant association between bone fluoride levels and osteosarcoma risk, according to another JDR study. Fluoridation proponents say this should put to rest any fears of a correlation between fluoride and cancer, but others disagree. Read more here and in a related debate in our Forums.
In what is being hailed as an important advance in the understanding of head and neck squamous cell cancer, researchers from several major U.S. biomedical centers have identified a link between specific gene mutations and the development of this often deadly and understudied disease. Click here to read more.
Research has shown that smoking can lead to increased gingival pigmentation. Now a new study in the Journal of Periodontology indicates that secondhand smoke may also put nonsmokers at risk. Read more.
Meanwhile, some U.S. lawmakers -- including a former dentist -- are taking the access-to-care issue to heart by sponsoring legislation that addresses key aspects of the problem. Will their efforts be overshadowed by budget issues? Click here to read more.
