Dear DrBicuspid Member,
A number of studies have pointed to an association between oral disease and the development of certain types of cancer. But a new literature review in Oral Diseases found "inadequate evidence" that infectious diseases in the oral cavity are a true risk factor for the development of most malignancies. Click here to read more, or visit the Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community.
In other news, two studies released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveal some alarming trends in the oral health of Australian youngsters. One found that, as in the U.S., those in the lowest socioeconomic areas of the country have the highest prevalence of dental caries, while the other revealed a decline in toothbrushing among Aussie kids. Read more.
Finally, should very young children be given general anesthesia for a dental procedure? Does reluctance on the part of some insurers to reimburse for dental anesthesiology affect treatment planning? Why are we seeing a shortage of certain anesthesia drugs? These are just some of the questions we posed to Dr. Joel Weaver, a long-time dentist anesthesiologist at Ohio State University and the current editor-in-chief of Anesthesia Progress, in the latest installment of our Leaders in Dentistry series.
