Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Following last week's story on the Consumer Reports article that concluded there is not enough published evidence to support oral cancer screenings except in high-risk patients, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force -- the organization Consumer Reports based its conclusions on -- has issued its own statement regarding oral cancer screenings. And their recommendations may surprise you. Read more.
Meanwhile, in Hygiene Community news, patients who undergo dental scaling at least once a year have a lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of sustained cardiac dysrhythmia, according to a new study in the International Journal of Cardiology.
And while a handful of U.S. states still do not allow dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia, the landscape is slowly shifting, according to Tricia Osuna, RDH, in a presentation at the recent Pacific Dental Conference. Click here to read which states she expects will be next to change their regulations.
