DrBicuspid.com Hygiene Insider

Dear Hygiene Insider,

Excellent patient compliance to periodontal maintenance is critical for successful long-term therapy. But absolute compliance is rare, having been reported as low as 16%.

So what is behind this trend? A number of psychological factors, including an individual's health beliefs, emotional intelligence, psychological stressors, and personality traits could play a role, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology.

Read more in this latest Hygiene Insider Exclusive.

In other Hygiene Community news, should dentists screen for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes? What role can midlevel providers play in improving access to care? Do soft-tissue lasers add clinical value to periodontal disease treatment? Dr. Donald S. Clem III, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, shares his thoughts on these key issues.

Meanwhile, dental professionals in California, take note: New infection-control regulations developed by the Dental Board of California and the Dental Hygiene Committee of California took effect August 20. And some dental team members may not be too happy with the changes. Read more.

Also, after rejecting as written a proposed rule change that would have required a dentist's exam and written authorization before public health hygienists could provide basic preventive services in schools, community health centers, and prisons, the Georgia Board of Dentistry is now waiting to see a revised version of the proposed rule change. Click here to read more.

And echoing conditions in the U.S., two reports released last month by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveal some alarming trends in the oral health of Australian children, particularly those in the lowest socioeconomic areas.

On the clinical front, could filling up on saturated fatty acids be bad for our teeth as well as our bodies? The authors of a study in the Journal of Dental Research suggest it could be, given fatty acid's tendency to prompt an inflammatory response. Click here to read more.

Also, the list of systemic conditions linked to periodontal disease is growing longer every day. Now a new study in the Journal of Periodontology has found an association between respiratory disease and periodontal disease. Read more.

Finally, U.S. Rep. Mike Turner is introducing federal legislation that would let the government fine and imprison for up to one year U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration employees who intentionally fail to follow infection-control practices. Meanwhile, Guy Richardson, the director of the VA medical center in Dayton, OH, during the recent infection-control scandal at the dental clinic, has been reappointed to another position within the VA. Click here and here to read more.