Studies shed new light on periodontitis; CE in paradise

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Some interesting clinical studies are in the news this week, providing new insights into the cause and effect of periodontal disease:

• Researchers from Colgate-Palmolive Technology Center, the Forsyth Institute, and Metabolon -- a company that develops applications for an emerging molecular analysis technique called metabolomics -- have discovered a number of key biomarkers for periodontitis that they say could aid the development of a chairside periodontal health assessment tool. Read more.

• A study out of the State University of New York at Buffalo found that chronic periodontitis is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma -- the first time this particular association has been demonstrated in clinical research, according to the authors. Read more.

And over on the Second Opinion page, Dr. Sheri Doniger shares her experiences from last week's ADA meeting in Hawaii -- where she actually managed to squeeze in some continuing education courses and time on the exhibit hall floor!