Iowa court upholds dentist's decision; more evidence of perio-ED link

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The Iowa Supreme Court last week upheld its earlier finding that a dentist was justified in firing his dental assistant because he was concerned that her attractiveness might pose a threat to his marriage.

In a case that has sparked media attention worldwide, Melissa Nelson worked for Dr. James H. Knight of Fort Dodge for 10 years but suddenly found herself in the unemployment line when the doctor's wife insisted Dr. Knight let the dental assistant go. Nelson subsequently sued Dr. Knight for unlawful termination, claiming she was discriminated against because she was a woman.

But the all-male state supreme court ruled last December that Dr. Knight's action did not constitute discrimination, and now the court has reaffirmed that decision. Click here to read the court's reasonings.

Meanwhile, in Hygiene Community news, a growing body of research points to a link between chronic periodontal disease and erectile dysfunction (ED), and the common thread appears to be inflammation, according to a new study in the International Journal of Impotence Research. Read more.

Over in the Restoratives Community, the successful sedation of a pediatric patient with sevoflurane may be viewed differently by concerned patients when their child experiences emergence delirium and agitation (EAD). Now an article in the latest Anesthesia Progress outlines a clinical technique that can help reduce the occurrence of EAD and increase a dentist's ability to keep young patients safe and their parents calm.

Finally, oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer diagnosed in the oral cavity, comprising 25% to 40% of oral carcinomas. Now a team of Turkish researchers has identified key survival predictors for patients diagnosed with this cancer. Read more in this latest Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community feature.