How To Properly Fit A Bicycle Helmet
Getting Your Child To Wear The Helmet
A recent study published in Pediatrics evaluated the effect of active police enforcement of the helmet law, combined with a helmet give-away and education program. The study concluded that active police enforcement, along with helmet give-aways and education was effective, and had a lasting effect on helmet use.
Gilchrist J, Schieber RA, Leadbetter S, Davidson SC: Police enforcement as part of a comprehensive helmet program. Pediatrics. July 2000; 106(1):6-9.
The Realities Of The Dental Internet
The internet is a global network of several hundred million computers. It is a global information resource of unprecedented scale. The power of the Internet comes from the fact that it connects people. There are currently 147 million users online in the United States, and 332 million Internet users worldwide.
The incredible growth of the Internet over the last few years has created opportunities for rapid access to, and exchange of, an incredible amount of health information. Oral and dental health information is now readily available to dentists, patients, and the general public. In fact, medical patients are now beginning to store their own health information on Web servers.
Computers are now an important part of many dental practices. Today, 91 percent of US dentists have computers in their dental offices, and more than half of those have Internet access. Currently, 13 percent of dentist have a dental practice Web site, compared to 8 percent in 1999. Only 5 percent of dentists use the internet in patient treatment rooms, however. The most common reasons that dentists use the Internet are: obtaining information on dental research, obtaining information about dental products, and taking online continuing education courses.
The future of teledentistry is exciting! Teledentistry is the delivery of dental care, and the sharing of dental information over a distance, using telecommunications systems. The three categories of teledentistry are: interactive video, store-and-forward transmission of images and dental records, and remote monitoring.
Teledentistry can improve access to dental care, lower its cost, and provide an avenue for the continuing education of dentists. It also has the potential to replace costly, traditional, dental consultations in remote areas. Two technological developments in the early 1990s have led to a surging interest in teledentistry. One is the increasing use of high-speed , high-bandwidth telecommunications systems. The second is the invention of devices capable of capturing and transmitting images and other data in digital form. These newer devices include digital x-ray sensors, laser scanners, and digital intraoral cameras.
Teledentistry, as used in consultation between doctors, and between doctors and patients, can take two forms: real-time consulting, and store-and forward consulting. In real-time consulting, a video conference is used, and all participants are present in real time. This is a costly approach, however, as it requires a higher investment in rather expensive telecommunications infrastructure and equipment.
A store-and-forward (SAF) teleconsultation, on the other hand, involves exchange of static images that are stored in the telecommunications equipment, and are forwarded as image files. In SAF consulting, the referring dentist collects all of the necessary clinical information, photographic images, and radiographs - and sends them to the consultant via the Internet. The consultant reviews the complete package and sends an opinion back to the referring dentist. SAF teleconsulting can be quite useful, especially when the available bandwidth is inadequate for high-resolution, real-time transmission. SAF is also much less expensive than real-time T-1 telecommunications technology, which transmits at 1.5 megabits per second. SAF dental consultations can be transmitted in batches, and reviewed in batches, at the convenience of the consulting dentist. The only items which a primary care dentist needs in order to teleconsult are: a desktop computer, teleconsulting software, an Internet connection, a digital camera, and a radiograph/text scanner.
Many issues still need to be resolved, however, before teledentistry will realize its enormous potential. These issues include: interstate dental licensure, malpractice liability, jurisdiction, data security, ethical question, inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, and inadequate reimbursement fees for teledentistry consultations.
A recent article in the Journal of the American Dental Association discusses issues which need to be resolved before teledentistry can reach its full potential.
Golder DT, Brennan KA: Practicing dentistry in the age of telemedicine. JADA. June 2000; 131:734-744.
A major factor responsible for the decline in dental caries in the last 50 years is the fluoridation of community drinking water. Water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the level of fluoride in water to a concentration which will protect against tooth decay. Community water is usually fluoridated to a level of 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million.
The use of different formulations of fluoride over the last 40 years has been the major factor in saving nearly $40 billion in oral health care costs in the United States. The per capita cost saving from one year of fluoridation can be as high as $53 in large communities with a high incidence of caries disease. This is a great return on investment, since water fluoridation costs only 31 cents per person in US communities with populations greater than 50,000.
Community water fluoridation is the most equitable and cost-effective method of providing fluoride to all members of communities - regardless of race, creed, income, education, or age. Water fluoridation is very beneficial for communities with low socioeconomic status, since they experience a disproportionate share of dental caries. Water fluoridation can reduce decay in baby teeth by as much as 60 percent, and can reduce decay in permanent teeth by nearly 35 percent.
Early childhood caries (ECC), previously known as baby bottle tooth decay, is a severe form of dental decay which affects infants, toddlers, and young children. Water fluoridation is very effective in preventing ECC, especially in children from low socioeconomic groups. For children who are at risk for ECC, water fluoridation is the only means of preventing tooth decay which does not require a dental visit, or any effort on the part of parents or caregivers.
Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city in the world to fluoridate its water supply. By the end of 1992, 10,567 public water supplies in 8,573 US communities provided water fluoridation. Currently, only 62 percent of the population served by water systems has access to fluoridated water. Approximately 42,000 public water supplies in 153 US cities do not fluoridate their water. The revised national health objectives presented in Healthy People 2010 project that at least 75 percent of the population will be receiving fluoridated water by 2010.
Fluoride prevents dental caries primarily by its beneficial actions at the outer surface of tooth enamel - after the tooth has erupted into the mouth. The biological mechanisms for fluoride's cavity-fighting properties include:
Fluoride inhibits the dissolution of dental enamel by acid from the cavity-producing bacteria.
Fluoride aids in the hardening and remineralization of enamel by attracting calcium and phosphate ions at the tooth surface.
Inhibition of Bacterial Activity in Dental Plaque:
Fluoride is taken up by the bacteria which live in dental plaque. Fluoride
then interferes with the bacteria's ability to produce destructive acid.
An overwhelming amount of scientific evidence indicates that water
fluoridation is safe and in no way affects human health. Even people living
in areas with high levels of natural fluoride in their well water have shown
no adverse health effects. Currently allowed fluoride levels in drinking
water do not cause health problems such as bone disease, hip fractures,
kidney failure, or cancer. Nearly 100 national and international
organizations have affirmed the public health benefits of community water
fluoridation. These organizations include the American Dental Association,
the US Public Health Service, The American Medical Association, the World
Health Organization, and the American Cancer society.
A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association
discussed water fluoridation as an important and effective public health
measure.
CDC: Achievements in public health, 1990-1999: Fluoridation of
drinking water to prevent dental caries. JAMA. 8 March 2000; 283(10)
1283-1286.
|Licensing|
|Tell A Friend|
|Link To Us|
|Disclaimer|
|Copyright|
|About Us|
|Privacy|
