Joe Hannan

Bad news for your patients who use e-cigarettes, thinking they’re better for their health than regular cigarettes.

 from the University of Rochester Medical Center suggests that those who use e-cigarettes are damaging their gums and teeth just as badly as those who get their nicotine fix from standard cigarette smoking. The research breaks new ground because it looks at the effect of e-cigarettes on oral health from a cellular and molecular level. The work was recently published in 

Link Between Smoking and Inflammation Identified

E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among young people. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 (CDC), vaping—a term for the practice of smoking an e-cigarette&mdash;tripled among middle and high schoolers from 2013 to 2014. The CDC says 13.4% of high school students used e-cigarettes in 2014. The figure stood at 4.5% the year prior. Among middle schoolers, 1.1% used the devices in 2013, increasing to 3.96% in 2014.

 from the university, scientists had previously thought that it was the smoke itself from cigarettes that caused health complications, however, this study, among others, suggests otherwise.

Lead researcher Irfan Rahman, PhD, said in the University’s news release, “We showed that when the vapors from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to various oral diseases. … How much and how often someone is smoking e-cigarettes will determine the extent of damage to the gums and oral cavity.”

Long-Term Effects of E-Cigarettes Unclear

According to the news release, the study used human gum tissue and exposed it to e-cigarette vapor. Among the results was the finding that the flavoring chemical of the components “play a role” in causing harm to mouth tissues.

Fawad Javed, a post-doctoral student at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, said in the release that some flavorings “made the damage to the cells even worse.”

A useful reminder for your patients: “It’s important to remember that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is known to contribute to gum disease,” Javed said.

Articles

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center also say that flavoring additives may worsen cell damage.

Groundbreaking Study Shows that E-cigarettes Damage Gums, Teeth

Black Friday this year means something else entirely for dentists. While your family is carrying out a bleary eyed shopping binge, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be settling into your first class at the 

, which runs from Friday, Nov. 25 until Wednesday, Nov. 30.

 year of the conference. Organizers say it’s expected to attract more than 54,000 guests, making it one of the largest in the world. It will include its usual exhibits, demonstrations, and educational program.

 runs into the hundreds, which may make choosing the right sessions for you, a busy professional, a daunting task. Among the hundreds of classes are numerous sessions that will focus on practice management and tending to the business side of being a dentist. Here are 6 that caught our attention as options that would help a practice leader looking to improve his or her business acumen. You just might see us there!

Dentistry 20/20 Workshop: A Vision for the Future of Your Practice: 

This session, which will feature multiple speakers, appears to offer actionable strategies on boosting revenue and patient value. Organizers stress that this is an interactive session, so you might want to pass if you’re a bit of a wallflower. 

The Top 10 Secrets to Make Your Practice Thrive: 

This class appears to be tailored to the entire dental team. If you’re seeing a lack of cohesion among your practice employees, this will likely be a sound option to get everybody pulling in the same direction. 

Why Hypnosis Works and Its Place In Dentistry:

 a Practice Management session, however, hypnosis, if applicable and effective, could be another marketing draw for your practice. Also, people will be hypnotized, so this session might make for a lively break from the conference norm. 

Increase Your Case Acceptance Now: 4 Keys to More Patients Saying Yes!: 

One of the standout elements of this session is “3 easy changes to your schedule that can double your production in the next few months.” Who wouldn’t want to check that out? 

Dentistry is at a transition point. The traditional model of repair could be switching over to regeneration in the near future. These cutting edge technologies and procedures are what patients of tomorrow will be looking for. 

Let’s face it, you don’t want to do this forever, do you? Retirement has to be on your mind in some capacity. This session will walk participants through the hurdles of selling your dental practice. 

There are many other attractive options, however, these are just some of the highlights. If you can’t make it to New York, 

 will be there to bring you the highlights. And if you are going, next week we’ll be posting more on where to eat and what to do when you’re not at the conference. 

Out of the hundreds of potential class options, these 6 stood out as good opportunities for dentists and practice leaders looking to improve their business acumen.

GNYDM 2016: 6 Promising Practice Management Classes

 presented Monday at the American Institute for Cancer Research’s 

 establishes that black raspberries prevent oral cancers in rats.

 from the AICR, the study also “identifies key cancer-related genes that may explain (oral cancer’s) actions.” The study is in its early stages and hasn’t undergone peer review yet.

 that 48,250 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year, causing more than 9,575 deaths. The foundation estimates that of the newly diagnosed, only about half will survive for 5 years.

In the news release, Steve Oghumu, PhD and lead author of the study, is quoted as saying, “Our study shows that feeding black raspberries to rats inhibits the development of oral cancer in an animal model.”

These findings may also be relevant to humans, researchers say, noting that preclinical and clinical trial results seem to suggest that the berries may thwart oral cancer in humans. The challenge, they say is understanding why—specifically, on a molecular level. It might have to do with genes that are “switched on or off” when the berries are eaten, the news release said.

“Our objective in this study was to see whether those same genes were modulated in the rat model so we could determine if we were seeing the same effects,” Dr. Oghumu said.

For the study, researchers fed rats with oral cancer on three different diets: a standard diet, one with 5% frozen black raspberries, and a diet with 10% frozen black raspberries. These groups were compared to another that included cancer-free rats.

After the study period concluded, researchers inspected the rats’ tongues and measured their blood for inflammation and apoptosis markers, which indicate cancer cell death. They discovered that the rats that ate the raspberries showed signs of cancer cell death and had lower inflammation markers.

The raspberries also seemed to reduce the number of tumors. The rats on the 5% raspberry diet saw a 39% reduction. Those on the 10% diet saw a 29% reduction.

“This study is important because we confirmed that black raspberries can inhibit carcinogenesis in a rat model, and we have now found a suitable animal model to understand how black raspberries work in inhibiting oral cancer in people,” said Dr. Oghumu in the news release. 

This early study, which was presented at the American Institute for Cancer Research's annual conference, may have implications for humans.

Animal Study Shows that Black Raspberries Fight Oral Cancer

If you notice that one of your formerly regular patients has suddenly begun to skip check-ups, their relationship might be to blame.

A new Australian quality of life study finds that adults with higher levels of insecurity in in their relationships exhibit poor oral health behaviors, such as skipping regular dental check-ups, when compared to those with lower levels of insecurity.

The study, which was published in the latest edition of 

, applied adult attachment theory to dentistry to determine whether insecurity within adult relationships can affect “oral health-related quality of life,” “oral health behaviors,” and “self-rated oral health.” According to the 

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

, adult attachment theory can be loosely defined as an attempt to understand the continuum of attachment that begins at birth and runs through adult life, fulfilling the need for humans “to seek and maintain a few intimate relationships.”

, researcher Grace Branjerdporn, PhD, is quoted as saying, “We determined that those who tended to avoid emotional intimacy, or worried their partner would not be available to them in times of need, were more likely to have negative oral health outcomes. … On the flipside, you could say having a love life where you trust the other person and have higher self-worth leads to better dental visiting habits, more confidence related to your teeth and appearance, and rating your teeth better."

The sampling for the study included 265 healthy adults. Researchers collected information on their attachment patterns as well as the previously mentioned oral health factors.

Researchers found that indicators of attachment insecurity corresponded to “lowered use of favorable dental behaviors,” and decreased oral health-related quality of life. Additionally, avoiding attachment could also be linked to “diminished self-rated oral health.”

“This study supports the potential value of an adult attachment framework for understanding a range of oral health parameters,” the study concludes. “The assessment of a client’s attachment pattern may assist in the identification of people who are at risk of diminished (oral health-related quality of life), less adaptive dental visiting behaviors, or poorer oral health.”

A new Australian quality of life study finds that adults with higher levels of insecurity in their relationships exhibit poor oral health behaviors, such as skipping regular dental check-ups, when compared to those with lower levels of insecurity.

Study Links Relationship Insecurity to Oral Health Habits

A child who became ill after receiving treatment at an Anaheim, CA dental clinic that was using contaminated water may require an artificial jawbone, the child’s attorney said.

 on Monday about the Children’s Dental Group, where a 

 infection sickened dozens of children. An area hospital now puts the number of confirmed or probable cases at 77, the 

The attorney, Alexander Napolin, is representing two-dozen children who became sick after undergoing procedures such as pulpotomies. Seven children with dental infections, the 

 reports, remain hospitalized. The news outlet estimates that nearly 800 children may have been exposed in the outbreak.

One child dealing with the repercussions of the infection may “lose his jaw bone and have an artificial jaw for the rest of his life,” the 

writes. This bone would require replacement as the child grows.

Napolin, the attorney at the head of the class-action suit, was seeking patient records from the practice, which were turned over on Monday. He suspects his clients may have been victims of over-treatment. The 

 quotes him as saying, “This goes on all across the country, this kind of scheme. … They’re maiming children.”

Sam Gruenbaum, CEO of Children’s Dental Group, was also quoted in the 

as saying treatment is ”based on examinations by the doctors and consultation and cooperation with the patient’s guardian.”

As previously reported by Dentist’s Money Digest, 

 bacterium are typically found in dust, water, and soil, and are a common contaminator of medical devices. The bacteria can cause abscesses and infections of the skin, soft oral tissue, and bone. Infections typically require long courses of antibiotics to clear. 

The dental clinic was cleared to resume operations

 a week ago after it took steps satisfactory to the Orange County Health Care Agency to remediate the contamination.

Dentist’s Money Digest contributor Sarah Handzel, BSN, RN, contributed to this report.

Health officials now put the number of children potentially sickened by the outbreak at 77. Seven remain hospitalized. A total of 800 children may have been exposed.

Child Sickened in Outbreak May Need Artificial Jaw, Attorney Says

A new study shows steady expansion of children’s access to health services—including dental visits—since 2000.

Going deeper than an investigation of increased access, 

, also looked into whether the access translated across racial/ethnic and income demographics.

Researchers analyzed a group of 178,038 children, aged 0 to 17 years, from the year 2000 until 2014 that were a part of the National Health Interview Survey. They measured lack of access to care using the following 5 indicators:

1. Lack of a well-child visit within the year.

2. No visit to a doctor’s office within the year.

3. No visit to a dentist’s office within the year.

4. No “unusual source of care” within the year.

5. No “unmet health needs” within the year.

The findings were encouraging, the study says. “Among all children, uninsured rates declined from 12.1% in 2000 to 5.3% in 2014, with improvement across all 5 access indicators.” There were also significant improvements within demographics. Hispanic children, of whom 19.8% percent hadn’t gone to the doctor in 2000, fell to 11.9% in 2014. Lack of dental visits among Hispanic children also fell from 43.2% in 2000 to 21.8% in 2014. Large gains were also seen for black children and children from low-income families, the study notes.

“Children’s access to health services has improved since 2000 with greater gains in vulnerable population groups. Findings support a need for continued support of health insurance for all children,” the study concludes.

 of Gallup-HealthWise survey data, about 1.5 million children have left the ranks of the uninsured since the third quarter of 2013 as a result of expanded access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It remains to be seen, however, how President-elect 

Donald Trump may alter the Affordable Care Act

how those changes could affect people with coverage under the ACA

The study also showed increased access across demographics, such as race/ethnicity and income.

New Study Shows Expanded Access to Dentistry for Children

In a fraud trial that has revealed chilling allegations of child abuse, the competency of a Florida pediatric dentist remains under scrutiny and trial proceedings have ground to a halt.

News4Jax.com reports that Howard Schneider, DDS, who has already settled more than 100 abuse cases against him, is accused of charging the state for procedures he didn’t carry out in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to News4Jax, the defense and prosecution brought in medical experts to offer opinions on Schneider’s competency. Now, the trial is awaiting the opinion of a third psychologist, appointed by the judge presiding over the case. That opinion is being held up by a pending MRI and possible bloodwork, the news outlet reported on Monday. So far, the opinions of medical experts working for the defense and prosecution have not been released. The trial was supposed to begin on June 13. Another hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22, but no trial date has been set.

The investigation into the fraud charges revealed abuse allegations against Dr. Schneider similar to those that have already been settled, News4Jax reports. One heavily redacted patient account, 

According to the deposition, a parent brought their child to Dr. Schneider’s office for a procedure that was expected to take about 30 minutes. When the procedure ran into a third hour, the parent became worried and was eventually informed by a practice employee that there had been “an incident.”

The parent then went to their child only to find that the child “was hyperventilating, had marks, scratches and blood all over.” The staff member told the parent that the dentist and the staff member had stepped out and when they returned, found the child “face first on the floor.” The child later told the parent, “they’re lying to you,” and “the man doctor threw me and that lady picked me up when I was on the board and she was laughing at me, and sat on me when he choked me and pulled my teeth.” At this point, the parent realized the child was missing all of their teeth.

, appears to describe a child that was so heavily sedated, she immediately passed out when release to a parent and had great difficulty waking up. The child had been heard screaming earlier during the procedure. A parent said that the child’s “arms were bruised and hands were swollen from being restrained at Dr. Schneider’s office,” though they did not take photographs of the alleged injuries.

The dentist's trial is being held up by questions concerning his competency.

Pediatric Dentist Accused of Child Abuse, Fraud

Families File Lawsuit Over Infection Outbreak at California Dental Clinic

In addition to malpractice, the civil suit levels allegations of fraud stemming from reportedly unnecessary procedures at the practice.

What Trump’s Win Means for Your Investments

How you can protect your portfolio in times of financial volatility.

Planning for the 4 Phases of Retirement: Pre-Retirement

Retirement consists of 4 key phases. Here, we’ll present some key considerations for each phase in 4 parts.

In the United Kingdom, November is Mouth Cancer Action Month, a campaign aimed at early detection of oral cancer. The campaign offers useful screening tips that also apply to American dentists.

When and Where to Book Hotel Rooms to Get the Best Rate

Expedia analyzed hotel travel trends from the first half of 2016 to come up with these money-saving strategies.

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The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending Nov.  11

An NJ woman has been convicted of stealing more than $85,000 from a PA dental practice where she worked as an office manager.

 reports that Jackie Singer, 50, of Pennsauken, NJ, took the money to pay for her “lavish lifestyle.” She was convicted of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and forgery. The funds were stolen from the Julie Robin Arouh Dental Practice in Abington, PA, between 2008 and 2014 the 

 quotes Assistant District Attorney Meghan Carney as saying, “As an employee she stole money from the business bank accounts of the doctor and owner of that business. … She was the office manager, so she had full rein of the books as well as the business bank accounts. She was stealing from the office in different ways. We will be seeking some type of jail time.”

, was fired in March 2014 and subsequently, the practice owner audited office records revealing several red flags. An investigation later revealed that Singer used the practice’s accounts to pay her personal credit cards. She also forged a doctor’s signature to issue checks for personal use, the 

Additionally, Singer used a company credit card for personal purchases, including trips to the Bahamas and Las Vegas, airline tickets, hotel reservations, and personal expenses, such as car insurance.

reported, tried to make the case that the practice owner had given her permission to use the funds. But the prosecution refuted those claims.

The NJ woman is accused of taking the money and using it for trips and personal expenses.

Dental Office Manager Convicted of Stealing $85K from Practice

touts a 2003 study as a reason for parents to save their children’s deciduous teeth, however, the jury is still out on whether stem cells extracted from these teeth can eventually be used to develop human tissue.

 was released in April 2003 and determined that children’s baby teeth “contain a rich supply of stem cells in their dental pulp.” These particular stem cells, according to the study, had special advantages when compared to “adult stem cells.” Specifically, they tend to have longer life spans, grow quickly and in laboratory settings, could potentially be used to prompt formation of bone, dentin or neuronal cells.

 writes, is that should a child need new tissue later in life, the stem cells from their teeth could be used to create it.

This urging by experts for parents to store their children’s teeth likely gave rise to a profitable business. A quick google search reveals several companies offering the service. One company, 

, offers its services for $1,749. Store-A-Tooth requires a dentist to send a child’s teeth to their laboratory for processing. The stem cells are later frozen and stored for later use.

 is another company that offers the same service, requiring dentists to extract the deciduous teeth, then ship them for processing and storage. Their fee structure is slightly different, with an initial processing fee, followed by separate fees for annual storage.

However, the drive to store stem cells extracted from deciduous teeth might be a bit premature. While the potential is there to regenerate tissues, right now, it is exclusively potential. An 

Issue Summary published by the California Dental Association

“Research on stem-cell therapies utilizing cells of dental origin may some day progress to offer clear options for tissue repair and regeneration. At this time however, experts agree on the prematurity of claims regarding the future use of dental pulp stem cells for this purpose. It is important that dentists and the public have access to accurate and unbiased information. CDA, as the trusted source of information for oral health in California, can play a key role by providing current information on the CDA web site and in CDA publications.”

A recent parenting news article recommends the expensive practice, but is it worth it?