Sarah Handzel, BSN, RN

Defined as the progressive loss of a tooth’s surface due to factors other than those causing decay or dental trauma, 

 is becoming an increasingly prominent oral health problem. There is no one cause to tooth wear, and over several decades there have been several evaluation systems created and used by dentists to assess the wear on a patient’s teeth. However, none of these evaluation systems is universally accepted throughout the field of dentistry. Researchers are now recommending that dental practitioners develop and accept a standardized tooth wear evaluation system in order to more effectively address this growing dental problem.

, researchers evaluated the four most commonly used tooth wear evaluation systems: the Eccles Index, the Tooth Wear Index, and Lussi Index, and the Basic Erosive Wear Examination. Each of the four systems share similar characteristics, but there are still notable differences between them all, and none of them complement each other. Also, none of these four systems was found to show all the characteristics that a hypothetical, broadly applicable tooth wear evaluation system would require.

All four of the systems included in the study were designed to evaluate tooth wear chairside, although three of the systems could theoretically also include data from photographs. The authors of two of the systems also stated that the use of dental casts for evaluating tooth wear was a possible option.

According to this study, all four systems were intended to diagnose erosive tooth wear—but a proper diagnosis cannot be made through simply grading the amount of tooth surface loss. The study authors suggested that recognition of the clinical signs of tooth wear, obtaining a proper oral history, and even saliva tests are all required for a complete, accurate tooth wear diagnosis. Of the four systems studied, none is suitable as a universally accepted evaluation model in its current form.

The study authors proposed the development of a modular evaluation system that includes all these characteristics, instead of one of the four systems included in the study, would be a more realistic, workable solution to diagnosing tooth wear and screening patients appropriately. They suggested that a possible evaluation system could be comprised of multiple modules that would be used to grade all subtypes of tooth wear. The new system could also be used for all types of assessments and all tooth surfaces. Dentists would be able to choose between partial or full assessments as necessary depending on the state of the patient’s teeth.

While more research is needed to explore and develop a new, universally accepted modular evaluation system, the researchers stressed that the dental community as a whole must accept responsibility for reaching an agreement on which evaluation system to use.

Articles

Researchers are now recommending that dental practitioners develop and accept a standardized tooth wear evaluation system in order to more effectively address this growing dental problem.

Study Suggests a Standard System for Tooth Wear Evaluation is Needed

 published by the Journal of the American Dental Association, Jagan Baskaradoss, BDS, MPH sought to identify the various factors that influenced whether patients kept their dental appointments or not. In the course of the study, he reached the conclusion that, even adjusting for other factors like demographic information, dental risk factors, and health-seeking behaviors, poor oral health literacy severely affects the likelihood of a patient’s decision to skip an appointment with their dentist.

Baskaradoss conducted a 1:2 case-control study located at a university-based dental clinic involving a total of 150 patients. All the study participants had comparable sociodemographic statuses and dental risk factors. The study was conducted over a period of three months, with participants being asked to complete the 

Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) questionnaire

. This questionnaire was developed as a tool for use in studies examining the oral health literacy of patients from a variety of backgrounds and life circumstances.

Additional information was also gathered about other variables that could possibly influence the outcome of the study using a separate questionnaire and through examining each participant’s electronic medical records.

The CMOHK scores were used to categorize samples into low (≤ 18) and high (Ëƒ 18) oral health literacy groups. The low oral health literacy group was found to be associated with a 2-fold increase in the risk of the patient missing appointments. Interestingly, age was also shown to be a factor related to missed dental appointments.

Oral health literacy includes the abilities of the patient to recognize specific words related to oral health, reading comprehension of written oral health materials, and the ability to communicate effectively with dental professionals about concerns. After the study results were adjusted for the other variables, poor oral health literacy was still strongly associated with the risk of a patient missing a dental appointment. This data shows that predictors of compliance, such as whether or not a patient has poor oral health literacy, could be useful in preventing cancellations and no-shows in the practice.

The study was conducted over a period of three months, with participants being asked to complete the Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) questionnaire.

Patients Missing Appointments? Poor Oral Health Literacy Might be to Blame

Kool Smiles, a leading provider of dental care to underprivileged and underserved populations, has announced the winner of it’s 

. This is the first year Kool Smiles has held the scholarship contest.

The scholarship amount totaled $5,000. It was awarded to a US student, Arth Patel, who wrote an essay explaining how dental health contributes to the well-being of children and families. In his essay, Patel described growing up in rural India where quality dental care was not widely available. He described how his family personally benefited from their access to community-based dental healthcare programs after they had moved to the United States.

Patel is currently a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry. He discovered his interest in dentistry while volunteering at a local community dental clinic. In a 

 regarding the scholarship award, Patel was quoted as saying “I'm very excited to win the essay contest and to use the scholarship funds to further my education in dental school. I thank Kool Smiles for supporting me on my professional journey to reduce dental health disparities among those in need.”

Patel also said that “when a healthcare workforce provides care to the underserved, it motivates these underserved individuals, in turn, to contribute to their community and try to give back in some way. After receiving care from my community whenever I needed it, I feel obligated to volunteer and advance my community in any way possible."

In addition to the $5,000 scholarship, Kool Smiles also awarded a $500 book stipend to the first runner-up in the dental health essay contest, high school student Alex Marti.

 was founded in 2002 with the goal of providing first-rate dental services to communities that often have no exposure to dental care. They provide dental services for a variety of patients ranging in age from 1 year to adults. The company believes that everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances, should have access to quality dental care. They are currently working to expand oral healthcare services to underserved communities across the country.

After moving to America from rural India, Arth Patel came to realize the positive impact of the more widely available dental care in the US. He wrote an essay describing his experiences to win the award.

Kool Smiles Awards $5,000 Scholarship to UCLA Dental Student

With tax season right around the corner, it’s never too early to start thinking about the way in which your practice will report yearly earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Dentists can choose from several business entity types, each of which has different consequences to consider when filing taxes. It’s possible to file as a corporation or as an unincorporated entity, like a limited liability company (LLC), sole proprietorship, or general partnership. Before deciding how best to file, you should consider consulting with a certified public accountant who can further advise you on each option for your practice and the ramifications of your entity choice on taxes in your home state.

The following is intended to provide a brief summary of each type of business entity. In part 1, we’ll discuss some of the smaller, simpler entity options. In part 2, we’ll move on to larger entities, including corporations.

 — this is the simplest structure used to form an unincorporated business that is owned and run by one individual. The business and you, the owner, are not indistinguishable from each other. As the owner, you’re entitled to all profits from the business, but you’re also responsible for every business debt, loss, and liability incurred. Tax preparation and filing is relatively easy. The business isn’t taxed separately from your personal income, and the tax rates are the lowest of all types of business structures.

· You have complete control over your business decisions.

· This type of business is easy to form, and it doesn’t cost a lot to do so.

· There is a lot of personal liability. After all, you and your business are regarded as one entity, so you can be held personally responsible for all the debts and obligations of the business.

· It can be hard to raise capital for this type of business.

· Since you’re solely responsible for all business decisions, this type of structure can place a heavy administrative burden on you.

United States Small Business Administration

, there are three types of partnerships possible: a general partnership, a limited partnership, and a joint venture. Distribution of profits, liability, and the ability to make management decisions vary depending on the type of partnership formed. Each partner in the business is responsible for several additional taxes on top of the annual return of income, employment, and excise taxes. All partners must also pay income taxes, self-employment taxes, and estimated taxes as appropriate.

· Partnerships are easy and inexpensive to form.

· Since partners are all invested in the success of the business, there is a shared financial commitment.

· Each partner brings different strengths and skills into the partnership.

· Partnerships retain full, shared liability among all the partners. That means each partner is liable for their own actions in addition to the business debts and liabilities incurred through the decisions of other partners.

· Whenever you have multiple people partnering together, you’re bound to disagree over something. Partnerships mean that you have to be willing to make compromises and resolve disputes as graciously as possible.

·Since partnerships are jointly owned, the profits aren’t yours exclusively. You have to share the business profits with each partner—this can lead to conflict if one partner is putting in the lion’s share of the work in terms of time spent at the office, effort, or allocation of personal resources.

 — this type of business structure receives the benefit of the limited liability features usually reserved for corporations and the tax benefits and operational flexibilities of a partnership. These businesses can have only one owner or be owned by multiple people who are referred to as “members”. LLCs are not taxed as separate business entities – each member receives profits and losses that have been “passed through” the business and are then reported on the member’s personal tax returns.

· LLCs protect every member from personal liability regarding business decisions or actions. If the LLC is sued or takes on a debt, the member’s personal assets are usually protected from legal action.

· You don’t have to keep as many records. LLCs have less registration paperwork compared to other types of entities. Start-up costs are also typically less.

· LLCs have fewer profit sharing restrictions, and members can distribute profits as they see fit. It’s up to the members to decide who gets what percentage of the profits.

· In quite a few states, if a member leaves the LLC, the business is dissolved legally unless there were already provisions in the business operating agreement prolonging the life of the company in such situations. The members must still fulfill any and all business and legal obligations in order to officially close the business.

· All members of a LLC are considered to be self-employed. They must pay self-employment taxes toward Social Security and Medicare, and the entire net income of the business is subject to this tax.

How will you report yearly earnings to the Internal Revenue Service this year? There are advantages and disadvantages to each business entity type.

Get a Jump on Taxes by Considering Your Business Entity Options

These stress management techniques are easy to apply in your everyday life and can help build the foundation for a healthier mental state. 

	There’s a lot to worry about if you’re a dentist. You’re worried about providing the best possible care to often fearful patients, and you’re worried about your professional liability if some aspect of your treatment plan goes sideways. Running a dental practice, paying back colossal student loans, dealing with insurance companies for reimbursement, and performing delicate tasks in excruciating detail all result in a high-stress career. With outside influences like the presidential election and the fast-approaching holiday season, your stress level might be off the charts.

, constantly working in a high-stress environment can lead to myriad problems 

, and professional burnout. The bottom line is that yes, you have a tremendously stressful career, but you’ve got to take steps to minimize your stress levels where you can.

Stress can have significant effects on health, and it’s been associated with many health disorders like heart disease, muscle and skeletal problems, and fluctuations in weight. The stress of being a dentist starts … well … before you’re even technically a dentist. It starts in dental school. 

, dental students have a 100% prevalence of stress, and it’s easy to see why. People who pursue dentistry as a profession have a tendency to be perfectionists, with educational track records that include high achievement and academic excellence.

Students often have a hard time coping with the demands of dental school. They are shouldering massive student loan debt in order to achieve their dreams. Further, students often experience stress as a result of other, non-academic factors, such as changes to living accommodations once in school and changes in personal relationships as a result of pursuing dentistry.

It’s not like stress levels decrease after graduation either. Once school is over, dentists experience stress on the job in many different forms. Owning a dental practice is a huge commitment, both personally and financially, and many dentists get in over their heads trying to figure out the business side of things. Even if you don’t own a practice, you’re still working extended hours in cramped conditions, performing extremely detailed work on patients who are often fearful.

Job-related stress has been the subject of numerous studies examining its effects on overall quality of life. 

 looked at data from 797 primary healthcare workers, including dentists, with the goal of evaluating the relationships between stressful work conditions and poor quality of life. Generally, workers who reported their jobs required high effort but resulted in low personal reward self-reported a low quality of life. Interestingly, healthcare workers who reported high work effort and high personal reward also said their quality of life was lower, indicating that over-commitment to work had a significant negative impact on them.

We all experience stress. It’s what we do with the stress that ultimately determines our outcomes. Some stressors can be seen as a type of good stress (eustress). This type of stress is beneficial because it allows us to focus our energies into improving our situations, which can occur through increased motivation, higher levels of performance, and excitation about the goals we’re trying to accomplish.

Conversely, when we experience negative stress (destress), a whole host of physical and emotional consequences can occur. For example, mounting negative stress causes a buildup of epinephrine in the body. If epinephrine occurs in high enough qualities for long enough time periods, 

, which moves fat from the body into the bloodstream where it builds up over time and forms deposits in blood vessels. From there, these deposits might break off of the vessel wall, causing heart attack or stroke.

On the next page: 7 Strategies to Cope with Stress

How Can Dentists Deal with Negative Stress?

Fortunately, there are a variety of ways dentists can manage their stress levels. It’s important to find what works for you, and make a conscious effort to put those stress management techniques into practice if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed.

Some stress management techniques are broader and are easy to apply in your everyday life. They help build the foundation for a healthier mental state. Eating well-balanced, nutritionally dense meals provides your body with all the energy you need to function at your best. Getting enough sleep helps your mind to reset and refresh itself. Exercise, including practices like 

, helps to keep your body at its peak performance level, in addition to providing 

Additionally, there are several simple things you can do if you find yourself getting stressed out at work.

		Start by taking some deep breaths, and count to 10 slowly to help you to focus your mind.

		Adopt a positive attitude, and keep in mind that even if you strive for perfectionism in your dentistry practice, you might not get there. Sometimes it’s ok to be satisfied by however close you can get to perfect.

		Try to learn what exactly triggers your stress. Is it performing a certain procedure? Perhaps it’s dealing with a specific co-worker? If you can identify your main sources of stress, you can start to look for patterns in your daily life that can help you avoid the stressor as much as possible.

		Talk to someone. Your friends and family can already tell if you’re overwhelmed, and they’ll probably welcome the chance to help you find solutions to your stress problems.

		Accept that you can’t control everything in life. No one can. This helps to put your stress in perspective — is it really as bad as it is in your head?

		Look for the humor in situations. After all, a good laugh can go a long way toward helping you feel better.

		Finally, take a step back and remove yourself from the situation if you need to. Sometimes, you just have to walk away from something to clear your head.

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Dentistry is a high-stress career with high rates of depression, anxiety, and addiction. Take these steps to relax and prevent burnout and more serious health complications.

Handling Stress in Dentistry

We get it--you hate dealing with conflict. You already have so much to deal with in the day-to-day of working as a dentist, and there’s just no way you want to have to devote additional energy to figuring out why your dental hygienist is angry with your front desk staffer. It’s understandable, but conflict management isn’t something you can escape--you might even be in the middle of a conflict with an angry patient yourself!

Unfortunately, conflict is something we all have to deal with at some point in our lives and work. Now more than ever, it seems like people are clashing with each other over a range of issues, both personal and professional. Regardless of the source of the conflict, it’s important to keep in mind that, as a dentist, conflict in your practice affects more than just the two people involved in the argument. Conflict can affect your other employees and your patients. You have to be willing to take steps to resolve the conflict and protect your practice if necessary.

You might have an office manager that’s adept at handling intra-office conflict, or you might have to address it head-on yourself. Whatever the situation is, there are several things you can do that help make conflict resolution in your practice a simpler process.

Clearly define the issue, but don’t be judgmental

. If you’ve been made aware of conflict in your practice, you first need to figure out exactly what the issue is. Using non-judgmental language, try to gain a deeper understanding of the root cause of the conflict. This will help you to better analyze the underlying issue itself. Often, bad behavior is only the symptom of a larger issue.

. Regardless of whether or not you’re personally involved in the conflict, you have to be ready to listen to each opposing side of the argument. It goes back to truly understanding the issue at hand. Active listening--where you show a sincere desire to understand what the other person is saying through your own body language and behavior--goes a long way toward making a person feel like you care about their side of the issue, even if you don’t agree with it. Good listening will often help start you down the path to conflict resolution.

Gain an understanding of each person’s perspective

. Again, active listening will help you achieve this goal in managing conflict. The trick here is being able to see each side’s perspective without agreeing with either. Empathy, the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes to try to experience their own feelings or thoughts, is crucial for being able to gain the perspective of the people involved in the conflict. A good way to make sure you understand where each side is coming from is through the use of the 

, which acts as a guide for conflict resolution. The steps in this model, which will help you see each party’s perspective, are:

isten — active listening will show respect and that you care about the issue.

mpathize — put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Can you see why they might be upset?

sk — if you need more information to understand the issue, ask for it. This shows you’re taking the conflict seriously.

araphrase — reflect on what you’ve been told, and restate it in words that all involved parties will understand.

ummarize — clearly and concisely, sum up everything you’ve heard to show that you really understand the conflict.

. Once you’ve listened to each side of the argument and have made an earnest attempt at understanding the root causes of the conflict, it’s time to help each person involved identify what they need in the resolution of the conflict — in other words, what their interests are. For example, if you have two staff members that are unable to work professionally with each other because their conflict has gotten totally out of control, you can help them identify their interest in getting along with something along the lines of “if you want to keep your job here, you’re going to have to learn how to work together”. It’s extreme, but it identifies the ultimate consequence or outcome that could occur as a result of conflict resolution … or a lack thereof.

. Often, finding a solution to the conflict that benefits both parties involves also finding a common, shared interest. It isn’t necessarily the solution to the conflict, but it is a common goal--i.e., both people get to keep their jobs in your practice. Once the people in the conflict agree to work toward this shared goal, work toward solving the actual problem can begin.

. Once you’ve gone through the rest of the process, it’s time to find solutions. Ask each person involved in the conflict for suggestions for the resolution of the problem. Can they identify how they can work toward their own goals while also addressing the other person’s needs? You might have to ask each party to make a small list of possible solutions, and then ask the other person which solution would work best for them. Once you’ve gotten the best options nailed down, you can start to develop an action plan which will spell out what is expected of each person in the conflict--responsibilities, time frames, etc. You will probably need to be ready to check back in with each person, perhaps frequently, to ensure that the conflict resolution plan is progressing as intended.

It's not pleasant, but dealing with conflict is something you’ll have to do at some point in your career. By taking these steps, you help make the process as simple as possible, which helps to ensure that your practice continues to run smoothly. 

What you can do to help make conflict resolution in your practice a simpler process.

6 Steps for Managing Conflict in Your Office

At their annual meeting on October 24, the American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates voted to make changes to the existing guidelines concerning the use of sedation and anesthesia by dentists. This vote comes amid much controversy and opposition from dental professionals, who expressed concern that revision of the guidelines would double the amount of training that is currently required and limit their ability to administer appropriate treatment options to patients.

The newly adopted revisions include changes to end-tidal CO2 monitoring during moderate to deep sedation and general anesthesia, unless the patient’s condition, the procedure taking place, or the equipment used during the procedure prevents this supervision from occurring. Additionally, the revisions include changes to the duration of educational courses focused on anesthesia and sedation, and other competency standards regarding moderate sedation educational requirements.

Dental professionals have voiced concerns that revisions to the existing guidelines would reduce the number of dentists qualified to administer sedation or anesthesia to patients, thereby making it more difficult for patients to access safe, affordable sedation treatments. Some dentists argue that these revisions will drive up the cost of sedation dentistry substantially, which will drive patients away from dental practices.

Also, before the vote, many dentists worried that guideline revisions would increase the financial burden to dentists and dental students in addition to patients, citing 

 that estimated a doubling of the required training compared to current educational standards. The additional training was projected to cost as much as $50,000 extra per dentist.

The revised guidelines are extensions of recommendations made in 2015, which were not voted on due to concerns over the proposed changes. In addition to the guidance regarding end-tidal CO2 monitoring and changes to educational course requirements, the suggestions in 2015 included a proposal to make the patient evaluation provisions consistent throughout the patient record, including information related to body mass index and the timing of a medical history review.

The ADA publishes its guidelines to assist dentists in the safe and effective delivery of patient care. State dental boards may use the guidelines when developing their own rules and regulations of the use of sedation and anesthesia in dental practice. First adopted in 1971, the last time the guidelines were revised was in 2012. Read more about the adopted revisions 

, and download the 2016 sedation and anesthesia guidelines 

At their annual meeting, the American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates voted to make changes to the existing guidelines concerning the use of sedation and anesthesia by dentists.

Revised Sedation and Anesthesia Guidelines Adopted by ADA

With technological advances, patients are seeking faster, more accessible healthcare outside of the traditional practice setting. This trend is not isolated to medical facilities, and in fact teledentistry might be able to bring dental care to patients that may not have access to it otherwise. In a 

 conducted by the University of the Pacific, “virtual dental homes” were shown to help keep patients healthy without a traditional visit to the dentist.

The study took place over a six-year period, and involved a system created by the Pacific Center for Special Care, a program of the University’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. More than 3,000 patients in California were evaluated using the system, and more than $5.5 million in federal, state and other grants were used to support the project.

The teledentistry system uses technology to link specially trained dental hygienists in the community to dentists in offices and clinics. Since the project began, virtual dental homes have been placed in 50 preschools, elementary schools, community centers, senior centers, nursing homes, and residential care facilities for the disabled throughout California. The results of the 6-year demonstration showed that teledentistry services in these locations was effective in helping to prevent and treat dental health problems onsite, while also bringing prevention education to all patients. The research was also able to show clear benefits regarding dental services provided to children and communities that otherwise would likely go without.

There is now a bill before the California state legislature which proposes to provide $4 million to expand virtual dental homes statewide. The measure, AB 648, would provide more community-based sites and provide access to preventative and basic dental care using the same teledentistry model.

In California, 32 out of its 58 counties have too few dentists to serve children enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the Medicaid program that provides healthcare services to low-income individuals and families. In California, 24% of all children finish elementary school without ever seeing a dentist, and, in 2013, 41% of children eligible for Medi-Cal received no dental health services at all.

Due to the success of the virtual dental home study, Oregon, Hawaii, and Colorado have also implemented pilot teledentistry systems. The hope is that, by bringing such dental services to communities, patient suffering and school and work absenteeism can be reduced or prevented in the millions of people with no access to a dentist. 

In a study conducted by the University of the Pacific, virtual dental homes were shown to help keep patients healthy without a traditional visit to the dentist.

Patients Receive Safe, Effective Care in 'Virtual Dental Homes'

There has been a lot of research published concerning the relationship between poor oral health and cardiovascular issues associated with inflammation, like heart disease and stroke. Inflammation can be measured through several means, but is most accurately measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which is a marker for cardiovascular disease. A new dental toothpaste is tackling the issue head-on by helping to target and remove more dental plaque than traditional toothpastes. Using patented technology, the new toothpaste discolors harmful plaque when applied to the teeth, thereby decreasing the amount of inflammation and helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

, is the first of its kind to use Targetol technology to color dental plaque blueish green when brushing teeth. The discoloration allows patients to actually see the plaque they have missed while brushing, leading to better oral health habits and a reduction in the amount of plaque present on teeth.  

 published in the American Journal of Medicine. The study involved 61 healthy patients aged 19 to 44 years, some of whom used Plaque HD for 60 days while others used a placebo toothpaste for the same period of time. Dental plaque levels and hs-CRP levels were both measured at baseline and at follow-up after completion of the study.

The results were significant. It was found that, in patients using Plaque HD toothpaste, the mean plaque score was reduced by 49% compared to a 24% reduction in the placebo group. It was also shown that the plaque identifying toothpaste reduced hs-CRP levels by 29% compared to a 25% 

Plaque HD contains a unique combination of cleaning agents that work to weaken the core of the plaque structure. This helps patients more effectively visualize and remove the plaque. The product formula also helps to fight cavities and prevent gum disease. It is effective in all types of dentistry, including general, pediatric, and orthodontic practice. The product is currently available for purchase for both consumers and dental professionals.

Using patented technology, the new toothpaste discolors harmful plaque when applied to the teeth, thereby decreasing the amount of inflammation and helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

New Toothpaste Identifies Plaque and Helps Reduce Inflammation

Researchers at McGill University have completed a study examining the relationship between dental implant failure and certain commonly prescribed medications that many patients are currently taking. They found that one medication seems to help implants attach properly, while another hinders the implant from being successful.

 was conducted by a research team who reviewed data from more than 700 patients receiving treatment at a New Brunswick clinic between 2007 — 2015. Results were later confirmed in studies using rats. The two types of drugs included in the review were beta blockers, commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, and heartburn medications.

Beta blockers have already been shown to 

, and over 640 million people around the world currently take this type of medication to control their high blood pressure. One of the research team members, Professor Faleh Tamimi explained that their original hypothesis was that this type of medication might decrease the risk of failure of dental implants. The team reviewed information regarding 1499 dental implants in a total of 728 patients.

·         327 dental implants were in patients already taking beta blockers for hypertension

·         1172 implants were in patients not taking beta blockers

·         In patients using beta blockers, the failure rate of the dental implants was 0.6%

·         In patients not using beta blockers, the failure rate of the dental implants was 4.1%

Heartburn medications were also included in the study, since they are quickly becoming the third most prescribed type of pharmaceutical product in the world. For this portion of the study, the investigators looked at records for 1773 dental implants in a total of 799 patients.

·         133 dental implants were in patients taking heartburn medications.

·         1640 dental implants were in patients not taking any heartburn medications.

The findings from this portion of the study showed that:

·         Failure rates for patients using heartburn medications were 6.8%.

·         In patients not using heartburn medications, failure rates were 3.2%.

Heartburn medications have been shown to possibly 

reduce calcium absorption and increase the risk of bone fractures and breaks

. These findings were surprising to the research team simply because of the high rate of failure in patients using heartburn medications.

While this study was primarily a review of previously reported data, there are still important implications for the dental and medical healthcare industry. Beyond understanding what makes dental implants more successful, it might be possible, in the future, to better predict or influence the outcomes of procedures like hip and knee replacements, which involve the same mechanisms of cellular bone growth and repair. However, before such conclusions can be drawn, more research into appropriate dosages and time periods for taking such medications has to be done.

Researchers at McGill University have completed a study examining the relationship between dental implant failure and certain commonly prescribed.