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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

A n oral health charity has backed Government calls to ensure all health pro- fessionals take the opportunity to discuss a patient’s lifestyle. First outlined in the Health and Social Care Bill, a panel of Government advisers has recom- mended all health professionals “make every contact count”, a move met by criticism in some quarters of the health sector. With oral health greatly affect- edby diet, exercise, smoking and drinking habits, the British Dental Health Foundation believes the move will hopefully encourage more people to consider how their lifestyle could be affecting not just their health, but also their oral health. Previous research has shown frequent consumption of sugary foods and drinks can damage oral health, while studies have also demonstrated people who stay fit and healthy are 40 per cent less likely to develop tooth- threatening gum infections that could lead to gum disease. Mouth cancer also remains a big issue in the UK with the inci- dence of mouth cancer cases ris- ing by 46 per cent since 1997. An estimated 30,000 people will die from the disease over the next decade unless more is done to change lifestyles, especially at- titudes to smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise - some of the main risk factors for mouth cancer Chief Executive of the Foun- dation, Dr Nigel Carter, declared the Foundation’s support for the recommendations in order to drive oral health improvements across the UK. Dr Carter said: “We know people will only change their ways if they want to, but by ap- proaching the topic of lifestyle on a regular basis, healthcare pro- fessionals will at least know they have given the patient the infor- mation needed to improve their health and well-being. “Taking the time out to dis- cuss a patient’s smoking habit, alcohol consumption levels or poor diet could save lives, as all of those are associated with the risk of developing mouth cancer. “Finding out that a patient doesn’t brush their teeth two minutes twice a day with a fluo- ride toothpaste could potentially set them on the road to develop- ing a good routine and save them having to endure restorative or emergency work later in life. “If the healthcare profession and particularly the dental pro- fession discussed with their pa- tients how their oral health could be improved, I firmly believe we would see the number of devel- oping dental diseases fall across a period of time.” DT Knowledge of patient lifestyles ‘a must’ to improve oral health The charity aims to encourage more people to consider how their lifestyle could be affect- ing their oral health T wo dentists from Illinois in the US are suing an odontologist after he al- legedly used a case they testi- fied at as an example of how bite mark evidence can lead to wrongful convictions. According to reports, Rus- sell Schneider of Waukegan, and Carl Hagstrom of Fox Lake, filed the complaint against Ventura, CA, dentist Dr Michael Bowers in November 2011 in Cook County Circuit Court. Reports state that dur- ing a presentation at the an- nual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Science, Dr Bowes talked about cases where there had been wrong- ful convictions due to bite mark evidence; one of the cas- es had been one that Dr Sch- neider and Dr Hagstrom had worked on. The dentists reportedly al- lege that by using the example of how their work was “flawed” and subsequently led to the wrongful conviction of Bennie Starks in 1986, Dr Bowes’ ac- tion “subjected them to ridi- cule and a loss of business”. As a result of the claim, an inquiry into the validity of bite mark evidence could be brought back into the spotlight. Over the years, bite mark evidence has been somewhat criticised by courts due to its lack of “scientific foundation”; as it stands, den- tists visually compare bite marks on a victim’s skin with x-rays or moulds of a suspect’s teeth to determine if they match. A Congressional hearing in 2009 focused on the findings of a National Academy of Scienc- es http://www.nasonline.org/ report on the scientific basis of forensic disciplines. In ad- dition, a 2009 study published in the Journal of Forensic Sci- ences further challenged bite- mark interpretation. DT Dentists sue over bite mark testimony Bite mark evidence has been criticised by courts due to its lack of scientific foundation A Boston dentist is to be sentenced for medical fraud next week after he admitted using paper clips in patient root canals. According to authorities, dentist Michael Clair, 53, used pieces of paperclips instead of stainless steel posts normally used in root canal treatments to save money, even though the process is likely to lead to infection, discomfort and pain for the patient. Reports state that Mr Clair admitted to several charges including filing false claims and assault and it is believed that Mr Clair not only billed Medicaid for the full cost of standard root- canal posts but he also submitted claims using iden- tification numbers from other dentists. Further charges against Mr Clair, who ran a dental practice in Fall River, Massa- chusetts, include illegally pre- scribing powerful pain killers, such as Hydrocodone and Per- cocet, to staff members. As a result of his actions he faces a jail sentence that could see him behind bars for decades. He was sentenced on Mon- day (Jan30); his sentence is to be confirmed. DT Dentist uses paper clips in root canals J ust over a year ago Lauren Reed, 33, a music teacher, underwent an operation that undoubtedly al- tered her life. For years she had been suf- fering from constant pain in her jaw and blinding headaches, due to a condition known as temporomandibular joint dis- order, which causes pain or reduced movement in the jaw joint. According to the BBC Lauren suffered from her jaw bouncing in and out of its socket, and at night she would suffer with brux- ism, but it wasn’t until her dentist referred her to a joint clinic at King’s Col- lege Hospital in London, run by a maxillofacial surgeon, Mr Shaun Matthews, that she was convinced her that a completely new jaw was the only option. Working via computer with a company in Colorado which makes the titanium joint replacements - which are not made in the UK - Lau- ren’s implants were created specially to fit using three- dimensional scans of her head and jaw. It was the first time this operation had been performed simultaneously in the UK. For more than 20 years Lauren suffered in pain, how- ever, after the complete bi- lateral jaw replacement at King’s College Hospital, which involved breaking her upper jaw and moving it into a new position and replacing both of her jaw joints which were dislocated and had worn away, Lauren is now free from the headaches and pain. The operation lasted nine hours, and was so complex that the US team created a virtual model of the patient’s bone anatomy. DT Jaw replacement surgery ends patient’s “unbearable pain” February 6-12, 20126 News United Kingdom Edition