Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2012XX XXXXX Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | June 2013A2 NEWS Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com President & Chief exeCutive OffiCer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com GrOuP editOr Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief dental tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter feedback@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr u.s. and Canada editiOns Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com PrOduCt/aCCOunt manaGer Jan Agostaro j.agostaro@dental-tribune.com marketinG direCtOr Anna Kataoka-Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com eduCatiOn direCtOr Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com aCCOuntinG COOrdinatOr Nirmala Singh n.singh@dental-tribune.com Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd St., Ste. #500 New York, N.Y. 10011 (212) 244-7181 Published by Tribune America © 2013 Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accu- racy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a fac- tual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@ dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Tribune America. editOrial bOard Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criti- cism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Dental Tribune? Let us know by sending an email to feedback@ dental-tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an email at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to six weeks to process. DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · US EditionHowever, I am still called occasionally as a consultant for dental issues aboard the International Space Station, and fu- ture exploration-class missions. How important is oral health for astro- nauts in general? Oral health is a primary concern for astronauts and goes hand in hand with general health. All astronaut candi- dates are initially screened for dental issues prior to selection, and all those selected are expected to adhere to a meticulous oral hygiene routine and maintain good oral health. The pri- mary goal is prevention. Yet, even with the highest standards in prevention, the potential for a dental emergency in space still exists. A recent analysis of all medical conditions determined that the one condition most likely to result in departure from the International Space Station is a dental abscess. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko suffered two weeks of incapacitating tooth pain during the Salyut 6 mission in 1978. When were dental emergencies first included in mission protocol? Unfortunately for Romanenko, accord- ing to reports, the Soviets did not have a dental contingency protocol at that time. The Russian space program has since made provision for such emer- gencies, however. During the U.S. Mercury program, the flights were so short that there was no need for an in-flight dental emer- gency protocol, and prevention was the primary focus. Owing to the extended time spent in space during the Gemini program, a toothbrush was added to flight kits as a preventative measure. Apollo missions then incorporated a digestible dentifrice and floss, as well as antibiotics. Instrumentation like for- ceps and temporary filling materials was first introduced when the Skylab space station was launched into orbit in the early 1970s and has been part of the emergency kits ever since. How frequently are astronauts given pre-flight checkups? Once applicants are accepted, they un- dergo a thorough oral exam annually. The astronauts are classified into three categories: Class I astronauts have good oral health and are not expected to require dental treatment or re-evalua- tion for 12 months, Class II astronauts have some oral conditions that if left untreated are not expected to result in a dental emergency within 12 months, and Class III astronauts have an oral condition that if left untreated is ex- pected to result in an emergency with- in a 12-month period. All astronauts are expected to retain a minimum Class II status, and only astronauts with Class I status prior to launch are considered for the International Space Station. In addition to annual exams, astro- nauts undergo pre-flight exams 18 to 21 months before launch. During this exam, the astronaut undergoes a thor- ough clinical and radiographic exam, including bitewing and panoramic X- rays. All necessary treatment is then to be completed 90 days prior to launch. The astronaut undergoes an additional exam to rule out any hidden pathology or any unreported recent oral injuries 30 to 90 days before launch. The astro- naut is also expected to follow a me- ticulous oral hygiene routine during flight. No in-flight dental emergency has ever been reported by NASA. What problems do you think are most likely to occur? While the chances of a dental emer- gency occurring in space are low, the potential is always there. For instance, when astronauts move large objects, the inertia of mass and velocity can potentially cause facial injuries and re- sult in either a medical or dental emer- gency or both. Besides breaking a tooth, other considerations include luxation, clenching, grinding, split teeth or the fracturing of a cusp while chewing. Even with the most meticulous dental exam and hygiene program, there is al- ways a possibility that a tooth abscess could form due to trauma, hidden car- ies or a failing root canal. Which dental emergencies are astro- nauts trained to handle by themselves? There are two crew medical officers (CMOs) aboard every mission, and they are trained to perform a number of den- tal and medical emergency procedures. On board, CMOs have the capability to treat with antibiotics and analgesics, administer anesthetics, place tempo- rary dental fillings, replace a crown with temporary cement, treat exposed pulp, and as a last resort, extract teeth. Any emergency treatment would include communication with ground support flight physicians, as the CMOs are not necessarily physicians or den- tists themselves. However, because the International Space Station is in low earth orbit, a true emergency situation would likely result in a return to earth for proper treatment. Future missions will take astronauts to other planets, such as Mars. What are the main challenges that these long- term flights pose regarding oral health? We still do not know the long-term ef- fects of space flight on the teeth, al- veolar bone and periodontal health. It is well-documented that during space flight bone mineral density decreases in weight-bearing bones. It is not clear how this affects the teeth and alveolar bone and whether crew members will be more susceptible to tooth decay or periodontal disease. Skylab oral health studies deter- mined that there were increased counts of caries-producing bacteria “ SPACE, page A1 ” See SPACE, page A3 If you missed out on the bidding on a toothbrush Buzz Aldrin took to the moon, you can still make an offer: The winning bidder, who got the piece of space memo- rabilia for $22,705 in the late-April auction, immediately put it up for resale. Details are available through Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). Here's how the auction house describes the item, which was among an extensive collection of space memorabilia auctioned from the es- tate of Steven R. Belasco, who was a top ex- ecutive at Colgate for much of his business career: “A light blue Lactona S-19 model ‘Tooth Tip’ toothbrush, 6.5” long. Included also is the original 8” x 1.5” plastic pouch in which it flew with a piece of Velcro on the back for ease of storage. Used throughout the mission, including in the Lunar Mod- ule Eagle while on the moon. Copies of two pages from the Apollo Operations Hand- book showing information on the con- tents of the Oral Hygiene Set are included. The very point of the rubber tip has broken off but is present in the case. Signs of use, otherwise very fine condition.” (Source: Heritage Auctions) A toothbrush and pouch used by astronaut Buzz Aldrin's on the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission brings more than $20,000 at auction. Photo/ Provided by Heritage Auctions Lunar toothbrush: $22,705 A toothbrush and toothpaste float in a sky deck of a Shuttle orbiter. Toothpaste and floss were added during the Apollo missions. Today, U.S. astronauts can choose oral health care equipment to their liking Photos/Provided by NASA and www.dvidshub.net.