Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

PUBLISHED IN LONDON February 2014 VOL. 8 NO 2 Humans can smell disease Humans can smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active, ac- cording to a new study from Karolinska Institutet. Accord- ing to the research published in Psychological Science, there is anecdotal and scientific evi- dence suggesting that diseas- es have particular smells. A person who suffers from dia- betes, for example, is known to sometimes have a breath smelling of acetone. For the study, participants were in- jected with either a form of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – a toxin made from bacteria and known to ramp up an im- mune response – or a saline solution. The volunteers wore tight t-shirts to absorb sweat containing odorant molecules connected to immune re- sponse over the course of four hours. A separate group of participants were instructed to smell the sweat samples. Overall, they rated t-shirts from the LPS group as hav- ing a more intense and un- pleasant smell than the other t-shirts. New gum created to fight U.S Army’s plaque problem U.S military scientists have created a ‘combat gum’ that kills the bacteria that cause cavities, according to the New York Daily News. The gum has been produced to help reduce dental problems among Army recruits. All necessary dental work must be done before the troops deploy, which could mean they miss training time. If toothaches occur overseas, the soldiers have to be pulled and taken to the nearest den- tist, wherever that may be. Scientists have spent seven years on the gum, which contains an ingredient that enhances the body’s natural ability to kill the bacteria that cause plaque. Fighting tooth decay and gum disease could be as easy as chewing the gum for 20 minutes after meals. A problem shared is a prob- lem halved One way of coping with stress is to share your feelings with someone who is having a similar emotional reaction to the same scenario, accord- ing to a new study from Sa- rah Townsend from the USC Marshall School of Business. “For instance, when you’re putting together an important presentation or working on a high-stakes project, these are situations that can be threat- ening and you may experi- ence heightened stress,” said Townsend. “But talking with a colleague who shares your emotional state can help de- crease this stress.” www.dental-tribune.co.uk Endodontic Award Winner Jamie Nelson’s entry Finders Keepers Solving staffing issues by Kate Russell Patient plans Making patients feel special News in Brief Practice ManagementFeature Endo TribuneNews E-cigarettes Banned for under 18’s page 2 pages 11-13 page 21pages 8-9 I n August 2013, Chief Medi- cal Officer Sally Davies an- nounced that healthcare workers who are HIV-positive will be able to return to prac- tice, and now the Department of Health announced a system of health clearance, setting those wheels in motion. In January 2011 the DoH said that it was reviewing its policy on the prevention of HIV- positive surgeons and dentists from carrying out ‘exposure- prone procedures’, and now the day has come for the UK to fall in line with most other Western countries, and give these healthcare workers their careers back. As Kevin Lewis, Dental Di- rector of Dental Protection put it: “After decades of living in fear and dealing with preju- dice, dentists can finally return to their professional calling, although regrettably it is too late for some to do so. Patient safety should be at the forefront of healthcare, but the origi- nal rules were introduced as a reaction to a mysterious and exceptional case, the likes of which we have not seen before or since.” The regulations were brought in after the public- ity associated with the death of an American dental patient in 1990, one of six patients be- lieved to have been infected with HIV in an unresolved Florida case. Regulatory bod- ies in most countries respond- ed to the case differently – the UK banned all HIV-infected healthcare professionals from undertaking exposure-prone procedures, leading to health workers becoming deskilled, losing their careers, or suffer- ing in silence. Since most den- tal procedures are classified as exposure prone, the ban had a devastating significance for dentists diagnosed with the dis- ease. Decided on a case-by-case basis, HIV-infected healthcare workers may be allowed to un- dertake certain procedures if they are on effective combina- tion antiretroviral drug therapy (cART); have an undetectable viral load; and are regularly monitored by their treating and occupational health physicians. Those with HIV wishing to perform exposure-prone pro- cedures will need to be reg- istered on a confidential na- tional register, the UKAP-OHR. An interim paper-based ver- sion is being made available to allow healthcare workers to register, whilst the web- based version is in develop- ment and will be made avail- able in April 2014. DT Clearance for HIV positive healthcare workers The Department of Health has announced a system of health clearance for healthcare workers living with HIV whose disease is adequately controlled, so that they are able to return to their chosen profession CUSTOM-FITTING MOUTHGUARDS The best protection for teeth against sporting oro-facial injuries and concussion. NIGHTGUARDS The most comfortable and effective way to protect teeth from bruxism. BLEACHING TRAYS The simplest and best method for whitening teeth. SNOREGUARDS Snugly fitting appliances to reduce or eradicate snoring. OPROREFRESH Mouthguard and tray cleaning tablets. 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