Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2012XX XXXXX A2 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 Humberto Estrada h.estrada@dental-tribune.com Product/Account Manager Will Kenyon w.kenyon@dental-tribune.com PRODUCT/ACCOUNT MANAGER Drew Thornley d.thornley@dental-tribune.com Marketing DIRECTOR Anna Kataoka a.kataoka@dental-tribune.com Education Director Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com Accounting Coordinator Nirmala Singh n.singh@dental-tribune.com Projects & Events Coordinator Robert Alvarez r.alvarez@dental-tribune.com Tribune America LLC 116 West 23rd St., Ste. #500 New York, N.Y. 10011 (212) 244-7181 Published by Tribune America © 2014 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 as- sume 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 c.maragh@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 Editionblood pressure and waist circumference. A higher prevalence of gum bleeding was sig- nificantly associated with higher LDL cho- lesterol levels and systolic blood pressure. According to the authors, the study is the largest of its kind to assess dental disease in coronary patients, and it demonstrates a heavier burden of CVD risk factors and higher levels of biomarkers among those with more tooth loss and gum bleeding, even after adjusting for confounders (such as age, smoking, diabetes and education level). The findings suggest common risk fac- tors for dental disease and coronary heart disease, and raise the question of whether self-described dental health can now be considered a useful marker of CVD risk. The observed regional variations in the prevalence of periodontal disease “might partly be explained by regional differences “ PERIODONTITIS, page A1 NEWS in CV risk factor prevalence; for instance smoking.” However, the authors concede that such differences in prevalence “in- dicate a complex relationship in which demographic, genetic and socioeconomic disparities are likely contributing factors.” Smokingandlesseducatioalsowereassoci- ated with periodontal disease. Lead author Dr. Ola Vedin from the Uni- versity of Uppsala, Sweden, said, “The evi- dent and consistent relationship between self-reported dental status and CV risk in this population could point toward peri- odontal disease being a risk factor for inci- dentCHD.”However,headded,theobserva- tionthatpoordentalhealthamongchronic coronary patients is linked to a heavier cardiovascular risk burden does not prove a causal link between the two conditions. Vedin said, “It is still a matter of debate whether periodontal disease is an indepen- dent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Some studies point to a moderate asso- ciation while others are contradictory. Our findings show an association between self- reported periodontal disease and several cardiovascular risk factors and as such lend support to a possible association between the conditions.” But he was not ready to ad- vocaterigorousdentalhygienemeasuresas a strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk. Age and smoking are well known risk fac- tors common to both periodontal and car- diovasculardisease—andwithestablished biological explanations. “Our findings also support the notion that periodontal dis- ease and socioeconomic status are closely related,” added Vedin. He and his colleagues were “astonished” by the prevalence of severe tooth loss seen in the study but “puzzled” by the marked differences in prevalence between coun- tries within the same geographical region. (Source: European Society of Cardiology) Ad Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | May 2014