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02 ASIA PACIFIC NEWS Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | 3/2017 Atopic dermatitis linked to higher caries risk been on the rise and affects approx- imately 15–30 per cent of children in developed countries today. As for dental caries, a 2009 NUS Faculty of Dentistry study found that four in ten preschool children in Singapore suffered from some form. In the current study, which was part of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Out- comes programme, the research- ers interviewed about 500 parents during their child’s first year, at three, six and 12 months, respec- tively, to identify infants with eczema. Those children whose mothers reported them as having the skin condition were given skin prick testing to assess their sensi- tivity to common allergens. The results showed that in- fants who had eczema and were positive to common allergens were 3.29 times and 3.09 times more likely to experience caries when they were 2 and 3 years of age, respectively, compared with infants without the dermatitis. “Our latest findings will give parents and caregivers of babies with eczema early warning of in- creased risk of developing tooth decay in toddlers,” NUS researcher Dr Stephen Hsu told the Strait Times. “Regular dental check-ups can then be conducted to help minimise the incidence of tooth decay in these children.” According to the research team, it is the first time a link be- tween both conditions has been discovered. A possible mechanism behind the connection could be structural defects that occur dur- ing tissue development in the uterus. However, in order to con- firm the underlying biological mechanism of the relationship, the researchers are now conduct- ing further genetic analyses. The study, titled “Atopic der- matitis and early childhood car- ies: Results of the GUSTO study”, was published online on 22 Janu- ary in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. New findings from a Singaporean study suggest that infants with atopic derma- titis might be at a higher risk of developing caries as toddlers. By DTI SINGAPORE: New research from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences of the Agency for Science, Technology and Re- search has suggested a link be- tween two common childhood diseases: atopic dermatitis and dental caries. In the study, infants who had symptoms of the skin condition and were sensitive to common allergens were three times more likely to develop tooth decay at 2 and 3 years of age com- pared with infants without the skin inflammation. Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic, re- lapsing form of inflammatory skin disease that is characterised by symptoms such as itchy, red, swol- len or cracked skin and a rash. Over the last years, the condition has Dental health of Australian children still a concern By DTI ADELAIDE, Australia: The Univer- sity of Adelaide Press has made the findings of the 2012–14 National Child Oral Health Study (NCOHS) available for free download, with a paperback edition set to be released in March. The NCOHS sampled 24,664 children aged between 5 and 14 years across 841 schools and col- lected data regarding their dental health behaviours, access to dental care services, overall oral health status and other associated factors. The collaborative work has been collected in a report under the title Oral Health of Australian Children: The National Child Oral Health Study 1011–14 and aims to provide an accurate and concise look at children’s dental health throughout the country. The infor- mation was collected through a questionnaire filled out by parents and an oral examination per- formed by a qualified dental profes- sional. The data was then analysed to estimate the prevalence of dental caries, dental fluorosis and other dental health issues and how these varied with social characteristics. The study found that oral health is still a significant health issue for Australian children, de- spite some small improvements. Over 40 per cent of children aged between 5 and 10 years had experi- enced caries in their primary teeth, and the overall rate of carious lesions was consistently higher among children from lower educa- tion, low-income households. Addi- tionally, children living in Queens- land and the Northern Territory— two jurisdictions with more remote communities and lower levels of water fluoridation than the na- tional average—were more likely to have dental caries and at a greater level of severity. The report ulti- mately offers a data set that can be used for further analysis of meth- ods for improving children’s oral health, according to the editors. “ Page 1 However, while the integration of foreign-trained dentists into the local workforce may help to ease the shortage in the years to come, it is not the only challenge both cities are facing owing to changing de- mographics. “With an ageing pop- ulation, demand for dental ser- vices is not only increasing but also changing due to the more complex dental needs of geriatric patients,” Singapore’s Chief Dental Officer Dr Patrick Tseng Seng Kwong said. There are currently too few dentists specialised in geriatric care to serve the growing needs of the population. In 2014, specialist dentists made up 16.4 per cent of dentists in Singapore, according to figures from the annual Singapore Dental Council report. Conse- quently, the city-state’s Ministry of Health has started to offer scholarships for postgraduate studies in geriatric and special needs dentistry. Other efforts to improve the situation to this end include the opening of Singapore’s first dental centre functionally de- signed to cater for the elderly and people with special needs, the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic, in Outram in June 2016. With measures such as this, Singapore might well be on its way to improving the situation. In Hong Kong, by contrast, a planned reform of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, a regula- tory and statutory body that grants licences to foreign doc- tors, has already faced substan- tial opposition. Medical profes- sionals and patients alike have raised concerns that relaxed li- censing requirements for main- land and foreign doctors, aimed at making it easier for foreign doctors to practise in the city, could compromise standards. In a recent survey, 78 per cent of IMPRINT GROUP EDITOR: Daniel ZIMMERMANN newsroom@dental-tribune.com Tel.: +44 161 223 1830 MANAGING EDITOR AP: Kristin HÜBNER EDITOR: Yvonne BACHMANN ASSISTANT EDITOR Julia MICHEL ONLINE EDITOR/SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Claudia DUSCHEK MANAGING EDITOR & HEAD OF DTI COMMUNICATION SERVICES: Marc CHALUPSKY JUNIOR PR EDITORS: Brendan DAY Julia MACIEJEK COPY EDITORS: Sabrina RAAFF, Hans MOTSCHMANN CLINICAL EDITORS: Magda WOJTKIEWICZ Nathalie SCHÜLLER PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT/CEO: Torsten R. 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DENTAL TRIBUNE INTERNATIONAL Holbeinstr. 29, 04229, Leipzig, Germany Tel.: +49 341 48474-302 Fax: +49 341 48474-173 info@dental-tribune.com www.dental-tribune.com Regional Offices: DT ASIA PACIFIC LTD. c/o Yonto Risio Communications Ltd, Room 1406, Rightful Centre, 12 Tak Hing Street, Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel.: +852 3113 6177 Fax: +852 3113 6199 UNITED KINGDOM 535, Stillwater Drive 5 Manchester M11 4TF Tel.: +44 161 223 1830 www.dental-tribune.co.uk DENTAL TRIBUNE AMERICA, LLC 116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500, New York, NY 10011, USA Tel.: +1 212 244 7181 Fax: +1 212 224 7185 © 2017, Dental Tribune International GmbH The 2012-14 National Child Oral Health Study sampled 24,664 children across Australia. The report is available as a free e-book from www.adelaide.edu.au/ press. 1,003 general public respondents opposed the idea of exempting overseas doctors from local ex- amination to practise in Hong. As for practitioner and Election Committee respondents, 83 and 85 per cent, respectively, opposed the plan. This is despite the fact that Hong Kong’s public hospitals have been documenting chro- nic shortages in the medical workforce for years. In 2016, the city’s public clinics were under- staffed by 250 doctors and 700 nurses, according to hospital re- cords. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune makes every effort to report clinical information and manufactur- er’s product news accurately, but cannot assume re- sponsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not as- sume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. Scan this code to subscribe our weekly Dental Tribune AP e-newsletter. © Luca Lorenzelli/Shutterstock.com