Dental and Oral Health News

• Prenatal Fluoride Exposure Linked to ADHD in Kids To think that water fluoridation is unsafe has long been considered a fringe belief, but recent research suggests cause for concern.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• Big Changes Proposed for Dental Licensure A coalition of leading dental organizations has proposed eliminating live patient exams and standardizing dental licensure exams nationwide.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• IDWeekTop 5 New Antibiotics Advance to Fight Resistant Infections Five that are reaching the final trial stages and that target some of the most drug-resistant and deadly infections were spotlighted during a pipeline session at IDWeek.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• 'Physicians of the Mouth'? Dentists Absorb Medical Billing Drill Dentists and dental staffers are learning to how to bill medical insurers in order to be reimbursed by insurance companies for services that dental insurance plans do not cover.
  Kaiser Health News, October 2018
• NEJM Editor Jeffrey Drazen to Retire One of the most venerated medical journals, the NEJM has also faced its fair share of controversy during the past few years; what lies ahead after Drazen leaves?
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• More Clinicians Should Get Flu Vaccination, CDC Says Although most healthcare workers received influenza vaccinations during the 2017-2018 season, vaccination rates were lowest for staff working with the most vulnerable patients, researchers report.
  Medscape Medical News, September 2018
• Study: Fluoride Crucial to Prevent Cavities If your toothpaste is fluoride-free, brushing and flossing alone aren't enough to keep cavities away, according to a recent study.
  WebMD Health News, August 2018
• The Doctors Want In: Democratic Docs Talk Healthcare on the Campaign Trail Among candidates running for Congress in upcoming elections are a smattering of left-leaning physicians who present a stark contrast to the predominantly Republican physicians currently in office.
  Kaiser Health News, August 2018
• Switch to Oral Antibiotics Safe in Left-Sided Endocarditis The POET trial met its noninferiority composite endpoint and cut hospital stays, opening the door to a new approach to a costly and thorny cardiac problem.
  Medscape Medical News, August 2018
• CDC: Top HPV-Associated Cancer Is Now Oropharyngeal Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over the past 15 years, women's HPV-associated cancers are in decline and men's are on the rise.
  Medscape Medical News, August 2018
• 'Lessons Must Be Learned': UK Societies on Bawa-Garba Ruling The UK Court of Appeal decision that will soon allow Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba to return to work was met with relief by most medical societies there; the overwhelming sentiment was 'lessons must be learned.'
  Medscape Medical News, August 2018
• Alert FDA OKs Lusutrombopag for Thrombocytopenia in Liver Disease The thrombopoietin receptor agonist is for adults with chronic liver disease who are scheduled to undergo a medical or dental procedure.
  FDA Approvals, July 2018
• Antifibrinolytics May Curb Bleeding After Dental Extractions in People on Anticoagulants For those taking vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), tranexamic acid (TXA) mouthwash may reduce dental bleeds after an extraction or minor surgery, although the reduction is no greater than with standard care, according to a new Cochrane Review.
  Reuters Health Information, July 2018
• California Lawmakers Capitulate to Industry, Ban Sugary Drink Tax The new bill restricts new local taxes on sugary drinks but allows jurisdictions to retain taxes already in place to curb consumption of these products, which are linked with diabetes and heart disease.
  Medscape Medical News, July 2018
• High-Powered MRI Releases Mercury From Dental Amalgam Dental amalgam exposed ex vivo to 7.0-T MRI releases potentially toxic mercury, researchers from Turkey report.
  Reuters Health Information, June 2018
• Infective Endocarditis Risk Still High After Invasive Procedures The risk climbed after a range of common nondental invasive procedures in an analysis, inviting reappraisal of current conservative antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines, at least for some procedures.
  Medscape Medical News, June 2018
• Top GB Athletes Plagued by Tooth Decay, Oral Disease - Study Winning athletes love to bite their medals and smile for the cameras as they hold their trophies aloft, but their teeth may actually be holding them back.
  Reuters Health Information, June 2018
• Trump Signs Order to Stop Separating Immigrant Families The news comes amid intense criticism of the policy that calls for the separation of children from their parents at the US border. Physicians say the children could experience long-term effects.
  Medscape Medical News, June 2018
• Oral Fluconazole for Thrush in Pregnancy Doesn't Up Stillbirth Oral fluconazole at any dose was not associated with an increased risk of stillbirth or neonatal death but more research is needed to guide clinical decision-making.
  Medscape Medical News, June 2018
• Alert Stop Using OTC Benzocaine Teething Products, FDA Says The agency will also increase warnings on all benzocaine-containing over-the-counter and prescription topical anesthetics because of the rare but serious risk for methemoglobinemia.
  News Alerts, May 2018