BOOK REVIEWS

U. S. Congress, House, Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations. The National Cancer Program. Part 2. Fluoridation of public drinking water. Hearings before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House.
Kane, R. L. The challenges of community medicine. New York, Springer, 1974.
Goldberg, H. J. V., and Ripa, I. W., eds. Oral hygiene in oral health. Springfield, Ill .,Thomas, 1977.
Caldwell, R. C., and Stallard, R. E., eds. A textbook of preventive dentistry. Philadelphia.
Stoll, Frances A. Dental health education. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, 1977.
Jonas, Steven, ed. Health care delivery in the United States. New York, Springer, c1977.
O'Neill, Margaret T., and Read, W. A., eds. Program in geriatric dentistry; resource and curriculum guide for behavioral and social science aspects. Seattle, WA.
Public Health Service, Health Resources Administration Bureau of Health Manpower, Division of Dentistry. Group practice of dentistry; an organizational form for the delivery of dental services. DHEW Pub. No. (HRA) 77–8, Washington, U. S. Government Printing Office.
U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service Health Resources Administration, Bureau of Health Manpower, Division of Dentistry. Projections of national requirements for dentists 1980, 1985 and 1990.
National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Communications. The smoking digest; progress report on a nation kicking the habit.
W. K. Kellogg Foundation Annual Report 1977. Battle Creek, The Foundation, 1977. 60 p.
Excerpt from Minutes of NIH Epidemiology Committee Meeting, October 19, 1977.
Sugar Cereals: The Breakfast of Chumps     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
U.S. Public Health Service, Health Resources Administration. Bureau of Health Manpower, Division of Dentistry. Sources of data related to dentistry: a catalog. DHEW Publ. No. (HRA) 80-7.
Freedman, K. A. Management of the dental geriatric patient.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health. Research advances; 1975. DHEW Publ. No. (NIH) 75-3, Washington, The Institutes, 1975. 104 p.
DOnofrio, Carol, and Li Wang, Virginia, guest eds. Cooperative rural health education. Health Educ. Monogr., 3:1-119, Spring 1975.
U. S. Public Health Service, Division of Dentistry. Legal provisions on expanded functions for dental hygienists and assistants; summarized by state, 1973, by Johnson, D. W., and Holz, F. M. DHEW.
Carlos, J. P., ed. Prevention and oral health; a conference sponsored by the John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences and the National Institute of Dental Research; 1973.
Slack, G. L., and Burt, B. A., eds. Dental public health: An introduction to community dentistry. Bristol, Wright, 1974. (Also Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins).     

The economics of dentistry continue to improve into the second half of the 1980's

A review of federal agency and American Dental Association reports reveals a consistent favorable picture of dental economics into the second half of the 1980's. It's unanimous - the economics of dentistry continue to improve through the 1980s. That's the result of reports from the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of the Census, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the Department of Labor and the American Dental Association. And these reports of improving economic developments forms of dental practice. But most important, projections through the year 2000 from the Health Care Financing Administration continue this favorable chorus.     

The Brisbane Statistical Division Survey of Adult Dental Health 1984. 1. Design of survey and subject response

A survey of adult dental health and attitudes to dental care was undertaken in the Brisbane Statistical Division in May-June 1984. Using examiners and recorders from the Division of Dental Services Queensland Department of Health, and from members of the Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch, 1504 clinical examinations were carried out and a further 187 subjects (1691 in all) completed the sociological questionnaire. All age groups 15 years and above were included in the subject sample.     

Dental Therapists in South Australia

A bstract — The development of the School of Dental Therapy in Adelaide, the education and employment of dental therapists in the School Dental Service section of the South Australian Department of Public Health has been described. The direction and supervision of dental therapists and the clinical duties which may be delegated to them have been reported.     

牙科银汞合金安全性问题的现状

由于牙科银汞合金性能优良，使用方便，以及费用低廉，在近150多年来已成为最常用的补牙材料。然而长期以来，对于银汞合金的安全性问题一直有所争议。本文将重点分析和讲座近年来发表的有关银汞合金安全性的主要文献。现有的科学资料表明，使用操作不当是银汞合金对牙科专业人员健康的主要危险因素；应用新技术现已可测出银汞合金修复体在口腔内释放的微量汞。但至今尚未有任何证据能确定这些来自银汞合金修复体的微量汞会对人体健康造成伤害。因此，银汞合金仍可被认为是安全和有效的补牙材料，除非今后有新的不同的研究结果，目前似无必要停止使用牙科银汞合金。     

Dental school applicants by state compared to population and dentist workforce distribution

Millions of Americans face significant barriers that limit their access to oral health care, including the lack of dental health care professionals willing to provide dental services in underserved areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the geographic distribution of dental school applicants and the population and number of dentists by state. Data from the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Commerce were used to determine the total number of dental school applicants, dentists, and populations by individual state. Results suggest that, based on national averages, the majority of states may have too few dentists to meet current and future state population needs. Also, many of these same states may have too few dental school applicants when compared to state population and dental workforce figures. It was concluded that states may wish to consider targeted initiatives aimed at increasing the sizes of their dental school applicant pools in order to help address current and future local or regional dental workforce needs.     

Consensus Conference on Practice Guidelines for Institutionalized Older Dental Patients

Sponsored by The Federation of Special Care Organizations in Dentistry; Oral Health America-America's Fund for Dental Health; Maternal and Child Health Bureau, United States Public Health Service; April 19–21, 1996, Chicago, Illinois     

Factors associated with access to dental care for children with special health care needs

BACKGROUND: The authors examined the relationship between receipt of routine medical care and receipt of dental care among children with special health care needs (CSHCN) who resided in the American Dental Association's Fifth Trustee District, which includes Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. METHODS: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2001 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, a module of that year's State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Service Administration, Rockville, Md., and conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta). The authors used bivariate and logistic regression analyses to explore the relationships (n = 2,092) between predisposing, enabling and need factors and receipt of dental care. RESULTS: The parents of an estimated 76 percent of CSHCN in the district reported that their child had a need for dental care in the previous 12 months. Of these, 13.1 percent did not receive care. Failure to obtain needed dental care was associated with failure to obtain routine medical care, as was having a lower income. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to obtain routine medical care may be a risk factor for failure to obtain dental care. Any income below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines appears to be a barrier to receiving dental care for CSHCN. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providers of routine medical care may play an important role in linking CSHCN to dental care. Investigators need to examine other barriers to dental care for CSHCN. Strategies to optimize access to dental care for CSHCN at all income levels are needed.     

An assessment of the dental public health infrastructure in the United States

OBJECTIVES: The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research commissioned an assessment of the dental public health infrastructure in the United States as a first step toward ensuring its adequacy. This study examined several elements of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure in government, education, workforce, and regulatory issues, focused primarily at the state level. METHODS: Data were drawn from a wide range of sources, including original surveys, analysis of existing databases, and compilation of publicly available information. RESULTS: In 2002, 72.5% of states had a full-time dental director and 65% of state dental programs had total budgets of 1 million dollars or less. Among U.S. dental schools, 68% had a dental public health academic unit. Twelve and a half percent of dental schools and 64.3% of dental hygiene programs had no faculty member with a public health degree. Among schools of public health, 15% offered a graduate degree in a dental public health concentration area, and 60% had no faculty member with a dental or dental hygiene degree. There were 141 active diplomates of the American Board of Dental Public Health as of February 2001; 15% worked for state, county, or local governments. In May 2003, there were 640 U.S. members of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry with few members in most states. In 2002, 544 American Dental Association members reported their specialty as Dental Public Health, which ranged from 0 in five states to 41 in California. Just two states had a public health dentist on their dental licensing boards. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the U.S. dental public health workforce is small, most state programs have scant funding, the field has minimal presence in academia, and dental public health has little role in the regulation of dentistry and dental hygiene. Successful efforts to enhance the many aspects of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure will require substantial collaboration among many diverse partners.     

Dental attendance behaviour of children in Scotland between 1983 and 1988.

Parental permission was sought to monitor longitudinally the dental care of a sample of 5, 8, 12 and 15-year-olds in Scotland who took part in the 1983 national survey of children's dental health. The dental treatment records of those who volunteered were released by the Scottish Dental Practice Board and the Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency to the Dental Health Services Research Unit at Dundee University. The baseline epidemiological survey data was passed on by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. During the period 1983 to 1988, less than half of the children in the sample attended for dental care at least once a year on average (ie at least five times in five years) and most also let a lapse of more than 2 years occur between dental visits at some time within the 5-year study period. Around 20% of the three youngest age groups changed dentist three or more times. These results indicate that steps need to be taken to improve the dental attendance of children in Scotland if the principle of continuing care underlying the new General Dental Service contract is to be achieved.     

Dental treatment provided to young adult Danes enrolled in alternative dental programs during a 3-year period

From age 16 to 19 years three groups of young adults received alternative dental programs on termination of the Public Child Dental Health Service (PCDHS) in different municipalities: public group, n = 386; mixed group, n = 161; and private group, n = 261. During the entire study information on dental service use by the participants was taken from the records and National Health Insurance files. All dental services were calculated relative to a standardized Dental Service Unit defined by the value of a dental examination. During the entire study a mean of 30.53 Dental Service Units were provided, corresponding to 10.18 per year. More than half were of a diagnostic preventive character, and well over one-fourth were fillings. Irrespective of dental program, differences in dental services were noted with regard to utilization of dental services and to initial caries status. Users with high caries experience also received more fillings, but fewer preventive services. No association was found between gingival status and dental services provided.     

Relationship between oral symptoms, salivary function, smoking habits and general health in patients with complaints related to dental restorative materials

Eighty consecutive patients, referred to the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Public Dental Service, Stockholm, for examination of complaints related to dental restorative materials or for supposed adverse effects from mercury released from dental amalgams were investigated. Clinical examination as well as battery of laboratory tests were performed. Statistical correlations were found between subjective and objective oral symptoms and lowered pH-values in stimulated saliva (p less than 0.001) as well as between objective oral symptoms only and lowered pH-values in stimulated saliva (p less than 0.001), which indicate salivary tests to be a useful tool when examining this type of patients.     

Social contribution of forensic odontology in Japan

Half a century has passed since the department for education and research on forensic odontology was established at dentistry-related universities in Japan in 1964. In order to meet the demands of society, the number of universities with a department of forensic odontology increased up until around 2005. In 2007, the Japanese Society of Forensic Dental Science was established, and then a series of reforms such as establishment of the Study Council on Death Cause Investigation in both the National Police Agency and the Cabinet Office of the Japanese government, cabinet decision of enactment and enforcement of new laws on death cause investigation, publication of an article on the Model Core Curriculum of Dental Education, publication of the results of a fact-finding survey on education and research on forensic odontology conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, inclusion of questions about forensic odontology in the National Board Dental Examination, and compilation of a database on dental findings by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, proceeded in succession. We introduced the half century of forensic odontology in Japan in chronological order.     

A Symposium on Building a Coalition To Improve the Public's Oral Health: Dental Hygiene's New Initiative—How Can We Work Together?

This presentation speaks to many issues upon which the American Dental Hygienists' Association and the American Public Health Association agree. The boundaries are limitless for ADHA and APHA to work together to increase access to preventive care and to establish the dental hygienist as the provider to preventive dental care. Shaping the Nation's Health Agenda through coalition building is a way to the future for total body wellness and optimum oral health.     

Dental treatment and dental health. Part 1. A review of studies in support of a philosophy of Minimum Intervention Dentistry

An international movement emerged in 1986-1987 which heralded a major change in the role of conservative dentistry. This shift was away from the traditional operative dentistry, with its relatively frequent replacement of restorations, to a concept of 'Minimum Intervention Dentistry', which advocates the use of adhesive dental materials, remineralization techniques and monitoring of initial carious lesions. The move away from some of Black's concepts started as investigations examined the dental health of patients in the National Health Service of Great Britain. These investigations, and the report of the Committee of Enquiry into Unnecessary Dental Treatment, have resulted in an extensive re-education programme being initiated by the British Department of Health and Social Security in conjunction with the British Dental Association. This paper, and a subsequent one, were written to enable widespread dissemination of these ideologies to Australian practitioners. While they may appear provocative to some, these papers were merely meant to stimulate discussion on the implications of this research for dentistry in this country. In this paper the results from the British investigations are presented, as is a discussion of some of the outcomes of this and other related research.     

One-year observations on a composite resin for Class II restorations

A study was conducted to compare the clinical performance of a proprietary composite resin with that of amalgam when used in the restoration of Class II cavities. A total of 124 paired restorations were placed. The restorations were evaluated by a team from the United States Public Health Service, Materials &; Technology Branch, Division of Dental Health, San Francisco, Calif.     

DENTAL MANPOWER AND EDUCATION IN 1966

Report of the Committee on Dental Manpower and Education presented in Dallas, Texas, to the American Association of Public Health Dentists, November 12,1966. This comprehensive report is sufficiently provocative for all to read.     

Dental students' input into the accreditation process

With the recent adoption of a student section in the Procedures for Evaluation Requirements and Guidelines for Dental Education Programs, the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation sought to increase the role of students in the accreditation process. Dental students at Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry conducted an independent self-study, paralleling that of the school's Accreditation Steering Committee. This self-study enabled students to work with faculty and administrators in implementing improvements in the educational system and to focus attention on student needs and concerns. Six topics (educational costs, dental school student government, relationships with state and national organizations, curriculum, operations, and the Office of Student Affairs) formed the basis of the student self-study.