Mercury: its relation to the dentist's health and dental practice characteristics.

Mercury and 12 clinical chemical determinations were done on the blood samples of 1,555 dentists. The dental practice characteristics of each participant were determined by questionnaires. Seventy-seven percent of all the dentists displayed blood mercury values in the range 0 to 10 ng/ml. The mean for all dentists was 8.2 ng Hg/ml blood. The means for general dentists and specialists were 8.8 and 6.3 ng Hg/ml blood, respectively. Overall, no significant correlations were found in a comparison of blood mercury levels with clinical chemical data and with dental practice characteristics. However, general practitioners with higher blood mercury values tended to show dental practice characteristics that were conducive to producing the higher values found. The data indicate that dentists in the United States, as a group, practice good mercury hygiene.     

The role of the dental team in promoting dental health and general health through oral health.

The two major dental diseases are related to diet and dirt. These are common risk factors for a number of chronic diseases. A logical approach to the prevention of chronic diseases is to focus on risk factors rather than on specific diseases, a common risk factor approach using health promotion. Health promotion is the process of enabling individuals and communities to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. The concepts incorporated in health promotion include a promotion of health through public policy, creating supportive environments, developing personal skills, strengthening community action and reorienting health services. The dental team should incorporate the following principles: integration with general health education, encouraging participation of the community, the public and staff in the planning process; making healthy choices the easier choices. By adopting a Common Risk Factor Strategy incorporated into Primary Health Care, dental teams can promote dental health and general health. The latter objective will be achieved by reducing pain and suffering related to dental diseases. A much broader remit for dental teams is outlined, one which will do justice to the abilities and training of all members of the team.     

An exploratory qualitative study of Otago adolescents' views of oral health and oral health care

OBJECTIVES: To investigate Otago adolescents' views of oral health and oral health care, in order to increase understanding of the influences on their use or non-use of free care. DESIGN: The study employed a qualitative approach, using focus groups and grounded theory analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Participants ranged in age from 13 to 18, and included both genders and a variety of educational attainments, ethnicities and family incomes. Focus groups were conducted in schools, training centres, a place of employment, a CYF (Child, Youth and Family) Home, and a University Hall of Residence. RESULTS: While aware of the normative pressure to attend for free dental care and engage in oral health care, Otago adolescents consider doing so to be "just so gay". They exhibit strongly held preconceptions about the expense of dentistry and the respective competence of dentists and dental therapists. The dental surgery environment was viewed as a major disincentive. Adolescent oral health beliefs centred on two models: the medicalised, pragmatic view of oral health (which valued the function of teeth); and the cosmetic view of oral health (which valued the aesthetics of teeth); or a combination of these two models. In both models, media advertising for oral health care products was a significant source of oral health information. The preferred oral health behaviour associated with the medicalised model was frequent use of chewing gum and rapid toothbrushing, and, for the cosmetic model frequent use of chewing gum and breath fresheners. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the international literature on the use/non-use of dental services even when the financial barriers to seeking such services has been removed. New Zealand dental care has developed without reference to the changing norms of youth culture, and the conventional dental practice setting is not viewed by adolescents as being inviting or appropriate. Increasing the uptake of free oral health care by that group will require some innovative approaches.     

The dental patient with asthma. An update and oral health considerations

OVERVIEW: Asthma is a serious global health problem that has steadily increased in prevalence during the past two decades. New classification and treatment guidelines have been published, and dental providers need to be aware of these changes. LITERATURE REVIEWED: The authors searched textbooks and MEDLINE, looking for the most updated medical information on asthma, as well as for previous publications on treatment of asthmatic patients in a dental setting. RESULTS: More than 9,000 articles on asthma were published in English between 1997 and 2000. From 1960 until 2000, approximately 40 articles specifically addressed asthma and dental care. The authors reviewed more than 300 articles from the medical literature and all articles after 1980 that directly focused on oral health issues for importance and relevance. CONCLUSIONS: Recent information regarding the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of asthma had not been adequately addressed in the dental literature. Dental care of asthmatic patients may necessitate considerations beyond what has previously been published in the dental literature. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In the treatment of asthma, as with treatment of most medical conditions, oral health care providers play a role that is important in terms of both the patient's overall health and the systemic condition's effect on oral health. This article provides dentists with a timely update on asthma and the relationship between asthma and oral health, and it offers suggestions for safe and appropriate dental care.