Just the Facts — March 20, 2017

Stand-alone dental plan availability

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/just-the-facts-march-20

ADA live CE webinar will focus on prophylactic antibiotic use

ADA members will have the chance to question experts about the use of prophylactic antibiotics.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/ada-live-ce-webinar-will-focus-on-prophylactic-antibiotic-use

Former 49ers great says he has ALS and suspects football caused it

“I’ve been asked if playing football caused this. I don’t know for sure. But I certainly suspect it did,” Dwight Clark said

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dwight-clark-als-49ers-suspects-football-caused-it/

Woman dies after Brazilian butt lift surgery goes wrong

The young mother's death comes less than a year after another woman died from a similar procedure at the same clinic

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/missouri-woman-dies-after-brazilian-butt-lift-surgery-in-florida/

Teen opioid abuse often begins at doctor's office

The link between painkiller prescriptions and later abuse has been a consistent trend over the past two decades, researchers say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teenage-opioid-addiction-begins-doctors-office/

Amazon tribe may hold secrets to heart health

Deep in the rainforest of Bolivia, this primitive tribe seems to enjoy extraordinary natural protection from heart disease

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-tsimane-tribe-diet-lifestyle-habits-healthy-hearts/

Mayo Clinic Minute: 3 myths about colon cancer

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ9tBFGqzd0

Can you virtually improve your knee pain?

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

If you’ve ever had significant or persistent knee pain, you know it can be a major problem. Climbing stairs or just walking around can be agony, and trying to exercise on a bad knee can be impossible.

For people with severe osteoarthritis of the knee — the type most closely linked with aging or prior injury — knee pain may be unrelenting and often worsens over time, causing disability and reduced quality of life. Osteoarthritis is also expensive: we spend billions of dollars taking care of this condition each year in the U.S. The prevalence of osteoarthritis and the costs of caring for it are rising due to our aging population and rising rates of obesity (which is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis).

While exercise, loss of excess weight, and medications can help, they tend to be only modestly effective and temporary at best. That’s why an estimated 700,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. Though there are risks associated with any surgery and it’s not 100% effective, knee replacement surgery is the most reliably effective treatment for severe osteoarthritis of the knee.

A new study, a new approach

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine takes a unique approach to the treatment of people with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Researchers divided 148 people with osteoarthritis of the knee into two groups: one group was encouraged to access standard educational material from the web regarding osteoarthritis. This included information about medications, diet, physical activity, and exercises from the research website. The other group not only had access to these same materials, but also received:

• an interactive web-based program about how to cope with pain, with eight weekly sessions lasting 35-45 minutes in which participants learned relaxation techniques, how to balance rest and activity, ways to distract one’s attention from pain, and other strategies
• seven Skype-based sessions over three months with an experienced physical therapist. Each session lasted 30 to 45 minutes and covered home exercises to strengthen lower limb muscles. In addition to video presentations, each participant received free resistance bands, ankle weights, and a pedometer.
• email reminders that regularly encouraged participants to take full advantage of these interventions.

The study found that after the three-month oeriod was completed, those receiving the additional pain management and physical therapy care through the internet-based programs reported significantly less pain and better function than those receiving only the standard information. And the improvement continued for at least six months after the program ended.

As is true for all studies, this one had limitations. For example, it included patients who self-reported their diagnosis. That means that some of the study participants’ knee pain could have been due to something other than osteoarthritis. And all the patients had access to the internet and the ability to use it; the result might not apply to less educated individuals or those without regular online experience. And it’s possible that the improvement noted by those receiving online pain management teaching and online physical therapy was due to the placebo effect; after all, this group had much more attention and interpersonal interaction than the standard education group. Of course, if an intervention is reliably effective, safe, and inexpensive, it may not matter much if it’s due to the placebo effect.

What’s the big deal?

While none of the interventions in this study was particularly novel, delivering them via the internet is. Increasingly, telehealth — providing medical care from a distance through telecommunications technology — is becoming more common. And in many settings, it’s already routine. A physician can talk to a patient thousands of miles away and examine certain parts of the body (such as the skin) and take good care of a patient who might otherwise be unable to get care at all. The ECG of a patient in an ambulance can be digitally transmitted to a cardiologist well before the patient arrives in the emergency room, allowing treatment advice from a specialist much sooner than in the past. Similarly, an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI can be read by a radiologist far from where the images were obtained.

What’s next?

While this study is encouraging, we still need better treatments for osteoarthritis. After all, online education, pain management modules, and physical therapy may help, but they are unlikely to prevent the need for knee surgery if the arthritis is severe.

But the results suggesting that telehealth may be able to improve the well-being of people with osteoarthritis of the knee is only the latest example of what is likely to be the widespread application of this approach to care. Considering the millions of people worldwide who lack access to basic as well as specialized medical care, the potential for telehealth to bridge this gap is enormous.

The post Can you virtually improve your knee pain? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-virtually-improve-knee-pain-2017032011309

Electronic Dental Record concepts, guidance for use laid out in report

Dental professionals who have questions or want to know more about electronic health records have a new resource to use from the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/electronic-dental-record-concepts-guidance-for-use-laid-out-in-report

Take a peek at ADA Seal of Acceptance in 2017

The ADA Seal of Acceptance may look a little different the next time you see it on a tube of toothpaste or one of the hundreds of other products that have earned it since the Seal program began in 1931.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/take-a-peek-at-ada-seal-of-acceptance-in-2017

Protecting young athletes' mouths, teeth

Dr. Ron Cox remembers the day he decided to take the lead in ensuring young athletes in his community have properly fitting, effective mouthguards.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/protecting-young-athletes-mouths-teeth

Snapshots of American Dentistry — March 20, 2017

Dentist participation in Medicaid or CHIP by specialty

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/snapshots-of-american-dentistry-march-20

Industry Watch — 3D Systems purchases Vertex-Global Holding

3D Systems announced Jan. 31 the acquisition of Vertex-Global Holding, a dental materials supplier based in the Netherlands that uses the brand names of Vertex Dental and NextDent.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/industry-watch-3d-systems-purchases-vertex-global-holding20170317t120825

Government warns of hotline scam

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has issued a fraud alert saying that the OIG Hotline telephone number is being used as part of a telephone spoofing scam targeting individuals throughout the country.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/government-warns-of-hotline-scam

Community Dental Health Coordinator programs expand

Kathy Messinger is only six months into her Community Dental Health Coordinator program at Rio Salado College, but the dental hygienist for more than 20 years has already discovered ways the training has improved her work with patients at a federally qualified health center in Walla Walla, Washington.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/community-dental-health-coordinator-programs-expand

Earn continuing education, gain sports dentistry skills at symposium June 22-24

Dental professionals who want to learn more about sports dentistry, develop skills for treating traumatic injuries or learn how to fabricate a properly fitting mouthguard are invited to attend the Academy for Sports Dentistry's 35th Annual Symposium June 22-24 in San Francisco.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/earn-continuing-education-gain-sports-dentistry-skills-at-symposium-june-22-24

Industry Watch — The Dentists Insurance Company acquires three Moda-held companies

The Dentists Insurance Company announced March 1 that it purchased three Moda-held companies: Dentists Benefits Insurance Company, Dentists Benefits Corporation and Northwest Dentists Insurance Company.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/industry-watch-the-dentists-insurance-company-acquires-three-moda-held-companies

Industry Watch —Dental Health Products donates $2,500 to Dental Life Network

Dental Health Products donated $2,500 to Dental Lifeline Network in February to support Every Smile Counts Day, a day when the dental community donates 1 percent of national sales to Dental Lifeline Network.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/industry-watch-dental-health-products-donates-2500-to-dental-life-network

Industry Watch — Biolase names new vice president of sales for the Americas

Biolase hired James D. Surek as vice president of sales for the Americas, effective March 13. Mr. Surek has worked in the medical device sales field for 24 years. His most recent position was vice president of sales at Entellus Medical.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/industry-watch-biolase-names-new-vice-president-of-sales-for-the-americas

Industry Watch — Henry Schein, 3M and Colgate among companies named world's most ethical

Henry Schein, 3M and Colgate appeared on a list of the world's most ethical companies. The honor comes from the Ethisphere Institute, a company that analyzes data to measure corporate ethics standards.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/industry-watch-henry-schein-3m-and-colgate-among-companies-named-worlds-most-ethical

Should companies be allowed to demand your genetic test results?

Critics say a new bill to support workplace wellness programs would actually penalize employees who seek to protect their genetic privacy

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/should-companies-be-allowed-to-demand-your-genetic-test-results/

Slide show: A look inside your eyes

Curious about your eyes? Take a behind-the-scenes look at how your eyes work.

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/eyes/sls-20076536

Slide show: A look inside your eyes

Curious about your eyes? Take a behind-the-scenes look at how your eyes work.

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/eyes/sls-20076536

Slide show: A look inside your eyes

Curious about your eyes? Take a behind-the-scenes look at how your eyes work.

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/eyes/sls-20076536