MANHATTAN -- Working overtime may cost you your health, according to a Kansas State University doctoral researcher.

Sarah Asebedo, doctoral student in personal financial planning and conflict resolution, Edina, Minn., conducted a study using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. She and her colleagues -- Sonya Britt, assistant professor of family studies and human services and director of the university's personal financial planning program, and Jamie Blue, doctoral student in personal financial planning, Tallahassee, Fla. -- found a preliminary link between workaholics and reduced physical and mental well-being. The study, "Workaholism and Well-Being," will appear in Financial Services Review, a journal of individual financial management.

"We looked at the association between workaholism and physical and mental well-being," Asebedo said. "We found workaholics -- defined by those working more than 50 hours per week -- were more likely to have reduced physical well-being, measured by skipped meals. Also, we found that workaholism was associated with reduced mental well-being as measured by a self-reported depression score."

The link between workaholism and well-being has been assumed for years; however, there was a lack of research supporting the link until this study, Asebedo said. To understand why people work overtime even when they know it is not good for their well-being, the researchers used Gary S. Becker's Theory of the Allocation of Time, a mathematical analysis for choice measuring the cost of time.

"It looks at the cost of time as if it were a market good," Asebedo said. "This theory suggests that the more money you make, the more likely you are to work more. If you are not engaged in work-related activities, then there is a cost to the alternative way in which time is spent. Even if you understand the negative consequences to workaholism, you may still be likely to continue working because the cost of not doing so becomes greater."

According to Asebedo, Becker's theory suggests that not only can working more make a person wealthier but it also creates less leisure time to spend money. As income increases a person may be more likely to work more and create an unhealthy habit.

As a full-time wealth manager for Accredited Investors in Edina,Asebedo has found the research useful in counseling clients. She advises workaholics to be aware of the effect excessive work has on their physical and mental well-being and to be prepared for what they can do to mitigate or counteract the effects during busy work periods.

"From a financial planning and counseling perspective, it's good to be aware of workaholism," Asebedo said. "It helps me understand what can be the cause of my clients' stress. It's just a reminder that you may want to dig a bit deeper into clients' work lives. Sometimes you might find that they don't like what they are doing and they want to make a change, yet financially, they don't know how they can accomplish that."

Asebedo received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Kansas State University. She returned to the university to get her doctorate in personal financial planning through the Division of Continuing Education distance program because she was interested in researching the role conflict resolution plays in financial planning.

Data for the study was taken from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort, a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and women who were interviewed on an annual basis from 1979 through 1994 and are currently interviewed on a biennial basis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an award to states of about $75.8 million through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreement (ELC). This funding helps states and communities strengthen core epidemiology and laboratory capacity needed to track and respond quickly to a variety of infectious diseases.

Through the ELC mechanism, CDC provides funding to all 50 state health departments, six local health departments (Los Angeles County, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Houston and the District of Columbia), and eight territories or U.S. affiliates. Funds provided through the ELC mechanism help pay for more than 1,000 full- and part-time positions in the state, territorial, local, and tribal health departments. These positions include epidemiologists, laboratorians, and health information systems staff. The annual ELC investment provides public health officials with improved tools to respond to more outbreaks, conduct surveillance faster and prevent more illnesses and deaths from infectious diseases.

“CDC funding provided through the ELC platform is essential to strengthening national infectious disease infrastructure,” said Beth P. Bell, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “With many infectious diseases first identified at the local level, this funding ensures that state health departments are able to effectively prevent, detect and respond to such public health threats.”

MELVILLE,  N.Y. /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 dental professionals experienced a live, hands-on demonstration last week of the new E4D® NEVO™ Scanner and Design Center during a scheduled session at The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), generating additional momentum for this innovative digital technology.

As part of the Henry Schein Business of Dentistry Conference, dental professionals visited LVI to witness first-hand the capabilities of NEVO, created by E4D Technologies, LLC, and exclusively distributed by Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC). The NEVO Scanner is the first to use E4D's patent-pending blue laser technology, which provides exceptional data capture, video-rate speed and ease of use.  The new E4D NEVO Design Center is a powerful laptop computer that uses high-speed Thunderbolt™ technology* with the NEVO Scanner to provide more power and bandwidth than USB 3 connections, resulting in extremely fast processing and alignment of scans.  Plug-and-play convenience gives offices of every size the flexibility to customize their E4D NEVO configuration, thereby enhancing the restorative workflow across the entire practice.

Of NEVO's many attributes, the practitioners who experienced the system emphasized its ease of use, speed and productivity. 

"It is so easy to scan intraorally -- that's huge," said Alex Touchstone, DDS, of Touchstone Dentistry, based in Hattiesburg, MS.  "And the portability is great.  A laptop is much more easily placed wherever you want it.  It becomes more like an intraoral x-ray sensor."

NEVO also was praised for its ability to improve workflow and foster total team involvement.

"NEVO is a dream come true," said Terence Yacovitch, DDS, of Yacovitch Dental in Montreal.  "It's easy for everyone in the practice to use.  Dental assistants can do more with NEVO, freeing up the doctor to do more production.  It has intuitive design and workflow, promotes total team involvement, and brings efficiency to the next level."

"NEVO really helps increase teamwork in the practice because it's so easy to use, allowing the entire practice to get involved," said Terri Britt, RDA, CDD, of Dallas.  "It's very easy to train the dental team on NEVO, which is one of the many reasons I love it."

"Scanning intraorally has always been a challenge with CAD CAM systems, but not with NEVO," said Sherri White RDA, CDD, CIS, also of Dallas.  "You'll spend less time in the mouth, and because it's so versatile, you will get the whole dental team involved."

In addition to the chair-side benefits of NEVO, lab technicians also admired the easy ability to transfer scanned files from the dental office to the lab as well as the technology's ability to increase productivity.

"NEVO is the reason that the perception of CAD CAM will change among the labs," said Jimmy Fincher, General Manager, Cosmetic Advantage Dental, based in McKinney, TX.  "Because of the ease of use and the crispness of the images, it rivals what we can do with a box scanner from a productivity standpoint.  It's even faster than a box scanner, and we're getting that same crisp image on the screen. That's the difference."

Educators also praised NEVO's ease of use and simplicity.

"NEVO is perfect for educators," said Walter Renne, DMD, Assistant Professor, Director of CAD CAM Technologies, Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine. "Students love it because it is so intuitive and easy to use."

The new system features a laptop-based E4D NEVO Design Center, which gives the office increased flexibility and portability.  Dentists can easily move the E4D NEVO Design Center from operatory to operatory, or even among multiple offices, all while wirelessly connected to the milling center for maximum productivity and patient service.

"I've used other systems, and NEVO is above and beyond smart," said Michael J. Moroni, DDS, of Mirage Dental Associates, based in Castle Rock, CO.

For additional information about the E4D NEVO Scanner and Design Center, please visit www.E4D.com  or www.henryscheindental.com.

About E4D Technologies

Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, E4D Technologies, LLC, is taking the dental profession to a higher level of productivity, patient comfort, and convenience with its E4D restorative systems.  E4D's open platform and E4D Sky communication network enable dental professionals to choose a custom solution to fit their needs.  E4D offers high-speed laser scanning technology to produce digital 3D impressions of teeth without powder.  Intuitive DentaLogic™ software enables operators to easily customize restoration designs and send them wirelessly to the precision mill that uses the latest restorative materials to produce fine esthetic restorations. E4D continues to expand the possibilities in dentistry with E4D Compass™ for restorative-driven implant solutions and E4D Compare™ adaptive learning technology for teaching institutions.  Contact us at www.e4d.com or like us at www.facebook.com/CadCamDentist.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners.  The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites.  A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs nearly 16,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care.  Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 96,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 110,000 additional products available as special-order items.

The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 24 countries.  The Company's sales reached a record $8.9 billion in 2012, and have grown at a compound annual rate of 17% since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.  For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

*Thunderbolt is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Washington, DC -- Teeth cleanings and dental X-rays are safe for pregnant women, according to new recommendations issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). Ob-gyns are now being advised to perform routine oral health assessments at the first prenatal visit and encourage their patients to see a dentist during pregnancy.

“These new recommendations address the questions and concerns that many ob-gyns, dentists, and our patients have about whether it is safe to have dental work during pregnancy,” said Diana Cheng, MD, vice chair of The College’s Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, which issued the guidelines. According to The College, oral health problems are associated with other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. “We want ob-gyns to routinely counsel all of their patients, including pregnant women, about the importance of oral health to their overall health,” said Dr. Cheng.

More than a third (35%) of all women report they haven’t been to the dentist within the past year. Approximately 40% of pregnant women in the US have some form of periodontal disease, including gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), cavities (tooth decay), and periodontitis (inflammation of ligaments and bones that support the teeth). The physical changes caused by pregnancy can result in changes in the gums and teeth. Periodontal disease during pregnancy is most prevalent among black women, smokers, and women on public assistance.

In many states, women who use Medicaid insurance for prenatal care may also have dental services covered. However, access to dentists remains a problem in many states, especially for low-income women.

“We can all reassure our patients that routine teeth cleanings, dental X-rays, and local anesthesia are safe during pregnancy,” said Dr. Cheng. “Pregnancy is not a reason to delay root canals or filling cavities if they are needed because putting off treatment may lead to further complications.” One potential benefit of improving a woman’s oral health: It may decrease the transmission of cavity-causing bacteria from mother to baby. This can help lessen the future risk of cavities in children.

Ob-gyns are encouraged to reinforce practical advice for their patients: Limit sugary foods and drinks, brush teeth twice daily with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss once daily, and visit the dentist twice a year. Pregnant women with severe vomiting (hyperemesis) or gastric reflux can help avoid damage to their teeth from stomach acid by using an antacid or by rinsing with a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water after vomiting.

Committee Opinion #569 “Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan” is published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

For additional resources on oral health, visit https://bit.ly/12mbn9U.

CHICAGO --- Exercise is a common prescription for insomnia. But spending 45 minutes on the treadmill one day won't translate into better sleep that night, according to new Northwestern Medicine® research.

"If you have insomnia you won't exercise yourself into sleep right away," said lead study author Kelly Glazer Baron, a clinical psychologist and director of the behavioral sleep program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's a long-term relationship. You have to keep at it and not get discouraged."

This is the first long-term study to show aerobic exercise during the day does not result in improved sleep that same night when people have existing sleep problems. Most studies on the daily effects of exercise and sleep have been done with healthy sleepers.

The study also showed people exercise less following nights with worse sleep.

"Sleeping poorly doesn't change your aerobic capacity, but it changes people's perception of their exertion," Baron said. "They feel more exhausted."

The study will be published August 15 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Baron conducted the study with coauthor Kathryn Reid, research associate professor of neurology at Feinberg and senior author Phyllis Zee, M.D., the Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor of Neurology at Feinberg and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"This new study shows exercise and sleep affect each other in both directions: regular long-term exercise is good for sleep but poor sleep can also lead to less exercise. So in the end, sleep still trumps everything as far as health is concerned," Zee said.

Baron decided to analyze the daily effect of exercise after hearing her patients with insomnia complain the exercise she recommended didn't help them right away.

"They'd say, 'I exercised so hard yesterday and didn't sleep at all,'" Baron said. "The prevailing thought is that exercise improves sleep, but I thought it probably wasn't that simple for people with insomnia."

Why does it take time for exercise to impact sleep?

"Patients with insomnia have a heightened level of brain activity and it takes time to re-establish a more normal level that can facilitate sleep," Zee said. "Rather than medications, which can induce sleep quickly, exercise may be a healthier way to improve sleep because it could address the underlying problem."

The study participants were older women, who have the highest prevalence of insomnia. Exercise is an optimum approach to promote sleep in an older population because drugs can cause memory impairment and falls.

Baron thinks the results also could apply to men because there is no evidence of gender differences in behavioral treatments for insomnia.

For the study, Baron performed an analysis of data from a 2010 clinical trial (by the same group of Northwestern researchers on the current paper) that demonstrated the ability of aerobic exercise to improve sleep, mood and vitality over a 16-week period in middle-age-to-older adults with insomnia. She and colleagues examined the daily sleep data from 11 women ages 57 to 70.

The key message is that people with sleep disturbances have to be persistent with exercise.

"People have to realize that even if they don't want to exercise, that's the time they need to dig in their heels and get themselves out there," Baron said. "Write a note on your mirror that says 'Just Do It!' It will help in the long run."

This study was supported by National Institute of Health grants T32AG020506 and P01 AG11412 from the National Institute on Aging; 1K23HL109110 and K23 HL091508 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and grants M01 RR00048 and UL1RR025741 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science. 

The 9th Annual Dental Managers Conference in Orlando has only 50 spots left! We strongly encourage you to register now if you are considering attending so you do not get shut out of any courses. Please register to join us at the premier educational and networking event in the country for dental business professionals. Please share this invitation with other dental office managers, consultants, dentists and business professionals.

This event is approved for up to 8 CE credits toward the AADOM fellowship program. The program is September 19 through 20 at Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, FL. 

For information, click here. 

Climate change is already affecting the spread of infectious diseases--and human health and biodiversity worldwide--according to disease ecologists reporting research results in this week's issue of the journal Science.

Modeling disease outcomes from host and parasite responses to climate variables, they say, could help public health officials and environmental managers address the challenges posed by the changing landscape of infectious disease.

"Earth's changing climate and the global spread of infectious diseases are threatening human health, agriculture and wildlife," said Sam Scheiner, National Science Foundation (NSF) program director for the joint NSF-National Institutes of Health Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program, which funded the research.

"Solving these problems requires a comprehensive approach that unites scientists from biology, the geosciences and the social sciences."

According to lead author Sonia Altizer of the University of Georgia, the issue of climate change and disease has provoked intense debate over the last decade, particularly in the case of diseases that affect humans.

In the Science paper, Altizer and her colleagues--Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Pieter Johnson of the University of Colorado; Susan Kutz of the University of Calgary and Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre; and Drew Harvell of Cornell University--laid out an agenda for future research and action.

"For a lot of human diseases, responses to climate change depend on the wealth of nations, healthcare infrastructure, and the ability to take mitigating measures," Altizer said.

"The climate signal, in many cases, is hard to tease apart from other factors like vector control, and vaccine and drug availability."

In diseases affecting wildlife and agricultural ecosystems, however, findings show that climate warming is already causing changes.

"In many cases, we're seeing an increase in disease and parasitism," Altizer said. "But the effect of climate change on these disease relationships depends on the physiology of the organisms and on the structure of natural communities."

At the organism level, climate change can alter the physiology of parasites. Some of the clearest examples are found in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising rapidly. Parasites are developing faster as a result. A lungworm that affects muskoxen, for instance, may be transmitted over a longer period each summer, making it a more serious problem for the populations it infects.

Climate change is also affecting entire plant and animal communities.

Community-level responses to rising temperatures are evident in tropical marine environments such as the coral reef ecosystems of the Caribbean. Warmer water temperatures have directly stressed corals and facilitated infections by pathogenic fungi and bacteria. When corals succumb, other species that depend on them are affected.

The potential consequences of these changes are serious. The combination of warmer temperatures and altered disease patterns is placing growing numbers of species at risk of extinction, the scientists say.

In human health, there is a direct risk from pathogens like dengue, malaria and cholera. All are linked to warmer temperatures.

Indirect risks also exist in threats to agricultural systems and game species that are crucial for subsistence and cultural activities.

The scientists recommend building on and expanding data on the physiological responses of hosts and parasites to temperature change. Those mechanisms may offer clues to how a system will respond to climate warming.

"We'd like to be able to predict, for example, that if the climate warms by a certain amount, then in a particular host-parasite system we might see an increase from one to two disease transmission cycles each year," Altizer said.

"But we'd also like to try to tie these predictions to actions that might be taken."

Some of those actions might involve more monitoring and surveillance, adjusting the timing of vector control measures and adopting new management measures.

These could include, for instance, closing coral reefs to human activity if a disease outbreak is predicted, or changing the planting strategy for crops to compensate for unusually high risks of certain diseases.

The researchers also point out that certain local human communities, such as those of indigenous peoples in the Arctic, could be disproportionately affected by climate-disease interactions.

Predicting where these local-scale effects might be most intense would allow societies to take measures to address issues such as health and food security.

"Involving local communities in disease surveillance," said Altizer, "could become essential."

Many people are aware that gum disease can lead to tooth loss and has been associated with other chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers. A new study published in the American Academy of Periodontology’s Journal of Periodontology found another reason to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Researchers found that gum disease, also called periodontal disease, can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.

The study, titled “Impact Of Periodontal Disease Experience On Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life,” found that those with periodontal disease (as indicated by bone loss) experienced a worse oral health-related quality of life, including functional limitation, psychological discomfort, and social disability. Many had difficulty pronouncing words, and experienced a decline in tasting the flavor of and eating foods. In addition, sufferers of periodontal disease reported feeling insecure, tense, embarrassed, and irritated, often finding it difficult to relax and do normal daily activities.

“We have long known that gum disease can lead to tooth loss and is linked to other diseases. However, this study demonstrates that periodontal disease can affect a person’s overall quality of life,” says Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS, MS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology. “These is why periodontists strongly encourage everyone to brush twice a day, floss at least daily, and receive a comprehensive periodontal evaluation from a periodontist or dentist annually to prevent gum disease,” urges Dr. Newhouse. “If improving your quality of life isn’t motivation enough, preventing gum disease may also reduce your risk of other chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and even various forms of cancer.”

Gum disease is defined as a chronic, bacteria-induced inflammatory condition that attacks the gum tissue and in more severe cases, the bone supporting the teeth. If left untreated, gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, can lead to tooth loss.