ORANGE, CA – Kerr Corporation, a leading manufacturer of innovative dental products, has posted a detailed investigative report about the music heard in dental offices. The article explores recent trends in what music is played at dental practices and includes interviews with a number of experts on the subject.

Titled “What Music Works Best in a Dentist Office?” the piece contains tips and suggestions for dentists regarding the “ultimate dental office playlist” and addresses the questions: “What music will be best accepted by all age groups?” “What effect does music have in terms of calming the nerves of a patient?” and “Why not news or talk radio?” The importance of creating the right audio atmosphere is also discussed.

Interviews with a music consultant, a medical management and patient relations consultant, a DJ, a psychologist, and a music therapist are all included, as well as an informal survey of several dentists. The article even provides a “Top Ten” list of songs that “never fail” in the dental practice setting, according to the experts.

The entire article, as well as other archived topics of interest to dentists is available at the Kerr Dental Blog. Click here for the article.

Childhood vaccines have the potential to prevent 42,000 early deaths and 20 million cases of disease among Americans born in a given year, according to a new analysis.

To read more of the HealthDay News article, click here.

The Dental Group Practice Association (DGPA), a nonprofit industry association representing more than 30 dental support organizations (DSOs), has announced the appointment of Quinn Dufurrena, D.D.S., J.D., as its new executive director, following a nationwide search.

“Dr. Dufurrena’s appointment is the first step in a coordinated campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the value DSOs bring to dentistry. Much as the Affordable Care Act strives to increase patient access to quality care through innovative approaches to the health care system, the DSO model strives to do much the same,” said Doug Brown, co-president of DGPA and CEO of Affordable Care, Inc. “We are confident that Dr. Dufurrena will lead our association during an exciting period of evolution in the field of dentistry, one where more dentists are shifting from solo practitioners to group practices and the DSO model is breaking down barriers in order to deliver quality oral health care,” Brown added.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), patients continue to experience a number of geographic, financial and educational barriers to quality oral health care. Use of the DSO model has shown success in overcoming these challenges by allowing dentists to focus on care rather than administrative paperwork, broadening dentists’ ability to accept a wide range of insurance plans and helping dentists care for their patients with the latest and most effective technologies.

“Dr. Dufurrena’s background – ranging from work as a solo practitioner working on policy for the ADA to serving as executive director of a state dental association – provides him unparalleled insight into the role DSOs and their supported dentists can and must play in helping to bridge our nation’s growing dental divide,” said Stephen Thorne, co-president of DGPA and founder, president and CEO of Pacific Dental Services.

"Dr. Dufurrena comes to DGPA with more than 30 years of dental experience in government, private practice and nonprofits. He received his D.D.S. from the University of the Pacific in 1983 and his J.D. from Concord Law School in 2008. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the Colorado Dental Association. He also previously served as executive director of the Idaho Dental Association. Prior to those roles, he provided dental care to patients in a private practice and as part of the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. Beyond his chair-side duties, Dr. Dufurrena served an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and worked at the ADA as a Hillenbrand Fellow.

“I’ve been committed to promoting and providing affordable, high quality oral health care throughout my entire career. These are the same values shared by all members of DGPA and their supported dentists,” said Dr. Dufurrena. “I am honored to have been selected and look forward to working with all stakeholders at the state and federal levels to help them better understand the role and value a DSO plays in supporting quality dental care to millions of Americans every year.”

He is replacing Dr. Ed Meckler who served as executive director since DGPA’s inception.

"We want to personally thank Dr. Meckler for his tireless dedication and passion on behalf of DGPA, and for his many contributions to building the organization during its formative years," Brown said.

Dr. Dufurrena will officially begin his role as executive director on March 3 and will be based in Denver, Colorado.

To learn more about Dr. Dufurrena and the DGPA, please visit: www.thedgpa.org.

Registration is now open for the must-attend event of the year for those on the front lines of infection prevention in oral healthcare. OSAP will host its 30th Anniversary Symposium June 5-8 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis, MN.

This landmark educational event addresses emerging and current issues of concern to dental professionals responsible for infection control and patient and provider safety. The OSAP Symposium is tailored to risk managers, infection control coordinators in large group practices, educators, consultants, compliance officers of state dental boards, researchers, policymakers and representatives from companies that sell infection control products.  

In 2014, OSAP celebrates three decades of leading the fight for oral healthcare safety, and in keeping with that message, the theme of this year's Symposium is "Moving Forward to a Safer Tomorrow in Dentistry."

"OSAP was conceived in the era of wet-fingered dentistry. The need for an organization dedicated to infection prevention was critical in the early 1980s and is even more relevant today," said Therese Long, OSAP's Executive Director. "This year's Symposium marks OSAP's 30 years at the forefront of infection prevention in oral healthcare, and will look ahead to prepare its community of leaders for future challenges and opportunities in dental safety."

Michael Osterholm PhD MPH, is this year's Dr. John S. Zapp keynote lecturer and will address emerging diseases, antibiotic resistance and how to adapt to and manage these issues of concern. Dr. Osterholm serves as the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and is a world leader on public health preparedness for pandemics and bioterrorism.  

With up to 18 hours of continuing education available, attendees will learn to describe current and emerging issues related to infection prevention and safety in oral healthcare throughout the world; list new resources, tools and networks to optimize compliance; identify important attributes to develop the next generation of global leadership for the optimal delivery of infection prevention and safety; and connect to a community of infection control leaders including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

The Symposium will feature new infection research and scientific abstracts, a New Product Showcase, complimentary pre- and post-conference workshops, and the opportunity for OSAP members to present at a new forum called "Ignite," a series of five-minute sessions on compliance solutions. Click here for details.

To better understand the powerful educational opportunities available at the OSAP Symposium, you can review the 2013 Symposium proceedings. This is an Executive Summary that distills three days of in-depth content into actionable information. The proceedings include the investigation of a hepatitis C virus transmission in Oklahoma and CDC's role in outbreak investigations, an international forum with in-depth discussions of facts about dental healthcare in Brazil, Mexico and Panama, and much more. The online document features key takeaways, suggestions on implementation of the topic, reminders, references, and a link to the presentation. The resource is available here.

Don't miss the 2014 OSAP Symposium. Click here to register today and plan to attend June 5-8 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.  

SOURCE: The OSAP Report Online. OSAP. Winter 2013.    

A new study has suggested that tooth decay may contribute to delayed growth in children.

The research, which has been published in the online version of Paediatrics journal, was carried out by researchers at University College London and the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Researchers decided to study the relationship between oral health and growth after finding that previous studies presented conflicting evidence. In this study, the research teams analysed the relationship between dental decay and height and weight in a group of Saudi Arabian children aged between 6 and 8 years old who had significant signs of decay.

The children’s oral health status was evaluated according to the DMFT index, which represents decayed, missing and filled teeth and their height and weight were recorded according to scales used by the World Health Organisation.

Researchers then performed statistical evaluation and analysis of the figures and found that there was a correlation between low weight and height and high incidence of cavities. Those who had severe decay were more likely to be underweight and shorter than average.

The authors of the study also confirmed that there was a significant link between decay and growth, even when additional factors, such as demographic and social values, were taken into account.

The research teams concluded that this study suggests that there is an inverse relationship between growth and decay, with those showing signs of cavities more likely to experience stunted or delayed growth.

More than 150,000 patients have been notified of potential exposure to hepatitis and HIV due to unsafe injection practices in U.S. healthcare settings since 2001. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), medical injections are an overlooked source of infections and outbreaks. To better protect patients from this ongoing problem, the CDC Foundation is partnering with Eli Lilly and Company to support and expand CDC’s Safe Injection Practices Coalition—a group of public health, medical and industry organizations collaborating to raise awareness among patients and health care providers about safe injection practices. 

The partnership will extend the reach of Safe Injection Practices Coalition’s One & Only Campaign, an injection safety awareness campaign that has produced and distributed educational and multimedia tools for health care providers and patients. This partnership will also support the expansion of the coalition’s activities, resources and tools for provider training and education, as well as patient empowerment. Funding will also support dissemination of safe injection messages using social media (follow us @InjectionSafety), YouTube, electronic continuing medical education, advertising and print materials for providers and patients. We encourage you to “like” the One & Only Campaign on Facebook today.

Through this three-year partnership with Lilly, CDC will:

-Expand the One & Only Campaign to new audiences such as individual and group-owned physician practices;

-Educate health care providers through new and enhanced training and communication materials to address emerging issues; 

-Improve the Safe Injection Practices Coalition website and social media platforms to share resources and toolkits with new audiences; and

-Engage new and existing Safe Injection Practices Coalition partners. 

For more information, visit A Fresh, New Approach to Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices. Click here.

Get Connected with the One & Only Campaign! There are several ways to follow us, join the conversation, and receive updates:

-Facebook: One & Only Campaign

-Twitter: @InjectionSafety

-YouTube: OneandOnlyCampaign 

-RSS: Injection Safety

-Blog: Safe Healthcare: Injection Safety

-Website: One & Only Campaign

-Email: info@oneandonlycampaign.org

Foster City, CA – Tooth Fairy spending skyrocketed in 2013 and shows no signs of slowing down. Visa’s annual survey shows that American children are receiving an average of $3.70 per lost tooth this year, which is a dramatic increase of 23% over the $3.00 per tooth left in 2012 and 42% over the $2.60 left in 2011. Based on this rate of return, a child would net a substantive $74 for a full set of 20 baby teeth.

To help parents navigate the sensitive topic of the appropriate amount their children should receive for lost teeth, Visa has created a free Tooth Fairy app and Facebook calculator.

Additional findings from the survey include:

--The Tooth Fairy was particularly generous to kids in the Northeast, leaving an average of $4.10 per tooth. Kids in the West and South trailed with an average of $3.70 and $3.60 respectively. Midwestern children found the least under their pillows with an average of $3.30 per tooth.

--10% of kids will find more than $5 per tooth under their pillow – more than three times as many as in 2011.

--36% of respondents reported that the Tooth Fairy left a dollar or less.

--On the opposite end of the spectrum, 6% said that the Tooth Fairy left $20 or more including 2% who reported that an extremely generous Tooth Fairy left $50.

--Nationwide the Tooth Fairy left the most in households with young parents. The 18-24 age group reported that she left an average of almost $5 per tooth.

--The Tooth Fairy will be visiting close to 90% of U.S. households with children - up from 84% last year.

“The Tooth Fairy is throwing money around like pixie dust,” said Nat Sillin, Visa’s head of U.S. Financial Education. “While more money is exciting news for children, parents should take this opportunity to talk saving and smart money habits with their kids and have the same talk with a perhaps overgenerous Tooth Fairy.”

The free app and calculator uses Visa’s 2013 survey data and factors in demographics such as gender, age, home state, family size, marital status, income and education levels to formulate how much money the Tooth Fairy is leaving in comparable households. It is not an endorsement or recommendation for a particular amount. The app is available for iPhones and iPads at the iTunes Store, and the calculator is available at: https://www.facebook.com/ToothFairyCalculator.

The calculator is part of Visa’s free, award-winning financial education program, Practical Money Skills for Life, which reaches millions of people around the world each year. Launched in 1995, the program is now available in 10 languages in more than 30 countries. At Practical Money Skills for Life, educators, parents and students can access free educational resources including personal finance articles, games, lesson plans, and more.

*The survey results are based on 3,000 telephone interviews conducted nationally from July 12 – July 28, 2013 in cooperation with GfK Roper’s Omnibus Service “OmniTel”. The margin of error is +/-3 percentage points.

Acetaminophen, found in over-the-counter products such as Excedrin and Tylenol, provides many people with relief from headaches and sore muscles. When used appropriately, it is considered mostly harmless. Over recent decades, the drug, which has been marketed since the 1950s, has become the medication most commonly used by pregnant women for fevers and pain.

In a nationwide group of Danish children, receipt of the live measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on schedule after vaccination for other common infections was associated with a lower rate of hospital admissions for any infections, but particularly for lower respiratory tract infections, according to a study in the February 26 issue of JAMA.

Childhood vaccines are recommended worldwide, based on their protective effect against the targeted diseases. However, studies from low-income countries show that vaccines may have nonspecific effects that reduce illness and death from non-targeted diseases, according to background information in the study. Such nonspecific effects of vaccines might also be important for the health of children in high-income settings.

Signe Sorup, Ph.D., of the Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues examined whether the live MMR vaccine was associated with lower rates of hospital admissions for infections among children in a higher-income setting (Denmark). The study included children 495,987 born 1997-2006 and followed from ages 11 months to 2 years. The recommended vaccination schedule was inactivated vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib) administered at ages 3, 5, and 12 months; and MMR at age 15 months.

There were 56,889 hospital admissions for any type of infection among the children in the study. The researchers found that receiving the live MMR vaccine after the inactivated DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine was associated with a lower rate of hospital admissions for any infection. The association was particularly strong for lower respiratory tract infections and for longer hospital admissions. Children who received DTaP-IPV-Hib after MMR had a higher rate of infectious disease admission.

"The coverage with MMR is suboptimal in many high-income countries; in the present study, about 50 percent of children were not vaccinated on time. Physicians should encourage parents to have children vaccinated on time with MMR and avoid giving vaccinations out of sequence, because the present study suggests that timely MMR vaccination averted a considerable number of hospital admissions for any infection between ages 16 and 24 months," the authors write.

(NEW YORK, NY) – Approximately one in five U.S. health facilities don't make alcohol-based hand sanitizer available at every point of care, missing a critical opportunity to prevent health care-associated infections, according to new research from Columbia University School of Nursing and the World Health Organization (WHO) published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The study, which examined compliance with WHO hand hygiene guidelines in the U.S., also found that only about half of the hospitals, ambulatory care, and long-term care facilities had set aside funds in their budgets for hand hygiene training.

A research team jointly led by Laurie Conway, RN, MS, CIC, PhD student at Columbia Nursing, and Benedetta Allegranzi, MD, lead of the WHO infection control program Clean Care is Safer Care, surveyed compliance with WHO hand hygiene guidelines at a sample of 168 facilities in 42 states and Puerto Rico. Overall, 77.5% of facilities reported that alcohol-based sanitizer was continuously available at every point of care, the study found. About one in ten facilities reported that senior leaders such as the chief executive officer, medical director, and director of nursing didn't make a clear commitment to support hand hygiene improvement, according to the study.

"When hospitals don't focus heavily on hand hygiene, that puts patients at unnecessary risk for preventable health care-associated infections," says Conway. "The tone for compliance with infection control guidelines is set at the highest levels of management, and our study also found that executives aren't always doing all that they can to send a clear message that preventing infections is a priority."

Hand hygiene is critical to preventing health care-associated infections, which kill about 100,000 people a year in the U.S. and cost about $33 billion to treat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines for hand hygiene in 2002, and the WHO followed suit in 2009.

"The survey also shows that facilities participating in the WHO global hand hygiene campaign achieved a higher level of progress," says co-author Prof. Didier Pittet, MD, MS, Director, Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland. "While hand hygiene compliance is the responsibility of every health care worker, U.S. health care facilities would certainly benefit from coordinated national and sub-national efforts aimed at hand hygiene improvement. They would also gather innovative ideas and trans-cultural approaches by participating in global efforts such as the WHO campaign."