CHICAGO – The effectiveness of root canal treatment is well-established in dentistry, however misinformation continues to circulate on the Internet that may cause patients to question the safety of endodontics. During Root Canal Awareness Week, March 30 – April 5, the American Association of Endodontists is asking everyone in the dental industry to be an advocate for good dental health and share information about root canal safety.

A new web page, www.aae.org/rootcanalsafety, provides endodontists, general dentists, dental media, industry partners and patients with authoritative and reliable information about the safety of endodontic treatment, while debunking myths that root canals cause cancer or other health problems.

“As dental professionals, we know there is no evidence of a link between root canal treatment and cancer or other diseases,” said AAE President Dr. Gary R. Hartwell. “Unfortunately, claims to the contrary, with sensational headlines, continue to make their way through social media and can be persuasive to a small portion of the public. It is in the best interest of patients to understand there is no valid, scientific evidence linking root canals to such health problems, and also to understand the advancements in modern dentistry that make endodontic treatment predictable, effective and successful.”

AAE resources to help support root canal safety include:

-Root Canal Safety Fact Sheet - explains the history of focal infection theory and research showing that there is no valid, scientific evidence linking endodontically treated teeth and systemic disease.

-Myths About Root Canals – patient-focused information explaining the safety and effectiveness of root canal treatment.

-Tooth Saving Tips - patient-focused resource explaining why saving a tooth is the preferred choice for optimal health.

-Endodontists Put Root Canal Patients at Ease – video educating patients about endodontic specialists and root canal procedures.

-Endodontists: Partners in Patient Care – video explaining the relationship between general dentists and endodontic specialists.

A recent study published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery tested the association between dental caries and head and neck cancers. Results indicate that patients who have had one endodontic treatment had no change in their risk of cancer, while those who had two or more endodontic treatments actually had a 45 percent reduction in their risk of cancer. The study could be a valuable talking point with patients and reinforces the fact that root canal treatment is both a safe and effective way to save the natural dentition.

The AAE encourages the dental community to share these education resources via websites and social media channels to help get the facts to patients about root canal safety. You can also connect with AAE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/endodontists and Twitter @savingyourteeth and @AAENews.

It appears healthy postmenopausal women who drink two or more diet drinks a day may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems, according to research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

In fact, compared to women who never or only rarely consume diet drinks, those who consumed two or more a day were 30 percent more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event and 50 percent more likely to die from related disease. Researchers analyzed diet drink intake and cardiovascular risk factors from 59,614 participants in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, making this the largest study to look at the relationship between diet drink consumption, cardiac events and death.

"Our findings are in line with and extend data from previous studies showing an association between diet drinks and metabolic syndrome," said Ankur Vyas, M.D., fellow, Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and the lead investigator of the study. "We were interested in this research because there was a relative lack of data about diet drinks and cardiovascular outcomes and mortality."

Information on women's consumption of diet drinks was obtained through a questionnaire that asked them to report their diet drink consumption habits over the previous three months. This information was assessed at follow-up year three of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Each drink was defined as the equivalent of a 12-ounce beverage and included both diet sodas and diet fruit drinks. For the purposes of the analysis, researchers divided the women into four consumption groups: two or more diet drinks a day, five to seven diet drinks per week, one to four diet drinks per week, and zero to three diet drinks per month.

After an average follow-up of 8.7 years, the primary outcome – a composite of incident coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack, coronary revascularization procedure, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease and cardiovascular death – occurred in 8.5 percent of the women consuming two or more diet drinks a day compared to 6.9 percent in the five-to-seven diet drinks per week group; 6.8 percent in the one-to-four drinks per week group; and 7.2 percent in the zero-to-three per month group.

The association persisted even after researchers adjusted the data to account for demographic characteristics and other cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities, including body mass index, smoking, hormone therapy use, physical activity, energy intake, salt intake, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were younger, more likely to be smokers, and had a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and higher body mass index.

But Vyas says the association between diet drinks and cardiovascular problems raises more questions than it answers, and should stimulate further research.

"We only found an association, so we can't say that diet drinks cause these problems," Vyas said, adding that there may be other factors about people who drink more diet drinks that could explain the connection.

"It's too soon to tell people to change their behavior based on this study; however, based on these and other findings we have a responsibility to do more research to see what is going on and further define the relationship, if one truly exists," he adds. "This could have major public health implications."

About one in five people in the U.S. consume diet drinks on a given day, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010). But Vyas cautions that this particular study only applies to postmenopausal women. The average age in the study was 62.8. To be included in this analysis, women had to have no history of cardiovascular disease and be alive 60 or more days from time of data collection.

Previous studies have found artificially sweetened drinks to be associated with weight gain in adults and teens, and seem to increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, which makes both diabetes and heart disease more likely.

Vyas says future research could include clinical studies, animal models and even molecular and pharmacologic analyses to begin to explain what, if any, direct role diet drinks play in heart health.

A new security risk assessment (SRA) tool to help guide health care providers in small to medium sized offices conduct risk assessments of their organizations is now available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The SRA tool is the result of a collaborative effort by the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The tool is designed to help practices conduct and document a risk assessment in a thorough, organized fashion at their own pace by allowing them to assess the information security risks in their organizations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule. The application, available for downloading at www.HealthIT.gov/security-risk-assessment, also produces a report that can be provided to auditors.

HIPAA requires organizations that handle protected health information to regularly review the administrative, physical and technical safeguards they have in place to protect the security of the information. By conducting these risk assessments, health care providers can uncover potential weaknesses in their security policies, processes and systems. Risk assessments also help providers address vulnerabilities, potentially preventing health data breaches or other adverse security events. A vigorous risk assessment process supports improved security of patient health data.

Conducting a security risk assessment is a key requirement of the HIPAA Security Rule and a core requirement for providers seeking payment through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, commonly known as the Meaningful Use Program.

“Protecting patients’ protected health information is important to all health care providers and the new tool we are releasing today will help them assess the security of their organizations,” said Karen DeSalvo, M.D., national coordinator for health information technology. “The SRA tool and its additional resources have been designed to help health care providers conduct a risk assessment to support better security for patient health data.”

“We are pleased to have collaborated with the ONC on this project,” said Susan McAndrew, deputy director of OCR’s Division of Health Information Privacy. “We believe this tool will greatly assist providers in performing a risk assessment to meet their obligations under the HIPAA Security Rule.”

The SRA tool’s website contains a User Guide and Tutorial video to help providers begin using the tool. Videos on risk analysis and contingency planning are available at the website to provide further context.

The tool is available for both Windows operating systems and iOS iPads. Download the Windows version at https://www.HealthIT.gov/security-risk-assessment. The iOS iPad version is available from the Apple App Store (search under “HHS SRA tool”).

The ONC is committed to improving the SRA tool in future update cycles, and is requesting that users provide feedback. Public comments on the SRA tool will be accepted at https://www.HealthIT.gov/security-risk-assessment until June 2, 2014.

ITHACA, N.Y. – Those hoping to dilute Americans’ taste for soda, energy drinks, sweetened tea, and other sugary beverages should take their quest to school lunchrooms rather than legislative chambers, according to a recent study by media and health policy experts.

Soda taxes and beverage portion size restrictions were unpalatable to the 1,319 U.S. adults questioned in a fall 2012 survey as part of a study reported online this month in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Adding front-of-package nutrition labels and removing sugary beverages from school environments garnered greater support: 65 percent and 62 percent, respectively – compared to 22 percent for taxes and 26 percent for portion size restrictions.

“I think these findings reflect public enthusiasm for regulation that maintains a value on consumer choice in the marketplace rather than government intervention, while tolerating more paternalism in restricting the choices available to children,” said lead author Sarah Gollust, assistant professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

The study is the first of its kind to assess the levels of public support for multiple policies to promote public health and prevent obesity through the reduced consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. It was conducted in collaboration with Colleen Barry, associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Jeff Niederdeppe, assistant professor of communication at Cornell University.

“Strategies to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are a key component of public health promotion and obesity prevention, yet the introduction of many of these policies has been met with political controversy,” they wrote in the study. “The results provide policymakers and advocates with insights about the political feasibility of policy approaches to address the prevalent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.”

Advocates of reduced sugar consumption might also want to borrow a page from the tobacco opponents’ playbook, according to Niederdeppe, who has done research into the effectiveness of large-scale anti-tobacco media campaigns.

“Increasingly, health advocacy groups have focused attention on the behavior of the beverage industry, highlighting their marketing tactics aimed at young people and their heavily-funded efforts to oppose regulation. And similarly to the patterns we’ve seen over the years with big tobacco companies, people with negative views of soda companies are in favor of stricter regulations on their products,” Niederdeppe said.

“Unlike many other health issues like alcohol and tobacco, parents have not yet been mobilized to advocate for policy strategies to change their children’s beverage consumption,” Niederdeppe said.

The findings of a strong positive relationship between years of education and policy support may suggest rising recognition among higher socioeconomic status groups of the value of policy interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, the study authors wrote.

The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research Program.

Getting a flu vaccine reduces a child’s risk of flu-related intensive care hospitalization by 74 percent, according to a CDC study published today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The study is the first to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) against flu admissions to pediatric intensive care units (PICU). It illustrates the important protection flu vaccine can provide to children against more serious flu outcomes. CDC recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older and especially for children at high risk of serious flu-related complications.

“These study results underscore the importance of an annual flu vaccination, which can keep your child from ending up in the intensive care unit,” said Dr. Alicia Fry, a medical officer in CDC’s Influenza Division. “It is extremely important that all children – especially children at high risk of flu complications – are protected from what can be a life-threatening illness."

Children younger than 5 years and children of any age with certain chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes or developmental delays, are at high risk of serious flu complications.

Fry’s team analyzed the medical records of 216 children age 6 months through 17 years admitted to 21 PICUs in the United States during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 flu seasons. They found that flu vaccination reduced a child's risk of ending up in the pediatric intensive care unit for flu by an estimated 74 percent. These findings show that while vaccination may not always prevent flu illness, it protects against more serious outcomes.

Though flu vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in risk of PICU admission, flu vaccine coverage was relatively low among the children in this study: only 18 percent of flu cases admitted to the ICU had been fully vaccinated.

More than half (55 percent) of cases had at least one underlying chronic medical condition that placed them at higher risk of serious flu-related complications.

CDC usually measures flu VE against “medically attended flu illness” – that is, how well it protects against having to go to the doctor for flu symptoms. During the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons, the midpoint VE estimates against medically attended illness were 60 percent and 47 percent respectively.

"Because some people who get vaccinated may still get sick, it's important to remember to use our second line of defense against flu: antiviral drugs to treat flu illness,” Fry said. “People at high risk of complications should seek treatment if they get a flu-like illness. Their doctors may prescribe antiviral drugs if it looks like they have influenza."

Symptoms of flu may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

Flu causes hospitalizations in children each season, but how many children are affected varies, depending on the severity of the season. CDC estimates that 20,000 children younger than 5 years are hospitalized on average each year. For children younger than 18 years, published studies suggest an annual range of flu-related hospitalization rates of between one child and seven children per 10,000 children. Between 4 percent and 24 percent of hospitalized children require PICU admission.

For more information about influenza, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu, or call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ -- With the start of spring, parents often become concerned about their children's allergies, asthma and other seasonal health issues. While tooth decay isn't usually top of mind, the CDC reports that it's actually five times as common as asthma and seven times as common as hay fever. Students in the United States miss more than 51 million school hours each year due to dental-related illness.^[1]

To help children achieve healthy smiles and avoid missing school days, Colgate has teamed up with Champions for Kids and Walmart for their SIMPLE Giving™ campaign. As part of this partnership, Colgate has committed to donating $100,000 worth of oral care products to school districts across the midwest region during the 2014 school year. Local members of the community can also participate in the SIMPLE Giving™ campaign by purchasing and donating toothbrushes and toothpaste at local, participating Walmart stores from March 22, 2014 through April 7, 2014. All donations go to children in local schools near each participating Walmart store. 

Colgate has a long-standing history of community support through its flagship global oral health education program, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® initiative. To date, this initiative has reached more than half a billion children across 80 countries with free dental screenings and multilingual oral health education.

"Helping to educate children about proper oral hygiene habits has always been at the core of the Colgate Bright, Smiles Bright Futures® program," said Dr. Marsha Butler, Vice President of Global Oral Health and Professional Relations, a dentist who oversees the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® global program. "That being said, we were thrilled to partner with Champions for Kids for their SIMPLE Giving™ campaign, which will enable us to educate communities and help children in need."

"It is essential that we equip children with the necessary healthy habits to help ensure a bright future," said Blake Brandes, Chief Program Officer at Champions for Kids. "We're proud to team up with Colgate and its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures™ program to help champion healthy smiles for children in need." 

The original Bachelorette and author Trista Sutter is joining Colgate to spread the word about SIMPLE Giving™ and how parents can help their children in local communities. "As a mother, I try my best to be a champion for kids," Sutter says. "Remember when you go to your local Walmart, one small purchase truly makes a difference."

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Colgate-Palmolive sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world, under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, Elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet. For more information about Colgate-Palmolive's global business, visit the Company's website at www.Colgate.com. To learn more about Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures®, Colgate's global oral health education program, please visit https://www.colgatebsbf.com.

About Champions for Kids

Champions for Kids has served over 1,050,000 children in 50 states since 2004. Through programs like SIMPLE Service and SIMPLE Giving, as well as events like RazorFest and the organization's Annual Conference, Champions for Kids makes it simple to give kids in local communities the resources they need to thrive. Champions for Kids has donated to 1,812 community organizations to support children's' needs and has leveraged 69,000 people for their cause. Additional information about Champions for Kids can be found by visiting www.championsforkids.org.

^[1] US Department of Health and Human Services. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General-- Executive Summary. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 2000.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The emergence of community-acquired infections, such as urinary tract infections (UTI), due to strains resistant to common antibiotics are on the rise, according to Rhode Island Hospital researchers. The study is published online in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.

"Over the last several years, we've seen an increase in the number of bacteria -- many of which are forms of E. coli -- that are resistant to commonly administered antibiotics," said Leonard Mermel, D.O., medical director of the department of epidemiology and infection control at Rhode Island Hospital. "However, we also found that many of these bacteria causing urinary tract infections were susceptible to an older, inexpensive antibiotic, nitrofurantoin."

Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body, accounting for about 8.1 million visits to healthcare providers each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The study involved patients with infections documented from 2006 to 2011 that were due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria. These bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics in the penicillin and cephalosporin families of antibiotics. The incidence of infections due to these microorganisms is increasing, which creates a challenge regarding appropriate antimicrobial therapy, especially in a community or outpatient setting where oral antibiotics are used.

The study noted the emergence of community-acquired infections due to ESBL-producing bacteria, a significant increase in healthcare-associated infections, as well as E. coli becoming the predominant pathogen in all three acquisition groups (community-acquired, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired). The researchers found high levels of resistance to the antibiotics Ciprofloxacin and Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ), which could lead to poor outcomes in the community as these are the commonly used antibiotics in outpatient settings for urinary tract infections.

"Recognizing the strains that are resistant to common antibiotics is critical to providing proper treatment and better outcomes," Mermel said. "The incidence of overall antibiotic resistance is also on the rise, likely due to overuse in both humans and farm animals, so what may have been effective in the past, may no longer work to fight infection today. Therefore, greater efforts in controlling unnecessary antibiotic use in the community, healthcare settings, and in agriculture is critical."

"The overuse of antibiotics is a big concern, with real implications for patients," said co-author Steve Kassakian, MD. "It's imperative that we determine why these bacteria are resistant to some antibiotics so that we can develop new ones to combat dangerous, and possibly fatal infections."

Two entities have paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) $1,975,220 collectively to resolve potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. These major enforcement actions underscore the significant risk to the security of patient information posed by unencrypted laptop computers and other mobile devices. 

“Covered entities and business associates must understand that mobile device security is their obligation,” said Susan McAndrew, OCR’s deputy director of health information privacy. “Our message to these organizations is simple: encryption is your best defense against these incidents.”

OCR opened a compliance review of Concentra Health Services (Concentra) upon receiving a breach report that an unencrypted laptop was stolen from one of its facilities, the Springfield Missouri Physical Therapy Center.  OCR’s investigation revealed that Concentra had previously recognized in multiple risk analyses that a lack of encryption on its laptops, desktop computers, medical equipment, tablets and other devices containing electronic protected health information (ePHI) was a critical risk. While steps were taken to begin encryption, Concentra’s efforts were incomplete and inconsistent over time leaving patient PHI vulnerable throughout the organization. OCR’s investigation further found Concentra had insufficient security management processes in place to safeguard patient information. Concentra has agreed to pay OCR $1,725,220 to settle potential violations and will adopt a corrective action plan to evidence their remediation of these findings.  

OCR received a breach notice in February 2012 from QCA Health Plan, Inc. of Arkansas reporting that an unencrypted laptop computer containing the ePHI of 148 individuals was stolen from a workforce member’s car. While QCA encrypted their devices following discovery of the breach, OCR’s investigation revealed that QCA failed to comply with multiple requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, beginning from the compliance date of the Security Rule in April 2005 and ending in June 2012. QCA agreed to a $250,000 monetary settlement and is required to provide HHS with an updated risk analysis and corresponding risk management plan that includes specific security measures to reduce the risks to and vulnerabilities of its ePHI.  QCA is also required to retrain its workforce and document its ongoing compliance efforts.

OCR has six educational programs for health care providers on compliance with various aspects of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Each of these programs is available with free Continuing Medical Education credits for physicians and Continuing Education credits for health care professionals, with one module focusing specifically on mobile device security:  https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/training

The Resolution Agreements can be found on the OCR website at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/examples/stolenlaptops-agreements.html

To learn more about non-discrimination and health information privacy laws, your civil rights and privacy rights in health care and human service settings, and to find information on filing a complaint, visit us at www.HHS.gov/OCR

Moving Forward to a Safer Tomorrow in Dentistryis the theme of the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention’s (OSAP) 30th anniversary educational symposium. Registration is now available for the conference, to be held June 5-8, in Minneapolis, MN.

Key presentations will include:

- Emerging Diseases, Antibiotic Resistance and What the Dental Community Can Do

- Infection Control at the Intersection of Guidelines, Regulations, and Standards

- Should Dentists Provide Immunizations and Other Provocative Questions

- Educators' Preconference Session to Address Unique Compliance Challenges in
Educational Institutions

- Supporting Infection Control Compliance Through Research and Change

- See full list of presentations at https://www.osap.org/?page=2014SympMain

This richly constructed conference combines world-class education with valuable networking activities. Attendees will gain new information, resources, and products to help them better address infection prevention and safety challenges.

To register, visit OSAP.org.

The first comprehensive review of every face transplant reported since the initial one was done in 2005—a total of 28 in seven countries, not counting two done in Turkey since the review was completed—has removed many early doubts about the procedure, The New York Times reports.

The review, published online by The Lancet on Sunday, says the procedure is generally safe and feasible, and should be offered to more patients.

To read the NYT article, click here.