CHICAGO — It’s safe for pregnant women to undergo dental treatment with local anesthetics, according to a new study published in the August issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).

“Our study identified no evidence to show that dental treatment with anesthetics is harmful during pregnancy, and yet so many pregnant women avoid going to the dentist,” said study author Aharon Hagai, D.M.D.  “We aimed to determine if there was a significant risk associated with dental treatment with anesthesia and pregnancy outcomes. We did not find any such risk.”

The researchers compared the pregnancy outcomes between a group of women exposed to dental treatment with anesthetics and a control group that did not have treatment. The study shows that exposure to dental care and local anesthetics during pregnancy is not associated with increased risk for major medical problems in newborns. Examples of such diagnoses include cerebral palsy, cleft lip and heart defect. The study also compared the rate of miscarriages, premature deliveries and birth weight between the two groups, and found no reason to associate dental treatment and local anesthetics with increased risk of negative outcomes.

According to the study, previous research shows that many pregnant women do not seek dental treatment, even when a dental problem exists. A mother’s oral health during pregnancy is critical, as pregnant women may have increased risk of tooth decay because of increased carbohydrate consumption and difficulties brushing their teeth because of morning sickness, gag reflex and increased gum bleeding.

“It is a crucial period of time in a woman’s life and maintaining oral health is directly related to good overall health,” said Dr. Hagai. “Dentists and physicians should encourage pregnant women to maintain their oral health by continuing to receive routine dental care and seeking treatment when problems arise.”

Empire Dental Solutions now offers soft chrome cobalt discs and an argon sintering furnace manufactured by White Peaks Dental Solutions. The soft chrome cobalt discs are a revolutionary technology for CAD/CAM dentistry, as they can be wet- or dry-milled on any machine, they don't require special burs or strategies, and they decrease the laboratory's need to outsource non-precious metal restorations. 

Mark Kovalenko, President and CEO of Empire Dental Solutions, remarked, "I'm very excited about our new soft Co/Cr material. It allows any dental laboratory with a milling machine to mill metal just like they mill zirconia. This is an invaluable asset to today's laboratory, as it uses the same milling software as zirconia and eliminates the need to cast, wax, and purchase alloys. 

Contact Kovalenko at 888-505-9667 for more information.

The latest CDC Vital Signs includes mathematical modeling that projects increases in drug-resistant infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) without immediate, nationwide improvements in infection control and antibiotic prescribing.

The promising news is that CDC modeling projects that a coordinated approach—that is, health care facilities and health departments in an area working together—could prevent up to 70 percent of life-threatening carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections over five years. Additional estimates show that national infection control and antibiotic stewardship efforts led by federal agencies, health care facilities, and public health departments could prevent 619,000 antibiotic-resistant and C. difficile infections and save 37,000 lives over five years.

Antibiotic-resistant germs, those that no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them, cause more than 2 million illnesses and at least 23,000 deaths each year in the United States. C. difficile caused close to half a million illnesses in 2011, and an estimated 15,000 deaths a year are directly attributable toC. difficile infections.

The report recommends the following coordinated, two-part approach to turn this data into action that prevents illness and saves lives:

1. Public health departments track and alert health care facilities to drug-resistant germ outbreaks in their area and the threat of germs coming from other facilities, and

2. Health care facilities work together and with public health authorities to implement shared infection control actions to stop the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs and C. difficile between facilities.

“Antibiotic resistant infections in health care settings are a growing threat in the United States, killing thousands and thousands of people each year,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “We can dramatically reduce these infections if health care facilities, nursing homes, and public health departments work together to improve antibiotic use and infection control so patients are protected.”

The Vital Signs report shows that C. difficile and drug-resistant bacteria—like CRE, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and resistantPseudomonas aeruginosa—spread inside of and between health care facilities when appropriate infection control actions are not in place and patients transfer from one health care facility to another for care. These infections can lead to serious health complications, including sepsis or death. Even facilities following recommended infection control and antibiotic use practices are at risk when they receive patients who carry these germs from other health care facilities.

The model shows how coordination could reduce CRE over the course of five years after the drug-resistant bacteria enters 10 facilities in an area sharing patients. For example:

• Thecommon approach (or status quo) results in 2,000 patients getting CRE, impacting 12 percent of patients in the area – not enough to protect patients.

• When a facility acts alone to enhance their infection control practices, the situation improves. This independent effort results in 1,500 patients getting CRE, impacting 8 percent of patients – while an important improvement, it is not enough to fully protect patients.

• With a coordinated approach where facilities work together to prevent infections and notify each other of CRE issues before transferring patients, the modeling shows far fewer patients at risk. Four hundred patients are predicted to get CRE, impacting only 2 percent of patients—the needed approach to protect patients.

The report also describes the importance of public health departments taking the lead to:

• Identify health care facilities in the area and know how they are connected.

• Dedicate staff to improve connections and coordination with health care facilities in the area.

• Work with CDC to use data for action to prevent infections and improve antibiotic use in health care.

• Know the antibiotic resistance threats in the area and state. 

“We must transform our public health response to turn the tide. The coordinated response this Vital Signs report describes is a forward-looking approach,” said Beth Bell, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “The President’s FY 2016 budget would accelerate efforts to strengthen our response and improve antibiotic stewardship in health care facilities.”

Complementing the public health coordination, the report recommends that hospital owners and health care facility administrators consider steps to:

• Implement systems to alert receiving facilities when transferring patients who have drug-resistant germs.

• Review and perfect infection control actions in each facility.

• Make leadership commitments to join area healthcare-associated infection (HAI)/antibiotic resistance prevention activities.

• Connect with public health departments to share data about antibiotic resistance and other HAIs.

• Provide clinical staff access to prompt and accurate laboratory testing for antibiotic-resistant germs.

“Patients and their families may wonder how they can help stop the spread of infections,” says Michael Bell, M.D., deputy director of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “When receiving health care, tell your doctor if you have been hospitalized in another facility or country, wash your hands often, and always insist that everyone have clean hands before touching you. Ask your health care providers what they and the health care facility in your area do to coordinate with others to protect you and your family from an antibiotic-resistant or C. difficile infection.”

The data in the Vital Signs report come from both mathematical modeling and analysis estimates. CDC used two mathematical simulation models to estimate the impact of the coordinated approach in preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs within a group of health care facilities in an area. Data from CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network and Emerging Infections Program informed projections of the number of infections and deaths in the United States.

During the next five years, with investments, CDC’s efforts to combat C. difficile infections and antibiotic resistance under the National Strategy to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, in collaboration with other federal partners, will enhance national capabilities for antibiotic stewardship, outbreak surveillance, and antibiotic resistance prevention. These efforts hold the potential to cut the incidence of C. difficile, health care CRE, and MRSA bloodstream infections by at least half.

DENTSPLY Implants has announced the promotion of Darin Lockaby to Director of Sales, US Digital and National Accounts, as a result of Matt Gassel’s transition to Director of Marketing, North America.

Lockaby has more than 24 years of professional experience following his graduation from North Georgia College, including 11 years in the implant dentistry and sales management industries. Most recently, Lockaby was the South Regional Manager, Laboratory Channel for the past 3 years. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing both the Laboratory Channel and SIMPLANT sales teams within the digital solutions category.

Gassel brings 26 years of sales and marketing experience in the medical device industry and also held a sales leadership position with Atlantis Components Inc. in 2005. Prior to his promotion to Director of Marketing, North America, Gassel was the Director of Sales for US Digital and National Accounts and Regenerative products for DENTSPLY Implants. 

“Preparing the Future” seeks to address the lack of available workforce for vulnerable and underserved pediatric populations through curriculum enhancement.

New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) has been awarded a five-year, $1.7M Health Resources and Service Administration training grant entitled, “Preparing the Future Dental Workforce for Underserved Young Child and Adolescent Populations (“Preparing the Future”). 

The grant will address two national problems: 1) the inadequate supply of an available dental workforce that can provide primary dental services for poor, minority, and socially vulnerable pediatric populations; and 2) insufficient training in disease management approaches within pre-doctoral dental (DDS) and dental hygiene (DH) education that can prepare graduates to provide sustainable solutions to improve health outside traditional surgical dental models of care. 

"This grant will enhance our ability to train students to care for underserved children both here in New York City and, once these students enter practice, throughout the world,” said Amr M. Moursi, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chairman, NYUCD Department of Pediatric Dentistry 

“Preparing the Future” is a collaboration between the NYUCD Office of Allied Health Programs and the Departments of Pediatric Dentistry and Epidemiology & Health Promotion. The grant seeks to address the lack of available workforce for vulnerable and underserved pediatric populations by enhancing the curriculum for 1156 DDS students and 65 DH students annually through a series of initiatives spread throughout their respective four-year and two-year programs. 

The following three objectives with related activities are proposed: 

- 1. Enhanced pediatric dental curriculum: NYUCD will create and deliver a novel Blended Learning pediatric dental curriculum for DDS and DH students focusing on exposing trainees to vulnerable pediatric populations, and novel approaches used to improve oral health and access to services.

- 2. Enhanced pediatric clinical training: NYUCD DDS and DH students will participate in community-based clinical experiences with training in intraoral imaging, teledentistry, and interprofessional approaches to health services through collaborative learning.

- 3. Student Leadership Development: DDS and DH student leaders will participate in extramural faculty-mentored underrepresented minority recruitment and student leadership activities which include: leadership training events, online certificate granting coursework in Public Health, an interprofessional clerkship, and student-led community projects.

Measured outcomes will include: 1) qualitative post-activity self-reflections, 2) school-wide entrance and exit surveys measuring attitudes and behavioral intent to provide care for underserved populations, and 3) electronic surveys of dental graduates on practice location and career activities.

About New York University College of Dentistry 

Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating more than 8 percent of all dentists. NYUCD has a significant global reach and provides a level of national and international diversity among its students.