Branden Grace shoots course-record 60 at Kingsbarns to lead Dunhill Links

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Branden Grace's 60 was two shots better than the 62 posted by Lee Westwood on his way to victory in 2003.

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Series: European Tour

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland  -- South Africa's Branden Grace made five closing birdies to shoot a course record 12-under 60 in the opening round of the Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday.

Grace, who has won three European Tour events this year, took full advantage of the superb scoring conditions at Kingsbarns, one of three courses hosting the $5 million European Tour event. The tournament features a pro-celebrity format, similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour.

The 24-year old Grace's score was two shots better than the 62 posted by England's Lee Westwood on his way to victory in 2003.

While no player has recorded a 59 in the 40-year history of the European Tour, Grace is the 15th player to shoot 60.

''It could have been a 59, and I said to my caddie when I hit it stiff on 18 that it could be close to a 59,'' Grace said. ''I had some opportunities, but you know, I never really made anything long. But that round has to be my best ever.''

Victor Dubuisson shot a course record 10-under 62 on Old Course at nearby St. Andrews, despite dropping a shot at the 16th hole.

''It's very special as I had 10 under par in Italy last year, but today I could have done better,'' Dubuisson said. ''I'm not saying that 10 under is really bad. It's my best score I have ever played, but it's just that my longest putt was (16 feet).''

Dubuisson's round is one stroke less than the previous low of 63 set by three players, including Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy during the 2010 British Open.

The lowest round of the day at Carnoustie was 67, shared by England's Oliver Wilson and Frenchman Gregory Havret.

The four Ryder Cup players in the event struggled at Carnoustie. Martin Kaymer shot 70, Peter Hanson and American Dustin Johnson had 72s. Johnson moved to 4 under after 12 holes but dropped four shots in his closing four. Paul Lawrie finished with a 75.

''I am a bit tired and just played poorly,'' said Lawrie, winner of the inaugural event in 2001. ''My first 12 holes was probably my worst ball striking of the year but I put that down to a bit of jet lag, and I also didn't sleep well last night.''

Grace, already with three European Tour titles to his name this season, carded an eagle and 10 birdies.

Current British Open champion Ernie Els had to play the last eight in 3 under just for a 73.

"I was shocking on the front nine. I don't know where I was -- Florida or somewhere," said Els, who stood on the 11th tee 4 over, but birdied three of the next four holes and parred in.

Paul McGinley, the favorite to take over from Jose Maria Olazabal as Europe's Ryder Cup captain, struggled to a 76 and is down near the rear of the 168-strong field. Highlight of the Irishman's day, in fact, was partnering Olympic and Paralympic runner Oscar Pretorius in the celebrity pro-am.

"It was a real honor to be in his company," he said.

When Westwood had his 62 at Kingsbarns in 2003, it included a double-eagle 2on the ninth, but Grace needed nothing as extraordinary as that.

"I never really made anything long," he said. "It was all 12- to 15-footers and it's nice just to have a bogey-free round on a links. We were lucky with the weather, but you still have to get it in the right spots and get it around."

His eagle came on the 565-yard 16th, his seventh, and took him to 5 under, but it was on the outward half where he really went into overdrive. Grace birdied all but the second and fourth and came to the 558-yard ninth needing an eagle for the 59, but pushed his second wide before pitching to a foot.

Amazingly, Dubuisson threatened to overshadow him at the Home of Golf when he reached 11 under with three to play. Two more birdies and he would have had the elusive and magical 59, but the 22-year-old bogeyed the 371-yard seventh and parred the last two.

He switches to Carnoustie on Saturday, while Grace is at St. Andrews.

Kaymer dropped his only shot of the day at the 18th -- good job for Europe he did better than that at Medinah -- while Hanson, far from happy about also playing only twice in America, recovered from 3 over to 1 under before also finishing with a 5.

This was not only Lawrie returning to the scene of his Open triumph. So was Padraig Harrington, who won the Claret Jug in 2007 after a playoff with Sergio Garcia, and he signed for a 71.

McGinley was inevitably asked about the 2014 captaincy when he finished, but is not about to embark on any campaign for the job.

"As my caddie Jimmy says, 'what's meant for you won't pass you by'," he commented. "I'll just have to wait and see."

New ways forward for dentistry

Great changes are happening to the dental profession, and the outcomes have, until now, been impossible to predict. Dental staff shortages a...

Great changes are happening to the dental profession, and the outcomes have, until now, been impossible to predict. Dental staff shortages are worrying the Government, as is the lack of NHS dental treatment across the UK. The new NHS contract has led to mass uncertainty among thousands of dentists, who face difficult negotiations with inexperienced officials.

With the dental market in this state of uncertainy, a study has arrived at some surprising conclusions. Denplan recently commissioned the Office for Public Management to carry out a bold simulation of a complete dental market, with representatives from every relevant body playing their own roles. Dental practitioners, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), Strategic Health Authorities, the Department of Health, regulatory bodies and patient representatives all attended, to explore the future of dentistry. The rules were simple: each participant simply needed to behave as they would normally, in a range of simulated situations. In other words, the outcomes depended on the negotiating and bargaining power of each player, in realistic scenarios set in 2005/6 and in 2008/9.

The report, \Dentistry: New Worlds, New Ways\, contains significant findings. Most importantly, the study indicates that England could be on the brink of a ‘New World’ in dentistry. Rather than a ‘roll-forward future’, with provision of similar services at different quantities, the future of dentistry requires totally new ways of thinking, funding, organising and working.

Modernisation will probably be stalled in the coming year, adds the study, when the Primary Care Trusts begin to take on their new managerial role. ‘Most of their energy and expertise’, the report notes, ‘will be taken up with negotiating new contracts with dentists: modernisation at the same time for many PCTs is a tall order.’ The author of the report, Sarah Harvey of the Office of Public Management, expanded: ‘It was clear from the outset that PCTs and dentists talk different languages, and inhabit different worlds. A major task will be to bring a common understanding in the limited time available to them.’

Further challenges include the problem of imperfect information. Patients were unsure of what NHS dentistry embraces or excludes, or indeed of its cost. Both nationally and locally there is only a high-level grasp of the dynamics of demand for and supply of dental services. According to the report, ‘this needs more rigorous analysis if dental services are to be planned effectively.’ The market cannot operate efficiently while such uncertainty exists. Roger Matthews, Denplan’s Chief Dental Officer, commented: ‘Dentists who want to get some understanding of how PCTs think ahead of the contract negotiations should read this report; and PCTs looking to gain some insight into dentistry will also find much to ponder.’

The report is useful for public planners, too, for it highlights several possible models for both the provision and funding of future dentistry. Lester Ellman of the BDA sums it up: ‘There are no second chances on this. Dentists and PCTs alike will need to think openly and imaginatively about their futures: the most successful partnerships will be those that adapt most effectively to the new dental world.’

New patient charges confirmed

Corroborating the story first leaked in Dentistry magazine’s 16 June issue, the Government has announced a proposed system for new patient...

Corroborating the story first leaked in Dentistry magazine’s 16 June issue, the Government has announced a proposed system for new patient charges.

In the form of a report by Harry Cayton, the new charges will be a banded system as extensively leaked. The patient will pay a single charge appropriate to the highest band in which their treatment occurs. The banding is:

• Band one: covering clinical examination, radiographs, scaling and polishing, preventative dental work, such as oral health advice (£15)

• Band two: covering simple treatment, for example fillings, including root canal therapy, extractions, surgical procedures and denture additions (£41)

• Band three: covering complex treatment, which includes a laboratory element, such as bridgework, crowns, and dentures (£183)

• Band four: urgent treatment covering examination, radiographs, dressings, recementing crowns, up to two extractions, one filling (£15).

The charges are not cumulative so an exam, scaling and two fillings would attract the band two charge and an exam scaling root treatment and a crown the band three charge. Dentists will still be responsible for collecting the charges, but the Department has accepted in principle Cayton’s recommendation that bad debts should be written off by the PCT if a ‘vigorous’ attempt has been made to recover them. This will be contained in the forthcoming regulations.

The objective for the Government is to collect a similar amount as under the existing regime, but the amounts originally suggested by Cayton were for £11/£31/£130-140 for each band respectively. The far higher amounts in the consultation document must reflect and compensate for the lower incidence of these courses of treatment under PDS. The new charges may mean that dentists can offer private treatment at below the NHS charge, in the name of ‘patient choice’. Many dentists may regard these charges as an incentive to increase the proportion of private work in their practices. It would be necessary to make clear to patients that their treatment was private, not carried out under the NHS.

The proposed new charges will go out for public consultation over the next three months before being laid before Parliament as regulations to come into force from 1 April 2006.

It was also confirmed that this date will be when the new system starts with new GDS contracts coming into force and existing PDS contracts becoming permanent.

Negotiations over new contracts will take place from September this year and during this time no more pilot PDS contracts will be approved, unless there are exceptional circumstances. In the near future draft regulations will be laid before the House of Commons, but prior to that there will be consultation with the BDA and other interested parties.

The Public Accounts Committee in its report on 14 July expressed its concern on whether these new charges will collect sufficient sums: ‘Dentists will no longer have a financial incentive to try and collect debts from patients who fail to pay the correct NHS charges for the treatments they receive because, under the new system, dentists’ income is guaranteed for three years and is not dependent on the level of charge income.’

The new charges will also determine how the new arrangements will be monitored; the so-called currency of the contract. It is likely that the concept of weighted courses of treatment is to be called Units of Dental Activity. If dentists are contracted to provide a certain number of courses of treatment in each band they will have to do this or risk a reduction in their contract value in future years. The Minister also announced that draft regulations would shortly be laid before Parliament. The regulations will cover the new GDS contracts, making PDS pilots into permanent contracts and performers regulations. Before laying the regulations before Parliament, they will be discussing their content with ‘the profession, NHS management and other key stakeholders - so that effective, workable local contracts can be agreed in order to deliver our commitment to modernise the general dental services (GDS) contract by April 2006’.

The Department announced that only applications for PDS pilots received before 7 July would be processed, in preparation for bringing the rest of the profession into the new arrangements. PCTs have been briefed on these changes (and patients’ charges seewww.primarycarecontracting.nhs.uk).

Career crossroads

You’ve completed your VT year, but what now? Julie Ferry outlines your options.

When vocational training (VT) comes to an end, it’s time to weigh up your choices. Having survived the nerves and rigours of life after dental school there is another decision to make before you can continue - what’s next?

Well, there is plenty. Much to look forward to in a profession that is growing by the day and throws up more challenges and opportunities than the average Joe Bloggs might think. There are a whole array of different routes you can use to get to your chosen destination and if you haven’t yet decided where you are going, that’s ok too, because dentistry enables people to move around frequently and you can always change your direction at a later date.

Many VT days are devoted to ensuring that VDPs have all the information they need to move forward. However, for those of you who are still a little confused, here are just some of your career options and how to find out more.

Choosing to be an associate is the most popular route for VDPs. Whether you have been offered a position at your VT practice or you have decided to take a job elsewhere, it is a good way of honing your skills a little more, earning some money and having the sense of security that moving between jobs regularly can’t bring.

People choose to become associates for all sorts of reasons and not all of them are professional. Many of them are personal and linked to quality of life and work/life balance. With an associate’s position, you generally have a large say in your working hours, how many patients you see and what time off you can take, because essentially you are self-employed.

The financial rewards can also be tempting as most people will see a substantial increase in their salary over the first 12 months, which can help to ease any student debt still hanging around. Of course many people like the rhythm of practice life, enjoy getting to know their regular patients and may want to eventually become practice owners. Owning your own practice is a big step up from an associate, but learning the ropes from a helpful principal may be just what you need to get started.

If you want to become a specialist in any discipline you will have to follow the correct training pathway. That usually means a minimum of two years of structured training, gaining experience in several branches of dentistry. A good way of gaining this experience is to be accepted on to a

General Professional Training (GPT) scheme or working as a senior house officer at a hospital.

You are also required to complete your Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS). The MFDS is a qualification designed for those wishing to qualify for entry to specialist training. Once you successfully complete the MFDS you can seek entry onto an approved specialist training programme. Some equivalent qualifications to the MFDS will also be acceptable when applying.

Specialist training will last a minimum of three or five years depending upon the speciality. For example, special rules exist for people wishing to specialise in orthodontic or paediatric dentistry. For these disciplines you are required to complete an additional minimum of two years training on top of the basic requirement of three years.

All specialist trainees are issued with a National Training Number (NTN) by their postgraduate dean and are assessed throughout their training to ensure that the necessary support is being given and progress is being made. Once specialist training has been completed you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST). This means that you can gain entry to the specialist list in your discipline and that you can call yourself a specialist.

Post-VT, you can also apply for a hospital job and you will usually be applying for a senior house officer position. You will have to choose which discipline you want to specialise in and also find out whether this involves you doing any on-call work.

Hospital jobs can be beneficial because they will give you further experience in a particular area. This may lead to you being more confident with certain procedures and, if you decide to go into practice, comfortable enough to carry these out in a practice setting rather than referring patients to your local hospital. These positions can also give you a taster of what it is like to specialise. If you are unsure if this is what you want to do, a year or two in a hospital setting may help you make up your mind.

Many people feel that after five years of studying followed by a challenging year of VT, they want to take the opportunity to go away and work abroad. There is no doubt that this is a good time and may even help you make decisions both professional and personal that you may have otherwise put off. Preparation is the key to being able to make the most of your time away.

It is important that you take a lot of time to research the country that you are going to be living in, its visa

requirements and the job market. You need to ensure that where you are going offers the right opportunities for you and that it fits in with your plans.

For example, some countries have a surplus of positions for dentists in rural areas but have very little available in the cities. Working abroad is a fantastic way of broadening your experience and skills while seeing some of the world. It also gives you the time and space to decide what the next step on your career ladder might be.

＜中間速報＞遼、通算6オーバーで後半へ 平塚哲二が首位を独走

2011年07月29日15時22分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部を舞台に開催中の国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」2日目。初日、5オーバー123位タイと大きく出遅れた石川遼が前半のプレーを終了した。

　INコーススタートの石川は10番パー5でいきなりバーディを奪取。13番パー5でもスコアを伸ばし、快調な滑り出しを見せる。しかし、14番ではティショットのミスからボギーを叩くと、17番、18番でもボギーと前半でスコアを1つ落としトータル6オーバーで折り返した。

　石川は現在112位。予選通過はかなり厳しい状況となった。首位はすでにホールアウトした平塚哲二が堅守。トータル13アンダーで2位の井上忠久に5打差をつけ独走している。

菊池純がツアー新記録の8連続バーディを奪取！

2011年07月29日18時03分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部で開催されている、国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」の2日目。菊池純が7番から14番までの8ホール連続でバーディを奪い、これまで中嶋常幸ら8名が記録していた7連続を塗り替え、ツアー新記録を樹立した。

　初日80を叩き8オーバーと出遅れていた菊池はこの日も出だしから連続ボギーを叩く苦しい立ち上がり。しかし、7番で5メートルを沈めてバーディを奪うと、いきなり怒涛のバーディラッシュがスタート。14番までショットを次々とピンに絡め、新記録がかかる8ホール目の14番でも1メートルにつけあっさり記録を塗り替えた。

　しかし、肝心の試合は初日の出遅れがたたり猛追及ばず予選落ち。偉大な記録にも「ぶっちゃけ予選落ちですから」と苦笑いを浮かべるしかなかった。「8ホールだけ面白かった」この記録を足がかりにレギュラーツアー復帰のきっかけをつかめるか。

＜速報＞平塚哲二が首位堅守！遼は今季3度目の予選落ち

2011年07月29日18時16分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部を舞台に開催中の国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」は2日目の競技を終了。初日首位に立った平塚哲二がこの日もスコアを6つ伸ばす見事なプレーをみせ、トータル13アンダー2位に4打差をつけ首位を堅守した。

　2位にはタイのキラデク・アフィバーンラト（タイ）、5打差の3位には井上忠久が入った。池田勇太は7打差の6位タイにつけている。注目のアマチュア、松山英樹は40位タイで予選を通過した。

　初日、123位タイと大きく出遅れた石川遼は、スコアを2つ落としトータル7オーバーでホールアウト。今季3度目の予選落ちを喫した。

【2日目の順位】
1位：平塚哲二(-13)
2位：キラデク・アフィバーンラト(-9)
3位：井上忠久(-8)
4位T：池田勇太(-6)
4位T：H・T・キム(キム・ヒョンテ)(-6)
4位T：J・チョイ(-6)
4位T：丸山大輔(-6)
8位：片岡大育(-5)
9位T：海老根文博(-4)
9位T：武藤俊憲(-4)
9位T：井上信(-4)

40位T：※松山英樹(E)他15名

3度目予選落ちの遼、スイング改造「1、2か月はかかる」

2011年07月29日19時29分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る





遼、ショットが安定せず無念の予選落ち（撮影：岩井康博）











＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」の2日目。初日5オーバーと大きく出遅れた石川遼はこの日もショットに安定感を欠く苦しいゴルフ。スコアを2つ落としトータル7オーバーで今季3度目の予選落ちを喫した。

【関連リンク】「石川遼1打速報」で全ストロークを振り返る

　スタートの10番、そして13番とバーディを奪い序盤でスコアを伸ばした。しかし、石川の中に手ごたえはなかった。それが現実のものとなってあらわれたのが14番だ。

「13番のティショットとセカンドショットが良いショットが出来ていなかったので、もっと右に体重を乗せようと意識したらタイミングが合わなくなってしまった」。2番アイアンで打ったティショットはアマチュアが打つような低く右に曲がるミスショット。100ヤードほどしか飛ばず林に吸い込まれた。こうなると難コース小樽の攻略は至難の業。「やはりそう簡単にはやらせてもらえないコースだったので、こういう結果になってしまった」曲がるショットに思い悩んでいるうちにホールは消化され、予選カットラインはどんどん遠のいていった。

　ため息ばかりのラウンドだったが、確信はある。「100人いたら99人の方がわからない世界だと思いますけど、今日のほうがスイングは良かった」予選落ちにはなったものの、先週から取り組み始めた新スイングは確かに前進している。結果が出ないことはプロである以上意識しなければならないが、「ミスしたとしても、真っすぐ打とうとばかり考えないで、良いスイングが出来れば良いという気持ちでやっていきたい」と更なる進化のための痛みと覚悟を決めた。

　「(新スイングに取り組み始めて)2週間くらいで良くなると思っていない。1、2か月はかかる気がします。シーズンが一番盛り上がるあたりで、常に優勝争いに絡めるくらいの状態に持っていきたい」今はとにかく1つ1つの良いショットを自分の中に積み重ねていく時期。秋の爆発のためにすべてを成長の糧にしていく。


【2日目の順位】
1位：平塚哲二(-13)
2位：キラデク・アフィバーンラト(-9)
3位：井上忠久(-8)
4位T：池田勇太(-6)
4位T：H・T・キム(キム・ヒョンテ)(-6)
4位T：J・チョイ(-6)
4位T：丸山大輔(-6)
8位：片岡大育(-5)
9位T：海老根文博(-4)
9位T：武藤俊憲(-4)
9位T：井上信(-4)

40位T：※松山英樹(E)他15名

More Patients Visit Emergency Room

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 23 January 2012 08:43



Many Americans are turning to the emergency room for dental care. A lack of dental insurance is the reason.

People without dental insurance are increasingly visiting the emergency room because they don’t have any other options. The issue is not a good one for many local medical services. Since many people don’t have the insurance coverage they once did, this is the result.

Dental care isn’t affordable for many people with low incomes or people who are unemployed. The risk of oral diseases, infections and pain is up dramatically because people don’t receive the regular treatment they had in the past.

The Medicaid provision isn’t very helpful for most people. There are 10 states that don’t even have Medicaid coverage for adults. That’s why many people can’t receive affordable dental care, forcing them to turn to other ways to get the care they need.

Based on this situation, free dental clinics are vital for many people. It’s also the reason the lines and wait times are so long when these events take place. The weather conditions don’t deter these people from waiting for the dental clinics because their care is so urgent.

This problem will likely only get worse in the future.

Lack of Dentists Causes Cancer Risk to Rise in South Africa

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 24 January 2012 11:29



People in South Africa are more at risk for mouth or throat cancer than they were in recent years. The reason is simple: there’s a shortage of dentists in the country.

There are fewer than 3,500 dentists who practicing in the entire country, according to the South African Dental Association. With that low number of dentists, there’s no conceivable way for people to visit the dentist regularly.

Some studies show that there are 500,000 people for each dentist in South Africa. Comparatively speaking, there is a dentist for about every 1,700 people in the United States—or slightly more or less, depending on the specific geography region.

With fewer dentists and dental visits, there are fewer chances to diagnose some type of mouth cancer or oral cancer.

There are some people that are going years between visits to the dentist. That problem, combined with smoking cigarettes and marijuana, are causing many issues for the country’s citizens. These issues are only compounded by unprotected sex and oral sex, which makes a person more susceptible to oral cancer.

The South African Dental Association states that the possibility of dying from some type of oral cancer is high based on the lack of dental visits. The reason is the cancer is diagnosed at a stage in which it’s too late to treat the problem because it has likely spread.

New Jersey Plans Possible Changes for Dental Colleges

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 26 January 2012 08:56



New Jersey will see alterations to the ways its dental schools are set up, according to a new proposal.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced the reorganization on Wednesday. Under the new plan, Rutgers University will add a medical school.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will be split up into Rutgers and Rowan universities throughout the state. The remnants of the Newark campus will eventually be called the New Jersey Health Sciences University.

Adding a medical school will enhance Rutgers' prestige and the way it's viewed.

UMDNJ, which currently has eight different schools, three campuses and the largest charity care hospital in New Jersey, had become too big, according to Christie.

There are other changes in the works if this one eventually gets enacted.

Obesity Could Result in Higher Risk of Tooth Loss

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 29 March 2012 07:31



Overweight people have a higher probability of losing their teeth.

But the possible tooth loss has nothing to do with carrying a few extra pounds around. It’s usually their poor diet that adds the pounds, which also happens to be the same problem for their teeth.

A research team from Japan analyzed the eating habits and overall oral health of 800 recent college graduates and determined that the people that needed to lose weight had more of a chance of developing gum disease and losing their teeth when compared to slimmer people.

The combination of eating fatty, greasy foods and a low rate of fruit/vegetable consumption led to poor oral health. It also led to obesity. If the person was overweight but consumed a reasonable amount of vegetables, gum disease was less likely to be part of the person’s future.

Another problem for people in this age range is that they’re more susceptible to a poor diet. With the lack of home-cooked meals and the greater intake of alcohol than other age groups, a healthy diet is just not realistic for many college students.

That’s why it’s important for young people to be educated about the importance of oral health and the fact that poor oral health can easily lead to poor overall health.

Brushing and Flossing May Have Added Benefits

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 29 March 2012 15:26



Brushing and flossing may lead to other things besides good oral health.

There’s research that suggests brushing and flossing can lead to a healthy body and a healthy mind.

It’s proven that by maintaining a daily dental hygiene routine, a person has the ability to fight off serious medical conditions. There are types of bacteria that cause gum disease that have the ability to travel throughout the body via the bloodstream. The chances of heart disease and stroke increase under these circumstances. Poor oral health may also lead to issues for pregnant women before labor and during labor.

By maintaining one’s oral health, these problems are less likely to occur.

Many people don’t heed the advice of their dentists, however. The evidence is supported by the fact that many people only brush once each day and don’t use dental floss. A daily dental hygiene routine can’t be complete without brushing twice. It’s also essential to mix in visits to the dentist.

Patients With Basic Dental Problems Continually Visit ER

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 02 April 2012 07:30



There are about 130 million Americans that feel they have no choice.

Without dental insurance, their only chance for dental treatment is to visit the emergency room. This problem continues to worsen.

Based on the current economy, there are also only about 10 percent of dentists in some states, like Illinois, that will take on Medicaid patients. The problem arises when the dental patients visit the emergency room, and at almost 10 times the cost, according to the Pew Center on the States.

Between the years 2006 and 2009, dental-related visits to the emergency room increased by 16 percent.

In Illinois there were nearly 66,000 residents that visited the emergency room in 2009 with some type of dental problem. About half of the problems could have been prevented, according to a division of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

And there are some dental problems that emergency rooms can't adequately treat. Many emergency rooms don't even have a dentist, and the patient ends up having to visit the dentist any way. But without dental insurance, therein lies the problem for the person.

For comparison's sake, in Illinois, an extraction costs the state $57 while it can cost around $400 in the emergency room. Never mind the fact that the actual problem may not even be fixed in the emergency room.

In some states, like Illinois, the problem lies with Medicaid. The overhead costs take out anywhere from 65 to 70 percent of the every dollar and Medicaid reimburses only about 39 percent of the service. Therefore, treating low-income patients doesn't make much fiscal sense for dentists, so they don't take them on.

Dentists Misleading Patients in United Kingdom

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 30 May 2012 07:31



Nearly 500,000 dental patients in the United Kingdom are given incorrect dental information, according to the Office of Fair Trading.

The wrong information was given to convince dental patients to spend money on unnecessary treatment.

According to the findings of the investigation, more than half of the dentists who were seeking to offer this treatment did not display the charges for the treatment at the reception desk. More than 80 percent of patients were not given a written treatment plan.

Despite the few dentists that tried to take advantage of people, most people in the United Kingdom were content with the service their dentist provided, according to the study.

Roughly £6 billion was spent on dental treatment in the United Kingdom from 2009 through 2010. About 42 percent of that treatment was spent on private treatment.

Lack of Dentists a Problem in Rural Areas of California

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 30 May 2012 15:45



Tooth decay rates in many California areas are rising.

The problem can be traced to one main cause: a lack of dentists.

Many of California’s rural counties don’t have nearly as many dentists and specialists as they need. In fact, there is only one dentist for every 4,500 people in the McKinleyville area of Humbolt County. There’s also only one dentist that will accept Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid) for every 71,000 residents in the county.

According to a 2006 survey, in a four-county span in Northern California, more than a quarter of the people below the poverty level hadn’t visited a dentist in at least five years. Rural counties in Northern California also rank highest in the state for the number of emergency department and urgent care visits for preventable dental conditions.

The problem for dentists is the lower reimbursement rates in places outside of urban areas, which gives them less incentive to open a practice in those areas.

There were some program cuts to Medi-Cal three years ago, which exacerbated the problem. Increasing various telehealth programs could be a boost to dentistry and specialty treatment.

Studies also have indicated that education loan repayment programs are enticing enough to get more students interested in dentistry. Without programs like that, the problem will continue in rural areas of California.

Women’s Hormones May be Related to Gum Disease

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 31 May 2012 15:00



Women’s health issues and gum disease are associated, according to a new study.

Charlene Krejci, associate clinical professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, concluded the link after a thorough study. The research showed that hormonal changes that happen during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause enable bacteria to grow in the mouth. The bacteria can then make health issues like bone loss worse than they already are.

The article containing the research (“Women’s Health: Periodontitis and its Relation to Hormonal Changes, Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Osteoporosis”) appears in the May issue of Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry.

To compile the research, 61 journal articles and about 100 studies were examined to see what the correlation between female hormones/health issues and gum disease actually was.

The best way to combat this problem is for women to visit the dentist at least once every six months or more frequently in the cases of pregnant women and women that suffer from bone loss. Many pregnant women develop some type of gum problem.

Scaling and planing of the roots of the teeth is now a recommended course of treatment for pregnant women. Severe gum disease that could require surgery does not take place until after the child is born.

Gum disease starts when there’s an influx of bacterial plaque on the teeth and under the gums, and it can result in irritation and inflammation when left untreated.

Marine Bacterial Enzyme May Help Fight Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 05 July 2012 14:15



Seaweed bacterial enzymes could manage to thwart tooth decay.

Scientists at New Castle University in the United Kingdom have isolated an enzyme from the marine bacterium bacillus licheniformis. It has been determined that this seaweed cuts through plaque and cleans the hard-to-reach dental areas.

This bacterial enzyme is generally used to clean the hulls of ships. This information, however, may provide an alternative method for teeth scaling that removes plaque and tartar buildup in the area between the teeth and gumline. Regular brushing can’t always account for this.

While conducting this study, researchers learned that the biofilm created by the bacteria for the adhesion makes it immune to basic oral health treatment. But when the bacterium exits the bacterial colony, it gives off an enzyme that breaks down the external DNA and biofilm. There could soon be various dental products with this enzyme, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products.

More research is necessary on this seaweed enzyme. But if it truly does destroy the plaque that contains bacteria, it will soon become widely used.

Study Shows HPV Increases Risk of Periodontitis

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 06 July 2012 10:05



Another study indicates that the Human Papilloma Virus increases the risk of developing a form of gum disease, such as periodontitis.

The University of Buffalo study indicated that those infected with HPV tumors showed greater bone loss, something that’s generally associated with periodontitis.

Many other studies have demonstrated the link between poor oral health and the increased risk of cancer. This study pinpoints, the link of HPV and gum disease. Also, periodontitis is now the top cause of tooth loss, even greater than tooth decay.

Bad oral health raises the possibility of developing some type of oral cancer and is a major cause of gum disease.

Many recent studies have shown that the number of HPV-causing cancer cases is going up. The only way to turn back this trend is for people to practice better oral health as a whole.

Diagnosing HPV, gum disease and oral cancer early is one of the main factors in successfully treating the problems. Maintaining solid oral health is the best way to avoid the diseases completely.

UCLA Scientists Make Discovery that May Aid Dentistry

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 09 July 2012 15:38



Cancer scientists at the UCLA School of Dentistry have found two epigenetic regulating genes that impact cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells. Translation: dental researchers may be able to dictate stem-to-cell differentiation to the point where bone diseases can be successfully treated.

The possibility of targeting treatments in craniofacial bone regeneration, bone construction, and osteoporosis could be on the horizon.

This information shows the improvement of the way gene structure is understood during epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation and how it’s altered without changing the DNA sequence, according to Dr. Cun-Yu Wang. Gene-activating enzymes serve to eliminate methyl markers from histone proteins, which would improve stem-to-bone cell differentiation.

Gene lineage favoring is the science behind this discovery. Genes that favor certain lineages are activated and genes that favor alternate lineages are deactivated. It’s possible for stem cells to differentiate into bone cells. The point of this research is to create the opportunity to possibly treat osteoporosis and gum disease.

The information appears in the most recent issue of Cell Stem Cell, a publication associated with the International Society for Stem Cell Research.