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According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are 6,861 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S. as of Aug. 5, an increase from the 6,820 areas earlier in 2024. 

In Benchmarking Cameron Cortigiano  Friday, August 16th, 2024

Here are the number of dental professional shortage areas in the best states for dental health:

• 1. Connecticut: 40
• 2. Washington D.C.: 11
• 3. Massachusetts: 52
• 4. Washington: 178
• 5. Illinois: 210
• 6. New York: 156
• 7. New Jersey: 37
• 8. Maryland: 41
• 9. Hawaii: 31
• 10. Minnesota: 186

By Erica Sloan Medically reviewed by Jessica Ailani, MD

August 8, 2024 https://www.self.com/story/oral-health-dementia-risk-factor

Science suggests another daily practice that may help you ward off dementia: tending to your teeth and gums. Big population studies suggest that people who have periodontal (a.k.a. gum) disease—based on things like tooth loss and gum swelling and having antibodies to disease-causing bacteria—are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or show symptoms of mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those without oral-health problems.

Speaking of, it’s also important to keep an eye out for symptoms of mild gum disease (a.k.a. gingivitis)—like gums that look swollen or bleed when you brush or floss—and communicate these to your dentist.

The more proactively you care for your teeth and the sooner you address any red flags, the better you’ll steer clear of periodontitis and safeguard your brain from the potential ripple effects along the way.

https://www.todaysrdh.com/longitudinal-look-at-tooth-loss-and-cognitive-decline-among-older-adults/

 By Today’s RDH

 -December 15, 2023

Prot / Adobe Stock photo

It has also been shown that persons with more extensive tooth loss tend to have worse cognitive performance. Other research has shown that pathogenic oral bacteria can cross the blood-brain barrier and produce enzymes that damage nerve cells.

Laura Scully shared valuable oral wellness information at Oak St. Health in Harwood Heights. Let us know if you’d like her to speak to your group.

UT Health San Antonio Posted on November 1, 2023

Shared by Kristen Zapata

“Our vision is to transform community and global oral health through education, research and innovation,” he said. “The number of people with untreated oral conditions worldwide has reached 3.5 billion. Oral diseases are the 4th highest cause of financial burden in the most industrial countries. If we really want to make lives better, we need to focus on oral health.” Click here to read the news.

From left to right: Launch event speakers Brij J. Singh, PhD, Yvonne De Paiva Buischi, DDS, PhD, Peter M. Loomer, DDS, PhD, MBA, and Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, MPH.

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health June 6, 2023

Tooth decay and gum disease can make it difficult to eat, talk, and concentrate. But the damage they do can go beyond our mouths.

Oral health affects our overall health. Poor oral hygiene can raise the risk of several diseases elsewhere in our body, from diabetes to dementia.

Denise Mann

Published on September 15, 2023

FRIDAY, Sept. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Good oral health is one of the keys to healthy aging, but a sobering new study shows that many U.S. nursing home residents have significant dental issues.

Close to two in every 10 residents have missing teeth, about 8% have broken teeth/cavities and another 11% report pain while chewing, researchers found.

“Inadequate oral health has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the mouth, profoundly affecting one’s overall well-being, nutritional intake and general health,” said study author Dr. Natalia Chalmers, chief dental officer at the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in Baltimore.

“This interconnected relationship between oral health and overall health underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy mouth,” Chalmers said.

Adobe stock

Link to full article

HEALTH July 19 2023 By DAVID NIELD

(South_agency/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

A calcium phosphate mineral found naturally in teeth and bones could be just as effective as fluoride when it comes to protecting against cavities (or caries), potentially giving us a new alternative ingredient for toothpaste.

A new study by scientists from Poznan University of Medical Sciences and the Medical University of Bialystok in Poland suggests a compound called hydroxyapatite could present another option.

The effects of hydroxyapatite are two-fold: it limits the loss of minerals of teeth (demineralization), which leads to cavities, and it boosts the natural repair process of teeth (remineralization).

By Ryan Richard Ruff, PhD¹; Tamarinda Barry-Godín, DDS¹; Richard Niederman, DMD¹ – February 9, 2023

In this randomized clinical trial, silver diamine fluoride with fluoride varnish was noninferior to sealants and atraumatic restorations with fluoride varnish for caries arrest and prevention. Results may support the use of silver diamine fluoride as an arresting and preventive agent in school-based oral health programs.

Click here to read entire article

By Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS -February 7, 2023

Countless studies have been performed to corroborate the mouth-to-whole-body connection, giving us the nuggets to understand just how important oral health is. Recent studies have confirmed that one-third of millennials admit to only brushing once per day, and the average millennial has gone over two days without brushing at all.

Click here to read the whole article