Shirdent

Yeah, awareness is a great thing. What to do about it is something else again. As we have more and more people with teeth the problems associated with oral biofilm infections are increasing. The perio~CVD connection is there for sure, and the others that you mentioned are too. VAP is a problem too, and no offence but dental hygienists are the specialists in oral care and oral hygiene. Too bad most state laws state that hygienists must work under a dentist. Not all people can come to the dentist's office. I could go on...

I thought you'd like to see this article. It's really something when and insurance company does a little digging and finds ways to get healthier people, and lower costs for them. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE http://www.dentistryiq.com/index/display/article-display/0978018306/articles/dentisryiq/industry/2011/03/cigna-study.html CIGNA study shows link between oral health and overall health, treatment costs Mar 29, 2011 SUNRISE, Florida--The results from a new CIGNA study support that there is a potential association between treated periodontal (gum) disease and reduced medical costs for patients with diabetes. To read more about CIGNA, go to CIGNA. The findings of the three-year claims study were presented during a meeting of the International Association for Dental Research in San Diego, Calif. The study was presented by Dr. Clay Hedlund, a CIGNA dental director; Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, Dean Emeritus and professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Robert Genco, a SUNY Distinguished Professor, University at Buffalo Schools of Dental Medicine; and Dr Nipul Tanna, clinical assistant professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Drs. Jeffcoat and Genco are members of the CIGNA Dental Clinical Advisory Panel. IADR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research and increasing knowledge to improve oral health worldwide. CIGNA's Dr. Hedlund said the study corroborates the results of CIGNA's prior research, presented at the IADR meeting in 2009, in support of a possible association between the treatment of gum disease and lower medical costs in the treatment of diabetes. n the current study, patients who were treated for gum disease in the first year of the study and then received regular maintenance care thereafter had lower medical costs than those patients who had previously been treated for gum disease but did not receive regular maintenance care. On average, medical costs were $2,483 per year lower, or 23% percent less, for patients with diabetes who had proper gum disease treatment. "With the increase in the prevalence of diabetes, and great concern for our ever-increasing medical costs, this study suggests that periodontal therapy may help reduce the disease burden, as well as medical costs of treatment for patients with diabetes," said Dr. Robert Genco. "The link between periodontal disease and diabetes has been firmly established and the association is a concern," said Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat. "Periodontal disease can place individuals with diabetes at greater risk for diabetic complications,including mortality from cardiovascular disease and diabetic nephropathy. Advancing our understanding on how treatment for gum disease can affect thehealth of people with diabetes will help lead to the creation of evidence-based treatment standards that could benefit millions of people and help reduce medical costs at the same time." Dr. Clay Hedlund noted, "These results suggest that treating gum disease has benefits beyond better oral health and may also help to control medical costs for some patients as well. We are pleased to be part of the dental community's ongoing research into the links between good oral health and good overall health." About the research The length of the study period was three full years, 2006 to 2008. It included an examination of medical and dental claims of over 46,094 individuals ages 18-62 who were enrolled in CIGNA medical and CIGNA dental plans. The medical cost analysis included 3,449 patients from this group who received treatment for diabetes. These patients were presumed to also have had gum disease since they had received periodontal (gum) therapy at some point. Two different groups of patients with gum disease were then compared. Individuals in the first group received initial treatment for gum disease during the first (baseline) year of the study and received regular maintenance care thereafter (1,355 patients). Individuals in the second group received treatment for periodontal disease prior to the baseline year, and did not receive regular maintenance care during the study period (2,094 patients). Lower medical costs among patients being treated for diabetes were observed in the group who received periodontal treatment in the first year and then regular maintenance care thereafter. Conversely, medical costs were higher in the group of patients who received treatment prior to the baseline year and did not receive regular maintenance care thereafter. These medical cost differences averaged $2,483 per patient in 2008. These results are part of ongoing studies at CIGNA. For more information, visit http://www.cigna.com. To comment on this subject, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/. Source: DentistryIQ

Type I is when the pancreas shuts down. That can happen at any age. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

My son was dx at age 23. I thought he was on heroin. SKINNY, slow, couldn't move, drank and drank, leg cramping. I thought he was starving, I yelled at him for eating diet yogurt, You Need Calories! I said. He was in and out of consciousness. He thought he was tired. A1c 14. 3 days in the hospital. I think all clinic visits should have glucose checked. Had they checked when he broke his hand skate boarding, they'd have seen it early. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Dear Health Professional: We would like your input on two print ads created by the New York State Tobacco Control Program for use in an advertising campaign targeted to health professionals in California. The campaign is sponsored by the California Tobacco Control Program and the California Smokers' Helpline. We are asking for feedback from physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners. Please take 15 minutes to answer 20 questions about the ads by Tuesday, July 27 and feel free to forward this email to any of your physician, physician assistant, nurse, or nurse practitioner colleagues. Copy and paste the addy to take the survey. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AdConceptTest Thank you for helping us learn how we might reach even more health professionals with our message! Communications and Partner Relations Department To Order Free Materials or For More Information: Domain Names, Web Hosting and Online Marketing Services | Network Solutions 858-300-1010 This material was made possible by funds received from the California Department of Public Health under contract #05-45834.. Hey team hygiene/dental lets bring the two professions together...fill out the survey and click other RDH/DDS/Office Manager etc. CSH know we work together but here is one way we can bring medical and dental together....Thoughts on marketing:-) Best- Kirsten in CA Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE Hoping this doesn't violate any rules.

I guess I understand your feeling as if the question writer shouldn't be a nurse, I get that. I take issue with the idea that if he/she is not interested in certain duties, that makes them arrogant. If you decide you don't want to do heart surgery, does that make you seem better than a heart surgeon?? I don't want to help people with that level of ADL either but I don't think people think I'm better than them. I don't want to teach 5th graders either, that doesn't mean I think 5th grade teachers are less than me or bad or stupid. This questioner has a valid question and assuming they think they're better than you because you don't mind wiping butts is a complication in communication on your part. I'm not sure why I feel motivated to respond to this thread rather a hundred others but I do. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Interesting to read the replies to this question. Some nurses are just like dental hygienists! Just because this person doesn't like handling people physically doesn't make the person lazy or a potentially bad nurse. As was pointed out by a number of people, there are other jobs in nursing that don't require direct patient contact or help with ADLs. I could say the same about nurses who love that kind of thing and relate it to the lack of oral care we find in dependent people. It's not getting done, at all! Sure a handful of the people responding to this thread will say that they do oral care, let me assure you, you are in the minority. Many hygienists think nurses or CNA are lazy for not providing oral care. Does that mean hygienists are superior to you because they understand and do enter into the body and provide care there? This thread is defiantly a different strokes kind of thing. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Applied CVD and Periodontal Biophysiology Too obnoxious and high faluten?

Course title. I'm struggling a little with a title for this course. It will be available at the medical side of dentaledu.tv, I can't think of the site name right now, it's not medicaledu.tv I'm pretty sure. Anyway, I'm wondering if you'd choose a course with a title like Applied Periodontal Science. I have snazzier titles but I don't know how fun titles are accepted in medical. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

I agree! It would be well worthwhile to have a dental hygienist at a pediatric office to attend to the children's teeth. No point in trying to make hygienists out of nurses, they have enough to do. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Excellent, thanks for that info. Hygienists aren't invited in to hospitals nor can they practice under a physician (sort of) at this time. this is the kind of information I was hoping to get, the inside scoop. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Here's the thing, a person with 20 teeth and a moderate periodontal infection has a wound equal in surface area to the palm of your hand. What would you do for a person with a chronic wound of that size? I'm not sure a lot of dentists or hygienists have a full understanding of that either. :redpinkhe Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

I've found the big mistakes find you, and when it does the mentors come out of hiding. Just keep your eyes open, and look for a sympathetic face, open your intellect and you'll see mentors everywhere. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

I haven't posted 15 times so I'm barred from PM people. Thanks for the invite though. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE

Well, I fau paxed (how do you spell faux pas?) Because I cannot ask you to email me privately outside of this platform I'll have to do this publicly and either give some people an eyefull, or educate them. With respect to cardiac patients, rather people with cardiovacular disease, how do you handle dental/oral evaluation? do you not do it? do you refer? do you look in the mouth and make a recommendation? do you ask the person if they have a regular dentist/hygienist whom they see regularly? do you even know what I'm talking about? Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE:smokin: