Dental Caries

American Fluoridation Society comments on the report WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a report about fluoride on August 21 that backtracks significantly from its original draft, which failed to complete the peer review process. The final report has removed NTP's original assertion that fluoride is a "presumed" neurodevelopmental hazard. NTP concludes that exposures to fluoride in drinking water above 1.5 milligrams per liter are associated with lower IQ scores. This level is more than double the fluoride level that is used for water fluoridation in North America. Continue Reading The CDC reports that fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25% for children and adults. This is an important benefit because tooth decay is the most common chronic disease for children and adults in the U.S. Several years ago, NTP asked the National Academies of Sciences to serve as peer reviewer for its draft report. The National Academies reviewed the report twice and raised numerous concerns — many of which were not addressed. The National Academies advised NTP to "make it clear that the monograph cannot be used to draw any conclusions" about low fluoride exposures, such as "those typically associated with drinking-water fluoridation." NTP states that its final report "was not designed to evaluate" the health effects of fluoridated tap water nor did it collect enough data to perform that task. In addition, NTP itself said it has only "moderate confidence" in the fluoride-IQ association that it found. And public health experts point out that association does not equal causation. Although the NTP report does not reach any conclusions about water fluoridation, the American Fluoridation Society urges the public to be aware of the report's weaknesses. For example: Research quality is a key concern because 62% of the studies reviewed by NTP were published in less reputable journals. In fact, these studies came from journals that the National Library of Medicine does not index, meaning it doesn't consider them worthy of including in its enormous research collection. Many of the studies reviewed by NTP relied on spot urine samples, which are not a reliable way to measure an individual's exposure to fluoride. NTP's report justifies this method of measuring exposure by citing and misinterpreting a 2010 research paper. This paper explains that spot urinary fluoride samples can offer "reasonably good estimations of community-based" exposure but are not "a precise estimator" of daily fluoride intake "on an individual basis." Many studies in NTP's report suffered from errors or weaknesses in their methodology. For example, in some studies, the IQ tests were administered in ways that weaken the reliability of the scores. NTP cited a 2012 research review (Choi, et al.) as "showing the precision of the association between fluoride exposure and IQ" but overlooked the fact that the review's authors reported that each of the 27 studies they analyzed "had deficiencies, in some cases rather serious ones, that limit the conclusions that can be drawn." Communities should not be misled by people who try to use the NTP report to push for an end to water fluoridation. The only concerns raised by the report apply when the level of fluoride in water is more than double the level used for water fluoridation. The public should know that researchers in a variety of countries have examined the safety of fluoride in drinking water and found no link to cognitive deficits: Studies from Australia, New Zealand and Spain (each of which has water fluoridation programs) show no link between fluoride exposure and cognitive deficits. In fact, the study from Spain showed that fluoride exposure was associated with better cognitive performance by boys. The New Zealand study tested IQs multiple times over a 31-year period, enhancing the strength of its findings. 31 European experts in toxicology and food safety examined numerous fluoride-IQ studies and concluded that the overall evidence "does not support the presumption that fluoride should be considered as a human developmental neurotoxicant" at typical exposure levels in fluoridated water. A research review in 2023 examined the quality of 30 fluoride-IQ studies. All but one of the 30 studies were assessed as having a moderate or high risk of bias. The only study with a low risk of bias found no link between fluoride exposure and IQ scores. A former NTP director co-authored this review. Steven Novella, a clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine, has reviewed many fluoride studies. In a 2023 article, Novella called water fluoridation "safe." He added that there is "a potential of neurotoxicity from fluoride at high levels, significantly higher than in the drinking water. But the same data shows, if anything, the managed drinking water levels are safe. Further, the best quality evidence does not show any clinical effect." Dr. Johnny Johnson, president of the American Fluoridation Society said health officials and parents should take care in interpreting the NTP report. "Even the NTP report states that its finding does not apply to water fluoridation." The safety of fluoridated water is backed by more than 75 years of research and experience. Fluoridation is recommended by the leading health, dental and medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease for U.S. children and adults. Drinking fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25%. Research shows that when a city ends fluoridation, tooth decay goes up. This is what happened in Calgary and Windsor, Canada — and why city councils in both cities voted to resume fluoridation. Dr. Johnson welcomed new research in this field. "I'd like to see a well-designed prospective study to measure and compare cognition between areas with high and low levels of naturally occurring fluoride. Some areas in the U.S. have naturally occurring fluoride above 2 milligrams per liter," he said. "The National Institutes of Health has funded cognitive studies in other countries, but these studies have suffered from various deficiencies. Let's use our U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund a study here." Learn more about fluoride and fluoridation by visiting AmericanFluoridationSociety.org. Contact: Dr. Johnny Johnson at 727-409-1770 or [email protected] SOURCE American Fluoridation Society

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and affiliates, today announced $16.3 million in funding to nonprofit organizations through an Access to Care Grants Program intended to increase and safeguard access to quality, affordable oral health care. The program is offered across the company's 15-state service area and Washington, D.C. Continue Reading The Community Care Foundation funds local community partners to increase access to care, address health disparities, drive health equity and promote innovation in the oral health field. The grants enable its nonprofit partners, which include Federally Qualified Health Centers, to provide vital and beneficial services to those most in need in the communities they serve. This year's grants represent the program's largest annual funding to date. The grants are focused on three critical areas of need: the oral health crisis among older adults, health equity and rural oral health access. The grants focus on the oral health crisis among older adults, health equity and rural oral health access. Post this Through these grants, the Community Care Foundation has significantly impacted the lives of many community members, including six-year-old Flora, who received oral health care through Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County in California. When Flora visited the organization's Garden Grove clinic a few weeks before her sixth birthday, she was experiencing dental pain and discomfort. Upon examination, the Healthy Smiles team learned that she had progressive dental decay, which led to multiple abscessed teeth requiring extractions. Because Flora has asthma, the team quickly conducted a consultation with her physician to ensure she was a good candidate for dental treatment under general anesthesia. Once cleared, Flora's mother stated that she wanted to take the first available appointment to alleviate Flora's pain – even if that meant surgery on her birthday. On her sixth birthday, Flora's care team extracted nine of her 20 baby teeth, placed five crowns and completed one filling. Now experiencing relief, Flora and her mother are grateful for the personalized dental treatment provided by Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County. "This year's Access to Care Grants are focused on addressing the most pressing issues facing oral health care today, from the senior oral health crisis to health equity to access to care in rural communities," said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California and affiliates. "Each of these focus areas represent critical areas of opportunity in improving access to care, and the partnerships supported by Access to Care Grants play a vital role in enabling us to advance our shared goal of helping to make the communities we serve stronger, healthier and more resilient." About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc. Since 2011, the Community Care Foundation has awarded more than $150 million in funding and support to increase access to quality dental care, oral health education and to advance scientific research across the company's 15-state service area and Washington, D.C. For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, please visit About Delta Dental of California and affiliates Since 1955, Delta Dental of California and affiliates has offered comprehensive, high-quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company; Delta Dental of Pennsylvania; Delta Dental of New York, Inc.; Delta Dental of the District of Columbia; Delta Dental of Delaware, Inc.; and Delta Dental of West Virginia, and provides dental benefits to more than 31 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia.* All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that through a national network of Delta Dental companies collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California and affiliates, please visit . *We provide dental benefit plans in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. For more information, contact: Nick Mueller Director of Corporate Communications Delta Dental of California and affiliates [email protected] Caitlin Dong Senior Corporate Communications Consultant Delta Dental of California and affiliates [email protected] SOURCE Delta Dental of California and affiliates

ABDM, tele-mental health budgets reduced Early this week, India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the official Union Budget for 2024-2025. For healthcare, the government set aside Rs 90,958.63 crore ($10.8 billion), rising by nearly 13% from last year's Rs 80,517.62 crore ($9.6 billion). This includes Rs 200 crore ($24 million) for the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission, which is lower than the Rs 341 crore ($40.7 million) allocation last year. The government scheme is building the foundations of a digitally connected health ecosystem through the creation of electronic health records. Meanwhile, another digital health initiative, the national tele-mental health programme, also saw its allocation decrease to Rs 90 crore ($10.7 million) from Rs 133.7 crore ($16 million) a year ago. NUCOHS says imaging data, AI integration underway The National University Centre for Oral Health Singapore (NUCOHS) has revealed its long-term plan to leverage digital technology in advancing dental care. The centre, which is under the purview of the National University Health System, said it is building a dental imaging repository that will support the development of new treatment plans and data-driven research. It plans to integrate the database with computer-aided design and manufacturing to enhance the creation of dental restorations, such as dental prostheses, dentures and crowns. The NUCOHS also shared that it is working to integrate AI models with its EMR system to improve the early detection and prediction of dental conditions like tooth decay and gum disease. "AI will play an increasingly important role in our practice, and by integrating AI and innovative research, we ensure that patients receive the most precise, efficient and appropriate care. Additionally, we hope to use our expansive data to study links and impact of a patient’s systemic condition and the medications they are taking on dental disease progression and the prognosis of treatment," explained Patrick Tseng, associate professor at NUCOHS. PhilHealth unveils digital platform to streamline service access State health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in the Philippines has started moving its legacy systems into new, secure systems. It recently launched the ePhilHealth platform which streamlines access to the insurer's various services, including the outpatient benefits programme, eKonsulta. Through PhilHealth's integration with the eGovernment Data Exchange Platform, its members can also access their profiles, contributions, and claims history on the eGovPH super app. PhilHealth has also integrated its system with the Philippine National ID system. The move to more secure digital infrastructure came almost a year after the state health insurer was hit by a Medusa ransomware attack, which exposed the data of some 13 million members.