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The dental profession needs to build a stronger connection betweenoral health and general health - not only for individual patients,but also at the community level, according to the special Juneissue of The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice (JEBDP), the foremost publication of information aboutevidence-based dental practice, published by Elsevier. The special issue follows the usual format of JEBDP, comprisingexpert reviews and analyses of the scientific evidence on specificdental procedures. "Yet the coverage goes beyond a review ofspecific clinical interventions to broader ones that addressprevention on a community basis," according to an introductoryguest editorial by Robert J. Collins, DMD, MPH, of University ofPennsylvania. Dr. Collins highlights the role of evidence-based innovations suchas home dental care, community water fluoridation, and dentalsealants in shifting public perceptions of dental care fromreplacement or repair of missing or damaged teeth to protectionagainst oral diseases. In his editorial, he calls on dentists torecognize the value of collaboration in addressing the problems ofthe public and the dental profession: "As professionals, clinicianshave a responsibility to care for their patients as individuals anda community." The goal of the special issue is to forge a closer link between theresearch-proven clinical care provided to individuals and thelarger public health goals of improving health in the community."The oral health status of individuals, families, and communitiescan be greatly improved when patient-centered, evidence-based careintersects with focused, larger community prevention efforts,"states the CDC's William Bailey, DDS, MPH, Assistant SurgeonGeneral and Chief Dental Officer, U.S. Public Health Service,highlighting the link between clinical care and public health. The issue includes review and article analyses and evaluations on awide range of topics related to prevention in dental care. Thefocus is on techniques that not only prevent dental diseases, butalso reflect a growing appreciation of the connections betweendental health and general health. Topics illustrating these areasof crossover include: "Rubber cup" dental prophylaxis - there's little evidence of ahealth benefit for this familiar "preventive" technique, but itcontinues to be widely used. Prophylactic surgical extraction of wisdom teeth - a growing bodyof evidence questions the need for this common procedure, althoughcontroversy continues. Chlorhexidine mouthwash to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia - an example of how better oral health can help prevent a seriousmedical condition, with important implications for dental care innursing home residents. A highlight of the issue is an invited commentary by AmericanDental Association (ADA) President William R. Calnon, DDS. Incontrast to its historical emphasis on surgical treatment of dentaldiseases after they have occurred - "drilling and filling" - Dr.Calnon believes the ADA and the dental profession at large need todevelop a new framework for prevention of oral disease. He writes,"Perhaps it is time to think about prevention as the management oforal health risks, including the identification, assessment, andprioritization of these risks, and to take actions designed tomitigate the risks of oral disease or dysfunction." The special issue also includes opinion pieces on key issuesrelated to prevention and dental public health. Invited editorialshighlight the need for private dental practitioners to take onincreased responsibility for carrying out essential public healthfunctions; and the impact of financial incentives on the provisionof evidence-based preventive services in clinical dentistry. "Our focus is on collaboration between dental professionalsinvolved in community health and clinical health," Dr. Collinscommented. "The issue is extremely important, particularly inlooking at what we can do about the 25 to 30 percent of thepopulation who don't have regular access to dental care." Additional References Citations. I am an expert from custom-textileprinting.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Customize Mouse Pads Manufacturer , Custom Printed Aprons Manufacturer, Custom Printed Aprons,and more.
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