An exciting issue of RDH eVillage FOCUS

RDH Under One Roof was a huge success! With wonderful CE courses, excellent networking opportunities, and generous exhibitors, the attendees had a great experience. Thanks to everyone involved with such a good meeting. Join us next year in Las Vegas!

In the news, on Aug. 15 the ADA issued a statement on triclosan in toothpaste.(1) This was precipitated by questions about the safety of triclosan, an ingredient in Seal-approved Colgate Total. Colgate Total, which has a concentration of 0.3% of the substance, is the only ADA-accepted toothpaste that contains triclosan. The ADA Council on Scientific Affairs monitors and evaluates the safety of Colgate Total Toothpaste on an ongoing basis. If they decide that there is adequate scientific evidence that the toothpaste presents a health risk, the council has the authority to withdraw the Seal from that product. They stated that currently, there is “no clinically relevant scientific evidence” indicating that the Seal should be removed from the Colgate Total product.(1) For more information on triclosan, view the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommendations on the use of oral health-care products that contain triclosan.(2)

In other news, dental hygiene is one of the 30 fastest-growing careers in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow by 33% from now until 2022, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.(3) Let’s hope we see more positions opening up soon!

We all know that the quantity and frequency of soda consumption is high in the United States. Soft drink consumption has been associated with poor bone health in children, but few studies have examined this relation in adults, or the relation of soda consumption with risk of hip fractures. One study observed the association of soda, including specific types of soda, and the risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women.(4) The conclusion was that increased soda consumption of all types may be associated with increased risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women. The types included diet soda, colas, non-colas, and sodas with or without caffeine. The association between soda and hip fractures did not differ by body mass index or diagnosis of diabetes.(4)

Lastly, in this issue you will see What’s New in Perio? One of the sections in this article is Newly Identified Pathogens Associated with Periodontitis. One organism not mentioned is Filifactor alocis.(5) This newly discovered Gram- positive anaerobic rod pathogen may play a significant role in periodontal disease. It has distinctive characteristics that may increase its virulence potential, and F. alocis could be one of the organisms that plays an essential role in community dynamics, creating synergistic partnerships with other pathogenic oral bacteria during the disease state. It could also lead to many systemic host responses. F. alocis is one of only a few organisms associated with both generalized and localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) in addition to peri-implantitis and endodontic infections.

Thank you to the authors in this issue for sharing their expertise, Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, and David Berman, C.Ht.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sincerely,