By Mark Miller | CHICAGO

If you plan to retire soon, add this item to your to-do list: a visit to the dentist before your dental insurance disappears.

Retirees transitioning to Medicare are often surprised to learn that the program does not cover routine dental care or more complex procedures.

Overall, 40 percent of the 65-plus population has some form of dental benefit, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. For seniors who use Medicare Advantage managed care plans, about half offer very limited coverage for cleanings and exams. A small percentage of seniors have dental insurance from a former employer, and Medicaid covers dental care for low-income residents in some states, although benefits vary. Some buy individual commercial plans or have coverage through an association such as AARP.

Read more via Add bite to your retirement dental plan | Reuters

Although the principles of infection control remain unchanged, new technologies, materials, equipment, and data require continuous evaluation of current infection control practices. The unique nature of many dental procedures, instruments, and patient care settings also may require specific strategies directed to preventing pathogen transmission among dental health care personnel and their patients.

CDC’s evidence-based recommendations guide infection control practices in dental offices nationally and globally; provide direction for the public, dental health care personnel and policymakers; and affect technology development in the dental industry.

Read more via home | Infection Prevention & Control in Dental Settings | Division of Oral Health

The statistics from the Oral Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society are chilling:

• 49,750: The number of people who will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year in the United States.

• 132: The number of new oral cancer cases diagnosed each day.

• 1: The number of people who die every hour, every day, 365 days a year from oral cancer.

These figures are stark, and they represent lives cut too short or altered dramatically by the devastating impact of oral cancer.

Most cases of oral cancer are found in their late stages, resulting in an extremely high death rate. In fact, more than 40% of those diagnosed with oral cancer die within 5 years, due to late-stage diagnosis. In contrast, early detection (stage I and II) of oral cancer yields survival rates of up to 90%. Early detection is key to stopping the progression of the disease and minimizing the impact on those who are diagnosed.

Low Awareness

In the United States, awareness and education surrounding oral cancer is low. In observance of National Oral Cancer Awareness Month and Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week this April, Vigilant Biosciences joined with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, the Oral Cancer Foundation, and Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer to launch a campaign to raise awareness about oral cancer and its risk factors. As part of this campaign, we announced findings from our 2017 Oral Cancer Awareness Survey, which polled more than 500 US adults on knowledge, perceptions, and preferences about oral cancer and oral cancer screening.

– See more via Awareness Is the Key to Fighting Oral Cancer | Dentistry Today

“While tobacco and alcohol consumption remain the chief causes of oral cancer, the number of cases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) have been increasing. In fact, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 4.0% of all adults in the United States age 18 to 69 years have one or more of the 14 high-risk types of HPV known to cause oral cancer.

“This research is fueled by the rising incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), soon to be the most common HPV-related cancer in the United States, surpassing cervical cancer,” said Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, an educator and specialist in oral cancer. “We understand that a persistent infection with a high-risk strain is the pathway to oral and oropharyngeal cancer. This data substantiates the fear that HPV-related OPSCC is escalating quickly and reaching epidemic proportions.”

The CDC drew its conclusions from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014, which included oral rinse samples. According to the data, 7.3% of all adults in this age range have one or more of the 37 types of oral HPV, which are sexually transmitted. Most sexually active adults acquire the virus at some point in their lives, and they typically pass it within 2 years without symptoms or complications.”

See more via 4.0% of American Adults Carry High-Risk Oral HPV | Dentistry Today

Watch this short video to learn about whether or not brushing your teeth curbs or stimulates appetite.

via Does Brushing Teeth Curb or Stimulate Appetite? | Dentistry Today

“If I have one serious regret about my age, it is that my permanent teeth developed before New York, my hometown, got fluoridated water. I first lost a permanent molar to decay in my early 20s, and the resulting bridge has had to be replaced several times in subsequent decades, ultimately as a four-part apparatus.

Now that has to go as well. Because I could not floss and clean properly under the bridge and between the supporting crowns, I developed a severe periodontal infection.”

via Dental Implants Are Now the Standard in Tooth Restoration – The New York Times

“President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the dollar was “getting too strong” and would eventually hurt the U.S. economy, even as he said he would like to see interest rates stay low, the Wall Street Journal reported.”

via Trump says dollar ‘getting too strong’ – Wall Street Journal | Reuters