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Poor oral health & chronic kidney disease
Judging from American data, about 25% of Canadian healthcare spending for seniors is to manage chronic kidney disease. It is perhaps the top burden on our hospitals. Moreover, the pandemic is making it worse. Between 20% and 40% of COVID-19 patients in the ICU sustain kidney damage. Many patients on dialysis only start this treatment…
Read MoreJust before the pandemic…
In late 2019, a survey of American seniors concluded the following: while almost all U.S. adults age 65–80 recognize that oral health is important for overall health, more than one in four reported getting dental care only when they had problems or not at all, and one in five reported recent dental problems. Just before…
Read MoreStroke and oral inflammation
Chronic oral inflammation (gingivitis and periodontal disease) is a well-known risk contributor to stroke. But are periodontal surgery and scaling effective in reducing the risks of stroke? A new, very large retrospective study of middle-age Koreans with oral inflammation indicates these procedures are helpful in reducing stroke. Data from Korean medical insurance claims show that…
Read MoreOne slide says it all
“Increasing evidence has shown that the oral microbiota is closely related to the physical state of humans, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. In the future, oral microbiota will become a new target for improving the physical state of humans“. Lu, M et al. 2019. Science Direct. So what does this mean? Have a look…
Read MoreTele-dentistry
Over one week during this pandemic, physicians turned to tele-medicine to keep their practices going. By contrast, dental practices just shut down. Is there a viable approach to tele-dentistry when in fact, the modus operandi of dental care is both visual and tactile? For example, how would a hygienist conduct the procedure “bleeding on probing”…
Read MoreCare homes and poor oral health
“What has been noticeable is that the oral hygiene in our vulnerable adult population with #COVID19, has been appalling.” Tweet by D. Hansjee, Speech and Language Therapist, UK This observation caught my eye as our community enters the second phase of the pandemic — increasing mortality in care homes and long-term care facilities. It may…
Read MoreInflammation is oral healthcare’s next big thing
” It’s now clear that inflammation is part of the problem in many, if not all, diseases of the body. “ excerpt from The Guardian, January 19, 2020 Over the past 10 years, the number of scientific papers per year, connecting oral health with inflammation has grown tenfold (see the following chart). Moreover, controlled studies…
Read MoreThe coming healthcare bill
As the current crisis in healthcare gets resolved, discussion is turning to how much the pandemic is going to cost the healthcare system. In America, insurers are floating significant increases in premiums. In Canada, there is yet to be any public analysis. But consider the Ontario government’s finances. The last annual financial projection in late…
Read MoreAerosols
The current phase of the COVID 19 pandemic has focused largely on the person-to-person transmission of infection via aerosols or micro-droplets. Have a look at this short video to see how far and how long these droplets are cast and remain in the air. And then look at the following chart which rates occupational exposure…
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