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Kissing can help ward off tooth decay
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcarePucker up! It turns out kissing is good for you in more ways than you might think. Most people know that kissing comes with loads of mental and physical benefits that make getting your smooch on totally worth it. But science has even more to say about the benefits of a kiss. It turns out kissing can also help prevent cavities. No, really. It’s true.
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5 ways to help your patients follow a home healthcare plan
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a physician, you know how important it is for your patients to follow your instructions when it comes to carrying out health recommendations on their own — and you also know a lot of folks simply don't do it right. Whether they ignore your instructions, follow a care plan incorrectly, or lose motivation to keep up with their meds or healthy practices, you have more control than you think when it comes to making your orders clear and keeping your patients motivated. How? Follow this advice.
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Auto-generated email messages from EHRs can contribute to physician burnout
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe time physicians spend on desktop medicine appears to be increasing compared to the amount of time they can spend with patients. The cause of this switch is the obvious current enemy of healthcare: electronic health record (EHR) documentation. In particular, it’s the emails generated by EHRs that are the problem. According to a new study, physicians' EHR inboxes are stuffed with system-generated messages on behalf of the electronic health records they are operating within their organizations, which can lead to job dissatisfaction and even burnout, Health Affairs reported.
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Take 5 minutes and pause when providing care becomes overwhelming
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareWhether delivering care at the bedside or ricocheting from one meeting to the next, we as healthcare providers can benefit by putting pauses into our daily professional practice. Why? Even the hardiest of us get tired, overstimulated or emotionally hooked during our day. We don’t operate at our best when running on empty. So, as a kindness and a responsibility to ourselves and others, let’s consider recognizing when we need to stop and rest — if only for five minutes.
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Managing acute pain amidst America’s opioid epidemic
Tammy Hinojos PharmaceuticalCongress has responded in a big way to the opioid crisis making headlines across the nation. The American Dental Association (ADA) has been very involved in pushing this important issue forward and continues to urge the federal government to place a greater emphasis on managing acute pain in its prevention efforts. In a recent letter, ADA President Jeffrey M. Cole and Kathleen T. O'Loughlin thanked lawmakers for holding a June 19 hearing, "Medical Experts: Inadequate Federal Approach to Opioid Treatment and the Need to Expand Care."
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Study: Mouth bacteria found in brain clots of stroke victims
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareA study performed in Finland found trace amounts of mouth bacteria present in brain clots of patients who suffered strokes. The takeaway? Good oral hygiene does more than prevent cavities. It could help to prevent a stroke. This was what the scientists proposed after finding DNA traces of oral bacteria in samples of blood clots that had caused strokes. Of the study population, 69.3% were men and 30.7% were women.
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Dental professionals support raising legal age for purchasing tobacco to…
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe American Dental Association (ADA) recently announced its support for a new bill that would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21. The ADA praised lawmakers for introducing Senate Bill 1541, the Tobacco-Free Youth Act. "Preventing oral cancer and other tobacco-related diseases has been a longstanding priority for the ADA," said ADA President Jeffrey M. Cole and Executive Director Kathleen T. O’Loughlin.
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How dentists should treat patients’ keto breath
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWith the ever-increasing popularity of the keto diet, dentists are fielding questions from patients about the notorious "keto breath" and what can be done about it. A ketogenic diet involves eating a diet made up of foods that are high in fat and protein but very low in carbohydrates. One unpleasant side effect is what people call keto breath, often described as fruity or sweet. If you have patients who ask what they can do about their keto breath, here are some tips.
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8 great ways wine may make you healthier
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareYou probably didn’t need any more reasons to have a glass of wine after work. However, your favorite beverage can help make you healthier than ever! Read on for eight ways research has shown wine to be beneficial to the human body.
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Can dentists help with the opioid epidemic? Webinar set for June 19
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWith the nation’s first opioid lawsuit by a state (Oklahoma) against big pharma underway last week and expected to last through the summer, even more light is being cast on the country’s growing opioid epidemic. The American Dental Association is doing its part to educate and equip dentists in a variety of ways. On June 19, the ADA is hosting a webinar on opioid use disorder and how dentists can help prevent patients from developing it. Perhaps most importantly, participants will also learn how to treat acute dental-related pain without using opioids.
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