March 02, 2008

Postdoctoral Research Associate Position in Dental Informatics

The Center for Dental Informatics (CDI) at the University of Pittsburgh is currently recruiting for a postdoctoral position to help support its growing research initiatives. We are looking for an individual with education and research experience in one or more of the following areas:

- HCI
- user-centered design/rapid prototyping
- cognitive science
- computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW)
- computer-mediated communication
- biomedical informatics

Those methodological areas of expertise will support research projects in clinical informatics and/or collaborative systems and computer-supported collaborative work. In clinical informatics, key projects are the development and evaluation of a multimodal interface for electronic dental records, the exploration of 3D representations of patient data, and decision support. In CSCW, we are focused on the development and evaluation of online communities and knowledge management systems.

Guaranteed funding for two years will help you launch your career as an independent researcher. You will be able to dedicate 100% of your time to research, mentored by one or more faculty member(s). Your faculty mentor will assist you in performing research, writing publications, and applying for independent funding.

Requirements: Post-graduate degree (DMD/DDS, MD or PhD) and training in HCI, informatics, CSCW, computer science or a related discipline. Ability to independently perform research in one of the above areas with mentoring from a faculty member. Ability to write and publish journal articles.

To apply, send the following to Heiko Spallek (hspallek at pitt.edu):
- Curriculum vitae
- One-page description of your research interests
- Contact information for three references
- One writing sample-preferably a published or accepted paper

For more information on CDI faculty and their research interests, please visit http://di.dental.pitt.edu.


Posted by pfa at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2008

Dentistry Library Transitions Mean Blog Transitions!

Those who watch this blog closely may have noticed that we changed the title of the blog:

FROM:
Dentistry Library

TO:
Dental Information & Library Innovation

This name reflects some of the exciting transitions we will be undergoing over the next few months. I can't say it better than it was said by the Dean, so I have requested permission to share with our blog readers his message to the School community.

-----------------

To the School of Dentistry Community:

This communication reflects the announcement and discussions at the faculty
meeting today that included Paul Courant, University Librarian & Dean of
Libraries, and Jane Blumenthal, Head of the Health Sciences Libraries.

There will soon be changes occurring in many of the libraries on the
University of Michigan campus. This will affect the Dentistry Library and
how it has been operated.

As demand and interests shift from print to electronic resources, the need
for a physical presence and onsite archiving of print materials lessens.
The University Library System and the School of Dentistry have agreed that
the physical space occupied by the Dentistry Library will no longer be
needed for archiving the print collection. Ongoing costs and utilization
assessments can no longer justify maintaining the physical space in the
School of Dentistry. This issue is not unique to dentistry or to the U of M
and is manifesting itself in nearly all disciplines and in most if not all
institutions worldwide.

With this change in the library structure, the dental librarian's role and
title will change to that of informationist. The informationist will have
an office in the dentistry building and will work with faculty, staff and
students on teaching, research, grants, informatics, community outreach and
special projects.

The collection will be removed from the Dental Building. The schedule for
this has not yet been determined, but we will keep you informed. We will
maintain access to books and journals and will continue to provide a full
range of library services, including electronic document and print materials
delivery services.

A combined School of Dentistry/Health Sciences Library task force will
facilitate the transition to a digital information resource by identifying
facilities and services that must be implemented as an interface to the
digital information resource. The task force will hold open meetings to
discuss these needs and any other issues to ensure that the transition
occurs smoothly.

We appreciate the essential role Patricia Anderson has played in the Dental
School and her contributions to its teaching and research. Patricia will
now focus on emerging technologies. She has been reassigned to the Taubman
Library, and I know that she will flourish in that role.

Peter J. Polverini, Dean

Posted by pfa at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2007

Highlights: End of December 2007

Items from the Dentistry Library Twitterstream.

Excellent NYT article on the techniques and tech of toothbrushing. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/fashion/20SKIN.html 09:12 AM December 20, 2007

Michigan News: Livingston County raises $$ for low-cost dental clinic http://www.whmi.com/news/ar... 08:51 AM December 20, 2007

William 'Refrigerator' Perry Visits Dentist for First Time in 20 Years, Now Has Full Smile http://tinyurl.com/2x9vzh 08:48 AM December 20, 2007

Prague dentist finds Nazi treasure hoard http://tinyurl.com/2bfau9 08:46 AM December 20, 2007

Canadian college student sues dental school http://tinyurl.com/yo6ysh 08:44 AM December 20, 2007

Posted by pfa at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2007

Highlights: Massages, Laughing Gas, African Children & Iraqi Dentists

This week's Twitterstream.

NEWS: "Air Force dental team cares for Iraqi counterparts" http://tinyurl.com/28c689

NEWS: "ALMOST half of six-year-olds have cavities in their teeth, ... worse that children from parts of Africa." http://tinyurl.com/2y56p6 12:48 PM December 18, 2007

NEWS: Georgette Watson, 46, of Skokie died after going into cardiac arrest during a root canal @ Feldman & Feldman. http://tinyurl.com/yvkafw 12:46 PM December 18, 2007

Local folks: Brown Bag today on intellectual property, Rm. G390. See you there! 10:30 AM December 12, 2007

ScienceDaily: To Keep Mouths Safe, Don't Just Wear A Mouthguard; Keep It Clean http://tinyurl.com/3yc42n 10:15 AM December 12, 2007

Eastman Dental Center Lands a $532K Grant for Teledentistry http://tinyurl.com/3xxm6e 10:15 AM December 12, 2007

Ohio dentist: sells "Holiday Sparkle Packages" that include teeth whitening procedures, facials and massages http://tinyurl.com/2pdxbq 10:13 AM December 12, 2007

News: JADA Study: Patients like their smiles better than dentists do. http://tinyurl.com/34bo3x 10:56 AM December 11, 2007

1844: Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is used as a dental anesthetic for the first time. http://tinyurl.com/yrt5fw 10:50 AM December 11, 2007

Posted by pfa at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)

December 04, 2007

Another Way to Keep Track of Our News - Dentistry Library now on Twitter!

The Dentistry Library is now expanding our outreach with an easy way to keep track of what is new in the field and at the library. You may have heard of Twitter, which is described as a microblogging tool. Basically, instead of the long articles you have seen here in our blog, in Twitter the entries are 140 characters -- or less!

We hope to have the Twitter entries display on our home page when it is revised (process to begin later this month). In the meantime, we will occasionally list our recent Twitter entries in a blog post, for you to explore as you wish. So, you can either check out our "Twitterstream" or just keep watching our blog. Sooner or later, the information will come to you.

Here is the link to our Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/dentlib

Here are our first 20 tweets (another word for a Twitter post) in reverse chronological order:

Posted by pfa at 09:28 AM | Comments (2)

November 02, 2007

What to do with all that Halloween candy?

Dr. Terry Preece in Utah has figured out what to do about all his patients and the Halloween candy they pick up. He buys it from them at a dollar a pound!

Davis County dentist holds 'candy-for-cash' Halloween buyback: http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ba15b913-1eb9-4015-9f1a-ea2f858e8460

He isn't the only dentist doing this. Across the country, countless dentists are engaging in similar programs to encourage children to reduce the consumption of Halloween candies. Closer to home, Dr. Paul W. Allen from Saginaw and Dr. Kevin Flood from Grand Rapids are doing the same thing.

Dentist's sweet deal tops half-ton of candy: http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1194020567306600.xml&coll=9

He gives $1 a pound for Halloween candy: http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1193770655172490.xml&coll=6

Dentists collect candy to ship overseas to the troups in Iraq in Chico, California; Bristol, Tennessee; and Harrison, Pensylvania.

Bristol dentist pays kids for Halloween candy to send along to soldiers in Iraq: http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-11-02-0011.html

Treats for the troops: Children turn in Halloween candy: http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_7348501

Dentists pay children for their Halloween candy, send it to Iraq: http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS02/711020348/1018/NEWS02

Other folks are also coming up with ideas for how to use up all the worrisome bounty. The ideas include:


  1. buy it from the kids,

  2. hide it,

  3. throw it out,

  4. share it with neighbors,

  5. take it to work,

  6. cook with it,

  7. use it in art projects,

  8. save it for goody bags at a party,

  9. stuff a pinata for your child's next party,

  10. use it to barter for good behavior, or

  11. as a homework reward.

Five ways to use all that candy: http://specialchildren.about.com/b/2007/10/31/five-ways-to-use-all-that-halloween-candy.htm

Manage a candy stash for kids: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/LIFE/710310340/1005

A rather creative approach is sharing candy with the Pumpkin Fairy (mysterious donations outside your door) or the Haggle Fairy (parents bartering change for candy) as mentioned in this article from San Francisco.

Halloween Candy Meltdown Time: How do parents deal with all the kids' toxic treats? Bribes, theft, fairies and total apathy: http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2007/10/30/g/a/2007/10/30/candy.html

One idea that has really gotten attention this year is building a gingerbread house from Halloween candy. The famous FLYLady recommended gluing candy to a cardboard box framework with an eggwhite-based frosting, "the kind that dries into something resembling sheetrock". She included pictures of the gingerbread house made by her grandchildren, but you can find other patterns or ideas with an Internet search engine.

HouseFairy: Best Rooms: Bright Ideas: Building a Gingerbread House: http://www.housefairy.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5

For my child, a big point is how to not get the candy in the first place, since he has special health requirements that mean he cannot have artificial food additives (especially dyes) or chocolate, poor thing. Some years we've gotten lucky with people giving treats that were things he could have, but this was not one of those years. He received two treats he could keep -- a container of applesauce, and a marshmallow. Rarely, we find white chocolate or organic candies, but don't really expect that. We are thrilled when people consider offering non-candy treats. Here are some ideas from good things he received in other years, and other non-candy ideas for treats. Remember to get things that are safe for children, and have a mix of items appropriate for a range of ages and genders.

  1. Balloons filled with helium
  2. Beads (as in small jewelry making kits and supplies for girls)
  3. Bubble stuff (small bottles)
  4. "Bugeye" viewing lenses
  5. Bugs or dinosaurs (plastic toys)
  6. Cars or trains (plastic toys)
  7. Cereal bars / snacks
  8. Chips or crackers (snack bags)
  9. Cinnamon sticks (with a packet of instant cider?)
  10. Coloring books
  11. Coupons for fastfood restaurants
  12. Decks of cards
  13. Fake blood (small tubes)
  14. Fake tattoos
  15. Fruit bars
  16. Fruit leather
  17. Glow in the dark (glow stick) necklaces or wristbands
  18. Glow sticks - chemical "flares"
  19. Granola bars
  20. Halloween theme toys (small ones)
  21. Keychains
  22. Keychains with lights!
  23. Laser pet toys
  24. Magic tricks
  25. Magnifying glasses
  26. Marbles
  27. Mardi gras beads
  28. Mini-books (scary stories or monsters)
  29. Mini-flashlights
  30. Money (real or play)
  31. Monster toys / decorations
  32. Noisemakers
  33. Notepads (seasonal themed)
  34. Nut bars or peanuts (remember, some kids are allergic to these, too!)
  35. Origami paper and patterns
  36. Party favors & dollar store items
  37. Playdough minis
  38. Ramen
  39. Rubber stamps (seasonal)
  40. Safety lights
  41. Skeletons or skulls (plastic)
  42. "Slime"
  43. Snakes (rubber or plastic)
  44. Spider rings
  45. Straws (as in fancy, plastic ones, especially Halloween themed)
  46. Superballs
  47. Tops
  48. Tracing paper (small pads)
  49. Vampire teeth (plastic)
  50. Whistles


MORE RECIPES

Leftover Halloween candy recipes: http://www.squidoo.com/leftovercandy/

Halloween candy is a magical recipe ingredient: http://www.mlive.com/food/grpress/index.ssf?/base/features-2/119383891019280.xml&coll=6

Left-over candy - a few ideas for you: http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=456&sid=1285065

Got extra Halloween candy? Make candybar cookies: http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/3443

How to ... use up Halloween candy: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/337293_stayhowto30.html

Posted by pfa at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2007

New Exhibit: Willoughby D. Miller

The Dentistry Library is pleased to announce, in partnership with the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry, a new exhibit on the life and research of Willoughby Dayton Miller. These exhibits are mounted in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Dr. Miller's untimely death.

WD Miller was hired to be the second dean of our School of Dentistry, having been recruited by Neville Hoff. Dr. Miller died shortly after his arrival in this country, having met with the faculty to discuss hopes for the future of the school, but never having the opportunity to implement any of these plans. Why was Miller so aggressively recruited? Because at that time, he was the very best known scientist in all of dentistry, having discovered the relationship between oral microflora and caries.

Miller's research was largely focused on saliva, but is still cited widely today. Recent articles citing his work appear in journals on dentistry (of course), surgery, obstetrics, microbiology, medicine, cancer, pathology, military medicine, and more. Some of the cancer articles are related to recent work on salivary diagnostics. Miller is one of those astonishing researchers whose work has immediate relevance far beyond the culture and times in which he lived and worked.

The Sindecuse Museum exhibit cases will highlight the life and times of Dr. Miller, with more information forthcoming from the Museum. The Library portion of the exhibit highlights research done by Dr. Miller that is still influential today. Both exhibits will remain on display through the end of 2007. A web-based version of the exhibit is forthcoming.

Posted by pfa at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)

July 16, 2007

Dentists Do More Than Mouths - Diagnosis of Systemic Conditions

From Moline Illinois comes this nice article about 10 general health conditions dentists can diagnose.

Medical Breakthrough -- 10 Things Your Dentist Can Diagnose: http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=6762960&nav=7k8p

What are the ten conditions?

Apnea
Bulimia
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Kidney Disease
Leukemia
Oral Cancer
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy
Reflex

Posted by pfa at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2007

No Fluoride in NO LA

The Time Picayune reported that there has been no fluoride added to the New Orleans water supply since Hurrican Katrina, two years ago.

Times Picayune (July 12, 2007): N.O. water hasn't had fluoride since Hurricane Katrina: http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-33/118425417991230.xml&storylist=louisiana

The article cites a variety of public health and infrastructure issues as contributing to the problem.

Posted by pfa at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2007

What are the Top Dental Journals?

According to the 2006 Journal Citation Reports, here are the top ranked journals in dentistry, oral surgery & oral medicine.

BY IMPACT FACTOR:
#1: Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine
#2: Journal of Dental Research
#3: Journal of Endodontics

BY TOTAL CITES:
#1: Journal of Dental Research
#2: Journal of Periodontology
#3: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology & Endodontics

BY IMMEDIACY:
#1: Periodontology 2000
#2: British Dental Journal
#3: Journal of Clinical Periodontology

BY CITED HALF LIFE:
#1: Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
#2: American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
#3: Angle Orthodontics

BY CURRENT ARTICLES:
#1: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
#2: Journal of Periodontology
#3: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology & Endodontics

Want to find out about the rest? Here's how to check yourself.

1. Dentistry Library homepage, top section
2. Click on WebOfKnowledge
3. Click on Journal Citation Reports
4. In left column: Select JCR Science Edition + choose year
NOTE: I don't see 2007 available yet
5. In right column: View by Subject Category
6. SUBMIT
7. Scroll down the category list to Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
8. Choose sort by Impact Factor.
9. SUBMIT

Posted by pfa at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2007

New Copyright Information & Help Site for UM

A few months ago the University Libraries Copyright Office had a series of informational meetings and focus groups relating to copyright and intellectual property. Several faculty from the School of Dentistry participated in these, so you might also be interested in seeing the fruit that has come from those initial discussions.

Copyright at the University of Michigan: http://copyright.umich.edu/

-----------------------

The University of Michigan Library's Intellectual Property Specialists are pleased to announce the launch of a completely overhauled U-M Copyright website. This new site will better serve the U-M community by providing basic and practical information on copyright, and by directing users to trustworthy resources both on the web and at the Library.

The revised site is full of new content, and has been redesigned to improve accessibility and help users understand the increasingly complex world of intellectual property. The goal of the site is to provide straightforward information and clarification on the issues most relevant to scholars, researchers, staff, and students. It offers guidance on questions such as: What works are protected by copyright and which ones are not? How do you request permission to use a resource? What are the current legal battles about file sharing about, and how do they affect U-M users? What are our rights and responsibilities regarding copyright?

The site provides useful links to other U-M offices that handle copyright issues, copyright information from other universities, and the United States Copyright Office's website. Links to sites that promote online intellectual freedom are also featured.

Posted by pfa at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2007

In the News: Fake Colgate Toothpaste

Following on the heels of the recent FDA recall of imported Chinese toothpastes containing diethylene glycol, another alert shows diethylene glycol present in counterfeit tubes of toothpaste labeled falsely as Colgate brands.

Reuters Alert: Colgate warns of fake toothpaste in US: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14427041.htm

Diethylene glycol is best known in the United States as an ingredient in antifreeze, plastics, and similar products.

Posted by pfa at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2007

UM's Research Corridor and Michigan Economics

A recent report from University Research Corridor (Empowering Michigan) presented these core findings.

"The study found the universities accounted for 94 percent of federal academic research dollars brought into Michigan; all three are among the top 75 of more than 600 U.S. research universities.

Over the past five years, they have helped launch more than 79 startup companies based on university research and helped attract a far greater number of companies that want to be near universities. Expansion Management Magazine recently ranked Ann Arbor the No. 1 region in the nation for availability of knowledge workers. The East Lansing/Lansing area was also highly ranked."

The press release is available at:

Michigan's assets for economic growth stand among the nation's best; Presidents offer full resources to jump start Michigan's economy: http://www.urcmich.org/economic/

The full report is available here:

Anderson Economic Group: Preliminary Report: The Economic Benefits of the University Research Corridor (May 2007): http://www.urcmich.org/economic/URC_PreliminaryReport_May24.pdf [PDF: 524 KB]

In their list of highlighted startup companies, over 30 are focused on biological, medical and life sciences topic -- around 3/4s of the complete list. Of particular interest to the dental community might be Velcura Therapeutics (focusing on osteoporosis and bone diseases); nanoScience Engineering Corp (focusing on nanocomposites); and the many companies working to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Posted by pfa at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

May 30, 2007

Recruiting International Students

A survey was recently presented from Hobsons describing the key issues in recruiting and retaining students from outside America to academic institutions in the United States. A news summary is available from Inside Higher Ed.

Inside Higher Ed: The Prospective (Foreign) Student: http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/30/nafsa

The interesting article compares preferences between and across countries and disciplines, as well as which countries students prefer for international study and why.

Posted by pfa at 09:56 AM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007

Proposed Journal Cancellations

The UM Health Sciences Libraries must cancel subscriptions to resources including journals and databases, due to inflationary increases and budget reductions. This is the first year we will include dental journals on our list of proposed cancellations, so please review carefully. Your input is an extremely valuable factor in our decision-making process, and we are committed to supporting the clinical, educational and research information needs of the campus.

Please review the proposed cancellation list at http://www.lib.umich.edu/hsl/jcanc07/ and share your comments with us using the web form on this page or email hsl.collections@umich.edu by June 12, 2007.

Posted by pfa at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2007

New Nanotech EBook (WOWIO)

Thanks to Deena (SoD) for mentioning WOWIO, a source of free e-books on a variety of topics. WOWIO offers many books as PDFs, which work on a variety of devices from computers to PDAs. Many of the books included in WOWIO come from major publishers, with Oxford University Press as one major contributor. WOWIO makes copyrighted books available for download with registration, but free of charge, both through partnerships and as a publisher in their own right.

One title they are currently highlighting is from Eric Drexler, who might be familiar as the co-author (with Marvin Minsky) of Engines of Creation, in addition to Nanosystems and Unbounding the Future: The Nanotechnology Revolution. WOWIO has published a 20th anniversary edition of Engines of Creation with new material included.

K. Eric Drexler: http://e-drexler.com/

WOWIO: http://www.wowio.com/

Drexler, K. Eric. Engines of Creation 2.0: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology - Updated and Expanded. WOWIO Books; ISBN: DREX-00001. 646 pages (February 2007). http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?bookid=503

Posted by pfa at 08:33 AM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2007

MI-Info: Public Health Informatics

MI-Info is an NIH grant funded project to bring core information and informatics skills to the public health workforce in Michigan through skills building tutorials and highlighted resources. Major tutorial topics include:

* Evidence Based Public Health
* Finding Health Statistics Online
* Searching the Internet
* Searching the Public Health Literature
* Staying Informed
* Health Education Resources

While the primary focus is on the public health workforce, these clear and easy-to-follow tutorials cover information skills much need by all health care workers and highlight both free resources as well as those limited to residents of the state Michigan. Highly recommended.

Michigan Informatics (MI-Info): informatics for the public health workforce: http://www.sph.umich.edu/mi-info/

Posted by pfa at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2007

Dental Nanotech in the News

Being highlighted in news reports, a new article from JDR on the use of nanocomposites in dental fillings to improve caries protection and durability.

Scientist Live: Nanocomposites Improve Dental Fillings:
http://www.scientistlive.com/17596/nanocomposites-improve-dental-fillings.thtml

"American researchers show that nanotechnology can help produce tooth restorations that are both stronger than any fillings available today, and more effective at preventing secondary decay."

H.H.K. Xu, M.D. Weir, L. Sun, S. Takagi and L.C. Chow. Effects of calcium phosphate nanoparticles on Ca-PO4 composite, The Journal of Dental Research 86(4):378-383m 2007.
http://jdr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/4/378

NOTE: If you have trouble getting into the article from off-campus, please first login to a Library service such as Mirlyn.

Posted by pfa at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

April 30, 2007

Preschool Tooth Decay On the Rise

New from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the most recent statistical report on oral health trends in America has as its most publicized finding the increase of caries in preschool children.

Oral Health Improving for Most Americans, But Tooth Decay Among Preschool Children on the Rise: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/07newsreleases/oralhealth.htm

Trends in Oral Health Status: United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Series 11, Number 248. 104 pp. (PHS) 2007-1698. Preliminary Report. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_248.pdf [PDF 2.8MB]

Posted by pfa at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2007

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. Last year we highlighted some major web resources on autism.

This year, let's look at some resources about dental exams and autistic patients. These articles describe both the practical aspects of providing care to children with autism spectrum disorders as well as describing what the experience feels like to the patient and why it is troubling for them.

Autism Research Institute: Dental Anesthesia for the Autistic Child (Richard John Novak, MD, Stanford): http://www.autismwebsite.com/ARI/info/dental.htm

Neurodiversity.com: Medical & Dental Procedures & Autism: http://www.neurodiversity.com/medical_dental.html

Friedlander AH, Yagiela JA, Paterno VI, Mahler ME.
The neuropathology, medical management and dental implications of autism.
J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Nov;137(11):1517-27. Review.
PMID: 17082277
http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/137/11/1517

Chew LC, King NM, O'Donnell D.
Autism: the aetiology, management and implications for treatment modalities from the dental perspective.
Dent Update. 2006 Mar;33(2):70-2, 74-6, 78-80 passim. Review.
PMID: 16610261

Posted by pfa at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2007

Health Indicator Statistics Early Release (Smoking)

Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the January-September 2006 National Health Interview Survey (Released 3/28/2007):
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhis/released200703.htm

Some of the highlighted topics include Health insurance coverage; Vaccination; Obesity; Leisure-time physical activity; Current smoking; Alcohol consumption; HIV testing; Serious psychological distress; Diabetes; and Asthma.

Of particular interest to dentists is the steady decrease in smoking among adults, with almost 25% of adults smoking daily in 1997 to 21% in 2006.

Posted by pfa at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2007

Remember the Fireside Chat

I know several e-mails have gone out about this, but for those of you who prefer the blog, please remember to come by the Dentistry Library today at 11!

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Please plan to join us for a "fireside chat" and open house, Friday,
March 16 from 11:00am-12:00noon in the Dentistry Library. This is an
opportunity to meet informally with our new director, Jane Blumenthal,
and other library staff to talk about your projects and assignments
and library information needs and other topics of interest.

Light refreshments will be served.

Date: Friday, March 16, 2007
Time: 11:00am-12:00noon
Location: Dentistry Library

Posted by pfa at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

New from AAFP -- Special Issue on Oral Health

A common question among oral health practitioners is what knowledge is reasonable to expect of family medicine, pediatric, and geriatric health care practitioners. For that reason, it is interesting every now and then to look at what is being published in the non-dental clinical literature, such as these articles from the American Academy of Family Physicians.

American Family Physician 75(4) February 15, 2007: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070215/contents.html

Fighting the Silent Epidemic of Poor Oral Health, p. 475

Common Oral Lesions: Part I. Superficial Mucosal Lesions, p. 501

Common Oral Lesions: Part II. Masses and Neoplasia, p. 509

Posted by pfa at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)

Today's News: Birth Defect Discoveries

Both Harvard and University of Iowa were in the news today for discoveries related to the genomics of birth defects.

Researchers at Harvard's Joslin Diabetes Center identified a compound (Glut2) that contributes to the increased incidence of babies born with birth defects among diabetic women.

The Harvard Crimson: Researchers Find Protein To Be Harmful to Babies of Diabetics, By Michal Labik: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517654

At the University of Iowa, Briget Riley was the primary author of a recent study in PNAS describing seven new genetic mutations associated with clefting.

Scientific American: New genetic causes of facial clefts identified, by Will Dunham: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=A99868F5BFB00A881295083099E55A2D

Posted by pfa at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

March 08, 2007

Entry #200!: International Women's Day & Exhibit: Women & Children First

In honor of International Women's Day, the Dentistry Library would like to direct your attention to our current exhibit:

Women and Children First: The Origins of Hygiene and Preventive Care in Dentistry.

Preventive care in dentistry was inspired in large part by the needs of children and through the determination and inspiration of women. In short, dentistry would not be what it is today without women and children.

If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, please stop by the library to see our exhibit. If you can't make it to the library, you can find a selection of some of the images here.

Women and Children First: The Origins of Hygiene and Preventive Care in Dentistry: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosefirerising/sets/72157594577380706/

International Women's Day: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

"Celebrated on 8 March, International Women's Day (IWD) is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future."


My thanks to Valentina G. for bringing this event to my attention.

Posted by pfa at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

March 06, 2007

Headline: Untreated Toothache Leads to Death

In today's headlines, articles are focusing on how financial problems in Medicaid led to a child's death.

ABC News: Toothache leads to boy's death, Tragedy underscores the need for better dental services among U.S. children (by Laura Owings): http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2925584&page=1

"A simple toothache can be fatal. That is the sobering message a 12-year-old Maryland boy left when, after his dental problems went untreated, he succumbed to a severe brain infection."

The news is relating the death to problems in Medicaid that make it difficult for both the parent and dentist to provide care.

"In fact, experts say the low rates Medicaid offers to cover dental services are less than what it costs the doctor to do the actual treatment."

Posted by pfa at 09:07 AM | Comments (0)

March 05, 2007

Toothbrushing and Seizures

According to a new report from Australia toothbrushing seems to be linked to epileptic seizures in individuals with lesions in the hand/speech motor areas.

Yahoo News: Can tooth brushing cause seizures?: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070306/hl_nm/tooth_brushing_seizures_dc

Posted by pfa at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2007

New From CDC: The Burden of Oral Disease

The Burden of Oral Disease: A Tool for Creating State Documents:
http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/library/burdenbook/index.htm

Highlights include: National and State Objectives on Oral Health; The Burden of Oral Diseases; Risk and Protective Factors Affecting Oral Diseases; Provision of Dental Services.

"The Burden of Oral Disease tool was created to assist states with creating a comprehensive document that describes the state's burden of oral disease. ... It focuses on the indicators contained in the National Oral Health Surveillance System and other recommended elements using Healthy People 2010 indicators. The tool includes an outline, example text, national data, and references that can be used to document the prevalence of oral disease, unmet dental needs, and disparities in oral health."

Posted by pfa at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Conebeam Tiptoes into the Big Time

In another recent blog entry, we highlighted a new article from UM faculty about the use of conebeam CT in dentistry.

PMID: 17082331
Pinsky HM. Dyda S. Pinsky RW. Misch KA. Sarment DP.
Accuracy of three-dimensional measurements using cone-beam CT.
Dento-Maxillo-Facial Radiology. 35(6):410-6, 2006 Nov.

From the first article in 1998, conebeam CT has been increasing in prominence in dentistry at an exponential rate, reaching critical mass over the past year or so.

PubMed Search: (conebeam OR cone-beam OR "cone beam") (dentistry OR stomatognathic

A recent press release notes that for the first time ever conebeam CT is being used in private practice in dentistry.

Illinois Dental Practice Installs First U.S. Sirona 3D X-Ray Imaging System: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/2/emw503188.htm

"Evanston, Illinois dentist, Dr. Daniel Marinic, has installed a new three-dimensional (3D) X-ray imaging system, GALILEOS made by Sirona Dental Systems, the first such system of its kind in a private practice in the United States."

Posted by pfa at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2007

Next Generation Dental Materials - From Beetles?

Bright White Beetle Dazzles Scientists
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61140

"An obscure species of beetle could teach us how to produce brilliant white ultra-thin materials, according to a research team led by the University of Exeter."

Posted by pfa at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2007

In the News: Smiles & Mental Well-Being

Yesterday's Detroit News highlighted a British article about whether or not orthodontic work to improve a person's smile and appearance pays off in the long run in physological well-being. The 20 year study came to the conclusion that it does not.

Detroit News: Future happiness may not be tied to having straight teeth / Melissa Healy: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/LIFESTYLE/702060319/1005

The 33 page original article is in the current issue of the British Journal of Health Psychology.

Kenealy PM, Kingdon A, Richmond S, Shaw WC.
The Cardiff dental study: A 20-year critical evaluation of the psychological health gain from orthodontic treatment.
British Journal of Health Psychology February 2007 12(1):17-49
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/bjhp/2007/00000012/00000001/art00002

Posted by pfa at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2007

Health Sciences Libraries Survey

Please help us understand what you see as your information challenges and ways in which we can help you meet them. Please take our three question survey.


http://lessons.ummu.umich.edu/2k/patron_feedback_jan07/survey_001

Posted by pfa at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2007

Local News Gone Global: Pfizer in NATURE

From today's issue of NATURE.

A changing drug supply
Research cuts by the world's largest drug company reflect a challenging
outlook for the industry.
10.1038/445460a
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ecJA0SpFPX0HjB0BLD20E5

"Pfizer's announcement last week that it will cut its research marks a watershed for the pharmaceutical industry (see page 466). Until now Pfizer, the leading drug company in terms of both sales and research spending, and an important industry bellwether, has refrained from cutting its efforts to discover new drugs. Yet its $7 billion in annual R&D expenditures has failed to generate anything near the number of discoveries needed to cover those costs."

Posted by pfa at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

Head's Up: Glucosamine links Atherosclerosis, Diabetes, Arthritis

Glucosamine is a popular over the counter treatment to allieve joint pain in arthritis. Glucosamine has also been receiving increasing attention in the research literature as a potential cause of diabetes. It is also linked to atherosclerosis. Glucosamine has been proposed as an ingredient in a 'vitamin cocktail' for treating Ehlers-Dahlos patients. Might it be possible that this could be another factor connecting this cluster of systemic diseases often associated with periodontitis?

Here is a recent article from UM researchers on this topic, stating that for now it is considered safe for diabetics to use glucosamine.


Stumpf JL (jlstumpf@umich.edu), Lin SW.
Effect of glucosamine on glucose control.
Ann Pharmacother. 2006 Apr;40(4):694-8. Epub 2006 Mar 28.
PMID: 16569816 [Requires UM login]

"Small, short-term studies suggest that glucosamine may be used in selected patients without affecting glucose control; however, data in patients with diabetes mellitus are limited, and close monitoring for potential changes in glucose control is recommended."

Here are just a couple examples of the literature debating this relatively new topic.

Robertson LA, Kim AJ, Werstuck GH.
Mechanisms linking diabetes mellitus to the development of atherosclerosis: a role for endoplasmic reticulum stress and glycogen synthase kinase-3.
Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006 Jan;84(1):39-48.
PMID: 16845889 [Requires UM Login]

"We hypothesize that the accumulation of intracellular glucosamine observed in conditions of chronic hyperglycaemia may promote atherogenesis via a mechanism involving dysregulated protein folding, activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and increased glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 activity."

Buse MG. Hexosamines, insulin resistance, and the complications of diabetes: current status.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Jan;290(1):E1-E8. Review.
PMID: 16339923 [Free]

"There are numerous papers showing a correlation between increased flux through HBP and insulin resistance; however, the causal relationship has not been established. More recent experiments in mice overexpressing GFAT in muscle and adipose tissue or exclusively in fat cells suggest that the latter develop in vivo insulin resistance via cross talk between fat cells and muscle. Although the relationship between HBP and insulin resistance may be quite complex, it clearly deserves further study in concert with its role in the complications of diabetes."

WANT MORE?

PubMed Search: glucosamine diabetes etiology

Posted by pfa at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

January 21, 2007

Check Out the International Museum of Surgical Sciences

If you are headed to Chicago anytime soon, you might want to check out the International Museum of Surgical Sciences. They have some really amazing exhibits. This week saw the conclusion of Catherine Jacobi's exhibit, “Her Tongue: corporal and textual examinations.” Ongoing is a lecture series on pain.

Understanding Pain: http://www.imss.org/lectureSeries.htm

"This medical humanities lecture series will examine the human experience of pain from clinical, historical, and social perspectives. Lectures will be presented by health and medical professionals, and scholars who focus on pain management."

Other recent exhibits include Milestones in Medical Imaging: 21st Century Medicine, Nursing: Care for a Changing World, and many others.

Posted by pfa at 12:53 PM | Comments (1)

January 17, 2007

New: Gum Disease Associated with Pancreatic Cancer

In today's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, there is an article extending the range of diseases now known to be associated with poor oral health.

Dominique S. Michaud, Kaumudi Joshipura, Edward Giovannucci, and Charles S. Fuchs
A Prospective Study of Periodontal Disease and Pancreatic Cancer in US Male Health Professionals
J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 2007 99: 171-175; doi:10.1093/jnci/djk021
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/99/2/171

Posted by pfa at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2007

Diversity in Dentistry, MLK Day Updates

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, you might want to be aware of these innovations in dental education and leadership in the area of diversity and multicultural awareness.

* FROM ADEA

ADEA strategies to enhance diversity 2005-2006: www.adea.org/ced/Docs/Strategies_ADEA.pdf

* FROM ACHIEVING DIVERSITY IN DENTISTRY AND MEDICINE (ADDM):

ADDM: ETHNOGERIATRICS CURRICULUM

ADDM is currently pilot testing an ethnogeriatrics curriculum in five medical schools and one dental school. AMSA is providing technical assistance and limited funding to the schools and is working with each school on program development and evaluation. Note that UMMS is one of the schools! The schools are Midwestern University; East Carolina University; University of Iowa College of Dentistry; Stanford University School of Medicine; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; University of Michigan Medical School.

Overview: http://www.amsa.org/addm/
PDF: http://www.amsa.org/addm/ECRFP.pdf#zoom=120

ADDM: CULTURAL COMPETENCY CURRICULUM

ADDM is currently pilot testing a cultural competency curriculum in eight medical and three dental schools. AMSA is providing technical assistance and limited funding to the schools and is working with each school on program development and evaluation. The schools are UMDNJ; Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences; Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center; Brown Medical School; Eastern Virginia Medical School; Midwestern University; University of Illinois at Chicago; University of Nebraska College of Dentistry; University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine; University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.

Overview: http://www.amsa.org/addm/
PDF: http://www.amsa.org/addm/CCRFP.pdf#zoom=120
ADDM Recommended Culture and Diversity Resources: http://www.amsa.org/programs/diversityres.cfm

Posted by pfa at 02:37 PM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2007

Dentistry in the News, Recent Highlights

Just a few selections showing how dentistry is being portrayed in recent news articles.

(1)

NEWS ARTICLE:
Pacifier Use Assists In Reducing Incidence Of SIDS, Study Finds (January 11, 2007): http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070111104340.htm

SOURCE:
Soxman, Jane A. Non-nutritive sucking with a pacifier: Pros and cons.
General Dentistry, January/February 2007, pages 59-62
http://www.agd.org/library/articles/?ArtID=631

(2)

NEWS ARTICLE:
Dentists Sink Their Teeth Into Fighting Alcoholism - Patients Approve
Wednesday January 10, 4:10 pm ET (Yahoo News): http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070110/clw153.html?.v=2

SOURCE:
Alcohol screening in dental patients: The prevalence of hazardous drinking and patients’ attitudes about screening and advice
Peter M. Miller, Michele C. Ravenel, Abigail E. Shealy, and Suzanne Thomas. J Am Dent Assoc 2006; 137: 1692-1698.
http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/12/1692

(3)

NEWS ARTICLE:
Take Precaution - Stop Fluoridation: http://www.openpr.com/news/14406/Take-Precaution-Stop-Fluoridation.html


SOURCE:
"The precautionary principle calls for preventive actions in the face of uncertain information about risks."

What Does the Precautionary Principle Mean for Evidence-Based Dentistry?
Joel Tickner, ScDa, Melissa Coffin, BAb
Journal of Evidence-based Dental Practice, Volume 6, Issue 1, Pages 6-15 (March 2006)
www.jebdp.com/article/PIIS1532338205002393/abstract

Posted by pfa at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 09, 2007

Upcoming Open Classes: Mirlyn, Pubmed, Electronic Journals and More

The Dentistry Library is pleased to host guest instructors Pat Martin and Anna Schnitzer for some upcoming classes teaching basic library skills. The classes are open to all on campus and appropriate for anyone who wants a refresher or update on these tools -- faculty, staff, persons assisting faculty or students.

While there is no registration required, you may wish to register in order to receive a brief reminder shortly before the class session. To register, go to the Taubman Medical Library home page and use the link for "Winter 2007".

Taubman Medical Library: http://www.lib.umich.edu/taubman

Or click here.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PubMed / UM-MEDSEARCH
Thursday, January 18, 12-1pm CAIDENT
Instructor: Anna Schnitzer

Are you wondering whether to use MEDLINE via PubMed or UM-MEDSEARCH for your research? Join us for this quick session to explore the features of each system, including content comparison, a review of search features, and access to ejournals.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Library Catalog (Mirlyn) and Electronic Journals
Tuesday, January 30, 12-1pm CAIDENT
Instructor: Pat Martin

This one hour class will provide an introduction to searching Mirlyn, the library catalog, to locate books and journals owned by the University Libraries. Attendees will be taught some of the new catalog features which can help ease the search for resources. Attention will be given to finding and navigating the variety of online full text electronic journals.

Posted by pfa at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

Help Grad Students: Rank Faculty Crotchetiness?

This article attracted my attention this morning, and I thought it might be of interest to some of you as well.

CAN YOU RANK CROTCHETINESS?
If you can't, what do would-be graduate students really need to
know about their potential professors and departments?
http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/01/09/grad

The article described a presentation by Timothy Burke to the American History Association, and the subsequent vigorous discussion by both faculty and grad students in the audience. Here are just a couple highlights from the article.

"Burke wasn’t entirely serious about personality rankings, but his point — and one greeted with nods by the graduate students in the audience — was that individual characteristics of professors may be far more important to a graduate student’s success than a department’s stellar reputation or a university’s lavish resources."

Information that was recommended to be gathered and provided to new students includes this:
* Faculty advisor completion and dropout rates, time to degree, and specific jobs earned by new Ph.D.s they advised.
* Relevant tenure clocks, retirements or possible moves on the part of advising faculty.
* Graduate student funding — how much money, sources of funds, how long money lasts (for duration of degree or shorter).
* Average time for Ph.D. completion in a department.
* The exact process — both official and unofficial — of how graduate students are evaluated.
* The true scholarly strengths of a department.

"But in a sign that the crotchetiness factor is very much alive in graduate programs, several graduate students approached about being quoted in this article offered variations of: “I work with Professor X. Are you crazy?”"

Posted by pfa at 08:42 AM | Comments (0)

January 08, 2007

Upcoming Classes: Omics Databases

The Health Sciences Libraries and the Shapiro Science Library are offering a series of four workshops entitled Introduction to NCBI Resources. Sessions will cover Entrez, Blast, Genes, Genomes, and Proteins databases and will be held over the noon-hour in 2802 Med Sci II.

Introduction to NCBI Resources: Overview and Entrez -- March 8, 2006
Introduction to NCBI Resources: BLAST -- March 15, 2006
Introduction to NCBI Resources: Genes and Genomes -- March 22, 2006
Introduction to NCBI Resources: Proteins -- March 29, 2006

For complete descriptions and registration, please see Winter workshops on the Taubman Library website at http://www.lib.umich.edu/taubman/

Posted by pfa at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2006

Health Care and Web 2.0

You've probably heard the new tech buzzword Web 2.0. What is it really? Here is an article from Wikipedia that describes it:

Wikipedia: Web 2.0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2

Wikipedia is itself an example of the basic Web 2.0 concepts -- dynamic, flexible information resources shaped and constructed by the communities that desire, need and use them.

The profession of dentistry is particularly well-positioned to benefit from Web 2.0. Many years ago, when I was applying for my job here, it was obvious that the profession was on the cusp of major change both in its practice, educational methods, and information infrastructure. Much of this was (and is) driven by economic factors. Eight years later, much has changed in publishing methods, many major journals have switched to more economic publishing models (such as online only), but this will only be the beginning.

Web 2.0 is known for empowering the little and enabling the "long tail". In other words, even if there isn't much of a market for whatever you're selling, with effective use of Web 2.0 tools, you have a darn good chance of maximising whatever market there is. Dentistry is a small profession in comparison to the large academic medical centers and large research hospitals. A dentist once told me that the profession is full of cowboys and lone rangers -- independent free thinkers. Well, on the Internet frontier, those are exactly the type of folks who make the most out of Web 2.0, but they do it by collaborating with each other.

Dean Giustini is well known as a blogger on medical libraries and search engines. Tomorrow's issue of BMJ includes an editorial by Dean about trends in medical information as impacted by the Web 2.0 interactive applications. An interesting essay and worth a quick read.

D. Giustini. "How Web 2.0 is changing medicine -- Is a medical wikipedia the next step?" BMJ 2006;333:1283-1284 (23 December):
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7582/1283?ct

Posted by pfa at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2006

Update: Access to the Cochrane Library of EBM Databases in 2007

The Health Sciences Libraries (Taubman Medical, Dentistry, Public Health) have provided two methods of access to the Cochrane Library for a number of years. Due to budgetary constraints, the Wiley Interscience version will no longer be available after December 31, 2006.

The Cochrane Library will continue to be available via the EBM Reviews databases in UM-Medsearch (http://www.lib.umich.edu/medsearch).

The staff of the Health Sciences Libraries can provide personalized consultation on searching Cochrane as well as offer assistance at the Information Desk, by phone or via email:

* Dentistry Library: (734) 764-1526 or dentistry.library@umich.edu.
* Public Health Library and Informatics: (734) 763-5109 or sph.reference@umich.edu.
* Taubman Medical Library: (734) 763-3071 or medical.library@umich.edu.

We appreciate your understanding as we continually review and make difficult decisions about our electronic resources.

Posted by pfa at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

December 18, 2006

NIH Electronic Grant Submission Workshop Series

The Health Sciences Libraries are offering a symposium series to assist grant applicants with the electronic submission of NIH grants. The workshops will be at the Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB) Auditorium, 109 Zina Pitcher Place on the Medical School Campus.

NIH Electronic Submission and Deep Blue
- January 11, 2007 from 9 – 11 am
- Merle Rosenzweig Health Sciences Libraries and Department of Human Genetics
- Jim Ottaviani, Coordinator, Deep Blue

Deep Blue and Intellectual Property (Copyright)
- January 18, 2007 from 9 – 11 am
- Paul Newman, University Library Intellectual Property Office

NIH Electronic Submission Process
- January 25, 2007 from 9 – 11 am
- Bob Beattie, Managing Senior Project Representative, Division of Research Development & Administration (DRDA)

More information, registration, directions, and updates will be posted at the following link.

NIH Electronic Grant Submission and How Deep Blue Can Help You: http://www.lib.umich.edu/taubman/grants0612/GrantWorkshopSeries.html

Posted by pfa at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)

December 09, 2006

NIDCR/CDC Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center

For those of you not aware of this resource, it is worth checking out. The NIDCR/CDC DOCDRC contains a large amount of collated data on topics of interest, including:

- Dental Caries
- Dental Visits
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers
- Self-Assessed Oral Health Status
- Periodontal Assessment/Disease
- Usual Source of Dental Care
- Sealants
- Orofacial Pain
- Smokeless Tobacco Lesions
- Tobacco Use
- Tooth Loss
- Dental Insurance

They also include test instruments, a search engine to locate specific queries or data sets, and links to recommended resources. One example of these useful links is this new report from MMWR.

Surveillance for Dental Caries, Dental Sealants, Tooth Retention, Edentulism, and Enamel Fluorosis -- United States 1988-1994 and 1999-2002. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5403a1.htm

You may have previously encountered this useful resources as:

National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse: The Oral health database at the no longer functional URL of
http://www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov/data.html

This was a subsection of the Combined Health Information Database, which was discontinued September 2006.

We recently received notice that there is a new location for this, so please update your bookmarks!

-----------------------------------
The NIDCR/CDC Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center (DRC) is moving to a new server!

During the transition to the new server, people attempting to access the DRC Web site may receive an error message, instead of being redirected to the new Web address.

Please update your bookmarks for the DRC's new URL -- http://drc.hhs.gov/ .

For more information please contact:
Pamela Martinez, MLS
Senior Research Librarian
NIDCR/CDC Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center
2101 Gaither Rd., Suite 600
Rockville, MD 20850
pamela.martinez@ngc.com
301-527-6670

Posted by pfa at 08:23 AM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2006

Neanderthal's Molars, Future Genius, Scientific Fraud, & Diagnosis in Diversity: Article Highlights from Science Journals

Interesting articles selected from new issues of Nature and Science. NOTE: You must be a UM patron to have access to these. If you are a UM patron and have trouble accessing the articles linked below, try using on on-campus computer, or accessing the articles from the Electronic Journals page.

(1)
Scientific American: Oral and Whole Body Health:
http://www.dentalcare.com/soap/products/promotion_sa.htm

"It's a first step on the journey as we work together to uncover the most important and factual information there is regarding the important role good oral health can play in achieving whole body wellness."

(2)
How Neanderthal molar teeth grew
Roberto Macchiarelli et al.
Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7120/abs/nature05314.html

"Here we show that the timing of molar crown and root completion in Neanderthals matches those known for modern humans but that a more complex enamel–dentine junction morphology and a late peak in root extension rate sets them apart."

(3)
Futures: Awakening the genius within, Revolution in the head.
Daniel Gregory
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7120/full/444788a.html

"Teetering on the knife-edge, the humans struggled against the Inspiron and the talent that it could give them."

(4)
The right tools can save lives
Effective diagnosis, paired with treatment, for developing-world
diseases can have far-reaching impacts, says the Global Health
Diagnostics Forum.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7120/full/444681a.html

"The Forum has defined the need and impact of diagnostics for six devastating disease groups. Now we challenge scientists, technology developers, funding agencies, policy-makers, international governmental and aid organizations, investors and diagnostic companies to work together to take this forward. A coordinated approach is needed so that appropriate diagnostics can achieve the promised impact."


(5)
Donald Kennedy
Responding to Fraud
Science 1 December 2006
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/314/5804/1353

"The committee was asked to make a thorough and unsparing analysis of Science's handling of both papers and to make recommendations for changes in procedure that might protect both the journal and the scientific community from further unfortunate outcomes of this kind.

The report, and a short response from Science, are available at www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5804/1353/DC1."

Posted by pfa at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2006

Dentists Seeking Information via Google

Here is a very interesting study about dentists and how they use Google (and other information resources), right on the heels of the recent BMJ study of doctors using Google for diagnosing difficult cases.

Landry, Carol Fay. Work roles, tasks, and the information behavior of dentists. JASIST December 2006 57(14):1896-1908.
Link for UM patrons

"Developing an information framework is one technique dentists have applied to their seeking strategies. ... Google was favored by study participants as the means to develop this type of framework."

"Textbooks were the preferred source for the patient management/service provider task, professional associations were favored for CDE/student and patient education/educator tasks, vendors and sales representatives were first for the practice management/administrator task, and colleagues and journals were chosen for the research task."

"Although dentists continue to rely on traditional sources for their authority and accessibility, the Internet has emerged as an important adjunct in the information process because of its convenience and accessibility and the belief in the currency of found information. ... However, despite its ability to provide information quickly and conveniently, the Internet is not considered by dentists to be without flaws. Irrelevant, promotional, and questionable information flourish online. Recognizing these limitations allows one to consider the Internet a tool to augment rather than replace traditional information sources. Cross-referencing and framework building illustrate these findings. Still, the Internet is not embraced by all. An underlying current suggests that maintaining a personal connection with people remains important to a segment of this population and should not be ignored."

Posted by pfa at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)

Today's Students & Critical Thinking Skills

As a follow-up to Sharon Grayden's excellent presentation last week in the School's Bootcamp series ("Preparing for a New Generation of Learners"), here are some new reports and data from the Educational Testing Services (ETS) about the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary students.

ETS: College Students Fall Short in Demonstrating the ICT Literacy Skills Necessary for Success in College and the Workplace
PDF [60KB]: http://www.ets.org/Media/Products/ICT_Literacy/pdf/2006_Preliminary_Findings.pdf

"Despite the assumption that today's college students are tech savvy and ICT literate, preliminary research released by ETS today shows that many students lack the critical thinking skills to perform the kinds of information management and research tasks necessary for academic success."

Also of potential interest, the ETS Education Issues 2007 publication.

ETS: Education Issues 2007
PDF [1.3 MB]: http://www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/candbrief2007.pdf

Posted by pfa at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2006

Health Statistics and Trends: New EBook Available

There is a new electronic book available that provides very useful information on the health statistics and trends in America. It is a chartbook, so includes presentation-ready graphics to illustrate the concepts included. The content is available both in an interactive and searchable online version as well as a formatted PDF version for downloading. Just as a small sampling of the topics included are trends in dental visits, untreated dental caries, mothers who smoked during pregnancy, and much much more.

Health, United States, 2005 (With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans) [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H., Director; National Center for Health Statistics, Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D., Director]:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=healthus05.chapter.trend-tables
PDF Version: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bookres.fcgi/healthus05/healthus05.pdf

Posted by pfa at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2006

Teeth as the "Black Box" of the Body

When an airplane crashes, the hunt is on for the black box, to descrive the events surrounding whatever went wrong. In today's news are highlights of how teeth can provide detailed information about diet even thousands of years later, through the use of laser ablation. This leads to the analogy of the teeth as the "black box" of the body, a primary resource for information about how or why individuals and species failed or survived.

"Nearly 100 percent inorganic, they resist fossilization and retain carbon deposits that can be traced back to specific edibles. Teeth are veritable black boxes of information."

Philadelphia Enquirer 11/13/06: Ancestral cousin gets an enlightening dental: Two-million-year-old P. robustus of southern Africa wasn't just a vegetarian, teeth show. http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/15998062.htm

Posted by pfa at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2006

Googling for a Diagnosis?

This new article from BMJ has some possibly surprising findings. Previous understanding of web search engines were that simply entering a list of symptoms was as likely to come back with the wrong diagnosis as anything else. Evidently the knowledgebase and results rankings have improved to the point where this is not necessarily the case for a searcher with a strong medical background.

-------------------------------------

Hangwi Tang & Jennifer Hwee Kwoon Ng
Googling for a diagnosis--use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study.
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39003.640567.AE (published 10 November 2006)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/bmj.39003.640567.AEv1

Objective: To determine how often searching with Google (the most popular search engine on the world wide web) leads doctors to the correct diagnosis.

Results: Google searches revealed the correct diagnosis in 15 (58%, 95% confidence interval 38% to 77%) cases.

Posted by pfa at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2006

Michigan in Higher Ed News

I thought you might be interested in this, not so much for the article
itself as for the commentary that follows and looks as if it might be
gearing up to some interesting discussion.

MICHIGAN VOTES DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Three years after Supreme Court upheld consideration of race by
flagship university, voters decide otherwise.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/08/michigan

Posted by pfa at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2006

Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

In support of yesterday's excellent and well attended presentation by Dr. Joseph Helman, we would like to offer the following selected resources on bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Sections below include information for patients, for practitioners, and articles from the professional literature.

Please note that while links to articles and abstracts are provided as possible, to get access to the full article you may need to navigate to the article from a UM Library service. One way to do this would be to enter PubMed from a UM web page, log in if off campus, and then enter the PMID number. Go to the bottom of the resulting page, and click on the block-M.

For those who would like more information, custom searches in PubMed are provided.


* INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

ADA: Oral Health Topics: Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: http://www.ada.org/public/topics/osteonecrosis.asp

AGD: Treatment drug may cause jaw bone to die: http://www.agd.org/media/2006/june/treatment.asp

NIAMS: Oral Health and Bone Disease: http://www.niams.nih.gov/bone/hi/oralhealth_bone.htm


* INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

ADA: A-Z Topics: Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/osteonecrosis.asp

ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. Expert Panel Recommendations: Dental Management of Patients on Oral Bisphosphonate Therapy. June 2006. [PDF, 159K]

Migliorati CA, Casiglia J, Epstein J, Jacobsen PL, Siegel MA, Woo SB. Managing the care of patients with bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis: an American Academy of Oral Medicine position paper. Abstract.
J Am Dent Assoc. 2005 Dec;136(12):1658-68. Review. Erratum in: J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Jan;137(1):26.
PMID: 16383047

NIDCR: Oral Care Provider's Reference Guide for Oncology Patients: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DiseasesAndConditions/CancerTreatmentAndOralHealth/Oral%20Care%20Providers%20Reference%20Guide%20for%20Oncology%20Patients.htm


* ARTICLES

Badros A, Weikel D, Salama A, Goloubeva O, Schneider A, Rapoport A, Fenton R, Gahres N, Sausville E, Ord R, Meiller T.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw in multiple myeloma patients: clinical features and risk factors. Abstract.
J Clin Oncol. 2006 Feb 20;24(6):945-52.
PMID: 16484704

Lacy MQ, Dispenzieri A, Gertz MA, Greipp PR, Gollbach KL, Hayman SR, Kumar S, Lust JA, Rajkumar SV, Russell SJ, Witzig TE, Zeldenrust SR, Dingli D, Bergsagel PL, Fonseca R, Reeder CB, Stewart AK, Roy V, Dalton RJ, Carr AB, Kademani D, Keller EE, Viozzi CF, Kyle RA.
Mayo clinic consensus statement for the use of bisphosphonates in multiple myeloma.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2006 Aug;81(8):1047-53. Review.
PMID: 16901028

Marx RE, Sawatari Y, Fortin M, Broumand V.
Bisphosphonate-induced exposed bone (osteonecrosis/osteopetrosis) of the jaws: risk factors, recognition, prevention, and treatment. Abstract.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2005 Nov;63(11):1567-75.
PMID: 16243172

Nase JB, Suzuki JB.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw and oral bisphosphonate treatment. Abstract.
J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Aug;137(8):1115-9; quiz 1169-70.
PMID: 16873327

Ruggiero SL, Mehrotra B, Rosenberg TJ, Engroff SL.
Osteonecrosis of the jaws associated with the use of bisphosphonates: a review of 63 cases.Abstract.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2004 May;62(5):527-34.
PMID: 15122554

Scully C, Madrid C, Bagan J.
Dental endosseous implants in patients on bisphosphonate therapy. Abstract.
Implant Dent. 2006 Sep;15(3):212-8.
PMID: 16966893


* WANT MORE?

Pubmed Search: Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Pubmed Search (Free Full Text Only): Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Posted by pfa at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

Guidelines for Parents of Sedated Children

Earlier this week, local news in Chicago reported the story of a child who went for a visit to the dentist, and the sedation went wrong, badly wrong. The little girl first slipped into a coma, and died this morning. As a result of this, the news service posted an article and video describing for parents what they should do and know if their own child is being sedated.

"Dental Guide For Parents When Child Is Sedated: Questions Parents Should Ask Before Dental Procedures" Mary Ann Childers, Sep 25, 2006 5:21 pm US/Central. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_268182445.html

"No parent wants what happened to 5-year-old Diamond Brownridge to happen to their son or daughter. The young girl remains in a coma after being sedated during a dental procedure."

Posted by pfa at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2006

Chicken or the Egg?: Comorbid Periodontal and Heart Disease

Another new article on the relationship between cardiovascular health and periodontal disease.

K. Geismar, ­K. Stoltze, ­B. Sigurd, ­F. Gyntelberg, P. Holmstrup. Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease. Journal of Periodontology 2006, 77(9):1547-1554: http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.2006.050405

This article applies a richer variety of measures of periodontal health / disease, some of which are novel to this area of inquiry.

"Full-mouth probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and alveolar bone level (ABL) on radiographs were registered. ABL was stratified into ABL1 = ABL ≤2 mm; ABL2 = ABL >2 to ≤4 mm; and ABL3 = ABL >4 mm."

The article also finds that the association between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease is also associated with diabetes and smoking.

Posted by pfa at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2006

"Priceline"-style Dentistry in Germany

A new trend in Germany is web sites for patients seeking dental care. These sites allow patients to anonymously post what sort of dental services they seek (along with treatment plans provided by their current dentist), and then dentists bid what they would charge to provide that service. This is a dramatically different approach to providing healthcare. Here in the US, this approach has been seen extensively in other topics, such as travel (Priceline.com) and insurance (Progressive.com).

Online Dentistry: Health Care Takes to the Net / Deutsche Welle (September 1, 2006): http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2152304,00.html

"In the search for more affordable dental care, some Germans are letting dentists bid at online auction sites for the chance to work in their mouths. Dentists' groups are worried about the commodification of health care."

"Schikora's Web site ... require people looking for dental work, or in some cases physical therapy and cosmetic surgery, to register anonymously and post their current doctor's treatment plans, how much the treatment is estimated to cost and how far they would be willing to travel."

Posted by pfa at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2006

New IOM Report on Medication Errors

Hot off the presses, the Institute of Medicine today released a report on "Preventing Medication Errors".

Preventing Medication Errors (Quality Chasm Series): http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11623.html

Key findings of the report are that a quarter of all medication errors are preventable, and that the best prevention is good clinician-patient communication and good intra-institutional communication (between the clinician, pharmacist and other members of the support team).

In an rare but welcome move, the FDA immediately released a statement of support for the report.

FDA Statement on Institute of Medicine's Report on Preventing Medication Errors: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01414.html

The FDA statement outlines a series of resources and actions related to improvements in this area. As a significant part of this, they recommend access to reliable and understandable medication information for the health care consumer, recommending the following resource from the National Library of Medicine.

DailyMed: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/about.cfm

"This Web site provides health information providers and the public with a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labeling as found in medication package inserts."

Posted by pfa at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)

Genetic and Genomic Information from NLM and the Genetics Home Reference (GHR) (Omics Series, 9)

The United States government, in general, and the National Library of Medicine, in particular, have taken leading roles in providing information, tools, resources, and training for biomedical and life sciences researchers and clinicians, including omics researchers. Very few people make use of the full range of resources they provide. Today, we will survey a few of the broad omics resources available, and then spend a little more time on a specific resource that tends to have information for both dental researchers and clinicians.

This is probably a good time to again mention the forthcoming short course on campus about NCBI resources.

National Center for Biotechnology Information: Short Course, September 7,2006 (Hosted by the Program in Bioinformatics, Department of Human Genetics & Taubman Medical Library): http://www.hg.med.umich.edu/ncbi/

In this course, you will see overviews and demonstrations of how to use many of the databases listed below. NLM and NCBI provide an astonishing number of databases. From their main databases page, you can browse a list of many of their offerings in this area.

NLM: NCBI: Entrez: All Databases: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gquery/gquery.fcgi?itool=toolbar

Here are a few of the specific databases, just to give you an idea of what you might find.

3D Domains: domains from Entrez Structure: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Domains

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool finds regions of local similarity between sequences): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST/

Cancer Chromosomes: cytogenetic databases: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=CancerChromosomes

CDD: conserved protein domain database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=cdd

Gene: gene-centered information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=gene

Genome Project: genome project information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=genomeprj

Genome: whole genome sequences: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Genome

GENSAT: gene expression atlas of mouse central nervous system: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=gensat

GEO DataSets: experimental sets of GEO data: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=gds

GEO Profiles: expression and molecular abundance profiles: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=geo

HomoloGene: eukaryotic homology groups: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=homologene

Nucleotide: sequence database (GenBank): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Nucleotide

OMIA: online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=omia

OMIM: online Mendelian Inheritance in Man: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=OMIM

PopSet: population study data sets: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PopSet

Probe: sequence-specific reagents: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=probe

Protein: sequence database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Protein

PubChem BioAssay: bioactivity screens of chemical substances: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pcassay

PubChem Compound: unique small molecule chemical structures: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pccompound

PubChem Substance: deposited chemical substance records: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pcsubstance

SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=snp

Structure: three-dimensional macromolecular structures: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Structure

Taxonomy: organisms in GenBank: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Taxonomy

UniGene: gene-oriented clusters of transcript sequences: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=unigene

UniSTS: markers and mapping data: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=unists

Another source they provide is the Human Genome. This resource contains an entirely different list of great tools and resources. I encourage you to explore the Human Genome more on your own.

Human Genome (an integrated, one-stop, genomic information infrastructure for biomedical researchers): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/guide/

Last, for today, but not least, is the Genetics Home Reference (GHR). The GHR serves as a bridge between the technical information for researchers and the consumer or general public. It includes information on the correspondence between specific genes and diseases, diagnostic signs/symptoms, an much more. Although the information is for consumers, it can still be fairly technical. It includes a handbook and glossary, which helps, and provides information at a level that can also be useful for the clinician. In addition, they include a list of resources about genetic conditions specifically for clinicians.

NLM: Genetics Home Reference: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/

GHR: Genetics Resources for Clinicians and Health Professionals: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/ghr/resource/clinicians

Among their newest topics on conditions, you'll find Dentinogenesis Imperfecta and Amelogenesis Imperfecta. Among their new pages on specific genes, you'll find amelogenin (amelogenesis imperfecta 1, X-linked), dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), enamelin, and matrix metallopeptidase 20 (MMP20 or enamelysin). They have also recently added information on a number of specific genes that are associated with the Charcot Marie Tooth Disease. Here is a sampling of pages on dental-related conditions and genes.

CONDITIONS:

Condition: Achondrogenesis: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=achondrogenesis

Condition: Amelogenesis Imperfecta: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=amelogenesisimperfecta

Condition: Dentinogensis imperfecta: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=dentinogenesisimperfecta

Condition: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=fibrodysplasiaossificansprogressiva

Condition: Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=greigcephalopolysyndactylysyndrome

Condition: Platyspondylic lethal skeletal dysplasia, Torrance type: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=platyspondyliclethalskeletaldysplasiatorrancetype

Condition: Sotos syndrome: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=sotossyndrome

GENES:

Gene: DNM2: dynamin 2: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene=dnm2

Gene: MMP20: matrix metallopeptidase 20 (enamelysin): http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene=mmp20

Gene: SH3TC2: SH3 domain and tetratricopeptide repeats 2: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene=sh3tc2

Gene: YARS: tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene=yars

Posted by pfa at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2006

What's Hot from the IADR (Our 100th Blog Entry)

As things wind down from the IADR meeting in Brisbane, what are the hot topics that were presented at IADR and receiving attention in the popular press? Cranberries and dentin. That's two ideas, not one.

* Cranberries

Cranberries are receiving renewed attention as a way to prevent caries. The mechanism is similar to the way cranberry juice is known to prevent and cure urinary tract infections -- preventing the bacteria from adhering to the cell surfaces. For dentistry, the idea is that cranberry juice helps to prevent S. mutans from adhering to the teeth, and thus prevents the build up of plaque.

IADR: Berry Good News for Tooth Decay Prevention, by Neil Osterweil:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/tb/3647

Koo, Hyun et al. "Cranberry flavonoids on expression of virulence by S. mutans." IADR Abstract 179, presented June 28, 2006 (Brisbane).

* Dentin

Dentin is making news with the popular concept that people can grow new bone. In this case, not only new bone in general, but specifically new dentin. "The data demonstrated that AC-100 stimulated the formation of new dentin (the hard tissue of teeth that protects the tooth pulp and supports the outer enamel) when applied to tooth defects."

Acologix' AC-100 (Dentonin(R)) Phase II Data on Dentin Formation in Humans Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dental Research: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060629/sfth064.html?.v=56

Lazarov, Mirella et al. "AC-100, Novel Biological Approach to Promoting Dentin Formations in Humans." IADR Abstract 545, presented June 29, 2006 (Brisbane).

Lazarov, Mirella et al. "AC-100, A Novel Biological Agent for Dentin and Bone Regeneration." IADR Abstract 268, presented June 28, 2006 (Brisbane).

Posted by pfa at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2006

A Dentist's POV in the Iraqi War

There is an Iraqi dentist who goes by "Zeyad" blogging for the New York Times about his personal experiences of the Iraqi war.

New York Times: Select: Day to Day in Iraq: http://daytodayiniraq.blogs.nytimes.com/

"Zeyad is a 27-year-old dentist in Baghdad and the author of the blog, Healing Iraq. He was born in Baghdad and spent most of the first eight years of his life in England. He returned to Iraq with his family in 1986 and has been based there ever since. He has been posting on his blog since October 2003."

Here is the link to his personal blog.

Healing Iraq (Daily news and comments on the situation in post Saddam Iraq by an Iraqi dentist): http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/

--------
EXCERPT:

As my cousin led me across the street back home, I burst uncontrollably into tears. “How could you go out in your shorts?” he was saying, almost to himself. “Are you out of your mind? Haven’t you heard that they banned shorts?” ...

“Them?” I yelled back. “How long are we going to cower in fear and wait for them to get to us too? How long until we’re next in the line?”

“Yes, living here is like waiting in a damn line to get killed,” he said. “Either you learn to live with it, or you leave. Period.”

The gravity of what I did struck me the next day. I had gone out in shorts – explicitly banned by Islamists, insurgents, the “resistance,” or whoever, in our area – in front of all to check on a Shiite friend whom they deemed as an enemy and worthy of execution, for whatever reasons.

--------

Posted by pfa at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2006

Dental Research in the News

Remember JAMA's amalgam articles from April? Consumer Reports has just released their update on the safety of mercury for children.

Consumer Reports, June 2006: Tooth-filling safety for kids; Some reassurance about dental amalgams, but more is needed: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/news/tooth-filling-safety-for-kids-6-06/overview/0606_tooth-filling-safety-for-kids.htm

Meanwhile, another dental research study on how dentists incorporate new guidelines in practice has been getting less positive attention.

Bonetti D.
Guideline improved dentists' knowledge but not their clinical decision-making skills: Is a clinical practice guideline on the management of asymptomatic impacted lower third molars effective in changing practice?
Evid Based Dent. 2006;7(1):8.

While not cutting-edge, Horace Wells and William Morton, both praised for their contributions to the discovery of dental anesthesia, are highlighted in a UK article about scientific researchers who experimented on themselves.

TimesOnline (June 10, 2006): Doctors who had a taste of their own medicine (Many of the most important medical advances have resulted from scientists who experimented on themselves. Whether foolhardy or selfless, Wendy Moore salutes these maverick medics): http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-2217159,00.html

Posted by pfa at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

June 09, 2006

ISI Web Of Knowledge Update

The Web of Knowledge / Web of Science resource from ISI has again dramatically expanded their historical searching capability. A few years ago, they shifted their earliest date to 1945, and we were impressed with that. Now they have shifted it back to 1900, an absolutely astonishing feat. In the database you would select for searching:

Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)--1900-present

This will dramatically improve access to formative research, and is a very exciting resource for those tracking the intellectual heritage of their research concepts. Obviously, this is an absolute must for scientific historians of any sort.

Posted by pfa at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2006

More about Deep Blue

Remember a couple months ago when this blog posted some of the dental faculty publications included in Deep Blue? Well, now you can join those august ranks of faculty whose work will always be remembered. Why will it be remembered? Because more and more faculty are exploring options to archive publications, data, and research images for posterity with the University Library's service Deep Blue. Read on, for a recent press release on this topic.

Deep Blue -- Your work: cited more, safe forever.

The University of Michigan has more than 150 years of experience and expertise in presenting and preserving the world's best research and creativity. With Deep Blue, the UM Institutional Repository, we now have a place specifically for our faculty work. Faculty create it, deposit it online, and decide who should have access. We take care of the rest, for free.

Use it to connect with other scholars: In a cross-disciplinary study, when compared to articles that require paid access, those in systems like Deep Blue "...have consistently more citations, the advantage varying from 25%-250%."[1]

Ask your librarian or send a message to deepblue@umich.edu to get started. For more information about Deep Blue, see http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/about/

1. Based on a study of 1,307,038 articles published from 1992-2003 in biology, psychology, sociology, health, political science, economics, education, law, business, and management. (Hajjem, Harnad, and Gingras, "Ten-Year Cross-Disciplinary Comparison of the Growth of Open Access and How It Increases Research Citation Impact." IEEE Data Engineering Bulletin, Vol. 28 No. 4, December 2005, 8pp.)

Posted by pfa at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2006

Final Congressional Report on Response to Hurricane Katrina

I know many people in our School were involved at various levels with the response to Hurricane Katrina. In addition, the School has many persons involved with planning for disaster and emergency response. In light of these, you may be interested in the final Congressional report on Hurricane Katrina.

Congressional Reports: H. Rpt. 109-377 – A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/katrina.html

Posted by pfa at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2006

Subscribe to the Dentistry Library Blog

Taking off for the summer? Want to keep up with news and tools in dentistry, with minimal effort on your part? Subscribe by e-mail to