Delaine's General Health Blog: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Should You Break up With Your Dentist?

BY: Dr. Roy Daniels

Lucky patients know that a good dentist listens to them, works gently with personal care, produces results they expect and charges affordable prices with understandable billing. Good dentists often become friends with their patients and treat them and their family members for life.

But sometimes even a good dentist can turn into one that doesn?t meet your oral health needs. It can be a difficult decision to switch dentists, especially if you?ve been with the same one for many years. Here is a half a dozen of red flags warning that it may be time to move on:

1.� You can?t reach your dentist afterhours.
If you have a dental emergency, you need quick access to dental care. You should be able to reach your dentist or one of her associates easily, 24 hours a day.

2.� The wait has become intolerable.
A well-organized office will take measures to reduce your waiting time. You shouldn?t have to wait more than 30 minutes for a scheduled appointment.

3.� Your dentist doesn?t listen to you.
Does your dentist seem rushed, impatient or like he?s not hearing you? A dentist who doesn?t listen may miss a critical diagnosis.

4.� He pushes a ?discount? plan.
Discount plans in which you pay a fee upfront for supposedly reduced dental fees are not valid insurance plans and usually not a good deal for the consumer. �

5.� He gives you the hard sell for services you don?t want.
Offering cosmetic services such as porcelain veneers or tooth whitening is fine, but you shouldn?t feel pressured to go through with such procedures.

6.� He does inferior work.
Occasionally, all dentists can have some work that fails, but it shouldn?t happen repeatedly.

If you decide to change dentists, write him a letter explaining why. That way you?ll feel less awkward if you have a chance meeting, and you can ask to have your records transferred.

More on better dental checkups from our sponsor

Source: http://www.oralcareandhealthdaily.com/blog/break_up_with_dentist/index.html

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Atul Gawande: The Power of Checklists


By Atul Gawande	July 27, 2011
When properly implemented, surgical checklists can save thousands of lives.

'The Battle for the Soul of Medicine' MORE>>

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Health Tip: When Sleep Apnea Affects Children

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Demonstrators In Swaziland Express Concern Over Possible Antiretroviral Shortages

Friday, July 29, 2011

More than 3,000 demonstrators gathered across Swaziland on Thursday for a second day of protests over the king's handling of an economic crisis that they say is causing a shortage of medical supplies, including antiretroviral therapy (ART), the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (7/28).

The Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (SWANNEPHA) has sent a petition to the government's National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA), stating, "With the release of the ART budget in 'dribs and drabs', any patient on ART would be worried when they are not sure if they will get their monthly stock of treatment," PlusNews writes. "Health Minister Benedict Xaba said on government radio recently that ? there were adequate supplies of [antiretrovirals] in stock," the news service notes, adding that "AIDS activists are not convinced" (7/28).

The Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report is published by the Kaiser Family Foundation. 2011 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved. The report summarizes the latest, most relevant information on U.S. global health policy developments and related news from hundreds of sources. Access today's full report or sign up for an email subscription to the Daily Report.

Source: http://feeds.kff.org/~r/kff/kdghpr/~3/8RbsOZAIZGM/GH-072911-Swaziland-ARVs.aspx

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Massage, Hand Wax, Root Canal? Welcome to the Dental Spa!

BY: Dr. Lorin Berland

I helped create the dental spa concept in 1996, when I added a licensed massage therapist to help my patients relax before and during treatments. I even coined the term ?dental spa? in 1998 when I created my website: Since DDS.com was already taken, I chose ?Dallas Dental Spa? because that?s what we had become.

At the time, most of my colleagues thought I was crazy. Today, almost 20 percent of practices call themselves dental spas.

The reason behind the idea is to make patients more comfortable so their dental experience is more enjoyable and effective. Here are typical accessories you might find:

Dental chairs equipped with massage pads, neck and shoulder warmers
Scented towels for aromatherapy
Headphones
Refreshments such as soda or tea
Paraffin wax hand treatments

Most dentists don?t charge extra for these amenities, although the services are more likely to be found at higher-end practices.

Many people will see their dentist regularly no matter what, and that?s the way it should be. But for those who dislike or fear going to the dentist, these little perks can make a big difference.

However, that?s not to say that you should choose your dentist just because he offers you some tea or a hand wax. Be sure that she listens to your concerns and genuinely and professionally cares for your oral health.

Source: http://www.oralcareandhealthdaily.com/blog/dental_spa/index.html

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NHS funds 'moved to rich areas'

31 July 2011 Last updated at 00:37 ET

Andrew Lansley The Department of Health says NHS spending will rise in real terms this year

Labour is accusing the government of moving NHS spending in England away from poorer areas towards richer parts of the country.

It says this is because of changes to the funding for primary care trusts.

For years, areas which have higher incidences of poor health have been given a higher per-capita funding but this weighting is set to be reduced.

But the government said Labour would have devoted fewer overall resources to the NHS if it had been elected.

Labour says the changes mean less well-off areas such as Manchester and Tower Hamlets in east London will lose out in the allocation of health funding, while more prosperous parts of the country - such as Surrey and Hampshire - will benefit.

This was based on an assessment of funding changes made by public health bodies in Manchester.

The government said the changes were based on independent advice and Labour's figures were misleading.

It said NHS spending was going up in real terms in the coming year across England as a whole, a pledge which Labour would not match.

The Department of Health said the primary care budgets in Surrey and Tower Hamlets would, in fact, increase this year by a similar amount.

It added that a greater emphasis on the prevention of illness in future would assist those living in poorer parts of England.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-14356517

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NHS trusts abuse system - Lansley

29 July 2011 Last updated at 05:46 ET

Doctor Insisting patients wait a certain length of time before treatment has been used as a way to save money

NHS managers are abusing the system by making patients wait longer for treatment, the health secretary says.

Andrew Lansley was speaking out after a competition watchdog criticised the way non-emergency operations, such as knee and hip replacements, were being run.

The Co-operation and Competition Panel said some primary care trusts had introduced minimum waiting times to save money and level-down performance.

It said some patients were forced to go private or died before they got care.

But managers reacted angrily to the claims.

David Stout, director of the Primary Care Trust Network, said: "Making claims without evidence that patients are dying as a result of longer waiting lists will cause unnecessary public anxiety and alarm.

"Commissioners take very seriously their role to ensure that patient health is not put at risk waiting for the care they need."

The panel was unable to say how many places were adopting such practices and the report did not name any individual trusts.

It is also unclear what patients were dying from as the treatment they were waiting for was not life-saving care.

But the report cited an anonymous example where one trust was insisting patients wait at least 15 weeks for treatment. Such a time frame is within the 18-week limit, but many hospitals can see patients more quickly than that.

'Delay treatment'

Mr Lansley said the findings justified his reform programme, which aims to put doctors in charge of decision-making.

"This is exactly why we need to put patients' interests first," he said.

"Too many PCTs have been operating in a cynical environment where they can game the system - and in which political targets, particularly the maximum 18 week waiting time target, are used to actually delay treatment.

"When GPs, specialist doctors and nurses are making the decisions, as they will under our plans, they will plan care on the basis of the clinical needs of patients and their right to access the best service, including the least possible waiting time."

The effect of minimum waiting times is two-fold. Firstly, it can be used to save money if treatment is knocked into the next financial year.

And private health firms seeing NHS patients have argued it erodes their competitive advantage. Since 2006 patients have had a right to choose where they go for treatment including private hospitals given official approval.

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They tend to be able to see people more quickly than NHS centres and therefore making patients wait longer negates one of their selling points, some firms have argued.

The CCP report also looked at a whole host of other anti-competitive and patient unfriendly practices being employed by NHS trusts.

As well as introducing minimum waiting times, these included giving local NHS hospitals guaranteed levels of treatment, rationing the range of treatments private hospitals could provide to the NHS and capping the number of patients that could go outside the local area.

PCTs had argued the measures were needed to protect local hospitals.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-14337427

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Better Alternatives to Silver Fillings

BY: Dr. Lorin Berland

Traditional silver fillings were first used in France in 1826. That was a long time ago, and silver fillings are not really even silver: They are actually mostly made of mercury, mixed with some silver, tin and copper too. This high mercury content has created concern for the health safety of silver fillings, and several countries have even banned their use.

Fortunately, the alternatives to these old-fashioned amalgams contain no toxic metals -- and they look better too. They also help preserve and conserve your teeth, and as a result, strengthen them. Here, we compare the top two alternatives so you know what to go for:

Composite Fillings
Composite is a tooth-colored, plastic-like material made to withstand the force put on teeth. Composite fillings look a lot like teeth.

The Good: Because they bond to teeth, they?re durable. And even though they?re more expensive than silver fillings, insurance usually covers most of the cost.

The Bad: Composites are more difficult to place than silver fillings and usually take longer to put in. Also, if you?re looking to replace your silver fillings with them, it may be difficult and may not last: Because silver fillings use bulk for strength, big holes will be left in your teeth after taking them out, which will make it hard for composites to bond on them.

The Bottom Line: Composites are an affordable, sturdy choice for first-time fillings.

Inlays and Onlays
An inlay is shaped to fit the cavity and cemented into place. First, an impression of your tooth is taken, and the inlay -- or onlay, which covers the cusp of your tooth -- is created in gold or tooth-colored polymer ceramic. Then, it fits like a puzzle piece over your tooth, putting it back together in its original shape again.

The Good: The tooth-colored inlays or onlays are hardened with light, pressure and heat -- a triple advantage that tends to make them more durable than composites, which are hardened only with light. Bonding seals them in to better protect the tooth from future decay.

The Bad: They are much more expensive than composite or amalgam fillings, and insurance usually covers part of the expense. In addition, they often require two office visits about two weeks apart. (In the interim, you?ll be fitted with a temporary.) Some dentists, however, have their own laboratory and can do it all in one visit.

The Bottom Line: They work very well in cases where the tooth fracture is substantial, or if you are replacing large amalgam fillings (that includes your old silver fillings). If you don?t have great dental hygiene habits and can afford it, an inlay might even be a good choice for large first-time fillings.

Source: http://www.oralcareandhealthdaily.com/blog/silver_fillings_alternatives/index.html

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'Super antibody' fights off flu

29 July 2011 Last updated at 03:49 ET By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News

Swine flu virus A jab protecting against all flu viruses is considered a holy grails of vaccine research

The first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus has been discovered, researchers claim.

Experiments on flu-infected mice, published in Science Express, showed the antibody could be used as an "emergency treatment".

It is hoped the development will lead to a "universal vaccine" - currently a new jab has to be made for each winter as viruses change.

Virologists described the finding as a "good step forward".

Many research groups around the world are trying to develop a universal vaccine. They need to attack something common to all influenza which does not change or mutate.

Human source

It has already been suggested that some people who had swine flu may develop 'super immunity' to other infections.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill and colleagues in Switzerland looked at more than 100,000 samples of immune cells from patients who had flu or a flu vaccine.

They isolated an antibody - called FI6 - which targeted a protein found on the surface of all influenza A viruses called haemagglutinin.

Sir John Skehel, MRC scientist at Mill Hill, said: "We've tried every subtype of influenza A and it interacts with them all.

"We eventually hope it can be used as a therapy by injecting the antibody to stop the infection."

Professor Antonio Lanzavecchia, director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland, said: "As the first and only antibody which targets all known subtypes of the influenza A virus, FI6 represents an important new treatment option."

When mice were given FI6, the antibody was "fully protective" against a later lethal doses of H1N1 virus.

Mice injected with the antibody up to two days after being given a lethal dose of the virus recovered and survived.

This is only the antibody, however, not the vaccine.

A vaccine would need to trigger the human body's immune system to produce the antibody itself.

Sir John said the structure of the antibody and how it interacted with haemagglutinin had been worked out, which would help in the search for a vaccine, but that was "definitely years away".

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "It's pretty good if you've got one against the whole shebang, that's a good step forward."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-14324901

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Job: Building and Social Housing Foundation ? International Programme?

By Eldis Jobs

Read this article:
Job: Building and Social Housing Foundation ? International Programme?

Posted by Eldis Jobs on Jul 29 2011. Filed under Careers & Opportunities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Source: http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2011/07/29/job-building-and-social-housing-foundation-international-programme/

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Greater Breast Density May Raise Cancer Risk

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WEDNESDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Greater breast density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and certain aggressive tumor traits, new research says.

In the study, published in the July 27 online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers used mammography to compare breast density in 1,042 postmenopausal women with breast cancer and a control group of 1,794 postmenopausal women without breast cancer.

Breast density on mammograms is determined by the proportions of fat, connective tissue and epithelial tissue in the breast. Previous research has shown that women with higher amounts of epithelial and stromal tissue have more density and higher risk of breast cancer. But it hasn't been clear whether breast density is associated with specific tumor characteristics and tumor type.

As expected, this new study found that breast cancer risk rose progressively with increasing breast density. The researchers also found that the link between density and breast cancer was stronger for larger tumors than for smaller tumors, for high-grade tumors compared to low-grade tumors, for estrogen receptor-negative tumors than for estrogen receptor-positive tumors, and for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) tumors than for invasive tumors.

There was no association between breast density and other markers of tumor aggressiveness, including nodal involvement and HER2 status, the study authors noted in a journal news release.

"Our results suggest that breast density influences the risk of breast cancer subtypes by potentially different mechanisms," wrote Rulla M. Tamimi, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.

"Further studies are warranted to explain underlying biological processes and elucidate the possible pathways from high breast density to the specific subtypes of breast carcinoma," the authors added.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, news release, July 27, 2011

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=147505&k=Womens_Health_General

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Report: Health Care Spending to Absorb a Fifth of GDP by 2020


By Haydn Bush	July 29, 2011
A new report in Health Affairs projects that U.S. health care spending will grow to over $4.6 trillion by 2020.

A report this week in Health Affairs projects that overall U.S. health care spending will reach $4.638 trillion, or 19.8 percent of GDP, by 2020. From 2010-2020, the report estimates that health care spending will grow at an average of 5.8 percent per year.

In particular, the report projects a spike in health care spending of 8.3 percent in 2014, when key provisions of the Affordable Care Act are implemented and 22.9 million newly insured Americans begin using additional health care services.

Among the other findings:

National health care spending reached nearly $2.6 trillion in 2010, up 3.9 percent from 2009.
In 2010, spending in U.S. hospitals increased 4.6 percent to $794.3 billion.
In 2010, the health care share of U.S. GDP remained at 17.6 percent, roughly the same as 2009.
Medicare spending reached $525 billion in 2010. However, the overall growth rate slowed from 7.9 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent in 2010, which the report attributed primarily to a 3.4 percent reduction in Medicare's payments to private health plans.

Click here to read the full report.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the policy of Health Forum Inc. or the American Hospital Association.

in general. All comments will be reviewed by a moderator before being posted.

Source: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=1800004419

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