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Executive Director's Report The Friends of NIDCR is about to celebrate its 8th annual Awards Gala and it is set to be one for the record books! With outstanding honorees, a full year of successful advocacy and a bright future as we head into a new Congress, the Friends continue to work with its partners in promoting oral health research. In fact, the Board recently completed a strategic planning session and is reviewing its concentrated mission and goals. The final details will be available on-line in the beginning of 2007 and the Board is eager to hear from organizational stakeholders on how to help increasing the Friends' programmatic performance. There is still time to reserve your seat at this year's Gala. Join us as we honor those who have made extraordinary contributions to oral health research advocacy, Monday evening, December 11, The National Press Club, Washington, DC. Hope to see you there. Sincerely, Alec Stone NIDCR Research News Experience and Policy Implications of Children Presenting with Dental Emergencies to U.S. Pediatric Dentistry Training Programs Oral Health in Women During Preconception and Pregnancy: Implications for Birth Outcomes and Infant Oral Health A Conversation with NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak Inside Scoop, October 2006
For the entire interview, visit www.nidcr.nih.gov/NewsAndReports/Media/LarryTabak.htm
NIDCR Deputy Director Kleinman to Retire January 1, 2007 Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, deputy director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), will retire from government service on January 1 to assume the position of associate dean for research and academic affairs, College of Health and Human Performance, University of Maryland-College Park. She will also have an appointment as professor in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department of the College, which is transitioning to a School of Public Health. Dr. Kleinman has served in the government for 28 years--26 of those years at the NIDCR. She joined the (then) NIDR in 1980, and during her early career at the Institute conducted research on oral mucosal tissue diseases and conditions, directed planning and evaluation activities, and managed the Institute's epidemiology and oral disease prevention program. She was named deputy director in 1991, and since that time has also assumed the role of Institute acting director twice during transitions between directors. A rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, Dr. Kleinman spearheaded the first-ever Surgeon General’s report on oral health, which was published in 2000. In 2001, she was named Chief Dental Officer, USPHS, the first woman to hold that position since it was established in 1923. In that capacity, she coordinated dental programs for the Office of the Surgeon General and advised the Surgeon General on issues related to dental practice and personnel in the Public Health Service. Most recently, Dr. Kleinman was on a detail to the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH). During her time there, she was the assistant director for the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research Initiative, an effort to accelerate progress in biomedical research. Dr. Kleinman earned a B.S. in zoology from the University of Wisconsin and a D.D.S. from the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois. She interned at the University of Chicago's Zoller Dental Clinic prior to studying at the Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry at Boston University, where she received a M.Sc.D. in dental public health. Active in many professional organizations, Dr. Kleinman has served as president of the American Association of Women Dentists, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the American Board of Dental Public Health. NIH Director Zerhouni Desk-to-Desk Message The fall 2006 desk-to-desk message from Dr. Zerhouni, "Making it Work for our Emerging Scientists" may be found at: www.nih.gov/about/director/newsletter/Fall2006.htm Patient Advocate Spotlight: The American Academy of Pain Management The American Academy of Pain Management was co-founded by Richard S. Weiner, PhD and Kathryn A. Weiner, PhD. The Academy was incorporated in 1988 as a non profit 501c6 organization. At this time a Code of Ethics and a Patient Bill of Rights was established. Kathryn A. Weiner, PhD and Richard S. Weiner, PhD have been recognized and honored as two of the forty most influential individuals in the field of Pain from the UCLA Biomedical Library History of Pain Collection. The Academy has held Sixteen Annual Clinical Meetings since it's founding. Focusing on cutting edge topics from multiple disciplines, information has always been presented by experts in the field of pain management. The Academy started by credentialing multidisciplinary pain practitioners. It's next accomplishment was creating quality publications such as the American Journal of Pain Management, the newsletter; The Pain Practitioner and a text book; Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians. The founders then focused on creating tools to assist clinicians in their practice and established Pain Program Accreditation and an outcomes measurement tool; the National Pain Data Bank. General Membership was then established bringing together and providing networking opportunities for like minded professionals. The Academy's dedication to excellence then transferred to the Continuing Education Department that has developed quality educational programming in the field of pain management. The University of Integrated Studies was then a dream become realized. The University of Integrated Studies provides graduate-level degree programs for health practitioners through distance learning. The focus of the University is the integration of the disparate health care disciplines, philosophies and methodologies to form a cooperative working relationship that promotes social change and creates an integrated health care system. The Academy provides and open environment for clinicians to:
www.aapainmanage.org/aboutus/Welcome.php Study Finds Periodontal Treatment Does Not Lower Preterm Birth Risk Scientists supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, report in this week's "New England Journal of Medicine" that pregnant women who received non-surgical treatment for their periodontal, or gum, disease did not also significantly lower their risk of delivering a premature or low-birthweight baby. These results come from the largest clinical trial to date to evaluate whether treating periodontal disease during pregnancy reduces a women's risk of early delivery, an idea that has emerged as a possibility in recent years. Non-surgical, or standard, periodontal treatment involves thoroughly cleaning the teeth above and below the gums, commonly called scaling and root planing. The study, called the Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy Trial (OPT), also evaluated the safety of general dental care during pregnancy. It found that dental treatment through the second trimester -- both general and periodontal care -- did not increase the number of adverse events for women during pregnancy. Until now, little research had been conducted on the subject, although dentists generally provide limited dental care to women only during the second trimester when the fetus has reached a more stable developmental stage and before treatment becomes too physically cumbersome for the mother. "Dental care during pregnancy has long been an issue dominated by caution more than data," said NIDCR director Dr. Larry Tabak. "The finding that periodontal treatment during pregnancy did not increase adverse events is important news for women, especially for those who will need to have their periodontal disease treated during pregnancy." The article is titled "Treatment of Periodontal Disease and The Risk of Preterm Birth" and appears in the November 2, 2006 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." The authors are: Bryan S. Michalowicz, James S. Hodges, Anthony J. DiAngelis, Virginia R. Lupo, M. John Novak, James E. Ferguson, William Buchanan, James Bofill, Panos N. Papapanou, Dennis A. Mitchell, Stephen Matseoane, and Pat A. Tschida. Babies with Cleft Conditions, Pierre Robin Sequence May Need Extended Treatment for Poor Feeding Skills Newswise -- A new study looking at the feeding skills of newborns with cleft conditions found that the prevalence of poor feeding steadily decreased within one year, but that longer treatment may prove necessary for those with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) or a syndrome. The study is published in the latest issue of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. Poor feeding skills are relatively common in newborns with cleft palate and cleft lip and palate. Previous studies have determined that babies with cleft palate and cleft lip and palate have significantly more difficulty feeding than those with cleft lip alone. In the study, one third of the newborns had poor feeding skills. The prevalence of poor feeding reduced to 19 percent at 3 months of age and 15 percent at 14 months. At 2 weeks of age, babies with a syndrome or PRS were 15 times more likely to have poor feeding skills than those without syndromes. In addition, parental reports of feeding efficiency were found to be predictive of poor feeding. The study results suggested that early detection and management of feeding difficulties is important. Further, treatment for feeding problems may be needed beyond the first year of life, especially for babies born with PRS or a syndrome. To read the entire study, click here: www.allenpress.com/pdf/cpcj_44_403_702_709.pdf The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal is the bimonthly journal of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. For more information, visit www.cpcjournal.org. Teeth Tell the Tale Newswise -- University of Arkansas researchers examined the dental landscapes of prehistoric creatures from a South African province and found evidence for a dietary shift that suggests a corresponding change in the type of landscape that surrounded them. This marked change in the prehistoric landscape from woods and shrubs to grasslands may help fill in the picture of environmental changes that accompanied our own evolution. Peter Ungar, professor of anthropology in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and postdoctoral researchers Gildas Merceron and Rob Scott studied the teeth of bovids, or hoofed mammals, found in the fossil record at Langebaanweg, the site of a unique ecosystem on the coast of South Africa. Ungar reported their findings as part of an address at a symposium last week in Langebaanweg. They used a technique that he and colleagues pioneered to examine the microscopic wear on teeth using modified fractal analysis software and a state-of-the-art laser scanning microscope. The pits and grooves in animals' teeth point to different dietary preferences. A pit-laden texture indicates consumption of hard, brittle foods, such as nuts or woody plants. A scratched texture indicates the shearing of food, such as grasses. Next, they examined the fossil teeth from ungulates whose remains were discovered in the Western Cape, South Africa, which lived just over 5 million years ago. The data appear to show a shift in the markings on the teeth, indicating a shift in eating patterns from browsing to grazing. “This might indicate the opening up of the grasslands in this area,” Ungar said. This is the first time that microwear texture data have suggested a dietary shift within a group of animals before, Ungar said. Photo: Photos are available for download at dailyheadlines.uark.edu Consumers Perceive Strong Link Between Oral And Medical Health New York, NY - A new study by MetLife reveals that most consumers (85%) believe there is a strong connection between oral health and overall medical health. Additionally, more than one-third (37%) of working Americans have established long-term relationships with their dentists that span six or more years. Consumers underscore their understanding of the link between oral health and medical health by citing preventive care as top on the list of reasons that they visit the dentist. These are encouraging findings given that clinical studies have revealed a correlation between periodontal disease and increased risk for serious conditions including heart disease and preterm births. The MetLife Oral Health Insights study was conducted by GfK NOP, a global top-five market research firm during the third quarter of 2006 among a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adults, ages 18 to 64, across the United States. Tips and information on proper oral care, including risk assessment guides for periodontal disease and tooth decay, can be found at the online MetLife Oral Health Library at www.whymetlife.com/oralhealth. HHS Sect. Leavitt Comments On Dr. Chan Nomination to WHO I congratulate Dr. Margaret Chan on her nomination as the next Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). The United States Government looks forward to working with Dr. Chan, and to continuing our close collaboration with the WHO Secretariat on a range of pressing public-health and scientific issues. All of the candidates for the position of Director-General had impressive credentials, and the decision was a difficult one. The WHO is an important body dedicated to the health needs of every person in the world, and I am honored to have led the U.S. delegation to take part in this historic election. Dr. Chan is a strong leader, with a proven record on managing health programs as WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases and Representative of the WHO Director-General for Pandemic Influenza. And as Director of Health for Hong Kong, Dr. Chan led the successful response to the outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and highly pathogenic avian influenza. I am confident she will ensure WHO's role as the premier global health agency, guided by scientific excellence and well- prepared to meet the many challenges it faces. Funding Opportunities Building the Tooth: Bridging Biology and Material Sciences. (Limited Competition)[U54] (RFA-DE-07-009) Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R21) (PAR-07-018) Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R03) (PAR-07-019) |