Back ache excuses cured
As a profession we are plagued by back pain more than most which is why new research could be a great step forward; and in more ways than first meets the eye.
The findings from a team of Danish and British researchers suggest that up to 40 per cent of cases could be caused by bacteria and therefore treatable with antibiotics. Tissue taken from patients who had had surgery for the condition and found that over 40 per cent tested positive for bacteria, with 80 per cent of those cases involving Propionibacterium acnes. Temporarily leaving asidethe matter of increasing antibiotic resistance, the prospect of returning to work sooner must be good news (mustn’t it?).
What is also a great boost is that reports suggest that the bacteria, which also cause acne, can be found in gingival crevices and may enter the bloodstream through tooth brushing. At last the perfect argument to make teenagers brush!
Richard III’s teeth
There has been much recent speculation about the dental health of King Richard III since his remains were discovered somewhat ignominiously under a car park in Leicester city centre earlier this year.
Analysis, carried out by London GDP Amit Rai (a regular contributor to The Dentist) found that the 15th century monarch ground his teeth with stress and had suffered severe tooth decay, possibly as a result of his privileged position and a sweet tooth. Amit also found that the blows to the king’s skull which killed him were so strong they drove his crown (as in head-gear not porcelain) into his skull.
Other historical figures have had similar claims to dental fame. President Lincoln’s full dentures come to mind (although neatly side-stepped in the recent movie, I noted) as do Winston Churchill’s partials, auctioned not so long ago. With the ‘heavy metal’ generation gradually working its way through the echelons of fame and power the younger caries-free celebrities will have to rely on inset diamonds and piercings for identity in future excavations. What price good oral health?
Team disharmony
Dental nurses have been experiencing an unusually troubled time in the courts recently. A dental nurse who received a written warning for eating an apple has won her case for constructive dismissal after also having been accused of breaking other rules such as packing up her bags too early and using Facebook during work hours. Walking out of the practice, she represented herself at the employment tribunal claiming she was treated unfairly.
In another case, a jury was told that a dental nurse had allegedly poisoned her boss’s drink with mercury after being given a final warning. The nurse, from Bedford, was reprimanded after she left a patient in a dental chair and went to lunch, Blackfriars Crown Court heard. She was alleged to have later placed mercury amalgam in her practice manager’s coffee, causing her to suffer stomach cramps and sickness. Surely not quite what the UN had in mind with its recent announcement to ‘phase down’ the material.
APRIL WINNER
The winner of the April prize is Garry Sime of Perth for the caption: "And your Vocational Training year starts in 3, 2, 1......!"