Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD)
The ADA and ADAF are dedicated to developing resources to assist practitioners implement the most current scientific evidence in clinical practice. Such resources include a listing of systematic reviews on oral health topics, evidence-based clinical recommendations and EBD conferences. The ADAF has received a grant from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research to develop a centralized EBD Web site that will be a resource for all members of the oral healthcare team. The EBD Web site, scheduled to be launched in mid 2008, will include numerous resources and tools to assist in clinical decision-making.
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Health Screening Program (HSP)
HSP is a research project that offers a battery of health screening tests to dentists, chairside assistants and dental hygienists at the ADA annual session. The ultimate mission of the HSP is to make the dental office safer for dental professionals and the patients they serve and to expand scientific knowledge in areas of importance to dentists and their patients. The goals of the HSP are fourfold: to collect, analyze and disseminate information on the general health dental professionals and the occupational risks of practicing dentistry; to collaborate in basic, applied and clinical research on topics important to the profession; to provide a forum to assess new technology and educate the profession about its utility; and to provide a valuable health service to its participants.
The HSP has gathered the largest set of longitudinal data relating to the safety of the dental profession and, in turn, dental treatment. The HSP also promotes scientific research by publishing results and by making the nation’s largest database of aggregated information about the health of the dental professionals available to researchers and policy makers. The data generated through this annual program has provided invaluable epidemiological data that has proved useful in the development of Association policies and recommendations which benefit the public.
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Research on Emerging Issues
Aerosol Research Project
There are health concerns from some in the scientific community about the potential transmission of infectious solid particulate spatter and aerosols generated during some dental procedures, and air quality and ventilation in the dental operatory. The primary goal of this project is to evaluate and assess the health risk of particulate splatter and bio-aerosols during patient treatment using ultrasonic scalers and high-speed surgical burs in a simulated dental operatory. Information generated in this study will facilitate the development of guidelines by the profession and American Society of Heating and Air-conditioning Engineering in reducing these potential environmental hazards by instituting engineering controls to reduce particulate splatter and aerosol concentrations down to their pre-operative baseline levels (15 mg/cubic meter of total aerosol particulate mass) as defined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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Microbial Numbers in Dental Unit Water Lines
In 1995 the ADA recommended that manufacturers of dental equipment develop technologies to permit the numbers of aerobic, mesophilic, heterotrophic bacteria from dental unit waterlines (DUWL) to be no higher than 200 CFU/mL. In 2003 the CDC infection control recommendations for dentistry suggested at level of no more than 500 CFU/mL. Established biofilms in DUWL may exceed 50,000 CFU/ml. Although high CFUs in dental unit water have not been documented as contributors to pathogen transmission, high CFUs in DU water in a healthcare setting may pose a risk to immunocompromised patients. The primary goal of this project is to survey the manufacturers and sampled dental clinics ability to come into compliance with the ADA’s recommendation by manufacturing design and regular disinfectant maintenance by the dental team.
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Occupational Exposure to Legionella among Dentists
Legionella pneumophila has been speculated to be a potential occupational hazard for dentists through the inhalation of aerosols generated by high-speed hand pieces or ultrasonic scalers. The goal of this study is aimed to determine if the seroprevalence of Legionella pneumophila antibodies in practicing dentists is caused by an occupational exposure. Volunteer dentists and non-dentists controls were recruited and those that were seropositive for L. pneumophila antibodies subsequently provided a water sample for each dental unit and home shower that they routinely use.
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Sterilization of Dental Handpieces
It has been demonstrated that dental handpieces may take up saliva or blood containing microorganisms from patients, and induce the cross contamination between patients during subsequent use of dental handpieces. Steam sterilization of handpieces is highly recommended after treatment of each patient to prevent transmission of infectious agents. It has been demonstrated that high-speed dental handpiece turbine is potentially one of the major areas of contamination in handpiece. Two basic kinds of turbines are commercially available, which are canister style- and open wheel-style turbines in dental handpieces. It has been speculated that the efficacy of the steam sterilization of handpieces depends on the design/style of handpiece turbines. However, the effect of steam sterilization on two kinds of handpiece turbines has not been compared. The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of design/style of handpiece turbines on efficacy of steam sterilization without lubricant as specified in AMI ST-55.
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