Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is suddenly in the news. This “superbug” kills nearly 19,000 people a year, yet is nothing really new (I covered it in a book I wrote six years ago: http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Superbugs-Drug-Resistant-Diseases-Issues/dp/0766015882/ref=sr_1_1/102-0772314-6931352?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193425873&sr=8-1). But the incidence is increasing and it is now popping up in school locker rooms, where student athletes are picking it up through scrapes and scratches.
Two recent studies have explored the possibility that aerosols and spatter generated during dental treatments may spread MRSA, so it is important that dental professionals inform themselves about it. Fortunately, OSAP has pulled together a solid selection of resources on its website at www.osap.org (go to “Resources” and then click “MRSA” on the fly-out menu). If you are not already a member of OSAP, take this opportunity to sign up while you’re on the site. No matter what role you play in the dental industry, you have a vested interest in improving infection control and safety in dentistry.
One of the challenges facing dental manufacturers is the gap between the development of new products and technologies and their integration into dental schools. The result has often been that dental students graduate and start their practices having never had first-hand experience with the most current materials and equipment. This makes the marketing of these products to new dentists even more difficult and delays the advantages new technologies might provide to patients.
The recently announced CRETE Innovation Center at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine will provide a state-of-the-art dental practice setting for manufacturers to not only showcase new products and technologies, but to have them become part of the training dental students receive. The operatories will be equipped to allow procedures to be broadcast live to locations within the dental school or to remote sites, allowing manufacturers to observe their products in use.
CRETE (http://biodontics.org/crete.htm) is actively seeking partners for this program, which will allow manufacturers not only to submit products but to participate in the planning and management of the program. A governing Board will have representatives from the dental industry, dental school faculty, and students.
To learn more and find out how to participate, contact Dr. Ed Rossomando at 860-679-2622 or erossomando@uchc.edu.
Like the weather, everybody complains about dental shows but nobody seems to be able to do anything about them. Maybe that’s about to change. The Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) through, their Exhibits Committee, is developing a position paper on dental shows. Since the DTA is the industry’s only trade group, this is a big deal. The paper will be presented to the DTA’s Board of Directors for approval before release. Hopefully, the DTA will release the report to all vendors, members and non-members alike. And all of the disaffected companies need to support the DTA on this matter. It’s your money! Go to the DTA website for details (www.dentaltradealliance.org).
On another note, Advanstar Publishing has announced the birth of a new type of dental meeting to be held next May in Las Vegas. There will be no dental society affiliation, but there will be some CE available There will be speakers and a great deal of emphasis on technology. A lot of vendors have lined up to exhibit. Keep a close eye on this!
At a CRETE (see link to the right) Industry Advisory Council meeting at the ADA I heard Dr. Richard Valachovic, Executive Director of the American Dental Education Association and Dr. Sharon Turner, Dean of the University of Kentucky Dental School, who had been invited to hear Dr, Valachovic speak. They mentioned some interesting statistics that have a significant impact on the industry side of the dental field.
We have all heard that there is an increasing shortage of dentists (which translates into fewer buyers for dental equipment and supplies). Approximately 6500 dentists leave the profession each year, while approximately 4200 dental students graduate. One might assume from this that fewer students are interested in dentistry, but that is not the case. This past year, 13,000 qualified students applied for the 4200 slots available in dental schools.
Dental education has become a huge bottleneck. There are currently 400 faculty positions open at dental schools in the U.S. That is an amazing number. According to Dean Turner, dentistry has become so lucrative that tenured professors are leaving dental schools to go into private practice. While in the short run this adds dentists to the rolls, it takes out professors that could help teach hundreds of students to become dentists. That means fewer students are able to get dental degrees. And guess what those students want to do when they graduate? Make money. Lots of money. In other words, they don’t want to teach. One solution may be for dental schools to provide a big enough incentive (forgiving dental school debt, for example) to attract faculty.
Access to care is also a major concern because dentists can now fill their practices with self-paying customers for cosmetic and implant procedures, while in other areas needy patients go without care. The recent case of the boy who died from an infection that began as a dental problem pointed out how dire this problem has become. For this reason, another idea is to tap altruistic students who might be motivated by social conscience to serve in areas where access to dental care is poor. The key here is, you guessed it, a professor who values and emphasizes social conscience.
As the gap between rich and poor widens in this country (and our President continues to veto legislation that could provide broader healthcare coverage) access to care will become a larger problem for medical as well as dental care. But the pattern of fewer dentists, gravitating toward the most lucrative sections of the market, may make the issue more visible in the area of dental care.
The dental industry closed the books on another ADA Meeting. The results seemed mixed. The ADA keeps tinkering with the format, hoping to find a way to get more of its members to the exhibit floors. When it’s 70 degrees and sunny in San Francisco, where do you think the dentists will be! Anywhere but Moscone! The ADA has tried 4 day shows, 3 day shows, Friday to Sunday, Thursday to Saturday, marketplaces, and so on. Here’s a suggestion. Make it a TWO day show. Open the exhibits on Friday and Saturday, and make Friday an “Exhibits Only” day. Encourage the staff to go, as well. Next year the meeting goes to San Antonio. Maybe it should be a one day show.
On a sad note, many at the meeting noted the passing of Bob Satterley. I first met Bob when I joined DentalEZ, and he was part of that powerhose sales force assembled by Bob Richardson. Maybe the best sales force ever. Bob will be missed by many of his colleagues. One more smile gone.