Give thanks

I attended an open hearing on dental therapist education standards, hosted by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). A panel of academic experts developed a set of evidence-based national standards for education programs that train midlevel providers (MLPs), aka dental therapists, in the USA. The expert panel is consists of individuals from three of the existing U.S. educational programs for MLPs; professionals in dental therapy practice in the U.S. and Canada; and authorities in the area of educational standard creation. The purpose of the standards is to assist states where legislation is being deliberated in the area of oral health workforce, and MLPs. The panel suggested the following: That dental therapists be trained to practice under the supervision of a dentist and to work collaboratively as part of a dental care team; the dental therapy curriculum must include at least two calendar years of full-time instruction or its equivalent at the postsecondary level, and graduates must receive an associate degree; if a student is to be jointly trained in dental therapy and dental hygiene, the curriculum must include at least three years of full-time instruction or its equivalent. See Section 1 of this newsletter for more information on providing testimony to CODA. November 14, 2013, was International World Diabetes Day!(3) World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The WDD campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.

A large-scale new study (announced November 13, 2013) found that reducing meat and dairy products in favor of fruits and vegetables could dramatically reduce the risk of diabetes.(4) Dr. Françoise Clavel-Chapelon's team at the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in Paris found that animal products, including meat, cheese, and egg yolks, trigger stomach acids linked to the disease. Fruits, including acidic fruits such as lemons and oranges, reduce the stomach acids before they can cause harm to the body. The study involved approximately 66,500 women (from the French center of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) over 14 years, with findings showing that those with acidic diets were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Scientists gave the subjects potential renal acid load of foods (PRAL) scores, referring to the potential renal acid load in their diets, with those with scores in the top 25 per cent having a 56 percent greater risk of getting diabetes than those in the bottom 25 percent. Meats can have a PRAL value as high as 13.2, cheeses 26.8, and fish 10.8. In contrast, fruits and vegetables have negative PRAL values. The findings, announced this week, appear in the latest issue of the journal Diabetologia.(5)

Every day should be diabetes prevention day! There is now extensive evidence on the optimal management of diabetes, offering the opportunity of improving the immediate and long-term quality of life of those with diabetes. To view the Global Guideline for Type 2 Diabetes, visit the website.(6) I wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, Thanksgiving! I am grateful to you, our loyal readers, and the professionals that make up our wonderful oral healthcare team.