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A 60 year old woman had a drill bit come loose in her mouth, it occurred during a routine dental implant surgery. When they asked the patient to cough it out of her mouth, it appeared she had swallowed the drill piece reflexively. The patient was rushed to the hospital where they ran an x-ray, where they found the drill was trapped in her right lung. The drill part sat within her for three days until they were able to perform surgery. A bronchoscopy was performed to remove it. She was able to leave the hospital the next day but it took her a full month to recover.

This took place in Sweden- but it actually has happened right here in the United States earlier this year. The story goes about the same way- but with a much larger discussion on who should pay for it and the insurance involved. The dental office got the gentleman who swallowed the drill bit to sign a release saying they would only have to reimburse up to 500 dollars- of what turned out to be a 20,000 dollar hospital bill.

This type of emergency however, seems like a very large rarity, and nothing you would really need to worry about. it can only happen on certain procedures as well- making the likelyhood of it happening even less.It is not like people need more reasons to fear going to the dentist!

I was over at the Dental Buzz checking out their blog- and I ran into news of a creepy dental calendar using the mannequins with realistic teeth! I went online to find as many of the highest quality images I could possibly find:

This seems like a novelty gift item- especially for your dental students and hygienist that might exist in our lives! This could also be a very clever Secret Santa item! Its a shame we just missed the holidays! You can find this item over at Practicon.

During Portland’s heated fluoride debate, Florida’s Clearwater has decided to begin fluoridating its water again. Through grassroot education, political lectures, and a lot of opinion based conjecture, they decided to reject the votes of the two county commissioners. The commission had to listen through three hours of public testimony for and against fluoridating- the goal to inform the public on the subject matter.

“The 6-1 vote by the commissioners to put fluoride back into the Pinellas County water system demonstrates the effectiveness of an organized effort by the dental community and the many organizations that collaborated with us,” said Dr. Terry L. Buckenheimer, ADA 17th District trustee and a Tampa area dentist. After the vote, local dentists and dental societies and other pro-fluoridation individuals and groups began working at the grassroots level to educate policymakers and residents about the benefits of fluoridation.

Dentists typically do not discuss political issues with their patients, but the debate in Florida forced them to discuss the safety and effectiveness of the fluoridation. The local dentists had become major supporters of the local fluoride movement. They declared the entire issue to be a win- especially for the below poverty level workers who would be unable to afford dental care. It introduces the idea… of Portland has a high enough below poverty level class, then perhaps going in that direction would not be a bad idea. I went online to check the averages…

Portland: 20.3%
Whole state: 19.0%

1 in 5 people is below the National Poverty Levels. The national average of below poverty levels is 12.2%.

Reference.

With a much higher below poverty level then the national average, when it would come to assisting the poor’s dental needs it would be in our best interest to allow fluoride in the drinking water.

Melissa Nelson, an Iowa Hygienist, was fired by her boss for being “irresistible”- with the supreme court ruling that her employer broke no discrimination laws. She spoke out against their ruling on December 22nd, 2012: “The last couple of days have just been an emotional roller coaster. I’m trying to stay strong. It’s tough, I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it’s right. With regard to the ruling, I think it is sending a message that men can do whatever they want in the work force.” She had been working got the dental office for more then 10 years working with her employer, Dr. James Knight.

Their ruling was based off of a ruling from a lower court- and it did not constitute sex discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. She was not fired because of her gender, the court ruled, but because her boss and his wife felt Nelson was a threat to their marriage. They simply could not rule out every other similar ruling with similar facts. Under the traditional employment at will doctrine, employees can in general be fired for any reason or no reason as long as it doesn’t violate civil rights or fair employment laws, a personal services or union contract, or an employee handbook provision.

There has been many claims about how inappropriate the dentist could be at work, and according to the report by ABC News, Dr. Knight’s wife had noticed offending text messages and ordered her husband to fire Nelson. After he discussed it with his pastor, her decided it would be best to let Melissa Nelson go. Nelson said she is happily married and was not having an affair with her boss. She said she routinely wore scrubbs while on the job, not tight clothing. She admitted that she is still struggling with the court’s decision that the firing, while unfair, was not unlawful. Although people act for a variety of reasons, it is common for women to be targeted for discrimination because of sexual attractiveness or supposed lack of sexual attractiveness.

This brush isn’t for people who likes gimmicks and tricks, this brush goes for the most aesthetically beautiful brush possible. Bogobrush’s bamboo handle and nylon bristles, it is fully biodegradable for the extra hipster sheek of being environmentally conscious. Sadly, there is no real reason to use this tooth brush past its aesthetic- its whole goal is an attempt to be pleasing to the eye, and target an early to late twenty year old market. I honestly expect it to work, and I honestly want one!

You can watch their promotional video and see their very modern website here.