Thursday, November 29, 2007
Dentists from Tampa Bay have begun to provide dental care for the poor at a normal cost from the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco through a program named "Gulf Coast Dental Outreach". According to the program founders, most of the procedures would cost about $15. The program has about 13 volunteer dentists and specialists. The treatment is done only on appointment to avoid people waiting for the procedures. The treatments will take place at the Gulf Coast Dental Outreach facility in Northern Pinellas. This entire program will be funded by donations in order to compensate for the hygienists and dental assistants.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
After 10 years of lobbying, the USC school of Dentistry has persuaded the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California to boost the fluoride levels in public water which is supplied to 18 million residents in Los Angles and other California residents in the South. This is implemented to prevent the tooth decay among the residents.
The MWD has increased the fluorine levels in water, which is considered to be the optimum amount for the dental health. Charles Goldstein, a USC dentistry professor, said that every legitimate health association in the US supports this increased fluoride levels in our public water. Fluoride will save more teeth than all the dentists in the world combined, he added.Hence this dental health measure is likely to have a favorable cost-benefit ratio for the public.
