Inside a massive appropriations bill now in Congress is a provision which would allow federal funding for dental therapists.

Dental therapists perform basic dentistry, including fillings and simple extractions, under the supervision of a dentist. They can also work remotely, providing care in places like nursing homes or rural areas.

Dr. Frank Catalanotto, a founding member of Floridians for Dental Access, said when oral health is neglected, people often end up in a hospital emergency room.

"Tragically, Florida leads the nation," Catalanotto pointed out. "In 2019, we had 150,000 visits to a hospital emergency department because of a preventable dental problem. We had 4,300 admissions to the hospital because the infection was life-threatening."

He added in 2019, hospitals billed $630 million for dental-related care, with roughly half being Medicaid or not paid. He argued many such cases could have been avoided if people had access to affordable preventive dental care.

The Florida Legislature has seen multiple attempts to legalize dental therapy fail in committee over the last few years. Alaska was the first U.S. state to license dental therapists 15 years ago, with a dozen more since then.

Dr. Larry Hill, president of the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity, said Congress has made multiple attempts to fund dental therapy in recent years, only to see it removed from bills at the last minute. He is convinced dental therapists could help address the critical national shortage of providers.

"It could mean the difference, literally, in millions of people over time," Hill contended. "Not next week, not next year, but over time, it could make the difference in millions of people that can't now get care being able to access just routine care, preventive care."

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates nearly 70 million Americans live in areas without enough dental care providers. Often, the locations are rural or in underserved minority communities.

In 2015, the Commission on Dental Accreditation adopted standards for training in dental therapy and there are currently four such programs in the U.S.

Catalanatto noted dental therapy is holding up under scientific scrutiny.

"One hundred percent of the published scientific evidence said that dental therapists are safe, provide high-quality care, are cost-effective and help improve access to care for underserved people in this country," Catalanotto emphasized.

An Indiana licensing board has fined a local physician $3,000 and handed her a letter of reprimand after she went public about a 10-year-old Ohio patient forced to travel across state lines for an abortion.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita brought the case against obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, for comments she made last July to the Indianapolis Star about a young rape victim who could not legally receive an abortion in Ohio because she was just over six weeks pregnant.

Bernard testified she did not feel she would have ever been brought before the board - where she risked losing her license - if Rokita had not chosen to make the case a political stunt.

"I feel an obligation as a physician to share information that is relevant to public health," said Bernard, "as well as potentially in light of certain legislation, ensuring that it is clear that those are contrary to the best interest of my patients."

The AG's office had argued Bernard made the decision to speak about her patient to the largest newspaper in Indiana, which resulted in national publicity for the case.

Indiana University Health, where Bernard works, issued a statement after the decision maintaining its findings that Bernard did properly follow privacy laws.

After the story broke, Rokita appeared on Fox News to discuss it. Other Republican leaders, including Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan - R-Urbana - suggested Bernard fabricated the story.

Bernard acknowledged that politics made the case more challenging.

"Certainly, there was a lot of media frenzy," said Bernard. "I was receiving significant harassment, particularly after Fox News picked up on the story and began featuring the story in their news segments. I was quite surprised by all of the attention."

Bernard told the licensing board she was surprised that people think young girls are not, unfortunately, frequently raped and become pregnant.




get more stories like this via email

As Lyme disease Awareness Month draws to a close, levels of some tick-borne illnesses in Missouri are on the rise.

While Lyme infections in Missouri are not as dramatic as they are in northeastern states, officials said there is still cause for concern. Ticks cause a higher number of human diseases than any other insect in the U.S.

The most common tick related diseases in Missouri are Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and Lyme, along with newer viruses such as Heartland and Bourbon. Studies show the frequency of infections are increasing.

Dr. Ram Raghavan, associate professor of veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical School, said there are several reasons why.

"Some of these suburban areas are built around wooded backyards, and people are interacting with the wild more than they used to be in the past," Raghavan explained. "We are also getting very clever and very accurate in the way we detect diseases, there is increased awareness, not only among practitioners, but also patients."

He pointed out climate change is also making winters warmer and extending tick season. When outdoors experts recommend hikers stay in the center of trails and avoid tall grass and brush. Recommendations also include wearing clothing treated with permethrin or insect repellent containing at least 20% DEET, to check clothing for ticks, showering after being outdoors, then conducting a thorough tick check.

Raghavan noted in addition to the many bacterial pathogens transmitted by ticks, there are also threats from emerging viruses.

"Recently, in the past 10 years or so, a couple of new tick-borne viruses emerged in our area here in the central Midwest," Raghavan outlined. "One of them is called Heartland virus, and another one is Bourbon virus. Heartland and Bourbon viruses can actually kill somebody and there have been a few fatalities that have occurred over the years."

The Missouri Department of Health reports the majority of Heartland virus patients required hospitalization to recover. Bourbon virus is named after Bourbon County, Kansas, where the first U.S. incidence of the disease occurred.

A relatively new condition associated with tick-borne illness is Alpha-Gal Syndrome, when people become allergic to red meat. Raghavan said it is transmitted by the most common tick in the state.

"Meat allergy is a significant problem, and it is transmitted by the tick called the Lone Star tick, which is actually the most abundant tick in our region," Raghavan stressed. "Chances are, if someone is ever going to see a tick on them, it's most likely going to be a Lone Star tick. So we need to be watching out for that."

Ticks cannot fly or jump, nor do they drop from trees. They stay relatively close to the ground where they can access soil moisture which they need to stay alive. After rain, the wet conditions and higher humidity will bring ticks out in greater numbers.


get more stories like this via email

Extreme heat kills about 700 people in the United States each year, but a new toolkit and weather alerts can protect folks in Texas and beyond.

According to an analysis by Climate Central, the annual number of risky heat days has increased in 232 U.S. locations since 1970.

Saqi Maleque Cho, president of the health and development nonprofit Americares, said the new Heat.gov pilot project will help frontline clinics and the patients they serve better prepare for and respond to climate shocks.

"For example, our hurricane resources remind patients to refill their medications before a major storm," she said. "For diabetic patients who depend on insulin, we remind them to keep icepacks and a cooler in the event of a power outage."

From 1970 to 2022, Reno, Nevada, reported the highest number of what Climate Central called "minimum-mortality temperature" days. However, three Texas cities - Austin, Houston and McAllen - were in the top ten for hottest temps.

The toolkit is available at Americares.org.

Kimberlyn Clarkson, chief advancement officer at Texas' San Jose Clinic, said doctors already are seeing health impacts to patients from high heat, including life-threatening dehydration. Those are often people, she said, who work in the agribusiness industry or construction.

"They don't have the option of not going in when it's a 99-degree day, or not reporting for work if there's some sort of inclement weather," she said. "They need the work. They don't have PTO; if they don't go to work, they don't earn income."

To create the Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit, said Caleb Dresser, a physician and director of Harvard University's climate program, a needs assessment was conducted of 450 physicians and clinicians to learn what would help them better respond to their patients affected by heatwaves, hurricanes, floods or wildfires.

"As we look both short-term, medium-term and long-term at what climate change is," he said, "it means greater exposure to climate-responsive hazards for a whole lot of people, all over the country."


get more stories like this via email