The Morning Drill: July 24, 2012

St. John's Fire Rescue on scene Sunday morning where the body of local dentist David Stone was found

Good Tuesday morning!

On to today's dentistry and health headlines:

Body found in Stono River identified as local dentist

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office is investigating a body that was found in the Stono River on Johns Island Sunday morning.

The Charleston County Coroner's Office has identified the victim as 47-year-old David Stone of Charleston. They said his cause of death is still pending.

The coroner's office confirmed that Stone was part of Stone Family Dentistry in West Ashley.

According to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, Stone was reported missing through Charleston City Police Department on July 20. CPD tells us his wife reported him missing Friday.

According to the CCSO, Stone's body was found around 8:15 a.m. in the water between the Stono and the Limehouse Boat Landing.

Dental coalition urges Surgeon General's report

Sixteen dental organizations asked the administration July 23 to commission a U.S. Surgeon General's report on relationships between specific dietary practices and oral diseases.

"We strongly urge you to commission a report that, at a minimum, evaluates scientific literature on the extent to which sugar-sweetened beverage consumption affects oral health," said the coalition letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the administration's chief health officer.

"We also ask that you put forward a science-based definition of 'soft drinks' and/or 'soda pop'. The definition should account for the natural sugar(s), added sugar(s), carbonation and acid(s) in these beverages. It should also distinguish 'soft drinks' from beverages many consider healthy despite their sugar and acid content (e.g. fruit juices, milk, etc.)," the coalition said.

"From a dental perspective, a steady diet of sugary foods and drinks, including juice and sports drinks, can damage teeth. A report from the Surgeon General will shine a light on this issue and, hopefully, generate fact-based policies around which the oral health community can coalesce."

'Teach Me How to Brushy' goes viral

The Oregon Dental Association launches 'Teach Me How to Brushy' public service campaign! The video is aimed at communicating the importance of establishing healthy dental habits at an early age.

UCLA School of Dentistry gets $9 million from First 5 LA to increase dental care access for infants, young children

The UCLA School of Dentistry has received major new funding to help improve the oral health of children in underserved populations. First 5 LA, the child advocacy and grant-making organization, awarded the UCLA School of Dentistry and its partners $9 million to increase access to dental care for Los Angeles children from birth to age 5.  

This funding is in response to an urgent need for improved oral health care for children living in areas with large population groups such as Latinos and African Americans who are at high-risk for early dental disease. Despite improvements in oral health care, millions of children continue to experience tooth decay and its consequences, including pain, infection and loss of teeth, which can result in problems with eating, sleeping and learning.

UCLA has engaged several key partners to collaborate in this initiative – the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Safety Net Solutions and the Sesame Workshop. This group of organizations will work with 10 to 12 community clinics in the Greater Los Angeles area to establish a "dental home" model of care for young children. The services provided will be delivered in a continuously accessible and family-centered way by licensed dentists and other health care providers.

Called the First 5 LA 21st Century Community Dental Homes Project, its major objectives will be to not only deliver quality dental care to young children but to increase parents' and child care providers' awareness of the importance of oral health care for preschool children and develop a sustainable community "dental home" model of care for these children.

Enjoy your morning!