DT India & South Asia No. 1, 2020

Mahesh Chaudhary: Master dental technician who touched, transformed and inspired many lives. / Novel technology may improve early detection of mouth and throat cancer / Study suggests relationship between periodontitis and vitamin D / Dental students embrace new learning technology / Researchers call for thoughtful waste management in dentistry / Survey reveals the impact of a good smile and healthy teeth on self-confidence and well-being

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DENTALTRIBUNE
The World’s Dental Newspaper · South Asia Edition

Published in India

www.dental-tribune.in

01/20

Saliva and Oral Cancer

Vitamin D in Periodontitis Tech in Education

Smile and Self-esteem

Human
Papilloma Virus
in salivary
exosomes may
help in the early
detection of
mouth & throat cancer

Study finds modest
association
between
periodontitis and
low levels of
vitamin D

Survey reveals the
impact of a good
smile and healthy
teeth on selfconfidence and wellbeing

” Page 03

Dental students
embrace new learning
technology that helps
them build their skills
& knowledge

” Page 04

” Page 05

” Page 07

Mahesh Chaudhary: Master dental
technician who touched, transformed
and inspired many lives.
by Rajeev Chitguppi, Dental
Tribune South Asia
Dental Tribune South Asia
pays its heartfelt tribute to
the master dental technician,
ceramist par excellence, a great
mentor and human being, Mr
Mahesh Chaudhary, after his
untimely demise on 6th Jan
2020. Three clinicians who had
had a close association with him
- Drs. Akshita Mehrotra, Rainy
Surana and Ali Tunkiwala
share their experiences on how
it was like working with him
and learning from him.
Mr Mahesh Chaudhary was
a master dental technician with
a vast experience of more than
30 years in the dental industry.
He graduated from Government
Dental College, Mumbai and
completed his post-graduation
from the Manchester School of
Dental Technology in 1986.
Post his degree at Manchester,
he worked with various dental
laboratories in the United
Kingdom. In the year 1989, he
founded Ceramic Dental Studio
in Mumbai, India. He trained
thousands of technicians and
dentists across India- who are
now gainfully employed and
some of them even have started
their own outfits catering to the
dental industry.
He
trained
individuals
from novices to competent
professionals. He will be known
for his relentless pursuit of
improvement in techniques and
practices.
Three clinicians pay their
tribute to the master dental
technician.
“Sometimes, when one
person is absent, the whole
world seems depopulated.“

- by Dr Akshita Mehrotra
(Prosthodontist, Mumbai with
more than 20 years of association
with Mr Chaudhary)
The new year 2020 began with
full of promise and enthusiasm
but brought shocking news on 6th
of January. Mahesh Chaudhary,
the ceramist, somebody with
whom I had discussed cases
just one day ago, had suddenly
passed away. I couldn’t believe
what I had heard. The person
with whom there was a daily
conversation regarding various
patients, was suddenly no more.
It was really mind-numbing!
Sometimes, when one person
is absent, the whole world seems
depopulated. We as a dental
community have not only lost a
good ceramist but also somebody
who was full of energy and
enthusiasm and always ready to
help others. My association with
him goes back more than twenty
years. Approximately in 199798. I had walked into his office
and introduced myself as a PG
student from GDC, Mumbai. At
that time, he was already a very
established dental technician,
one of the few who was well

known for doing advanced
ceramic work. I was nervous
and scared as he was known
not to suffer fools easily. I had
a full mouth rehabilitation case
to be completed and presented
in the upcoming prosthodontic
conference. Mahesh Chaudhary
introduced
himself
and
welcomed me warmly. He
listened to me patiently and
guided and mentored me on the
finer technical aspects of ceramic
prosthetic work. Over the next
month, the case was completed
to our satisfaction, presented
and was well appreciated. This
was the start of a professional
relationship that lasted more than
20 years until his unexpected
demise.
Over the years, I came to know
Mahesh as a true professional
and great ceramist who cared
foremost about good dentistry
and produced superb results in a
committed time span. He was not
only an expert technician but
also had good knowledge about
the biological aspects of clinical
dentistry. With authority, he
could constructively criticize and
with a passion he would work to

produce superb results. Though
known for his straight-talking,
over the years I have seen him
help many unconditionally,
whether it be PG students or
young dentists, and was always
open to suggestions to better and
improve on his work.
The highest tribute to the
dead is not grief but gratitude.
I am a better prosthodontist and
clinician for having worked with
Mahesh Chaudhary.
Mahesh, with so many
beautiful smiles created by
us over the years, I will miss
collaborating with you in my
future cases.
May the winds of heaven
blow softly
and whisper in your ear.
How much we respect and
miss you
and wish that you were here
“A perfectionist and a frank
person who called a spade a
spade“ - by Dr Rainy Surana
(whom Mr Mahesh Chaudhary
called his most favourite
student)
Mahesh sir was someone
whose reputation preceded him.

I remember the first time I met
him in his lab. I had just moved
back from Los Angeles and had
no faith that I would be able to do
the same quality of work that was
done back in the US. Everything
changed from that day, 4 years
ago, when I met Sir!
Sir was a perfectionist
and a very frank and truthful
one. He would call a spade a
spade- so a bad impression
was a bad impression and had
to be redone by the dentist.
We, unfortunately, are not
in a country where a dentist
can be wrong, and that would
make it extremely difficult for
all dentists to follow his high
standards of quality.
Sir was tough and expected
the best only. I remember
repeating final impressions 5
times, till I got all the margins
and other structures recorded
with 100 % perfection. But that
was sir. Soon, those 5 repeat
attempts became 3, and the 2
and then 1. And I only have sir to
thank for it.
In these 4 years of visiting
the lab regularly, I have more
appreciation for technicians.
And learning to do my own lab
work, has made me a much better
dentist today!
Sir would understand the
passion for perfection. There
was once a single unit Veneer
case, and I wanted to layer and
stain, glaze it myself in Sir’s lab.
I remember redoing the veneer
fabrication 7 times- that means
7 attempts of pressing, layering,
staining and glazing. All this
while, Sir encouraging me that I
would be able to do it better the
next time around. I feel there
are many talented ceramists in
this country that may be able
to do good work, but none like
Mahesh Sir, who would do it so
selflessly. He had, in a similar

[2] =>

2

News

manner, mentored thousands of
dentists and technicians over his
30+ years of practice.
After
Sir’s
untimely
demise, I felt lost. And I came
across a beautiful article
about mentorship. About how
important it is and how wrong
we get the concept.
“We write a ton about
the importance of mentors.
Yet, there‘s a commercial,
artificial and transient nature
to mentorship. We select a
mentor based on an individual
challenge or circumstance. True
mentorship, though, is deeper,
and it‘s something that chooses
you. It‘s a relationship, deep and
lifelong -- even generational.”
I had never realized that until
Sir. Thank you, Mahesh Sir, I will
be eternally grateful.
“A
salute
to
Mahesh
Chaudhary - he was way ahead
of his time“ by Dr Ali Tunkiwala
(Renowned Prosthodontist &
Implantologist)

Figure 1 Mahesh Chaudhary in
1999 and in 2019

01/20

I distinctly remember as if
it happened just yesterday; we
were doing our post-graduation
in GDC Mumbai in 1996. As part
of our university requirement, we
had to do a thesis that required
a lot of lab support. Mahesh
(Chaudhary),
from Ceramic
Dental Studio, was the default
choice to go to. When I first met
him, he immediately made me
comfortable and came across as
a very jovial and helpful person
with the correct dose of sarcasm
and humour that made you laugh
all the time when you were with
him. He had a lot of interesting
stories about everyone he worked
with and there was never a dull
moment with him around.
He was a storehouse of vital
lab information that forms
the basis of all that we were
learning. He generously shared
his entire lab infrastructure for
the purpose of education and
allowed us unhindered access. I
developed a great rapport with
him and continued working with
him as I started my own practice.

Times were tough initially and he
always used to say, „Don‘t worry
about money to be paid to me, do
good work and pay me when you
have some“.
He provided some real state
of the artwork in the field of
metal-ceramics and was way
ahead of his time as far as lab
protocols were concerned. There
were not many labs in our city at
that time, and Mahesh stood out
amongst the best of best. He was
the first lab who taught me how
good work should be produced
by setting up the case well
clinically.
At such a young age to
lose him is a big loss for the
dental fraternity. He will be
remembered for all the good he
did; not only for the clinicians but
more so for the lab personnel. He
commanded respect and today
the dental lab fraternity reaps
the benefit of the hard work put
in by amazing human beings
like Mahesh. He had a lot more
to offer to humanity and has
gone too soon.

Figure 2 Mahesh Chaudhary
immersed in his work

We pay our tributes to him
and pray that his soul will rest
in peace! His memories will be
cherished with a smile on my
face and with eternal gratitude in
my heart for all that he has done
for so many of us.
Gone too soon!
Known for his frank views,
this one is in Mr Mahesh
Choudhary‘s
own
words:
(September 2018)
It‘s was in the month of
September 1985 I left the country
in pursuit of knowledge and
learning... now 33 years on am
still doing the same!! Learning
never ends!! Over these years
I‘ve realized the technician in
India suffers because of lack of
exposure to the right products
and correct techniques!!
We are essentially influenced
by
companies
and
their
technicians whose sole goal is to
sell... never to impart knowledge.
It‘s one thing I‘ve always held
against them and hence been
very unpopular amongst them.

Figure 3 Lab work

The dental laboratory, in the
present times, is only governed
by the price and speed of delivery.
Every laboratory today likes to
boast of their incorporation of
digital technology which they
have bought purely by monkey
see monkey do philosophy. Most
of these labs don‘t even own a
vacuum investor nor do they
know how to make individual
dies models. More than 90% of
the work done in this country is
done without dies. Laboratories
are using cheap unknown
Chinese brands. Some of the
better materials in our business
are neither popular or nor
available.
It‘s a sad state of affairs!!!
Thank you, Mr Mahesh
Chaudhary,
for
touching,
transforming and inspiring so
many lives. May your soul Rest
In Peace!

Figure 4 During a training event
in Lucknow (2017)
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5/7/19 11:42 AM

[3] =>

3

News

01/20

Novel technology may improve
early detection of mouth and throat
cancer
by Dental Tribune International
DURHAM,
N.C.,
U.S./
BIRMINGHAM, U.K.: Cancers
that occur in the back of the
mouth or in the upper throat
are often diagnosed only when
they are advanced as they are
difficult to spot in their early
stages. Acoustofluidics is a
novel, non-invasive method that
analyses saliva for the presence
of
human
papillomavirus
(HPV)-16, which happens to be
the pathogenic strain linked
with oropharyngeal cancers
(OPC). This new technique
has demonstrated a high
success rate in detecting OPC
in whole saliva in almost half
of the patients tested and in

the majority of confirmed OPC
patients.
Earlier studies that had
attempted to evaluate the
detection of human papilloma
viral (HPV) DNA in the whole
saliva as a diagnostic measure for
HPV-associated oropharyngeal
cancer (HPV-OPC) were not
really successful. Researchers in
the current study hypothesized
that salivary exosomes, the
membrane-bound extracellular
vesicles that are believed to
play a role in various types
of cancers, are packaged with
HPV-associated
biomarkers.
They hypothesized that efficient
enrichment of salivary exosomes
through isolation can enhance

Ad

In a new study, researchers were able to successfully detect human
papillomavirus from salivary exosomes isolated by integrating
acoustics and microfluidics. (Image: UCLA)

diagnostic
and
prognostic
performance for HPV-OPC.
“OPC has an approximate
incidence of 115,000 cases per
year worldwide and is one of the
fastest rising cancers in Western
countries due to increasing HPVrelated incidence, especially in
younger patients,” explained
co-author Dr Tony Jun Huang,
William Bevan distinguished
professor
of
mechanical
engineering and mechanical
science at Duke University in
North Carolina.
“Considering these factors,
the successful detection of HPV
from salivary exosomes isolated
by our acoustofluidic platform
offers
distinct
advantages,
including early detection, risk
assessment, and screening,”
Huang added. The technique
may also be instrumental in
helping
physicians
predict
which patients will respond
well to radiation therapy and
in improving progression-free
survival.
Exosomes, the membranebound extracellular vesicles,
are believed to play a role in
intercellular
communication
and are associated with several
types of cancers. In the study,
the researchers analysed saliva
samples from ten HPV-positive
OPC patients using a tiny
acoustofluidic chip developed to
isolate salivary exosomes. They
removed the unwanted particles
based on their size, leaving
exosome-rich
concentrated
samples that helped detect

tumour-specific biomarkers. The
technique identified the tumour
biomarker HPV-16 DNA in 80%
of the cases when coupled with
droplet digital polymerase chain
reaction.
“The
acoustofluidic
separation technique provides
a fast, biocompatible, highyield, high-purity, label-free
method for exosome isolation
from saliva,” said co-author
Prof. David T.W. Wong, associate
dean for research and director
of the Center for Oral/Head and
Neck Oncology Research at the
University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA). The researchers
believe that the technology can
also be used to analyze other
biofluids, including blood, urine,
and plasma.
“With these features, the
acoustofluidic technology has the
potential to significantly exceed
current industry standards,
address unmet needs in the field,
help expedite exosome-related
biomedical research, and aid in
the discovery of new exosomal
biomarkers,” Huang commented.
The study is an international
collaboration between Duke
University, UCLA and the
University
of
Birmingham.
“The results are a testament to
the power of interdisciplinary
research
and
international
collaboration,”
said
Prof.
Hisham Mehanna, director of
the Institute of Head and Neck
Studies and Education at the
University of Birmingham.

[4] =>

4 News

01/20

Study suggests relationship between
periodontitis and vitamin D

A new study has found an association between low levels of vitamin D, which is produced through sun
exposure, and the presence of periodontal disease. (Image: FotoHelin/Shutterstock)

by Dental Tribune International
OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada:
There is sufficient scientific
evidence that shows why
vitamin D is essential to the
body’s proper functioning.
The vitamin is helpful for
maintaining healthy bones

and teeth and can assist in
regulating insulin levels and
managing diabetes treatment.
Now, a new study has found an
association between low levels
of vitamin D and periodontal
disease.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble
vitamin
that
regulates

calcium absorption from the
gastrointestinal tract, helps to
maintain the plasma calcium
concentration
and
bone
mineralization. Literature has
shown
significant
positive
associations between vitamin D
levels and bone mineral density.
Vitamin D supplementation has

also been shown to reduce the
risk of fractures.
Chronic periodontitis is
an inflammatory condition of
the periodontium caused by
microbial biofilms forming on the
teeth. Bacterial products influence
the host immune response and
result in the destruction of the
tooth-supporting tissues such
as alveolar bone. Periodontal
disease has several associated risk
factors and indicators. Since there
is conflicting evidence regarding
the association between vitamin
D and periodontal disease, a
study was needed to establish a
relation between the two.
Researchers
from
the
University of Manitoba in Canada
conducted a cross-sectional
study, in which they examined
data collected between 2007
and 2009 from respondents to
the Canadian Health Measures
Survey. They determined the
Vitamin D levels by measuring
the concentrations of plasma
25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)
D), a metabolite produced once
vitamin D has been metabolized

by the liver. The periodontal
status was defined through the
gingival index and clinical loss
of attachment.
After
accounting
for
additional
independent
variables such as smoking,
the research team found that
there was modest evidence for
an association between low
concentrations of 25(OH)D and
periodontal disease.
“Prospective studies with
longer follow-up are likely
required to fully elucidate what
effect, if any, vitamin D levels
have on the progression of
periodontal disease,” the study’s
authors wrote.
An earlier study showed
that vitamin D deficiency, paired
with periodontitis, may have an
influence on Type 2 diabetes.
However, sufficient vitamin D
levels may have the potential to
decrease inflammation and have
an impact on the oral microbes
that are related to periodontal
disease.

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[5] =>

News

01/20

Dental students embrace
new learning technology

IMPRINT
PUBLISHER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER
Torsten R. OEMUS
CHIEF CONTENT DIRECTOR
Claudia DUSCHEK
DENTAL TRIBUNE SOUTH ASIA
EDITION
PUBLISHER
Ruumi J. DARUWALLA
CHIEF EDITOR
Dr. Meera VERMA
CLINICAL EDITOR
Dr. Dilip DESHPANDE
RESEARCH EDITOR
Dr. Shobha DESHPANDE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dr. GN ANANDAKRISHNA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Dr. Rajeev CHITGUPPI
DESGINER
Anil LAHANE
PRINTER
Mehernosh & Burzin MISTRY
Ampersand, Mumbai, India
Material from Dental Tribune
International GmbH that has been
reprinted or translated and reprinted
in this issue is copyrighted by Dental
Tribune International GmbH. Such
material must be published with
the permission of Dental Tribune
International GmbH. Dental Tribune
is a trademark of Dental Tribune
International GmbH.

Dental students at the University of Queensland in Brisbane have been experimenting with augmented reality to help advance their skills before
heading into the workforce. (Image: University of Queensland)

by Dental Tribune International
BRISBANE, Australia: In
an exciting advancement in
healthcare
education,
dental
students and medical nurses
have been experimenting with
augmented reality (AR) to help
build their skills and knowledge.
In contrast to virtual reality (VR),
which provides a fully artificial
environment, augmented reality
(AR) is an overlay of computergenerated content onto the physical
surroundings.
Traditional methods of education
are, slowly but surely, becoming a
thing of the past. The traditional
teaching methods are getting
transformed
and
modernized
rapidly - they are becoming
increasingly digitized, all driven by
technology innovations. In fact, the
education technology industry, the
so-called EdTech, which is growing
at a 17% annual rate, is expected to
reach $252 billion by 2020.
Among the most significant
trends in EdTech, Augmented
Reality (AR) holds the top spot. With
more than 1 billion users expected to
join the trend by 2020, AR is about
to open a pool of opportunities
for educational institutions and
businesses.
Augmented reality in education
can serve multiple purposes. Apart
from helping the students easily

acquire, process, and remember the
information, AR makes the learning
process itself more engaging and
fun. Another point to be noted is
that AR in education is not limited
to a single age group or level of
education, and can be used equally
well in all levels of schooling; from
pre-school education up to college,
or even at work.
Just like all other fields, even
education in dentistry is getting
revolutionized by the modern
methods of teaching, esp AR.
HoloHuman, an app based on
augmented reality (AR), is being
used by students from the School
of Dentistry at the University of
Queensland to get an unparalleled
view of the human body. As with VR,
students use headsets to make use of
the technology. Holohuman app is
created by Pearson Education and
is delivered to the user by Microsoft
technology.
The app has been providing
an opportunity for immersive 3D
exploration of anatomy, with dental
students focusing on the head
and neck. The students describe
the experience as like having a
radiographic vision, as they can see
through the skin and explore the
depths and layers of the human body.
However, the interactive learning
does not stop with those using the
headset. Working as a single unit
or simultaneously with groups of

students, the unit allows the rest of
the class to follow along on laptops
or projector screens, seeing exactly
what the user sees.
In the same way, as the dental
students have been using the
HoloHuman app, nursing students
from the same university have been
using an app called HoloPatient. The
program allows students to walk 360
degrees around the patient hologram
and assess their symptoms, watch
their breathing, monitor their vital
signs and then discuss the patient
with classmates and teachers.
Both apps have video recording
capabilities and provide the option
of assessments and revision. This
means that students have more
possibilities to gain valuable practice
before moving into the next stage
of their careers. According to the
university, the program is set to be
introduced into other areas of the
Faculty of Health and Behavioural
Sciences at some point in the future.
The
official
website
of
HoloHuman calls it a mixed reality
anatomy application for HoloLens,
featuring the world‘s most advanced
3D human anatomy model, ready for
virtual dissection.
HoloHuman is a groundbreaking
medical learning application for
Microsoft HoloLens, by Pearson,
the world‘s learning company, and
3D4Medical, creator of the world‘s
leading anatomy learning platform.

With its unique interface,
HoloHuman allows an immersive
3D exploration of anatomy, giving
an unparalleled view of the human
body. The key features are:
Selectable structures
Select from thousands of
anatomical structures to reveal
detailed facts and in-depth
information. Simply place the
headset on and gesture to zoom,
rotate, select & fade structures.
Virtual cadaveric dissections
Perform
virtual
cadaveric
dissections and experience shared
views of the model. Structures can
be highlighted, hidden or faded, to
better demonstrate their anatomical
relationships.
Dive inside the model
HoloHuman allows the wearer
to discover the inside of organs such
as the heart and brain in greater
detail by simply stepping towards
the model, ‚opening up‘ the anatomy
to reveal its internal structures.
Intuitive user experience
Built specifically for HoloLens
mixed reality environment, the
HoloHuman interface is easy to
navigate and fun to explore.

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Opinions expressed by authors are
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[6] =>

News

01/20

Researchers call for thoughtful
waste management in dentistry

Researchers believe that dental practices should take steps to properly manage and reduce plastic, mercury, lead and silver waste, the most common pollutants produced by the
dental industry. (Image: PHOTO FUN/Shutterstock)

by Dental Tribune International
CAMBRIDGE,
Mass.,
U.S.: Harvard University’s
recent
Worldwide
Week
had the researchers from
Harvard School of Dental
Medicine (HSDM) drawing
the
participants’
attention
to the correlation between
environmental health and oral
health through the lens of health
equity. The team of researchers
believes that dentistry has a
profound impact on our planet’s
environmental health, which,
in turn, affects oral health. The
link between dental health
and the environment makes it
crucial for us to manage dental
waste effectively.
To accomplish the goals
of
endodontics,
restorative
dentistry, prosthodontics and
others, dentists use a variety of
materials and equipment, many
of which, including heavy metals
and biomedical waste — present
a potential challenge to the
environment.

The team of researchers,
led by Dr Donna Hackley, an
instructor in oral health policy
and epidemiology at HSDM,
found a surprising source
of the food, water and air
pollution - the international
dental community. In a recent
summary of their research, the
team cited plastic, mercury, lead
and silver waste among the most
common pollutants produced
by the dental industry. “These
pollutants threaten the health
of organisms and humans,
especially the developing young,
as well as the stability of various
economies,” Hackley said.
According to the researchers,
plastic waste is a particularly
common type of dental waste.
For
example,
toothbrushes,
toothpaste tubes and toothpaste
are frequently used dental
products that are typically
made of or contain plastic and
are difficult to recycle. Dental
Tribune
International
has
recently reported on the impact

that plastic toothbrushes have on
the environment and noted that
they often get into our forests,
rivers and oceans.
“Globally,
23
billion
toothbrushes
and
their
wrappings
are
discarded
every year, and in the U.S.
alone, the number of discarded
toothbrushes is enough to circle
the earth four times,” the team
reported. “Toothpaste tubes
are also not recyclable, as they
typically contain an interior layer
of aluminium. The toothpaste
itself contains harmful plastic
microbeads, and 8 trillion
microbeads are released into
aquatic environments daily from
the U.S., enough to cover over 300
tennis courts.”
Mercury, lead and silver
also pose a threat to our
ever-changing
environment.
According to Hackley, patient
chairs can generate up to 4.5
g of mercury daily and this
may pose a serious threat if the
mercury is improperly disposed

of.
Additionally,
products
consisting of silver and lead are
found in radiographic materials,
including films and developer
solutions, and are of particular
concern in countries that cannot
properly manage dental waste
disposal.
To tackle the issue of waste
management
in
dentistry,
Hackley and her team are
encouraging dental offices to
estimate the total amount of
domestic and medical waste
they produce and to determine
ways to reduce it. As more and
newer, environmentally friendly
products
become
available,
Hackley hopes that dental offices
will find alternatives to common
plastic products.
“The international dental
community
must
commit
to preventing and reducing
dental waste. Any adverse
environmental impact resulting
from our professional activities
disproportionately affects the
most vulnerable populations

globally. This is about equity.
Thoughtful waste management
is no longer just a nice idea, but
a moral and ethical imperative
to protect the environment and
every organism living in it,”
Hackley concluded.
A preliminary waste audit
conducted by students from
the university revealed that
primary sources of waste in the
preclinical laboratory include
gloves, disposable gowns, masks,
paper and paper towels.
As
health
practitioners,
dentists should be concerned with
promoting not only oral health
and overall well-being of people
but also that of the environment.
A proactive approach is the need
of the hour, which will allow this
profession to succeed in an era of
increased public environmental
concern. It has become a legal
obligation too, plus a moral and
ethical obligation to provide
dental services that benefit the
public at minimal expense to the
environment.

[7] =>

News

01/20

Survey reveals the impact of a good smile and
healthy teeth on self-confidence and well-being
by Dental Tribune International
BLOOMFIELD,
Conn.,
U.S: A new study published
by Cigna, a worldwide health
services organization, helps
confirm the connection between
oral health and confidence. It
shows that people who reported
as having “excellent” oral health
had higher self-confidence than
those who reported, “fair to
poor oral health.” The study
also shows that the insecurities
about smiles and oral health
have had a direct impact on
employment opportunities for
many of the people included in
the study.
The
survey
had
1000
respondents 1000 U.S. citizens
aged 18 years and above in
such a way that the sample
composition approximated the
population of U.S. adults with
regard to gender, age and census
region. The questionnaire asked
the respondents to respond to
questions on how they rated
their self-confidence, the impact
of the smile and oral health on
employment, the convenience

A health care organization has investigated oral health and its impact on confidence, employment and
social connections and whether dental coverage has a direct impact on mental well-being. (Image:
pixelheadphoto digitalskillet/Shutterstock)

and stress of going to the dentist,
and their perceptions of others’
smiles and oral health.
The survey showed that,
of those who were completely
satisfied with their smile, 93%
rated their self-confidence as
excellent or very good. However,
15% reported being “not at all
or not very satisfied,” and 16%

said their smile impairs their
self-confidence. In the study,
researchers also noted that adults
who have routine dental care two
or more times per year reported
significantly higher rates of selfconfidence than people who go
less than once a year or not at all.
As oral health affects many
aspects of life, the impact

of the smile and oral health
on employment was also
investigated. More than 21%
of people surveyed reported
feeling less confident about job
interviews because of their smile
or the state of their oral health,
and 12% believed their smile or
oral health condition held them

back from getting a job or getting
a promotion.
According to Cigna, the
study was conducted among
consumers not only to better
understand oral health’s impact
on
self-esteem,
confidence,
employability and stress but
also to examine its impact on
the ability to make and maintain
meaningful social connections.
The overall goal of this study was
to develop insights on whether or
not having dental coverage has
a direct impact on mental wellbeing.
Speaking to Dental Tribune
International, Cigna’s Chief
Dental Officer Dr Cary Sun said,
“Cigna Dental Health Connect
is the embodiment of our
clinical approach to improving
whole-person health through
innovative dental solutions. We
are committed to expanding
on this clinical model which
today includes chronic condition
support,
preventive
dental
care reminders for high-risk
customers, on-site dental care,
and safe opioid prescribing.”

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[8] =>

7 News

7/19

and

Strictly physiologic!

Duo Quattro Centrifuge

‘’

6 Protocols:
Position 1: A-PRF + : 1300 rpm / 14 min
Position 2 : i-PRF : 700 rpm / 3 min
Position 3 : i-PRF M : 700 rpm / 4 min
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Position 6 : Custom : 1300 rpm / 3 min
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+ tubes S« PRF Box » allow you to get the membranes always hydrated and of
constant thickness, but also to recover the exsudate rich in proteins:
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(Red) 10ml
To Obtain:
- PRF Clots
- PRF Membranes
- PRF Plugs

tubes

(Green) 10ml
For Liquid PRF, for:
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- Large Membranes
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(Pre-Op. Flap Injection /
Papilla / TMG / Endo)

PRF box with a crusher in Teflon, with compartments of different
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tubes
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Blood Collectors
Blood collectors are used to draw blood.

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Your distributor:

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Phone: +91 22 6146 4725 / 27 | E-mail info@lifecare.in

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[cover] => DT India & South Asia No. 1, 2020

[toc] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [title] => Mahesh Chaudhary: Master dental technician who touched, transformed and inspired many lives. [page] => 01 ) [1] => Array ( [title] => Novel technology may improve early detection of mouth and throat cancer [page] => 03 ) [2] => Array ( [title] => Study suggests relationship between periodontitis and vitamin D [page] => 04 ) [3] => Array ( [title] => Dental students embrace new learning technology [page] => 05 ) [4] => Array ( [title] => Researchers call for thoughtful waste management in dentistry [page] => 06 ) [5] => Array ( [title] => Survey reveals the impact of a good smile and healthy teeth on self-confidence and well-being [page] => 07 ) ) [toc_html] =>

Table of contents

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