The Dallas area has been the center of the Ebola scare over the past few weeks.

Here is some information we wanted to share.

The CDC offered the following Q&A reply to an American Dental Association inquiry this past September:

“Can I provide dental services to someone who has recently been in West Africa?

“CDC works with partners at ports of entry into the United States to help prevent infectious diseases, like Ebola, from being introduced and spread in the United States.

“A person infected with Ebola is not contagious until symptoms appear. Signs and symptoms of Ebola include fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F) and severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain or unexplained bleeding or bruising.

“The virus is spread through direct contact [CDC emphasis] (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with blood and body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola, or with objects (like needles) that have been contaminated with the virus. Ebola is not spread through the air or by water or, in general, by food.

“Dental providers should continue to follow standard infection control procedures.”

And from the ADA website:

As of October 17, 2014, dental professionals are advised of the following:

A person infected with Ebola is not considered contagious until symptoms appear. Due to the virulent nature of the disease, it is highly unlikely that someone with Ebola symptoms will seek dental care when they are severely ill. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the ADA Division of Science, dental professionals are advised to take a medical history, including a travel history from their patients with symptoms in which a viral infection is suspected.

As recommended by the ADA Division of Science, any person within 21 days of returning from the West African countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea may be at risk of having contacted persons infected with Ebola and may not exhibit symptoms. If this is the case, dental professionals are advised to delay routine dental care of the patient until 21 days have elapsed from their trip. Palliative care for serious oral health conditions, dental infections and pain can be provided if necessary after consulting with the patient’s physician and conforming to standard precautions and physical barriers.

An elevated temperature (fever) is often a consequence of infection, but Ebola is not the only infection that may have similar signs and symptoms. The most common signs and symptoms of Ebola infection are: 

• fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F) and severe headache
• muscle pain
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• stomach pain or unexplained bleeding or bruising

You are advised not to treat dental patients if they have these signs and symptoms for Ebola. If a patient is feeling feverish and their travel history indicates they may be at risk of Ebola, dental professionals and staff in contact with the patient should:

• immediately protect themselves by using standard precautions with physical barriers (gowns, masks, face protection, and gloves)
• immediately call 911 on behalf of the patient
• notify the appropriate state or local health department authorities
• ask the health department to provide you and your staff with the most up-to-date guidance on removing and disposing of potentially contaminated materials and equipment, including the physical barriers. 

The Ebola virus is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with blood and body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola, or with objects (like needles) that have been contaminated with the virus. Ebola is not spread through the air or by water or, in general, by food. Again, there is no reported risk of transmission of Ebola from asymptomatic infected patients.

Information and resources on Ebola are posted on the CDC’s website at cdc.gov. A checklist for healthcare providers (PDF) specific to Ebola is included on the site.

Additional Resources

• CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) — Evaluating Patients for Possible Ebola Virus Disease: Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel and Health Officials
• CDC Recommended Infection Control Practices for Dentistry
• CDC Health Care Provider Preparedness Checklist for Ebola Virus Disease (PDF)
• The ADA Practical Guide to Effective Infection Control (P692)
• The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention    

Oral Health Solutions

5340 Belt Line Road

Dallas. TX 75254

469-547-2250

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor and remember children and families affected by these rare diseases, and help rally support to give kids with cancer better outcomes by supporting our ground-breaking research.

Childhood cancers make up less than 1% of all cancers diagnosed each year. About 10,450 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2014. Childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades.

Because of major treatment advances in recent decades, more than 80% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more. Overall, this is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when the 5-year survival rate was about 60%. Still, survival rates vary depending on the type of cancer and other factors.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children (after accidents). About 1,350 children younger than 15 years old are expected to die from cancer in 2014.

http://www.cancer.org

http://www.cancerfreekids.org

http://www.alexslemonade.org/