News

THE INFLAMMATION CONNECTION I read the May issue of Dimensions and I particularly appreciated the article on the relationship between inflammation, periodontal disease, and C-reactive proteins—“The Inflammation Connection.” It provided a concise summary of a very timely topic. Most importantly, such information provides a wonderful opportunity to address our need for continuous professional growth. Please accept my thanks for including such a useful article.

—C. Lawrence Chiswell, DMD, MSEd, coordinator of Dental Auxiliary Education, Lexington Community College, Lexington, Ky

CHEERS This is a great refereed journal! I was delighted to have been introduced to it at the Annual Session of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association last year in New York and to be receiving my free subscription in the mail. Now to know I can find the articles I’ve read by going on-line is such a bonus. Thank you for providing dental hygiene professionals with resources at their fingertips! It is most valuable as a clinician, as well as a dental hygiene faculty member.

—Marcia Lorentzen, RDH, MS, Fones School of Dental Hygiene, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Conn

MORE ON HYGIENE EDUCATION For the past few months now, I have been receiving Dimensions in the mail. Thanks so much for putting together this informative journal. I have wanted to write since the April issue where in your editorial “Looking for a Happy Ending” you commented on the state of hygiene schools. So many have closed and this is awful. Since 2002, I have been an adjunct instructor at a distance learning site in Middletown, Va. We are paired up in a joint venture with Virginia Western in Roanoke and I love it! I still remain in private practice 1 to 2 days per week to stay in the game, but I love teaching. I have recently applied to graduate school and want to pursue an MS in Education. Keep up the good work!

—Mary Sailo, RDH, BS, New Market, Va

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USC’s Dental Hygiene Program Celebrates 75 Years

The Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry (USCSD) celebrated its 75th anniversary in March. The event was marked with a keynote speech by Anna M. Pattison, RDH, MS, associate professor at USCSD, and editor in chief of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, and a reception that included a performance by the USC marching band. Graduates from the the class of 1946 through 2002 were in attendance. In commemoration of the anniversary, the acting director of the program, Diane Melrose, BSDH, began a $1 million endowment to ensure the success of the program for the next 75 years. USC’s Dental Hygiene Program began in 1928 with nine students. The program now has 40 students who earn a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene with the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in craniofacial biology.

The Incidence of Oral Cavity Cancer Is On the Decline

Americans are getting cancer less and living with it longer according The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer 1975-2001. The recently released report is compiled by the American Cancer Society, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Rates dropped .5% from 1991-2001 and mortality rates decreased 1.1% from 1993-2001, according to the authors. They found that cancer of the oral cavity is declining except in Asian/Pacific Islander men. Death rates from oral cancer decreased in all populations except American Indian/Alaska native men and women and Asian/Pacific Islander and Latina women. The report noted that survival of all types of cancer are greatly affected by race and ethnicity, demonstrating the need to reach underserved populations with regular dental and health care.