Julian Wahl, the son of Drs. Pat and Jean Wahl was awarded second place at the PS Middle School 2013 Talent Show for his show-stomping fiddling rendition of “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Way to go Julian! When it comes to making great music, you don’t “fiddle around”!
Check it out here!
There was an interesting article in the New York Times on January 18, 2012 “When Pills Fail, This, er, Option Provides a Cure.” When antibiotics are taken, the equilibrium in the gut can be adversely affected, and the organism Clostridium difficile can sometimes cause serious infections in such situations. A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that while antibiotics cured only 3 of 13 and 4 of 13 patients with recurrent C. difficile infections, “fecal transplants” (transplanting feces from a healthy person into the gut of a patient with C. difficile infection) cured 15 of 16 patients, a remarkable cure rate without the side-effects of antibiotic therapy.
In the Times article, it was mentioned that one of the patients successfully receiving the fecal transplant was healthy until contracting C. difficile “after taking an antibiotic for dental work. She had profuse diarrhea, uncontrollable vomiting and high fevers that landed her in the hospital. She suffered repeated bouts, lost 12 pounds and missed months of work. Her young children would find her lying on the bathroom floor.”
Antibiotics are powerful prescription drugs that can be very beneficial in treating infections, but they can have serious side-effects. Fortunately, antibiotics are needed only infrequently in dentistry. Most dental infections can easily be treated. For example, an infected tooth can usually be treated with either root canal therapy or an extraction, and either treatment will usually lead to a cure of the infection without antibiotics being necessary.
The dentists at Wahl Family Dentistry will prescribe necessary antibiotics only after carefully considering your particular health situations and the risks and benefits of such medications. We stock some common antibiotics so we can often supply them for you if necessary at no charge. It should be noted that if you desire a “fecal transplant,” we do not offer that at Wahl Family Dentistry.
Dr Mike’s daughter Kira is a 5th grader at Brandywine Springs School. Her essay on fire safety in the kitchen was entered anonymously into a contest with all the 5th graders from Red Clay School District. After winning 1st place, her essay was entered into all of New Castle County, where she won 1st place again.
Finally, her winning essay was submitted to the State of Delaware finals at Hartly Fire Company in Hartly, Delaware on January 6, 2013, where Kira won 1st place for the whole state! Congratulations Kira! We’re very proud of you! We’re planning a large bonfire celebration soon!
Our patient Wilma Yu is both a scuba diver and a photographic artist — and the amazing thing is that she can do both at the same time! (I, on the other hand, can neither scuba dive nor take good pictures). She has traveled around the world to capture intriguing marine life. She recently completed a month long art show in September 2012 at the Gallery at 919 Market Street in Wilmington.
Please check her website at wyuphotography.com, where her calendars and prints may be purchased. Her art is available for display and she also enjoys giving presentations on marine life and her photography. Way to go Wilma!
She has shared two remarkable photos with us from Anilao, Batangas, Philippines 2012:
Yellow pigmy seahorse, about ¼ inch in size and hides amongst the gorgonians for protection.
Nudibranch – Chromodoris, a type of sea “slug” noted for their external lungs (numerous projections on the tail end) and rhinophores (2 antennae like structures at the head).
Patients with artificial hips and knees can sometimes develop infections of these joints. These infections can be very serious, and it has been thought that dental procedures can cause such infections since dental procedures can cause “bacteremia” or short episodes of bacteria in the bloodstream. Some physicians and dentists have recommended that antibiotics be administered before dental procedures (“antibiotic prophylaxis”) in hopes of preventing such infections, but others have pointed out that there is little or no evidence that dental procedures cause artificial joint infections or that antibiotic prophylaxis can prevent them.
There is also a small, but significant, risk of harm from an unnecessary antibiotic. I have written articles about this controversial topic since 1995 (“Myths of prosthetic joint infections” in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases), calling for an end to the practice of antibiotic prophylaxs in such patients. Now the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Dental Assocaition have questioned this practice also.
After convening a group of distinguished physicians and dentists to review the available scientific evidence, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have issued a joint statement (no pun intended) in December 2012. It can be accessed at http://www.aaos.org/Research/guidelines/PUDP/PUDP_guideline.pdf
A summary of the statement can be found at http://www.aaos.org/Research/guidelines/PUDP/DentalSummofRec.pdf
The conclusion is that there is no evidence that dental procedures are related to artificial joint infections and that prophylactic antibiotics do not reduce the risk of artificial joint infections. The AAOS and ADA recommend that dentists and physicians consider discontinuing the routine prescribing of prophylactic antibiotics for patients with artificial joints. On the other hand, good oral health and hygiene is encouraged in patients with artificial joints.
Please share any concerns or questions with us (and your physician) about this important issue.