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10 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW // VOL. 2022 NO. 2 CLINICAL CARE Federal healthcare leaders call for oral health policy changes By Ariana Portalatin M embers of the National Institutes of Health and HHS have pushed for more research and policy changes to address oral health inequities in a Feb. 26 article in The New England Journal of Medicine. The piece was written by Rena D'Souza, DDS, PhD, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; Francis Collins, MD, PhD, acting science adviser to the president and for- mer director of the National Institutes of Health; and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD. The leaders used findings and recommendations from the NIH's 2021 report, "Oral Health in Amer- ica: Advances and Challenges," to reiterate that although Americans' oral health has improved over the past two decades, oral healthcare dispar- ities have persisted and pose a threat to global public health. Decreasing these disparities will re- quire research and policy initiatives to make oral healthcare more affordable and accessible for pa- tients, they said. The authors called on the integration of oral, medical and behavioral healthcare in healthcare settings and the inclusion of communities in the development and execution of oral healthcare systems. They also pointed out the need to fur- ther diversify the oral health workforce, address dental education costs and continue to build on oral health research. n Tooth polish goes viral on TikTok: 6 things to know By Ariana Portalatin A tooth polish is all the rage on TikTok, but dental professionals are urging patients to proceed with caution, TMJ4 News reported Feb. 1. Six things to know: 1. Chrom, marketed as a "fashion tooth polish" allows users to paint their teeth different colors. 2. Eyad Bittar, DDS, told the Milwaukee news station that he had never heard of the product before and said there is no information about how the product can affect users if it's accidentally ingested because there have not been long-term studies done on the product. 3. Dr. Bittar said his biggest concern was patients painting over dental problems such as cavities, which could lead to larger issues if they are left untreated. 4. Cliff Hartmann, DDS, president of the Wisconsin Dental Association, told the news station he has not seen anything in peer-reviewed journals about the tooth polish's safety. He said the dental association recom- mends patients speak directly to their dentists instead of relying on so- cial media for advice on potential risks and benefits of dental products. 5. Patients should seek products with the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance, indicating its safety and quality, Dr. Hartmann advised. 6. A spokesperson for Chrom told the news station that the tooth polish has been clinically tested as a laboratory-produced dental product. "Our formula contains about 1 percent triethyl citrate, which is approved for food and cosmetics use in both the U.S. and the more stringent Eu- ropean Union," the CHROM spokesperson said. "We are not aware of any studies that indicate triethyl citrate causes damage to tooth enamel, nor has this been observed by any of our testing labs or consumers." n Anti-aging dentistry on the rise: 4 things to know By Gabrielle Masson A practice known as "anti-aging dentistry" is picking up traction, with more dentists focusing on the form of dentistry that has both clinical and cosmetic goals, ac- cording to Coveteur. Four things to know: 1. "Anti-aging dentistry is an aesthetic change in the lower third of a patient's face to improve and reverse the signs of aging through veneers," Pasha Hakimzadeh, DDS, aesthetic dentist and co-founder of Apa Aesthetic LA and Smile Makers LA, told Coveteur. "They can address wrinkles, lip fullness and cheek support for a more youthful smile and face as a whole." According to Dr. Hakimzadeh, patients seeking a smile make- over typically have tooth discoloration, erosion and grinding. 2. "The objectives of cosmetic dentistry are twofold: to turn back the hands of time by brightening the smile with teeth whitening options and to rebuild the worn conditions of the teeth," said Gisella Angarita, DDS, a cosmetic den- tist in Canada. 3. "What we do in our practice for patients seeking cosmetic treatment is to do what is called facially generated treatment planning," said Lawrence Fung, DDS, cosmetic dentist and founder of Culver City, Calif.-based Silicon Beach Dental. Den- tists examine the teeth and surrounding structures to deter- mine what other specialists should be involved in treatment. 4. Anti-aging dentistry can involve veneers, teeth whitening and composite bonding, among other treatments. n