Acid injuries especially prevalent among teenage boys

Every third 16-year-old boy in the city of Frederiksberg has acid injuries of the teeth, which means the etching of the tooth enamel. Cola, soda and other soft drinks are supposed to be the main reason for syreskaderne – in the specialised language called erosions. The result comes from a study carried out by Frederiksberg Municipality's Dentistry, and, as presented in the Tandlægebladet.

In general, have more than one seventh of the 12-to 17-year-olds in the city of Frederiksberg acid injuries to the teeth. The problem is most often seen among boys, and the damage gets worse, the older you get.

In Tandlægebladet presents overtandlæge Lene Esmark from Frederiksberg and the Municipality of Dentistry the results of a survey of the scope and severity of erosions among 2.151 of the municipality's children and young people in the 12-17 years of age.

According to the survey, 313 of the young people, equivalent to 14.6 per cent. at least one tooth with acid injuries. Five have so severe damage to large areas at minimum one tooth is completely without enamel.

In all age groups is the prevalence of acid injuries highest among the boys, especially in the 15-to 16-years of age. Among the 16-year-olds, for example, has at 7.6 per cent. of the girls, acid injuries, while the same is true for the whole of 32,8 per cent. of the boys. The big gender difference is offset a bit after 16-years of age, but the problem is still most prevalent among the boys. The five persons with the most serious type of erosions are also all boys.

In general, it can be seen that the problem with acid injuries increases with age. The older the adolescents become, the more frequent is the occurrence of acid injuries, as the severity of the damage also increases.

Frederiksberg Municipality's Dental care will now continue to develop targeted prevention programmes in the form of guidance and enlightenment. Efforts must be directed particularly against the boys and should already be implemented from the age of 12 years.

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Read more in Tandlægebladet no. 9 2009 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Tandlægeforeningens Patientforsikring

Tandlægeforeningens Patientforsikring covers, according to the rules of complaint and erstatningsloven, damages in connection with the examination and treatment by dentists.

Here you can read about how the system works for you as a patient. This guide can only be seen as a simplified introduction into the rules, since it would be too extensive to have all the details with. You should consult with your own dentist if you want further information.

You will also find the whole scheme described on Tandlægeforeningens Patientforsikrings website.

The insurance covers
Injuries occurring in the period after the 1. January 2004 are covered, if it is made in connection with treatment by a private practice dentist or in connection with the treatment of Regionstandplejen (ex. Amtstandplejen), in the municipal tandplejeordninger or at one of the universities ' dental schools.

Is the injury happened before 1. January 2004, is only covered if it is made in connection with treatment by a private dentist.

When you get the replacement
Although the compensation scheme only covers the damages done in connection with the examination and treatment by a dentist. You have however the possibility to obtain compensation, even though the damage is not due to errors from the dentist's side.

If you suffered an injury in connection with a dental treatment, compensation may be awarded if it is deemed that the damage is a strong likelihood that is caused in one of the following ways:

• If the damage could have been avoided by a different treatment, which in the given situation would have been the best possible.
• If the damage is due to fault or failure in the technical equipment and tools.
• If the damage could have been avoided by using another equally effective treatment, technique or method.
• If the damage is very rare, and serious in relation to the illness being treated, and thus goes beyond what you should reasonably tolerate.

Time period
In order to be entitled to damages, should the damage be notified no later than five years after you have got acquainted with it. There must not be more than ten years have passed since the injury was sustained.

In case of accident
You will come to harm during an accident at a dentist's office, which is not a part of the professional treatment, for example. by falling on a slippery floor, can only be compensated, if there is a fault from the clinic's side.

What compensation is available for
Compensation is paid according to the rules of Erstatningsansvarsloven.

• Compensation is paid for the cost of repairing the damage, ie. the extra costs that are a result of the damage.
• In addition, there may be compensation for other expenses that are a result of the injury, as the costs of medicine.
• There can be compensation for loss of earnings and loss of earning capacity. In addition, there may be granted compensation for pain and suffering and for permanent injury.
• There is normally provided only for compensation, if the compensation is greater than 1,000 kr. For any damages in connection with the treatment of regionstandplejen, the municipal tandplejeordninger or on the universities ' dental schools will only be provided compensation, if the amount is over $ 10,000.

What is not eligible for compensation
There will be no compensation for the cost of the treatment you came for to get made. These costs are always for own account. The same applies, if the treatment will have to be done, because of one reason or another, failed.

You also can not obtain compensation for the consequences of the accident or illness you have received treatment for, or if the treatment has not led to the expected result.

If you for some reason believe that the treatment has been inadequate, you can possibly. require the fee paid back. This requirement will then not be covered by the insurance, but must be made in connection with a complaint to tandlægenævnet in your region.
Tandlægenævnet will then take a decision as to whether you should get the money again for the treatment you have received and wish to complain.

Read more about how you complaints to the regional tandlægenævn.

How to seek compensation
If you believe that you have the right to compensation, you or together with your dentist fill out a skadesanmeldelsesblanket and send it to:

Tandlægeforeningens Patientskadeforsikring
Svanemøllevej 85
DK-2900 Hellerup

The processing time will normally be between eight and twelve weeks – in complex cases there must be expected a somewhat longer processing time.

Appeal
Are you unhappy with the decision in your case, you have the opportunity to appeal the decision to:

Tandskadeankenævnet
Svanemøllevej 85, 1. floor
DK-2900 Hellerup
Tel. 39 46 34 00

Useful contact details

Useful contact details for complaints about dental treatment, dentist, dental hygienist or dental technician.

Tandlægeforeningen
Amaliegade 17
Dk-1256 Copenhagen K.
Telephone: 70 25 77 11
www.tandlaegeforeningen.dk

Tandlægeforeningens Patientforsikring
Svanemøllevej 85
Dk-2900 Hellerup
Telephone: 39 46 00 60
www.tf-patientskade.dk/

Landssamarbejdsudvalget subject. tandlægehjælp
c/o Danish Regions
Dampfærgevej 22
Dk-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Telephone: 35 29 81 00

Health Patientklagenævn
Frederiksborggade 15, 2. floor
Dk-1360 Copenhagen K
Phone: 33 38 95 00
www.pkn.dk

Danish Regions
Dampfærgevej 22
DK 2100 Copenhagen Ø, denmark.
Telephone: 35 29 81 00
www.regioner.dk

The secretariat of the Capital Region
Kongens Vænge 2
Dk-3400 Hillerød, denmark
Telephone: 48 20 50 00
www.regionh.dk

Region Zealand
Alleen 15
4180 Sorø
Phone: 70 15 50 00
www.regionsjaelland.dk

The Region Of Southern Denmark
Damhaven 12
7100 Vejle
Telephone: 76 63 10 00
www.regionsyddanmark.dk

Region Midtjylland
Regionshuset Viborg
Skottenborg 26
Po box 21
8800 Viborg
Telephone: 87 28 50 00
www.regionmidtjylland.dk

Region Nordjylland
Niels Bohrs Vej 30
Dk-9220 Aalborg East
Telephone: 96 35 10 00
www.rn.dk

Your dentist can detect osteoporosis

With the help of x-rays can dentists help to detect osteoporosis, which particularly affects the elderly and middle-aged women. It writes lecturer, dr.odont. Ib Sewerin in an article in the Tandlægebladet.

According to the WHO suffer from ca. 400.000 danes of osteoporosis, also called brittle bones, which reduces the strength of the bones and causes frequent bone fractures. The most common injury is the forearm and hip fractures as well as ryghvirvelsammenfald. The disease particularly affects women, and approximately every third woman will experience a hip fracture in the course of his life. Despite the prevalence of osteoporosis, however, it is not economically or practically possible to systematically screen the population for the disease.

Most people come regularly to the dentist, where they regularly need to have taken x-rays of the teeth and jaw. Osteoporosis turns out bl.a. typically by the width of the mandibular bone is a little narrower than usual. Also, a bit of the bone have disappeared, or it may be less strong and robust than normal.

Out from the x-ray and a series of simple questions about your health and lifestyle can the dentist, thus, to detect whether a patient has osteoporosis or is at risk for developing the disease.

Dentists can thus help to identify patients with osteoporosis at an early stage and send them for further medical check-ups, so the onset of serious consequences can be prevented.

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The entire article can be read in Tandlægebladet no. 8 2009 or on www.tandlaegebladet.dk

The Danish dental phobia stress dentists

It is estimated that 10-20 percent of danes are so afraid of the dentist that they completely dropped the regular visits to the dentist. And to ca. 4 out of 10 adult danes suffer from dental phobia to one degree or another.

In addition to having major consequences for the individual, they have high rates of dental phobia also major societal consequences. It costs the society dearly in sickness and in subsidies for expensive treatments, which may be necessary after many years of neglect and lack of inspection at the dentist.

Fear of dentists affects all groups in society, and not just people with limited resources and profits. “There is a slight over-representation of unemployed people, but all groups are affected, also the bosses and bank managers,” says Rod Moore, a researcher at the university of Aarhus, Viborg Folkeblad.

The lack of correlation between the level of education and frequency of dental phobia can be linked to the reason for the tandlægeskrækken to be found in childhood.

Now Dentists of terror
A group of aarhus dentists and psychologists have been awarded the 190.000 Danish kroner from the central denmark Region to a project to cure dental phobia. One of the aims of the project is to get a larger part of the population to regularly go to the dentist. And it is for practicing dentists who must be better to help patients with tandlægeskrækken.

“It's about meeting the patient on a human level. It is important that the dentist sits down for a chat with the patient about this fear and listening to the experiences the patient had with the dentists. Experiences, as often is the fault of the tandlægeskrækken. And so it is very important that the conversation does not take place in the tandlægestol, as the patient to fear so much, for it's all about creating confidence,” says Rod Moore, who is a project manager at the Research and treatment center for dental phobia of Dentistry in Aarhus.

“70 percent of all with dental phobia have had a traumatic experience at a dentist before the age of 12 years, and it creates problems for them to this day. But I hope that the project will be able to help a part of them,” says Rod Moore on.

Dentists are affected also by the tandlægeskrækken
In the description of the project also states that dentists can get the stress of having to relate to the resistance they encounter from the patient when they must deal with anxious patients. It can be both mentally and physically exhausting and mean risk for worse treatment of the patient or the symptoms of burnout in dentists.

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Dentist, ph.d., dr. odont. Rod Moore has, among others, in 2006 defended a doctoral thesis on dental phobia and pain at the University of Aarhus with the title “Psychosocial aspects of dental anxiety and clinical pain phenomena“. He has also been affiliated with Aarhus Tandlægeskole for over 20 years, been a private dentist for 20 years and been employed at two universities in the UNITED states, among other things, at the Ohio State University, where he also acquired his master's degree. Rod Moore has numerous publications and has lectured at several universities in both Europe and the UNITED states.

School introduces common tooth brushing to the morning assembly

Despite the fact that the students at Frøslev-Padborg Skole is good for brushing the teeth, several of the students comprehensive acid injuries to the teeth. The Municipal Dental care has now put the focus on the problem with the project “Stop acid injuries and holes in the teeth”, and have therefore introduced the common tooth brushing in the entire month of June.

Dentures before the age of 18 years
On Førslev-Padborg School they have more students who already have severe acid injuries to the teeth. Continuing students with the high consumption of sweet drinks, especially cola, many of the students could wave goodbye to their teeth and could say hello to dentures, already before the age of 18 years. There are found acid injuries to the teeth in every sixth child under the age of 18 years and the problem is increasing.

Both dentists and dental hygienists can tell you that at Frøslev-Padborg Skole suffering many children of acid injuries. And a possible reason for the problems at this school may be due to the close location to the many tempting offers from grænsebutikkerne, selling cheap sweets, juices and soft drinks are available in mega sizes.

Project “Stop acid injuries and holes in the teeth”
In order to focus on acid injuries the municipal dental care shot the project “Stop acid injuries” in time at Frøslev-Padborg Skole. The project was launched on 2. June with big tandbørstningsdag, where all pupils were given a vanddunk, toothbrush and toothpaste. Secondly, there were common tooth brushing in the great hall.

The project will continue throughout the month of June, where the municipal dental care will try to put the focus on the acid injuries and get the tooth brushing at the program each morning. To morgensamlingerne the students will continually get more information on how they can avoid acid injuries.

Every Monday and Thursday there is a common brushing while the students are allowed to look at a power-point presentation with images of acid injuries, diet and tandbørsteinstruktion. Brochures and other promotional material handed out also to the students. Like the municipal dental care will be present every Monday and Thursday. Who will the other days of the week be the common tooth brushing in the classroom.

At the school's library will throughout the period be an exhibition on diet and drinks. In total there will be two exhibitions, one on sugar and one on the PH-the acid in the drinks. The project team has also made the banner, posters and brochures to the students. And a message is also sent to each home on the project.

Frøslev-Padborg Skole will in the period be completely free of juices, soft drinks, and other acidic drinks. And the school canteen, “the Stall”, will in the period to only sell water and milk, and other non-acidic drink. The parents have also got a call for active participation, like all parents are welcome to the events.

The project ends on Wednesday, 24. June, with common brushing and evaluation of the project. A part of the project “Stop acid injuries and holes in the teeth” will dentistry also use at other schools than Frøslev-Padborg School, to the extent that it can be done.

Younger dentists are not scared of the province

When the newly qualified dentists will be finished at the studio in either Copenhagen or Aarhus, are not afraid to seek jobs in the province. New figures from the Tandlægeforeningen shows that younger dentists graduated after 1990 are evenly distributed over the entire country, when it comes to private practice. It writes Tandlægebladet.

Seen in relation to the total number of dentists in private practice dentists trained in the period 1990-2005, approx. 29 per cent. Distributed in the regions of northern Jutland is the smallest share at 23 per cent. at between 29 and 31 per cent. in the other regions.

When the younger dentists choose job, player challenges, co-workers and working hours play a significant role. The geographical location of the workplace is less significant. It tells three randomly surveyed dentists to Tandlægebladet.

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The entire article can be read in Tandlægebladet no. 7 2009 or on www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Municipal dental care in free-decay

The dental chair that is patched with gaffa-tape which in the processing must be supported with klinikassistentens knees to fall together. It can the 840 children on the waiting list in the north Funen municipality can look forward to.

Follow the fylde is equipped in the nordfynske municipal dental care in so strongly decline that it is purely and simply fell apart, if not for the gaffa-tape and klinikassistenternes physical support during treatment. Also boremaskinerne are so damaged that they overopheder, foot controls also must be repaired with gaffa-tape and outdated headrests as dental assistants must keep up with the knees to ensure that the greater children's heads does not suddenly fall over during treatment.

North funen Municipality acknowledges the problem
In an internal survey, more than half of the municipality's 12 the dental chair with the related equipment, which is in the municipality's four dental clinics, dumpekarakter. The chairs are so old that one can no longer obtain spare parts. And last year alone ran the maintenance up in 124.000 euros.

In addition to the extensive problems with the equipment on the municipality's dental clinics, is currently not less than 840 children on a waiting list for everything from general investigation to the hanger-treatment.

North funen municipality of dentistry

Billund Municipal Dental Care

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