| A new review suggests dentists need to spend | | | | For the majority of those interviewed, the |
| more time, using psychology to convince | | | | most important issues are growing sales and |
| people to do a better job at improving their | | | | increasing profits. |
| oral health. | | | | |
| | | | Health and nutrition were mentioned by only |
| The fact is, tooth brushing and flossing | | | | nine respondents and social responsibility by |
| remain the keys to oral health. | | | | three. |
| | | | |
| They are the most important steps in helping | | | | The majority of chains interviewed will not |
| to keep a person's teeth for a lifetime. | | | | add new items to their menus unless they are |
| | | | confident that their customer base will |
| Still, brushing and flossing are not as | | | | accept them and that the items will |
| popular as dentists would like. | | | | contribute to sales and profit growth. |
| | | | |
| Nearly 90 percent of periodontists polled | | | | Bottom line: restaurant chains are committed |
| said patients are lax about flossing | | | | to serving healthier foods only if they |
| frequently and 61 percent reported that their | | | | generate profit through high sales or other |
| patients could improve their flossing | | | | benefits to the restaurant. |
| technique. | | | | |
| | | | Should you get your skin screened by a |
| So how far does it need to go to get patients | | | | dermatologist? |
| on track? | | | | |
| | | | New research shows individuals whose melanoma |
| Some experts suggest meeting with | | | | is diagnosed by a dermatologist may be more |
| psychologists to convince them to take care | | | | likely to have early-stage cancer and to |
| of their teeth! | | | | survive five years than those with melanoma |
| | | | diagnosed by a non-dermatologist. |
| While it sounds a little excessive, that type | | | | |
| of strategy did lead to lower plaque levels | | | | If melanoma is removed at an early stage, |
| on the teeth of people who underwent them. | | | | when the tumor is still relatively thin, less |
| | | | than 1 millimeter thick, patients have a 90 |
| With obesity on the rise in the United | | | | percent cure rate. |
| States, are healthy choices available when | | | | |
| eating out? | | | | Tumors diagnosed by dermatologists were |
| | | | thinner on average than those diagnosed by |
| A new study, in the may issue of the American | | | | non-dermatologists. |
| Journal of Preventive Medicine, sought to | | | | |
| understand how restaurant chains make | | | | The five-year survival rates were 73.9 |
| decisions about their menus. | | | | percent for the dermatologist group compared |
| | | | with 68.7 percent for the non-dermatologist |
| Interviews with 41 senior menu development | | | | group. |
| and marketing executives at leading casual | | | | |
| dining and fast-food restaurant chains were | | | | Tumor thickness is a powerful predictor of |
| performed. | | | | patient survival, and it appears going to the |
| | | | dermatologist can help improve one's chances. |