Public health extras: News on teeth brushing, bedside care

Kids should get fluoride toothpaste earlier, recommendations say

Caregivers should brush a child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth appears, recommended the American Dental Association in February.

The new guidance, which expands the use of fluoride toothpaste for young children, is recommended to prevent tooth decay. Previously, the association recommended using water to brush the teeth of children ages 2 and younger. Dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States.

“For half a century, the ADA has recommended that patients use fluoride toothpaste to prevent cavities and a review of scientific research shows that this holds true for all ages,” said Edmond Truelove, DDS, chair of the association’s Council on Scientific Affairs.

The council calls on caregivers to use a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste on children ages 3 to 6 and an amount about the size of a grain of rice for children younger than 3.

The new recommendations were published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Best practices guide on bedside care targets health safety

Improving bedside care is the focus on a free guide released in January.

Produced by the Joint Commission Resources Hospital Engagement Network, “Beyond the Bundles: How to Implement Best Practices at the Bedside” is aimed at health care providers and based on innovative practices from hospitals around the country. Providers can use the guide to help assess gaps in organizational practice, set goals for improvement, implement proven safe practices and reinforce key behaviors.

“We are pleased to offer this guide as a resource for health care providers in an effort to improve safety culture at the bedside for each and every patient at hospitals across the nation,” said Deborah Morris Nadzam, PhD, RN, FAAN, project director at the Joint Commission Resources Partnership for Patients Hospital Engagement Network.

Among the topics the guide covers are adverse drug events, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, injuries from falls and immobility, pressure ulcers, surgical site infection and central line-associated blood stream infections. For more information, visit http://jcrinc.com.