Access to dental care for people with bleeding disorders: survey results of hemophilia treatment centers in the U.S.

AIM: The goal of this project was to gather data and identify factors affecting access to dental care for people with bleeding disorders in the U.S. METHODS: The Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health and the National Hemophilia Foundation conducted a joint survey. The survey was completed by 102 of the 147 hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) in the U.S. This represents 69% of the HTCs in the country. Each HTC provided specific information concerning the dental services and education provided for patients. RESULTS: Survey results revealed inconsistent levels of oral health services available to patients. Major factors limiting access to care include finances, patient anxiety with respect to dental treatment and a lack of providers with the skills to treat this population. CONCLUSION: Improvement in oral health for persons with bleeding disorders requires appropriate education for providers, patients and families. Additionally, both public and private health funding must be re-evaluated as it relates to people with bleeding disorders.

In vitro efficacy of curcumin on Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonosis, the disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease with 174 million cases per year worldwide. The emerging resistance against the current standard therapy with metronidazole is pushing the search for alternative drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of curcumin, a derivate of Curcuma longa, on T. vaginalis. The effective concentrations (ECs) were evaluated using three strains of T. vaginaliswith different metronidazole susceptibilities (ATCC 30001, ATCC 30236 and ATCC 50138) and dilution series of curcumin in 24-well microtitre assays. Curcumin was shown to be highly effective against T. vaginalis, and the susceptibility of the different strains was not affected by an existing resistance to metronidazole. After 24 h of incubation, the EC50 ranged from 73.0 to 105.8 µg/ml and the EC90 from 216.3 to 164.9 µg/ml. In all strains tested, a 100 % eradication of all trichomonal cells within 24 h was reached at a concentration of 400 µg/ml curcumin, the 50-fold concentration still being very well tolerated by human mucosa. Altogether, curcumin seems to be a promising candidate for topical treatment of trichomonosis.