Young female smokers are the primary focus of a major new public information campaign launched by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA). The new campaign has been developed to raise awareness of the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes and the cumulative damage that every cigarette causes. The campaign also highlights the lesser-known long-term health … Continued

Dentists are warning parents about giving children soft drinks or fruit juices in their baby bottles over fears about infants needing dental surgery. The warning was prompted after a report found that nearly half of infants under five years in some parts of Ireland have decayed teeth. The Irish Dental Association (IDA) said it is … Continued

Congratulations to Dr Shane Byrne of Ardee, County Louth, the winner of Irish Dentist’s K Club experience. Dr Byrne’s name was the first drawn out of the hat from those who filled in the Irish Dentist readership survey. The team at Irish Dentist would like to extend its thanks to all of you who took … Continued

On 12 December 2007 the Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety, Pat The Cope Gallagher TD, launched the report on the Evaluation of the Specialist Certificate in Health Promotion (Oral Health). The Specialist Certificate is a 12-month part-time course provided by the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Dental Health Foundation. The course … Continued

The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has issued its second warning in 18 months about bisphosphonates, a class of drugs used to combat bone thinning. A release from the IMB stated: ‘Osteonecrosis of the jaw continues to be reported as a suspected adverse drug reaction associated with bisphosphonates and the number of reports appear to be … Continued

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can identify and quantify specific protein markers in human saliva to provide an early, non-invasive diagnosis of breast cancer, according to a study published in a recent issue of Cancer Investigation. The study describes how the onset of breast cancer produces a change in … Continued

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has reiterated its concern over successive governments’ failure to establish a centralised storage facility to manage disused radioactive sources from dental clinics, hospitals and other medical facilities. In the RPII Annual Report and Accounts 2006, which was released on 17 December 2007, the RPII also highlighted that a … Continued