CDC Releases New Guidelines on Fluoride Use to Prevent Tooth Decay

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new recommendations for fluoride use in community drinking water, bottled waters and other fluoride-containing products. The Recommendations for Using Fluoride to Prevent and Control Dental Caries in the United States provides information to dental and health care professionals, public health officials and the general public on the best practices for preventing tooth decay using fluoride. Key recommendations in this report include continuing and expanding the fluoridation of community drinking water; the frequent use of small amounts of fluoride by using drinking water with optimal levels of fluoride and brushing at least twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste; using supplements and high-concentration fluoride products judiciously; parental monitoring of fluoride intake of children younger than six years; increased labeling of bottled water with fluoride concentration; educating health professionals and the public; and further research to learn more about fluoride use and evaluate the current cost-effectiveness of fluoride-containing products. To access the complete report, visit the CDC Web site athttp://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_rr.html.

Patient Education Conference Will Be in Seattle, November 15–18

The 23rd Annual Conference on Patient Education will be November 15–18, 2001, in Seattle, Wash. The conference offers more than 90 workshops, showcases, seminars, lectures and papers on topics such as patient education in the office, a futuristic look at health care and the challenge of evidence-based medicine. Preconference skill-building workshops will be available, and participants can learn more about new programs, products and research at the educational poster displays and booth exhibits, and earn continuing medical education and continuing educational unit credits. Goals of the conference include providing practical skills and information to implement or improve patient education in the practice or educational setting; enhancing interdisciplinary interaction and team development in patient education programs; and enabling participants to develop new approaches to educating patients about specific health problems. For more information on the conference or to register online, visithttps://www.aafp.org/pec/brochure/index.html, or call Priscilla Noland at 800-274-2237, ext. 5410.

American Cancer Society Launches Redesigned Web Site

The American Cancer Society recently redesigned its Web site,http://www.cancer.org, to provide a resource center for patients, caregivers and physicians, and deliver a more personalized experience for persons coping with cancer. The Web site will provide the most current news in cancer research, treatment and prevention, and advocacy and policy issues that visitors can use as a resource to make informed decisions about coping with a cancer diagnosis. The site will also offer interactive treatment resources and support tools, personal planner pages and clip books, survivor stories and support groups, and localized calendars of events.

New Internet Resource Provides Health Care Information for All 50 States

The Kaiser Family Foundation has launched a new Web site called State Health Facts Online that offers comprehensive and current health policy information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and United States territories, on a diverse range of issues including managed care, health insurance coverage and the uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, women's health, minority health, and human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This resource, available athttp://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org, allows users to easily view information for a single state or compare and rank data across all 50 states and compare them to United States totals. Information is available on more than 200 topics and can be displayed in easy-to-read tables and color-coded maps or downloaded for customized comparisons.

NIAID Provides Bug-Borne Disease Research Online

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently released “Focus on Bug-Borne Disease Research: International,” the second of a two-part Web series designed to highlight the major areas of research in diseases transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, ticks and other arthropods, and to provide links to additional information and researchers' Web sites. This second installment focuses on diseases usually found outside the United States, including malaria, dengue (breakbone) fever, leishmaniasis and river blindness. The site concentrates on the efforts of NIAID researchers to understand infectious disease processes and the environmental factors that affect their spread and transmission in an attempt to develop effective new diagnostics, treatments, vaccines and other preventive methods. Research categories include insect and parasite genomes that deal with preventing and treating infectious disease by determining the genetic blueprint of the insects; vaccine and drug research; genetically modifying insects to prevent infection; bug saliva and vaccines; and researching the ecology of bug-borne diseases to predict regions at high risk for disease outbreaks. Visit this Web site athttp://www.niaid.nih.gov.