Seven million patients can’t find a dentist on the NHS for two years

Short supply: The hardest areas to and an NHS dentist are the South  West and North-West

More than seven million patients have been unable to see an NHS dentist for almost two years.

Young Dentists: Have You Talked to Your Dentist About Sex?

Have You Talked to Your Dentist About Sex?

Kiss of Death?

It was once thought French-kissing and oral sex were safe if your partner had AIDS.  A recent study from UCLA and Drew University exposed mouth tissue taken from HIV negative people to the virus and found that the virus was actually able to infect the tissue.  AIDS virus can be transferred through kissing when people have bleeding gums which is commonly found in people with gum disease.  Please remember about 75 % of the US population has gum disease i.e. bleeding gums. The CDC recommends using condoms or dental dams during oral sex.
Elle pg 84 June 2003

Among the more dangerous myths floating around these days is that oral sex is a disease-free alternative to intercourse. The fact is, not only can oral-genital contact lead to a sexually transmitted disease (STD) it can, depending on the disease, be harder to spot and more difficult to treat.

Your dentist may recognize oral symptoms of an STD and instruct you to see a physician for diagnosis.   According to a study 60 percent of surveyed college students do not equate oral-genital contact with sex. And more than 55 percent of teen-agers admitted to engaging in oral sexual acts. Ninety percent of those who contracted the oral component of an STD-such as gonorrhea-may be asymptomatic (meaning they do not show outward signs of being sick). The remaining 10 percent exhibit symptoms such as gum swelling and discharge, and some bleeding.

Treatment may include:

	an oral antibiotic
	an intramuscular (IM) antibiotic
	an oral antibiotic rinse.
	advise  to seek medical care because the patient probably has the STD elsewhere
	encouragement to practice safer sex by using a condom or a latex barrier.