On October 26, 2017 Dr. Schonberg delivered a lecture to the Millburn Old Guard about his involvement with the WWII Book Club. It stemmed from having parents who had direct experiences in the WWII: his mother survived theNazi occupation of Holland, and his father was a WWII veteran of North Africa and Italy. The lecture discussed the influence both parents had on Dr. Schonberg and his interest with WWII history.
The Essex County Dental Society presented Dr. Schonberg with a plaque for having served as President of the organization for three consecutive years. The presentation was made at the September General Membership meeting of the ECDS.
Due to the unfortunate circumstances for Dr. Rene Arace which led her to withdraw as President of the Essex County Dental Society, Dr. Richard C. Schonberg will act as President for the third consecutive year. His “reign” will end in 2017!
On Wednesday night, October 7,2015, Dr. Schonberg was one of several people honored by the New Jersey Dental Association. Installed as the re-elected president of the Essex County, he was presented with a plaque by the current NJDA president, Essex County’s own Dr. Greg LaMorte. Also present was, Giorgio DiVincenzo, President-elect of the NJDA and the Executive Director, Art Meisel, Esq.
Beginning August 3rd (2015) and running for the month, Dr. Schonberg will present an assortment of photographs in an exhibit at the Millburn Public Library in Millburn, New Jersey. The images are an mixture High Dynamic Range (HDR) images and conventional photographs. The HDR images increase the range of light used and render more intensity to the images. The photographs were taken in a variety of places, including London, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona, and Paris, as well as Gettysburg, Boston, and West Orange.They are a range of subjects, from scenic to abstract. Many are linked to an association with Word War II history, as the images were shot during some of the many WWII tours Dr. Schonberg has been on. I hope you come and sign the guest book. Images are for sale, though Library rules prevent pricing and selling works at the Library. Contact Dr. Schonberg at the office (873-379-2730) for inquiries.
NPR reported the age old noise of knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis, and may actually be good for the joint. According to Dr. Kevin deWeber of Vancouver, Canada, the arthritis urban myth is a misconception perpetuated by “by mothers who are sick of hearing their kids crack their knuckles.” Dr. Greg Kawchuk, professor of Rehabilitative Medicine at the University of Alberta performed a MRI study discerning the culprit behind the noise:gas bubbles which get collapsed upon the knuckle cracking.
So what about other joints? Many dental patients complain of jaw joint noises. The implication of Dr. Kawchuck’s study is that the noise is harmless and moving the jaw around to create the pop may actually help. This still has to be verified by dental research. Pain, on the other hand, is a complicating factor which would need to be investigated by your doctor. Popping the joint may be harmful in those cases. Stick with the knuckles!
Stem cells hold promise to regenerate many different body tissues. Until recently, stem cells were difficult to procure. Several years ago it was discovered stem cells are present in many body tissues, particularly the teeth. Extracted teeth can have stem cells harvested and banked so that in the future, if needed, the cells are there for you. The ADA announced in the march 2, 2015 News that research at the University of Pittsburgh have been able to coax dental stem cells into corneal (eye) tissue, and could one day be used to repair corneal injuries. Presently, Store-A-Tooth offers the ability to save your stem cells from extracted teeth. Your future could depend up on it! For more information call us at 973-379-2730.
Given the declared State of Emergency by the governor, and of course, the difficulty of traveling in this snow, we have closed the office for today, Thursday, March 5, 2015. We plan on resuming operations on Friday, March 6th.
Mailonline ran an article with the title, “Mouthwash use “linked to oral cancer”: People who use products more than three times a day increase risk.” The research, done by a Scottish doctor at the University of Glasgow has been deemed inconclusive by the British Dental Association. The article did however, indicate that there “may be a link between excessive mouthwash rinsing and people who use it to mask the smell of smoking and alcohol.” These alone are independent risk factor for cancer, and together exert a well established link for cancer. As such, mouthwash may not be as significant as the alcohol and smoking with regard to cancer, and should probably not be discontinued if recommended for use.
Ebola is a potentially deadly viral disease which is not treatable by medications. Estimates range from 50-90% mortality rate. Infection is believed to be possible through direct contact, and is currently not considered an airborne disease. A person is considered infectious and should be quarantined when a fever is above 101.5 F, assuming that person’s fever is related to travel to, or contact with, any of the hotspots or persons who have been to or come from the hotspots in Africa.
It is believed if a person has not exhibited any signs or symptoms after 21 days, there is no risk.
Given the nature of some of the cases around the globe, clearly not all the information is consistent. More alarming are the cases of Ebola infection in which people who are unknowingly infected may have had multiple contacts with persons who may also become infected. This seems to be the case of the emergency room doctor in Spain, who just quarantined himself. How many patients did he contact before this self imposed quarantine. In theory, if he was afebrile it should not be a concern. However, if any one of these people become infectious, the virus spread will literally “go viral.”
We are screening all patients for fever using a non-contact infrared thermometer in the interest of protecting all our patients. Even though the likelihood of contagion is very small at present, we want to be very proactive in what could prove to be a serious problem. We request any patient who has a non-allergic cough or fever to please reschedule their appointment. For now, everyone should observe simple precautions: wash hands thoroughly after contact with strangers or foreign objects. Avoid high risk persons, e.g. people who have just come back from one of the African hotspots (after 21 days such persons are thought to be noninfected). But, if you have reason to suspect you have been infected, seek immediate Hospital care!