Christopher C. Babcock

Diagnosing Maxillofacial Traumas

Maxillofacial traumas take the form of injuries to the face that are often not identifiable to their full extent at first examination. The first step in any assessment, whether after an incident on the athletic field or in a vehicle, is to make sure that there are no major hemorrhages or internal losses of blood. Another essential is checking for compromised vision and airway obstructions.

Nasal fractures are the most common type of facial fracture and make up more than half of such incidents. They are defined by a break in the cartilage or bone over the nose’s bridge or the sidewall or septum, which divides the two nostrils. Oedema, involving a buildup of fluid and swelling in the nose tissue, may mask nasal bone deformations.

This means the nasal base must be manually palpitated and assessed, with nasal bones checked for mobility and asymmetry and the throat checked for posterior nasal bleeding. A nasal speculum is used to identify areas of hematoma (clotted blood) or hemorrhage, which may reduce blood supply to the septal cartilage and cause abscess and cartilage necrosis.

Mandibular fractures involving the jaw are also relatively common in the face. Because the mandible is a mobile bone, intense pain, and malocclusion often, patients and physicians direct attention to the area of the fracture and make diagnosis easier.

Importance of Getting a Disability Insurance

Disability insurance offers a safety net in the form of a monthly benefit to policyholders who cannot work due to a disability. Typically, this benefit is calculated as a percentage of the policyholder’s regular income. The waiting period for disability insurance can vary, and coverage can extend from a few weeks to the duration of one’s working life, depending on the severity of the disability. There are numerous advantages to having disability insurance.

One of the primary benefits of disability insurance is its role in helping policyholders plan for unforeseen circumstances that can significantly impact their lives. Whether it’s a life-altering disability, a chronic illness, or even a global pandemic, disability insurance safeguards the financial health of both the policyholder and their family. This protection is crucial for achieving long-term financial security and peace of mind.

Furthermore, disability insurance offers superior protection than relying solely on savings, particularly for long-term disabilities. Savings can quickly diminish in the face of substantial medical bills associated with prolonged disabilities. Since disabilities can persist for years, having disability insurance ensures a steady monthly benefit throughout the disability, easing the financial burden on the policyholder.

Moreover, while workers’ compensation typically covers injuries sustained in the workplace, it may not provide coverage for work-related disabilities. Workers ‘ compensation may not cover conditions like cancer, stroke, or injuries sustained outside work. However, disability insurance offers comprehensive coverage, regardless of whether the disability is work-related, ensuring financial stability during challenging times.

Kentucky Dental Association Legislative Priorities for 2024

Committed to advancing the profession of dentistry and promoting oral health, the Kentucky Dental Association (KDA) hosts an annual meeting, provides members with a range of resources and benefits, and advocates for various legislative measures. In 2024, the KDA is working to address increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates, student debt, and insurance reform.

The KDA believes that the current Medicaid rate structure is unsuitable for residents and doesn’t provide sufficient access to care. Member dentists support earning less than usual to help community members in the greatest need of dental services. Moreover, the KDA Executive Board hopes to work with the state legislature and the Department of Medicaid Services to increase reimbursement rates.

Regarding student debt, the KDA advocates for loan forgiveness programs and encourages legislators to boost state funding to higher-learning institutions. Dentists in Kentucky have an average of $350,000 in student loan debt upon graduating. Therefore, graduates are less likely to start their practice in rural and underserved areas. Student loan forgiveness could help address this issue.

The KDA supports legislation promoting transparency in dental care benefits for insurance reform. It supports direct payment to providers via dental benefit plans and limits how long dental insurers can request refunds for mistakes in paid claims.

The KDA’s other legislative priorities for 2024 include advancing workforce sustainability, tax reform, and improving access to telehealth services.

How Queen Bees Create and Sustain Colonies

One of the critical elements for the survival of a bee colony is the queen bee. Large and heavy, she flies only twice. One is to mate with drone bees from other colonies. During this flight, she collects around five million sperm and then returns to the hive. She stores the sperm and uses them to fertilize eggs. Over her lifetime, the queen bee lays many eggs. She arranges these in cells, which are situated inside a honeycomb.

At her peak, the queen bee can lay 3,000 eggs within a single day, with those that are fertilized potentially becoming worker or queen bees, and those left unfertilized becoming drones. Each egg, laid in just a few seconds, is about the size of a grain of rice. The queen bee starts in center and works in a circular fashion outward. This enables workers to feed larvae at the outer edges foods such as royal jelly, a protein-rich secretion from worker bee glands. Eggs hatch around three days after being laid.

While queen bees can live as long as seven years, peak productivity is limited to one to two years. Commercial beekeepers may replace queens as often as two times a year to maintain optimal productivity.

The queen does sometimes take one additional flight during her lifetime. This is when swarming. Accompanied by around half of the workers in the colony, she and her companions seek out a new setting to live and create a colony. In preparing for this event, workers develop a new queen, while preparing the existing queen to fly. Because she is generally too heavy to fly at that point, they must place the queen on a calorie-restricted diet.

ADA Takes Firm Stance Against Direct-to-Consumer Dentistry

In response to developments involving a direct-to-consumer (DTC) company specializing in teeth aligners, the nation’s largest dental organization, the American Dental Association (ADA), has reasserted its opposition to DTC dentistry. The ADA discourages providing dental treatments directly to consumers, expressing concerns over potential irreversible harm and risks to individuals treated as customers rather than patients.

By advocating against DTC dentistry, the ADA aims to safeguard individuals from the potential risks of teeth alignment without a comprehensive understanding of their oral conditions. The ADA warns that unmonitored teeth movement could lead to severe and permanent issues such as bone loss, bite problems, receding gums, and jaw pain.

Highlighting the fundamental responsibility of licensed dentists in overseeing patient care, the ADA reiterates that dentists are uniquely qualified to accept accountability for a patient’s treatment. The absence of a dentist’s involvement in such treatments eliminates a crucial quality control aspect, potentially compromising patient safety and overall oral health.

The ADA urges individuals considering DTC dental products or services to consult a licensed dentist. It notes that regular dental check-ups with qualified professionals are crucial for maintaining good oral health and overall wellness.

Providing the Right Balance of Exercise for Foals

Daily exercise is an integral part of young horses’ healthy growth, with fresh air reducing the risks of respiratory infection. Having ready access to turnout (pasture to run) also helps strengthen the musculoskeletal system. In the first year, an exercise program focusing on building muscle mass can be counterproductive.

This has to do with the foal’s still-developing skeletal system. The physis (growth plates) are susceptible to damage if worked too hard. Placing too much muscle weight on the immature frame can result in a lifetime of angular limb and flexural deformities and arthritis.

The best approach is to allow the foal to exercise at its own pace while guiding light groundwork and halter breaking. The latter training helps get the young horse accustomed to a halter and reigns and should be conducted relatively sparingly, with days off sprinkled in to prevent biting (a sign of stress). Also, be aware that younger dams (mothers) may tend to run at full speed, and foals may try to keep up, which can result in injury. Turn out these active dams with their foals in smaller enclosures if necessary.

Common Misconceptions about Disability Insurance

Disability insurance is a financial tool that provides an income replacement to individuals unable to work due to a short-term or long-term disability. However, common misconceptions about disability insurance may lead to underestimating its importance.

Many people assume they don’t need disability insurance because they are healthy or young. However, accidents and illnesses are unpredictable, and disability insurance provides a safety net for unexpected circumstances. Additionally, starting a disability insurance policy at a younger age can help access lower premiums.

Employees with workers’ compensation may also believe they don’t need additional insurance, but workplace insurance only covers on-the-job injuries, while disability insurance provides protection for disabilities that occur both on and off the job.

Another common belief is that disability insurance is prohibitively expensive. However, premiums vary based on age, health, and coverage amount. Most individuals can research multiple options and find an affordable policy that meets their needs.

While having an emergency fund may help in unexpected situations, it may not be enough to cover the costs associated with a disability, which is where disability insurance comes into play.

Finally, relying on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) may prove ineffective in the event help is needed, since qualifying for it can be challenging. Even those who qualify may find that it doesn’t cover all their needs.

Understanding these misconceptions about disability insurance can help individuals make informed decisions about securing this coverage, which can provide significant support in the event of unexpected disabilities.

ADA Philanthropy Day SmileCon Gives Back to Houston Local Youth

Dr. Christopher Chris C. Babcock, DMD and MD, is a Louisville, Kentucky, oral surgeon who belongs to several professional organizations. In addition to his role at Louisville Oral Surgery and Dental Implants, Christopher C. Babcock, MD, is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), one of the country’s premier professional dental organizations.

In October 2022, the ADA hosted its Philanthropy Day (SmileCon) to support the national Give Kids a Smile Program and to help Houston’s underserved youth. While local youth were the focus of the day’s activities, the effort also helps youth nationally.

Numerous activities took place, including events such as SmileDash 5K in Downtown Houston and the Give Kids a Smile Pack & Give Back. For the latter, participants packed around 1,000 backpacks, filling them with nutritious food, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and oral health education cards.

In a collaboration between the ADA and the Houston Food Bank, the packs went to area youth who are food insecure, supplying them with nutritional assistance on the weekend and giving them oral healthcare supplies.

The day included other events such as visits from the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures mobile dental van for dental screenings, DENT Talks featuring speakers talking about volunteering, and Philanthropy CHAT (connect, huddle, talk).

AAOMS Offers Simulated Anesthesia Training for Oral Surgeons

Practicing in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Christopher C. “Chris” Babcock serves as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Louisville Oral Surgery and Dental Implants. A professional with a dedication to providing patients with quality dental care, Christopher C. Babcock, DMD, MD, belongs to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).

AAOMS offers various resources to help oral surgeons maintain and enhance their practice, including training on anesthesia administration. Through its National Simulation program’s Office-Based Emergency Airway Management (OBEAM) Module, AAOMS offers simulation-based training on anesthesia administration in emergency situations. This enables practitioners to refine their skills to comply with best-practice protocols without risk to patients.

During OBEAM sessions, oral surgeons and surgical assistants practice safe administration of anesthesia in emergency airway situations. They use manikins capable of simulating real-life breathing as their subjects and receive assessments on their technique using advanced technology. This software records their performance, identifying steps that they missed and areas in which they might require further training.

Dentigerous Cysts

A surgeon at Louisville Oral Surgery & Dental Implants, Christopher C. “Chris” Babcock, DMD, MD, earned his medical and dental doctorates from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He focuses on dental implants and extractions at the practice. One reason that oral surgeons like Dr. Chris Babcock perform tooth extractions include treating dentigerous cysts.

Dentigerous cysts are smooth sacks filled with fluid that form in the jaws and gums around impacted teeth. They most commonly appear around the crowns of impacted wisdom teeth in the lower jaw, but can also develop around other teeth. Although sometimes painless and benign, these cysts can grow when left unchecked and become infected and painful. This may result in damage to the roots of teeth or the destruction of the supporting bones.

The slow growth and typical location of dentigerous cysts often makes them go unnoticed, and most individuals with these cysts do not know that they have them. However, cysts do become large enough for people to feel them on rare occasions. Dental professionals identify cysts during regular checkups or during consultations for orthodontic devices.

People who develop cysts should have them removed to safeguard the integrity of their teeth. During the procedure, an oral surgeon applies an anesthetic to the affected area and extracts the cyst. They take out the tooth as well, unless the cyst is small enough for them to either remove it by itself or drain it. In severe cases with large cysts, the surgeon might need to perform a bone graft to repair any bone loss or damage.