VOLUME 236 NO. 11 | JUNE 14 2024 | Y. Takefuji, Tokyo, Japan; J. Asquith, Hertfordshire, UK
**Mental Health and Wellbeing**
- **Worldwide Burnout in Dentists**: Dentists and students face high burnout and mental health risks, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDI World Dental Federation recommends raising awareness, providing accessible support, normalizing mental health discussions, and offering training on self-care and colleague support. Studies show that improving work environments in Oral and Dental Health Centers can reduce burnout, and early identification of burnout factors is crucial for enhancing faculty productivity and satisfaction.
**Restorative Dentistry**
- **Bernard Smith’s Sense of Humour**: A letter highlights Bernard Smith's excellent sense of humour, recounting a memorable viva exam where he laughed during a call about his mother-in-law's death and a humorous tape slide program for a four-handed unit.
**Sustainable Dentistry**
- **Wastewater Management**: Dental unit wastewater has been reclassified as industrial wastewater, requiring more stringent treatment and regulatory compliance. Energy-extracting wastewater technologies, such as biogas production, can reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a net-zero-carbon water sector.
**Holistic Health**
- **Sweet Warnings**: A letter proposes mandatory sugar packaging warnings to address the global burden of non-communicable diseases linked to sugar consumption. Warning labels, similar to those on tobacco products, could increase public awareness and reduce sugar intake, leading to better health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
**Obstructive Sleep Apnoea**
- **RME and OSA**: Maxillary expansion by rapid maxillary expansion (RME) devices can benefit patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) who have constricted maxillas. RME widens the maxilla through distraction osteogenesis, improving airway patency and tongue position, and enhancing quality of life for OSA patients. Surgical assistance may be needed for older patients to facilitate maxillary expansion.**Mental Health and Wellbeing**
- **Worldwide Burnout in Dentists**: Dentists and students face high burnout and mental health risks, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDI World Dental Federation recommends raising awareness, providing accessible support, normalizing mental health discussions, and offering training on self-care and colleague support. Studies show that improving work environments in Oral and Dental Health Centers can reduce burnout, and early identification of burnout factors is crucial for enhancing faculty productivity and satisfaction.
**Restorative Dentistry**
- **Bernard Smith’s Sense of Humour**: A letter highlights Bernard Smith's excellent sense of humour, recounting a memorable viva exam where he laughed during a call about his mother-in-law's death and a humorous tape slide program for a four-handed unit.
**Sustainable Dentistry**
- **Wastewater Management**: Dental unit wastewater has been reclassified as industrial wastewater, requiring more stringent treatment and regulatory compliance. Energy-extracting wastewater technologies, such as biogas production, can reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a net-zero-carbon water sector.
**Holistic Health**
- **Sweet Warnings**: A letter proposes mandatory sugar packaging warnings to address the global burden of non-communicable diseases linked to sugar consumption. Warning labels, similar to those on tobacco products, could increase public awareness and reduce sugar intake, leading to better health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
**Obstructive Sleep Apnoea**
- **RME and OSA**: Maxillary expansion by rapid maxillary expansion (RME) devices can benefit patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) who have constricted maxillas. RME widens the maxilla through distraction osteogenesis, improving airway patency and tongue position, and enhancing quality of life for OSA patients. Surgical assistance may be needed for older patients to facilitate maxillary expansion.