Nearly 60 million Americans live in “dental deserts,” while many more can’t afford basic dental care even if it is available. Enter dental therapists. New research suggests these newly minted health care professionals could help more people get the oral health care they need in low-income areas. They are fast becoming members of a typical…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) — The new Omicron subvariant, BA.2, is spreading across the United States and will soon take over as the major COVID variant, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday. “Ultimately it will be the predominant variant in this country,” Fauci told HealthDay. “It’s occupying about 85% of the variants in…  read on >  read on >

The more blazes firefighters battle, the higher their risk for a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (a-fib), a new study shows. “Clinicians who care for firefighters need to be aware of the increased cardiovascular risk, especially the increased risk of a-fib, among this unique group of individuals,” said senior study author Dr. Paari Dominic.…  read on >  read on >

The party drug “ecstasy” might be the key to helping people heal from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new clinical trial results indicate. In a small study, PTSD patients treated with a powerful combination of the psychedelic drug, also known as MDMA, and talk therapy were much more likely to see an end to their recurring,…  read on >  read on >

Scars from facial surgery look worse to skin cancer patients themselves than to others, so it’s important for surgeons to prepare patients beforehand, researchers say. Doctors can help by outlining the healing process and explaining what their scars will look like in the weeks after surgery, the study authors suggested. “Our research seems to support…  read on >  read on >