wt December 11, 1985 cas ee News MEDICINE TORONTO (CP) — “Look, ma, no cavities!" That old - toothpaste slogan from the ’60s has become a familiar refrain among young Canadians over the last two decades and now dentists are starting to fill some cavities in their research in other areas. A decline in tooth decay due to fluoride in water,- toothpaste and other advances in preventive dentistry have allowed to turn their ion fromthe young to diseases that affect middle-aged and senior citizens such as gum disorders and cavities in the roots of the teeth. Dental decay is not inevitable in humans,"'says Dr. Ralph Burgess, head of preventive dentistry at the y of Toronto. O: in refined sugar is ae culprit. Fluoridation offsets some e of “sugar's ill effects, says Dennis Smith, a chemist and professor of biomaterials LUT Tooth decay on the decline science at the university, and he foresees elimination of tooth detay and most dental disease within two generations — if everyone practises good dental hygience. “A large proportion of the population has virtually no tooth decay,” says Burgess. “We see many young people coming to the clinic to have their teeth straightened (and they) have no decay at all.” PREVENT LOSS i Smith says one-third of Canadians over the age of 50 have dentures but most loss of teeth in future generations can be prevented. Of greatest concern to researchers are the number of people — about one in every three Ontarians, for example — who live in areas without fluoridated water or with limited access to dental care. Both factors lead Burgess to fear a two-level pattern of dental health, with a high incidence of decay among low-income people with the least ability to pay for private fluoride treatments at the dentist's office. Fluoride treatments, developed in the 1950s, were one of the earliest but most effective weapons against cavities. Now, an intense blue light is helping prevent decay in one part of the mouth where fluoride isn't effective — the natural Bite and fissures on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Smith says the first molar that appears at about age six frequently becomes decayed in the fissures on the surface. Bacteria cannot be brushed out of this area but sealing teeth is one method of prevention. SETS COMPOUND He says the best sealant is an acrylic compound of the same family as Plexiglas but harder. An intense blue light is A000 Jntroducing Era The Experience Rating Assessment Plan. Designed to be responsive to. the needs of both the worker and the employer, Era is anew assessment formula based ona widely system that links assessment rate to _on-the-job safety performance. The name Era, for Experience Rating Assessment also represents the many other responsive changes we're making to create a more efficient and effective WCB for everyone. based upon their individual safety performance over the past 2 years. Safer companies will earn financial merits while less safe companies will find financial demerits added to their used in the one-step setting process that leaves the sealant free of air bubbles. “This light curing (hardening) is revolutionizing dentistry,” says Smith. “It's used for fillings and coatings. Whereas four years ago, fewer than 20 per cent of dentists had a curing light, 80 per cent do now.” Unlike the crown of a tooth, the root is not protected by enamel, Burgess notes. As long as the gums cover the roots, they won't decay, but with periodontal disease, the gums recede, leaving the root vulnerable to decay. The treatment for root decay is restorative dentistry — taking out the decay and putting in a composite filling. In another at the Uni of Toronto have developed a way of eradicating for about a year the bacteria streptococcus mutans, which seems to be the main cause of tooth decay. UNIT Columbia. assessments: The end result is individ- used of them? ual assessment costs that equate to each company’s safety record. But why should a company be provided with a financial incentive for safety when it should be expected Because effective job safety pro- grams cost money to implement and maintain. In difficult times safety runs the risk of being affected as com- Panies look for ways‘to trim costs. ADD 's He Era works. DECREASING SAFETY UPTO $133,000 To qualify, 1 year of payroll is required but a maximum of 2 years will be used. Each employer will continue to have their assessment rate based on the cost of claims of their respective industry group. The difference is that their rate will then go up or down from the industry group average One way to ensure that safety stays on the jobsite is to make it pay divi- - dends to the safe employer while pro- viding incentive to other employers whose safety performance needs improvement. Score facts you hould know. = The accident rate in B.C. has declined by 21% in the last 5 years. This is a decline in the number ~ ofaccidents per person-hours worked and represents a signifi-- cant improvement from our previous experience. = 150,919 new claims were repor- ted in 1984, down 24% from 1980. = The unfunded liability has been reduced from $517,000,000 to $514,000,000 in 1984. =In spite of accident reductions, over $274,000,000 in benefits were paid out. 18% more than in 1980. The total number of accident claims was reduced from those reported in 1985. = Over $480,000,000 in employer assessed contributions were made last year from over 85,000 British Columbia employers. ; = The total cost of administration of the Workers’ Compensation Board was just 10.4% of total revenues in 1984. Calculation of Rating: = Total of 2 years’ claims costs divided by a total of 2 years’ payroll. s Compare this ratio to the subclass industry ratio. = For every 3% deviation from the subclass ratio, the firm's rate will be adjusted 1% in the same direction. Example: (based on a subclass ratio of .05) The accumulated 2 years’ claims cost for Employer X is $3,000. The accumulated 2 years’ payroll for Employer X is $100,000. $3,000 + $100,000 = .05 — .03 = .02 (a 40% reduction from the subclass ratio). 40% + 3 — 13.3% MERIT Formula: (subclass ratio — firm ratio) ony x 100 = Firm % Variance subclass ratio Firm % Variance 3 — Firm Merit or Demerit INDUSTRY INTEGRATION SCHEDULE While Era will apply to all B.C. industries with Workers’ Compensation coverage, certain industries will commence with Era January Ist, 1986 with the balance entering the plan in 1987 1986. Forest, Metals Mining, Trucking, Heavy Manufacturing and Construction Industries. 1987 Remaining applicable industries. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD é&iinew!