News

The Odontology Section of The Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland would like to thank our speaker, Dr Eddie Fahy, and attendees of our first event of this academic year on Tuesday 18th October 2022 on 'The Spread of Dentoalveolar Infection.' This synchronous online event again enjoyed a large attendance from dental students & staff in both Dublin & Cork Dental Hospitals as well as from dental & medical clinicians from the HSE. Dr Fahy discussed the pathways and factors involved in the onset and spread of odontogenic infection including the most severe consequences of untreated infection. This lecture and Q&A session were recorded for asynchronous access. If attendees are interested in accessing the recording, please feel free to contact the Odontology Section.

A study led by Dr Gary Moran has been published in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis (Impact Factor 10.02) characterising the oral microbiome in children with Crohn’s disease. The study shows for the first time that oral microbiome changes in this cohort reflect Crohn’s disease severity and that the oral microbiome may act as a reservoir for pathogens that can disturb the gut microbiome such as Klebsiella and Pseudomonas species. The study is also the first to demonstrate that this altered oral microbiome returns to a healthy state after successful treatment of gut symptoms.

A study lead by Dr Gary Moran has been published in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis (Impact Factor 10.02) characterising the oral microbiome in children with Crohn’s disease. The study shows for the first time that oral microbiome changes in this cohort reflect Crohn’s disease severity and that the oral microbiome may act as a reservoir for pathogens that can disturb the gut microbiome such as Klebsiella and Pseudomonas species. The study is also the first to demonstrate that this altered oral microbiome returns to a healthy state after successful treatment of gut symptoms.

Wednesday 21 September is Mouth Cancer Awareness Day (MCAD) 2022.  

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been endemic in Irish hospitals for several decades and remain a significant clinical issue. A recent collaborative study by microbiologists at the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH), the Irish National MRSA Reference Laboratory at St. James’s Hospital Dublin, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Beaumont Hospital Dublin used whole-genome sequencing to investigate transmission of MRSA among patients, healthcare workers (HCWs) and the environment in a large acute hospital over a two-year period. Numerous potential MRSA transmission events were identified in the absence of infection outbreaks. A recently published follow up study on methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) recovered during the same period as the MRSA study has just been published on-line by the researchers. MSSA are more diverse and more common than MRSA, and whereas infections caused by MSSA are easier to treat than infections caused by MRSA, MSSA can be just as virulent as MRSA and can cause serious infections.

Congratulations to all who took place in the Clinical Audit Presentation Evening on Thursday, May 19th.  The standard of audits was high and picking winners was a difficult task for the judges.

Congratulations to Brian Maloney, 4th Year Dental Science, on winning first prize in the Irish Endodontic Society’s Undergraduate Essay Competition. The competition was open to the three Dental Schools in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

Congratulations to Brian Maloney, 4th Year Dental Science, on winning first prize in the Irish Endodontic Society’s Undergraduate Essay Competition. The competition was open to the three Dental Schools in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

A huge congratulations to our DDUH staff members Dr PJ Byrne (2019-2020) and Dr David McReynolds (2020-2021) on receiving The Dean of Health Science Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching in Professional Practice.