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Summarizes an investigation by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health of dental offices in the state, which indicated that storage boxes for intraoral radiograph film in the offices contained lead oxide. How patients were at risk for exposure to a substantial amount of lead during a dental radiograph procedure if the office stored dental film in these boxes; Danger of lead exposure to children and pregnant women; How advances in dental radiograph technology have made lead-lined storage boxes unnecessary.

Objective: Compare incidence, mortality, and trends of oral cancer (including the pharynx) in Wisconsin and the United States by race and gender from 1999-2002., Methods: Age-adjusted incidence rates were compared using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC WONDER). Mortality rates were compared using data from the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) and CDC US Cancer Statistics., Results: Incidence rates for oral cancer were higher among males than females in both Wisconsin and the United States. Trends in the incidence rate show the gender disparity has not changed. Furthermore, the incidence rate for African American males is higher in Wisconsin than in the United States. Mortality rates for males were approximately 2 times higher than females in Wisconsin and the United States. Additionally, African American males are more likely than white males to die from this form of cancer, and the likelihood is higher in Wisconsin than in the United States (2.4 versus 1.8, respectively)., Conclusion: Racial disparities in oral cancer for African American males are greater in Wisconsin than in the United States. This may result from variation in access to oral health care, tobacco and alcohol use, as well as limited resources in detection and prevention methods. Wisconsin should focus its oral cancer prevention activities on this high-risk group.

To determine the percent of school-children aged 6-14 years with sealants placed in their permanent molars in the City of Milwaukee. 2) To describe factors associated with sealant presence among these children. 3) To describe differences, if any, among ethnic majority and minority groups. Twelve public schools agreed to participate in this project. After consent forms were obtained, 1,234 dental exams were performed. A 15-item pretested questionnaire was given to each child to take home for the parent(s) to complete. Response rate was 60 percent (N = 742). Data were analyzed using frequencies and Chi-Square tests (P-value < 0.05). Only 9.6 percent of the sample had sealants on their permanent molars. Variables that were found associated with children more likely to have sealants included: gender (female children more likely than males); children with a recent dental exam; children having a regular dentist; parents having heard about sealants before this study; parents' correct knowledge regarding the purpose of sealants; higher level of parents' education; higher parents' total annual income; ethnicity (Caucasian children more likely than Hispanic, African American, American Indian, or Asian children); and age (children in the older group, 10-14 years, more likely than children in the younger group, 6-9 years). Percent of school-children with sealants on their permanent molars in the city of Milwaukee is low. Efforts are needed to increase the knowledge of sealants by the general public as well as to promote sealant use by dentists in both private practice and public health programs, especially for minority children.