Ultrasonic teeth cleaning procedures might not be suitable for everyone, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday, advising people with hemophilia or similar conditions, pacemakers, congenital heart problems, acute bacterial endocarditis, chronic lung disease or those who have had heart valve replacement surgery not to undergo the treatment.
Ultrasonic cleaners operate using an electromagnetic field, which, with its high vibration rate, can swiftly and efficiently remove dental calculus, but could be fatal for people with pacemakers, as the electromagnetic field could interfere with its discharge rate, the FDA said.
The operator is responsible for adjusting the strength of the electromagnetic field, it said.
Ultrasonic cleaning can cause minor injuries to the gums, so people with hemophilia face infection risks, it said.
Bacterial infection of the gums could enter the bloodstream and reach the heart, causing endocarditis, it said.
RESPIRATORY RISK
Residual tartar removed during the debridement process could block the respiratory tract and could prove fatal for those with chronic lung disease, the FDA said.
The agency called on people to inform their dentist if they have any of the conditions so the best teeth-cleaning method would be used.
Beijing could eventually see a full amphibious invasion of Taiwan as the only "prudent" way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in a newly released annual report to Congress. The Pentagon's "Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025," was in many ways similar to last year’s report but reorganized the analysis of the options China has to take over Taiwan. Generally, according to the report, Chinese leaders view the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) capabilities for a Taiwan campaign as improving, but they remain uncertain about its readiness to successfully seize
Taiwan is getting a day off on Christmas for the first time in 25 years. The change comes after opposition parties passed a law earlier this year to add or restore five public holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on today, Dec. 25. The day marks the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, as the government in Taipei is formally known. Back then the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) governed China from Nanjing. When the KMT, now an opposition party in Taiwan, passed the legislation on holidays, it said that they would help “commemorate the history of national development.” That
Taiwan has overtaken South Korea this year in per capita income for the first time in 23 years, IMF data showed. Per capita income is a nation’s GDP divided by the total population, used to compare average wealth levels across countries. Taiwan also beat Japan this year on per capita income, after surpassing it for the first time last year, US magazine Newsweek reported yesterday. Across Asia, Taiwan ranked fourth for per capita income at US$37,827 this year due to sustained economic growth, the report said. In the top three spots were Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong, it said. South
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a