DISPELLING A MYTH Is There a Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Root Canals?
In 2015, a study published in the journal Nature suggested that certain proteins might be transmitted between people during medical treatment. Shortly after that publication, the myth of a link between Alzheimer’s disease and root canals took off. A number of media outlets around the world reported the story and portrayed it as a public health concern. In the study, the proteins in question were those said to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia. Additionally, the study suggested Alzheimer’s was transmissible between humans. It also suggested that contaminated surgical instruments were the main avenue of transmission.
surgery or other medical treatments. However, it’s important to note that the study never mentioned endodontic or dental procedures as a “risk factor.” The study’s author, Professor John Collinge, said, “Our current data has no bearing on dental surgery and certainly does not argue that dentistry poses a risk of Alzheimer’s disease.” Here’s what Dr. Terryl A. Propper, speaking on behalf of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), said on the matter: “There is no evidence that root canal treatment poses a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. There are procedures in place to minimize infection risk from endodontic instruments such as files and reamers. Many endodontists employ single-use instruments, and, if not, instruments are thoroughly sterilized
prior to each use.” Dr. Propper, who was the president of the AAE at the time, went on to say, “There is nothing definitive in this study. Questions remain and the study authors acknowledge that more research is needed.”
It was implied that contaminated surgical instruments transmitted the proteins from one person to another during
ANNIE DUKE’S ‘THINKING IN BETS’
What a Poker Pro Can Teach You About Risk
Annie Duke may seem an unlikely business consultant given that she’s best known as a professional poker player. But the lessons in her new book,“Thinking in Bets,”extend far beyond the felt. Duke, who studied psychology at UPenn and has consulted for a number of companies, takes the decision-making lessons she learned at the poker table and applies them to the hard choices we have to make in business. To emphasize the nature of her work, Duke begins with an introduction called “Why This Isn’t a Poker Book.”She writes that the process of thinking in bets “starts with recognizing that there are exactly two things that determine how our lives turn out: the quality of our decisions and luck.” When you make a decision, you rarely have perfect clarity regarding all the factors at play. This imperfect picture is what makes every business decision risky. Duke argues that ignoring inherent risk results in dangerous outcome- based thinking. As an alternative, she proposes that you acknowledge that not every decision will be the right one. This way, you can investigate the nature of your decision-making process and improve it without being blinded by lucky (or unlucky) results.
cards the other players hold. You can make educated inferences based on the information you gather, but there is always going to be a risk in calling a bet. The process parallels howwe decide what’s best for a company. We analyze all the information we have at hand and make a projection about the best option. Until the decision plays out, we won’t know the outcome.
Though Duke knows more about poker than just about anyone,
she doesn’t limit her examples to gambling. She writes with equal skill and depth about everything from CEOs to football coaches.“Thinking in Bets”is a comprehensive overview of risk assessment that provides countless tips on how to improve your decision-making. Even if you have no idea whether a flush beats a straight, you’ll find“Thinking in Bets”a valuable addition to your leadership library. Entrepreneurship requires making millions of decisions. Don’t you want to make them better?
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Poker provides a fertile analogy for this concept. It’s a game of imperfect information. No matter howmuch poker you’ve played, you never knowwhich
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