While many states across the U.S. are cutting Medicaid dental benefits as one way to battle their budget crises, Idaho is taking a different tack: DentaQuest, the contractor that administers the Idaho Smiles network, is cutting back on the number of dentists who provide services to Medicaid recipients. DentaQuest reportedly is opting not to renew the contracts of some 150 dentists who currently provide Medicaid services. Of the 980 dentists
The longer the bleaching time, the faster the bleaching effect — and the greater the tooth sensitivity, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (October 2010, Vol. 141:10, pp.1213-1220). The application time for 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) with a tray for at-home bleaching is typically between four and eight hours, a team of Brazilian researchers noted. But they wanted to compare the bleaching effectiveness
An 11-year-old Maine girl is recovering from her fourth surgery to treat fibrous dysplasia, a condition in which a defective gene causes fibrous bone tissue to grow in place of one or more normal bones, leading to fractures, according to an article in the Morning Sentinel. At age 6, Camryn Berry developed a mass in her mouth that her mother, Tammy, a registered nurse, noticed and brought to the attention
Discomfort associated with some caries-detection methods can influence the ability of these approaches to detect approximal caries in primary molars (Caries Research, September 23, 2010). Researchers from the Universidade de São Paulo evaluated 76 children (4-12 years old) using visual inspection (International Caries Detection and Assessment System [ICDAS]), radiography, and a laser fluorescence device (Diagnodent pen). The reference standard was visual inspection after temporary separation with orthodontic rubbers. Surfaces were
Despite a growing body of research pointing to the role of sexually transmitted diseases in increasing rates of oral cancers, young adults who smoke, drink, and eat low levels of fruit and vegetables are at higher risk of contracting cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and larynx, according to researchers from the University of Aberdeen. Their five-year, pan-European study funded by a European Union grant aimed to understand what factors were
Jeff Davis has been named CEO of Orabrush, which markets a tongue cleaner the company says helps cure bad breath. Davis joins Orabrush after retiring from Procter & Gamble with 23 years of service. Most recently, Davis led global operations of the worldwide Wella business as vice president and general manager, P&G Salon Professional. Orabrush features a patented, FDA-approved combination of ultrasoft, pointed bristles to clean deep into the tongue
Natural Prosthetic Dental Lab (NPDL) plans to expand its operations in Florida and hire 283 employees during the next five years to support demand for digitally produced dental restorations, according to a story in the Herald-Tribune. The company has teamed up with 3M to move some of its production work back to the U.S. from China. The capital investment for the project will be about $10 million. NPDL plans to
A Houston dentist is being sued by the parents of a young boy who claim that the child swallowed a piece of dental equipment during a dental exam, according to a story on ultimatefortbend.com, which is owned by the Houston Chronicle. Juhlia Nelson and Shayne Nelson, residents of Galveston County, TX, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Houston dentist Gloria Phillips, D.D.S., on September 30. An associate of Dr. Phillips
A federal judge has ruled that Merck must now pay only $1.5 million in compensatory damages to Shirley Boles, a 72-year-old woman who claimed the company’s bisphosphonate drug Fosamax caused her to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and related dental problems. Boles’ original lawsuit ended in a mistrial in September 2009, but in a retrial in June of this year, a New York jury found in favor of Boles,
Faculty at the University of Florida received five grants totaling nearly $7 million to improve access to dental care for underserved children and adults from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funds are part of $130.8 million in grants announced September 17 by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to strengthen and expand the health professions workforce across the U.S.
Pulpdent has introduced Tuff-Temp provisional glaze, which is designed to glaze and protect provisional crowns and bridges. The glaze improves aesthetics and increases resistance to surface wear and staining and can be cured with all lights, the company said. It is part of the new Tuff-Temp provisional veneer crown and bridge resin system. Tuff-Temp’s rubberized-urethane chemistry provides greater strength and dimensional stability, and a tighter-fitting provisional restoration than bisacrylics and
3M ESPE is helping children with dental disease live healthier by donating dental products to National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy (NCOHF) as part of its launch of RelyX Unicem 2 automix self-adhesive resin cement. During the 2010 ADA Annual Session and Greater New York Dental Meeting, street teams from 3M ESPE will hand out complimentary beverages to trade show attendees while encouraging them to recycle their cups at
