Some 72% of the U.S. population — 196 million people — are on fluoridated public water systems, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an increase from 2006, when 69% of the U.S. population, or 180 million people, received fluoridated water through public water systems. Twenty-seven states plus the District of Columbia have achieved the Healthy People 2010 objective of having
Texas legislators are considering a range of cuts to children’s dental programs as they grapple with a $9.9 billion budget deficit, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) could be on the chopping block. However, the new federal healthcare reform law requires states to continue funding healthcare programs at current levels or forfeit all future health funding aid, including Medicaid. It’s a dilemma because if the state’s legislators cut the
The University of Maine System Board of Trustees has approved a $3 million renovation plan for the University College of Bangor (UCB) Dental Hygiene Clinic, according to a story in the Bangor Daily News. Through its Dental Hygiene program, the university offers the low-cost clinic to the public from September until April. Services, including oral exams, dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and x-rays, are provided by UCB dental hygiene students
GC America confirmed that its dental glass ionomer sealants sold in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America do not contain bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA) as ingredients and that its sealants are not resin sealants. GC America products are certified to ISO 13485 standards, which comply with strict safety regulations, the company noted. These products are registered in all countries where GC America manufactures and distributes.
A dental practice in Missouri performed a free root canal on a 10-year-old boy who tried to save his mother’s car from rolling into traffic when she fell ill. On September 9, Damarcus Maple’s mother felt a seizure coming on while driving with Damarcus down a Kansas City highway, according to a report by Fox 4 Kansas City. She pulled the car to the side of the road but was
There is no apparent link between asthma and tooth decay, according to a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (September 2010, Vol. 141:9, pp. 1061-1074). The review examined 27 studies that looked for a link between asthma and cavities that were reported in 29 papers published between 1976 and March 2010. “The notion that there is a link between asthma and tooth
Manual toothbrushes with hard bristles may remove plaque better than those with soft bristles but may also cause more soft-tissue trauma, according to researchers from Witten/Herdecke University and Heinrich-Heine University (Journal of Periodontology, August 19, 2010). In a randomized controlled trial, 120 volunteers, ages 18-62 years, were separated into three groups with 40 subjects each. Each group used manual toothbrushes with hard, medium, or soft bristle stiffness. The participants were
Orthodontic patients pose some unique challenges when it comes to cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging, and dental practitioners should exercise caution to ensure they don’t expose these patients to more radiation than is diagnostically necessary, according to the president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR). Orthodontists were some of the earliest adopters of cone-beam CT in dentistry, according to Allan Farman, B.D.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., D.Sc., who in
Dentists in Ireland’s public health clinics have been ordered not to place fillings in carious primary teeth of otherwise healthy children, according to an article in Irish Health. A memo issued by a senior dental manager at Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland’s public healthcare provider, ordered the new policy in an apparent effort to cut costs. But Dental Protection (DPL), a community watchdog group composed of dentists and lawyers, is
The ADA Foundation Samuel Harris Fund is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Samuel Harris Fund For Children’s Dental Health Grants Program. For more than 10 years, the Harris fund, named for pediatric dentist and philanthropist Samuel Harris, has bestowed grants on organizations dedicated to fighting children’s dental disease, according to the ADA Foundation. The program is open to all nonprofit organizations that sponsor education programs for mothers and caregivers to
SensAble Technologies has appointed Antonius Köster as its first dental reseller in Germany and named R+K CAD/CAM Technologie as its first German Authorized Production Center partner. Together, these companies will help SensAble expand its dental lab presence in the German-speaking regions of Europe through the sales, support, and services associated with the SensAble Dental Lab System and its new modular configurations, according to the company. For 10 years, Antonius Köster
Adding a small amount of fluorescent dye to orthodontic adhesive can make removing the adhesive that often remains after debonding much easier, according to a study in the European Journal of Orthodontics (September 16, 2010). Orthodontic adhesive is often left on the tooth surface when a multibracket appliance is debonded and is difficult to remove because its color is similar to that of the tooth, researchers from Nihon University School
