In a case that could define what dental services the U.S. government must provide to veterans, a federal appeals court has denied a Korean War veteran’s demand that the government provide him with dentures to replace the teeth extracted by military dentists. The dentists extracted all but three of Thomas M. Nielson’s teeth without anesthesia while he was serving with the U.S. Air Force in Korea in 1952, according to
Questionnaires can help dentists screen for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including sleep apnea, snoring, and upper-airway resistance, in pediatric patients, according to research presented June 5 at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine annual meeting in San Antonio. Researchers evaluated two SDB questionnaires in children undergoing orthodontic treatment in the undergraduate program at the University of British Columbia. The study included 189 children (48% boys), with ages ranging from 7
The conflict over whether dentistry should be practiced in Louisiana schools — one of the hottest topics for the state Legislature last year — has flared up again. Lawmakers are now so impatient with the issue they are threatening to fire the entire Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. The state Senate is expected this week to take up a House of Representatives bill setting a deadline of January 1, 2011,
Crowns made of porcelain fused to zirconia (PFZ) proved as durable as crowns made from porcelain fused to metal (PFM) in a large study by Noritake Dental Supply. For the study, which will be presented July 16 at the International Association for Dental Research annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain, U.S. private dentists monitored the performance of 2,635 premolar and molar crowns (1944 PFZ and 691 PFM) fabricated by one dental
LeapFrog Enterprises, makers of handheld educational gaming devices, has introduced a dental hygiene game, Sugar Bugs, in which children learn dental hygiene as they defeat “plaque monsters.” The game is available on the company’s new Leapster Explorer device, which will offer 40 different learning and play experiences by the end of 2010 for 4- to 9-year-old kids. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com
Want to help your younger patients improve both their oral and systemic health? Try recommending they eat more yogurt. In a cross-sectional study to be published next month in the Journal of Dentistry (July 2010, Vol. 38:7, pp. 579-583), researchers from two universities in Japan examined the association between intake of dairy products and the prevalence of dental caries in young children. “In vitro studies show that milk or milk
Midnight snacking can now be blamed for more than just weight gain. It also has a direct correlation to tooth loss, according to a study in Eating Behaviors (August 2010, Vol. 11:3, pp. 170-174). Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Copenhagen University Hospital looked at medical cases of 2,217 individuals enrolled in the Danish Monitoring Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) study who were assessed on oral
Patients often do just fine with broken instruments in their teeth, according to a systematic review of the research reported in the Journal of Endodontics (May 2010, Vol. 36:5, pp. 775-780). Researchers from Chulalongkorn University found two case-control studies covering 199 cases and calculated that 91% of these teeth healed with a retained instrument fragment. The rate dipped to 80.7% when the patient had a periapical lesion. “On the basis
Physically fit people suffered from less periodontitis in a study published in the Journal of Periodontology (May 17, 2010). Previous studies have found that obese people develop periodontitis more often, and that people who exercise develop it less often. Now researchers at the Fukuoka Health Promotion Foundation have looked deeper into the issue by using maximal oxygen consumption during exercise as a measurement of actual fitness. The researchers divided 1,160
Henry Schein recently introduced a number of new products for restorative procedures. The Maxima Pro and Pro LTC handpieces feature ceramic-bearing technology and an ergonomic design. The Maxima Pro reduces hand fatigue and increases control, while the angled head improves access, according to the company. The Pro LTC model has the same features as the Maxima Pro, plus LED technology for illumination and Multiflex connection with fiber optics. Blu-Bite Clear,
Hu-Friedy has introduced an implant maintenance care starter kit featuring implant-safe probes and scalers, as well as protocol for best practices. The Hu-Friedy Total Solution kit features Implacare implant scalers and Colorvue probes with yellow tips and black markings for reading. Unlike commonly used resin instruments that contain glass and graphite fillers or traditional metal instruments that can alter or scratch implant abutment and restorative surfaces, Hu-Friedy’s instruments preserve the
Trapezio has launched the Academy of Treatment Coordinators, a new online course designed specifically for treatment coordinators in orthodontic practices. It is available as part of the new Learning Management System (LMS) offered by Trapezio. The author, treatment coordinator Sandra Issiac, has created a 10-course program covering the new patient process from start to finish. The course covers various topics, including the initial phone call, details of the office tour,
