Patch more effective than mouthwash on xerostomia

A new time-released, muco-adhesive patch for treating xerostomia and other oral health conditions has been shown to be more effective than a leading oral rinse, according to a study in Quintessence International (March 2010, Vol. 41:3). Working with 20 patients who suffered from dry mouth for more than three months as a result of medical conditions, researchers from Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine found that using the OraMoist dry

Website gives overview of sedation regs by state

Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS) Education has launched a new regulatory website to help health professionals navigate the patchwork of state rules governing oral sedation. The site is designed to provide dentists with an easy-to-understand overview of their state dental board’s requirements for oral sedation dentistry, according to the organization. The majority of U.S. states now require some combination of formal training and standard-of-care equipment plus a permit issued

Sheri Suggests — Triodent’s V3 sectional matrix system

In this occasional series, Dr. Sheri Doniger will share her experiences with some of her favorite dental instruments, materials, and equipment. These are products Dr. Doniger personally uses or has tested in her practice. One of the simplest matrix systems available, Triodent’s V3 sectional matrix system, offers the clinician predictable contacts with perfect anatomy. This product makes class II restorations so much easier than when using the old-school matrices. The

Colo. dental assistant wins wrongful termination case

A Colorado dental assistant who was fired after she complained about not being allowed to take lunch or rest breaks has won her wrongful termination case. Debbie Bonidy sued her employer, James Harding, D.D.S., an Avon, CO, dentist, after she complained about an office policy forbidding employees from leaving the office except to use the restroom. After receiving a letter from Bonidy’s attorney informing him he was violating state labor

State laws require insurers to cover general anesthesia

A Georgia dentist who stumbled upon a state law requiring insurance companies to cover general anesthesia and hospital costs for developmentally disabled patients or those with dental phobias says the discovery means more of his patients can now afford the care they need. And Georgia is not alone in this statutory requirement. David Kurtzman, D.D.S., had tried in vain for years to get insurers to cover such costs incurred by

Ariz. axes Medicaid benefits for low-income kids

Arizona has become the first state in the U.S. to completely eliminate its Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The state’s 2010 budget, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on March 18, shuts down the KidsCare program, which provides medical and dental coverage to 38,000 low-income children. The KidsCare program, Arizona’s version of CHIP, is slated to end June 15, 2010. KidsCare covers children whose families have income between 100% and 200%

KaVo releases LED handpiece light

KaVo has released a new light-emitting diode (LED) light for handpieces. The company is presenting the Multi LED as an upgrade for KaVo Multiflex couplers, and says they “can easily replace your existing halogen lamp.” The Multi LED has color temperature similar to daylight (5,500 K and 25,000 lux) at the bur tip, KaVo said. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com

OSAP offers tools to help justify meeting costs

The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) is taking a unique approach to supporting infection control professionals who want to attend the 2010 OSAP Symposium by providing a tool kit to help potential attendees justify the expense to their organizations. The Justification Toolkit includes a sample letter to the supervisor, help calculating the return on investment of attending the symposium, room and ride share options, and more. “The current

Essential Dental releases glide path kits

Essential Dental Systems has launched its SafeSiders glide path kits, designed to create a glide path for endodontic instruments. The kits are available in both 21 mm and 25 mm lengths. SafeSiders are relieved, flat-sided instruments designed to navigate even curved or calcified canals, according to the company. The instruments in the new glide path kit can be used by hand or in the Endo-Express reciprocating handpiece to establish the

Minn. dentists donate $1.7M in free care to kids

A record number of needy children received free dental care from Minnesota volunteer dentists and their staffs during the first quarter of 2010. The free care was provided to 6,069 children by a record number of volunteers during the Minnesota Dental Association’s (MDA) Give Kids A Smile outreach. The free care was provided in February when 538 dentists across the state opened their offices and clinics to provide completely free

‘David After Dentist’ video earns more than $100K

The father who videoed his son under the influence of dental anesthesia is making so much money from the video that he has quit his job, according to CNN.com. David Elbert DeVore shot the video of his 7-year-old son, David Alejandro Devore, in May 2008 when the boy was experiencing hallucinations caused by ketamine for an oral surgery to remove a supernumerary tooth. The video was played more than 37

EndoVac beats conventional irrigation in trial

The EndoVac system from Discus Dental removed more debris than conventional irrigation in a study reported this month in Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontology (March 2010, Vol. 109:3, pp. 479-484). For the study, researchers at Yonsei University in South Korea divided 69 single-rooted teeth into three groups. They used 24-gauge needles to irrigate the first group, 30-gauge to irrigate the second group, and EndoVac for