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Crest debuts Pro-Health rinse with fluoride

Crest has introduced the newest addition to the Crest Pro-Health product line: Pro-Health Complete Rinse with fluoride. “Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse provides benefits for your mouth with the added power of fluoride to help individuals improve their oral health,” the company noted in a press release. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com

Survey: 21 states allow dentists to use Botox

A survey of U.S. state dental boards conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) shows that 21 states allow dentists to use Botox, but stipulations almost always surround its usage. Fifteen states (29%) have no policy on Botox usage by dentists, but three states are considering adding or making changes to their policies in the coming months, according to an article in the AGD Transcript (October 2010). Some states

CMS criteria mean sleep apnea patients could lose CPAP benefits

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) criteria for coverage of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment may be too strict, a study in the October issue of Chest suggests. According to these criteria — which were adopted by all four Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors in 2008 — patients with obstructive sleep apnea who don’t meet high adherence requirements after three months

Gum disease treatment recommended during pregnancy

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Gum disease can be safely treated during pregnancy and appears to significantly reduce the risk of premature birth associated with periodontal disease, Pennsylvania researchers report. “The present study has potential implications” for the calculations dentists make when deciding whether to treat gum disease during pregnancy, they write in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Gum disease — typically caused by a bacterial infection that

Idaho Medicaid dentists face major cutbacks

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

Is there an optimum at-home bleaching time?

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

OMS aids young girl with fibrous dysplasia

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

Patient discomfort can impact caries detection

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

Smoking, drinking still key triggers for oral cancers

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

Orabrush names new CEO

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

Fla. dental lab to expand, add 280 employees

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

Dentist sued after boy swallows dental part

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

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