Q: What is the best way to back up my office data? A: There is no single best way to back up data — you have to have an entire backup strategy. A good backup strategy involves using your local area network, along with portable hard drives or flash drives and the Internet. The use of tape, CDs, or DVDs should be limited. You should back up your practice management
Both original-flavor and sour candies are tough on tooth enamel, but the sour variety has much greater erosive potential, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. “To my knowledge, there have not been research investigations that describe the erosion potential of acidic hard candies — sour or otherwise — marketed in the U.S.,” study author Teresa Marshall, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University
The Special Olympics and National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF): America’s Toothfairy have created a partnership to fight pediatric dental disease and promote overall health and well-being for millions of children with intellectual disabilities through the Special Olympics Special Smiles program, the organizations announced. At their Special Olympics office in Washington, DC, Chairman of the Board Timothy Shriver, Ph.D., and President and Chief Operating Officer Brady Lum met with NCOHF
U.K. dentists are calling the makers of the hit TV show “Ugly Betty” irresponsible because the show’s lead character has worn braces on her teeth for too long, according to a story in the Telegraph. Specialists at the British Orthodontic Society told the newspaper that the U.S. comedy gave a “detrimental” portrayal of wire braces. The series follows the exploits of Betty Suarez as she battles to make a career
When a patient needs a new crown under an existing removable partial denture (RPD), the dentist faces a dilemma. Ideally, you would recommend a new partial to go with the crown. But that doesn’t sit well with many patients, especially in today’s economy. If you need an out-of-stock part for your year-old car, the mechanic doesn’t sell you a whole new car. Even borrowing the RPD for a day or
Lares Research has introduced photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS), a new method for chemically cleaning and debriding the root canal system using erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser energy at subablative power levels. The patent-pending procedure is being called the first real breakthrough in endodontics in 50 years, according to the company. The PIPS procedure uses the power of an Er:YAG laser to create photoacoustic shock waves within a 15% EDTA
A Pennsylvania oral surgeon accused of molesting 17 female patients was acquitted last week in a case that centered on the extreme effects some anesthetics can have on patients. Allegheny County Judge Anthony Mariani, who presided over the nonjury trial, found Robert Boyda Jr., D.D.S., not guilty on all counts. The judge’s verdict was based on the testimony of expert witnesses — board-certified anesthesiologists — who explained that the anesthetics
Oculus Innovative Sciences has entered into an agreement with OroScience granting Oroscience exclusive rights to market Microcyn-based oral products in the U.S., Canada, and Europe in exchange for providing Oculus with a significant percentage of those revenues. OroScience will support all regulatory, clinical, sales, and marketing related to the Microcyn-based professional oral care products, with the first product launch anticipated in 2010, according to the companies. “We’ve identified a number
A 2007 Minnesota law that takes effect this week now requires electronic billing of all healthcare claims, including dental, in the state, according to a Post-Bulletin article. The state will save about $60 million a year in its effort to eliminate paperwork, standardize billing terms, and reduce errors, according to David Haugen, director for the Minnesota Department of Health’s Center for Health Care Purchasing Improvement. The statute encourages voluntary compliance
Yiping Han, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, plans to use a five-year, $1.85 million grant to better understand how to stop a common bacterium that’s harmless in a mother’s mouth but can turn deadly when it reaches an unborn child. This is Han’s second National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research RO1 award. She’s published more than 10 papers from previous
Henry Schein and Dentatus have entered into a five-year agreement that establishes Henry Schein as the exclusive distributor of the Dentatus Atlas narrow body implant system in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. “In this important and growing market, the Dentatus Atlas system stands apart and is distinctly different from other systems, with clear benefits that shorten healing time and increase patient comfort,” said Stanley Bergman, chairman and CEO of
The Massachusetts Dental Society is calling for mandatory dental exams for children entering kindergarten as part of a campaign linking oral health to overall health, according to a story in the Republican. Earlier this year, the society filed a bill, H.444, with the state Legislature that requires that all public school students submit certification that they have received a dental exam within the last year, before entering kindergarten. The bill
