Experts warn against 4% mandibular blocks

Every so often, a patient feels pain, prickling, numbness, altered taste, or some other unpleasant nerve symptom that lingers long after a shot of anesthetic. No one has nailed down the exact cause of nonsurgical paresthesia, but researchers from the University of Toronto are warning against the type of injection they believe is most likely to cause it. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px;

Alternatives found to restoration replacement

You know that old restoration on Mrs. Smith’s No. 4? The one that’s coming loose at the margins? Instead of tearing it out and putting a new one in, maybe you should just seal over it. That’s the suggestion a team of researchers made last week at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Miami. Dentists could successfully seal, refinish, repair, or simply monitor many fillings they are

Komet bur kit works with small-particle composites

New composite materials are changing the face of dentistry, and Komet USA is responding by developing new tools to accommodate them, the company announced. Small-particle (microhybrid and nano) composite chemistry provides dentists with excellent polishability, high strength, and low wear. So Komet has introduced a bur kit designed to trim, finish, and polish these materials. The new HFR (Highly Filled Resin) Kit LD0192 is designed to respond to the demands

Study links perio pathogens and heart disease

The presence of two particular periodontal pathogens and an increase in the total number of periodontal bacteria can indicate a risk of heart disease, according to a University at Buffalo study presented Saturday at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Miami. While many studies have suggested a link between periodontal disease and heart disease, this study looked specifically at the suggested mechanism behind this connection. “The direct

IADR report: Parental stress affects kids’ tooth decay

A team of scientists from Ohio State University has found that the more stressed parents are the more likely their children were to have tooth decay. The investigators presented their findings Friday at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Miami. The group examined the stress levels of parents whose young children either had no cavities or so many cavities that the children had to receive anesthesia before

Study details downsides of brushing technique

MIAMI – Patients are spending too much time brushing the most accessible teeth while barely touching the least accessible, a researcher from GlaxoSmithKline said Friday at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “This is a call to action to dental professionals. There is a real need to help people brush better.” — Jonathan Creeth, Ph.D., GlaxoSmithKline

Pulpdent develops invisible veneer cement

Pulpdent has released Kleer-Veneer light-cure veneer cement, the first invisible veneer cement, according to the company. Kleer-Veneer is a moisture-tolerant, self-adhesive veneer cement that requires no bonding agents or silane, according to Pulpdent. The consistency holds the veneer securely in place without drift before light curing. It comes in clear, opaque white, opaque cream, and opaque pink. The clear cement is invisible and does not alter tooth shade, while the

Nebraska dentist becomes toothpaste spokesperson

A Nebraska dentist has turned a failed attempt to get fluoride into her city’s water into a gig as a national spokesperson for a toothpaste company, according to news reports. Jessica Meeske, D.D.S., campaigned last year to pass a measure that would have added fluoride to the water in the city of Hastings. The measure failed, but not before the Wall Street Journal ran an article on Dr. Meeske’s campaign

Colgate, Hispanic Dental Association address oral health needs

At a press conference Thursday in Miami, Colgate-Palmolive and the Hispanic Dental Association officially declared April “El Mes de la Salud Bucal: Un Mundo de Sonrisas Saludables” (Oral Health Month: A World of Healthy Smiles) as part of an ongoing commitment to quality oral care among the Hispanic community. “Due to language barriers and lack of familiarity accessing oral healthcare services, among other factors, our Latino population shows greater deficiencies

Infrared light may help diagnose periodontitis

MIAMI – Infrared spectroscopy may help diagnose periodontitis, a researcher said Thursday at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting. Dentists need more accurate ways of diagnosing the disease because current methods are so imprecise that many patients are overtreated or undertreated, said Kan-Zhi Liu, M.D., Ph.D., a research officer at the Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Council Canada and an associate professor of dentistry at the University of

3M ESPE launches new fluoride toothpaste

3M ESPE Preventive Care is now offering Clinpro 5000 1.1% sodium fluoride anticavity toothpaste, a prescription-strength toothpaste containing tricalcium phosphate, the company announced. “Clinpro 5000 delivers more fluoride, helps strengthen enamel, and helps reverse white spot lesions better than a conventional 5,000 ppm prescription fluoride toothpaste and a 900 ppm fluoride topical creme that contains calcium phosphate,” the company stated in a press release. The toothpaste contains fluoride, calcium, and

Survey: Patients equate root canal to flying in a storm

More than 80% of adults polled in a recent survey by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) said that they are afraid of going to the dentist, and more than half said that the fear may keep them from going at all. Other findings from the survey: Root canal treatment is the most feared dental procedure, with adults finding it as scary as flying on an airplane during a storm