Just one week after the U.S. House of Representatives voted its support for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the U.S. Senate has followed suit. On Thursday the Senate voted 66-32 in support of H.R. 2, which authorizes an additional $32.8 billion over the next four and a half years for the program, according to news reports. In its current version, SCHIP provides medical insurance to about 10 million
BOSTON – Resorting to sedation every time an autistic patient needs a dental exam is unsafe — and unnecessary, May-Lynn Andresen, R.N., the administrative director of the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders in New York, told a roomful of dental professionals at the Yankee Dental Congress on Thursday. “If you can get them to sit in the chair and open their mouths, the rest will come.”
Working with Invisalign seems clear enough. Most orthodontic patients prefer a smile full of translucent plastic to the glint of metal. And a lot of the work on each case is done by Align Technology, the company that makes the device. So does it work? Yes — but with only 41% accuracy. So concluded the authors of a study published in this month’s American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Albert Pujols, National League Baseball’s 2008 Most Valuable Player and St. Louis Cardinal first baseman, is starring in several ADA Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) public service announcements (PSAs) to promote increased access to oral healthcare for underserved children, according to the ADA. Pujols also is the 2008 recipient of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, given in recognition of the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship,
Midlevel dental providers — aka “superhygienists” — could soon be performing extractions, restorations, and other dental procedures in Minnesota. May 2008 legislation mandated the creation of an oral health practitioner (OHP) in Minnesota by January 1, 2011, and called for a work group to be established to develop guidelines for the education and regulation of these practitioners. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; }
Corning, NY, recently turned down a measure to fluoridate its water, according to an ADA News article. A ballot measure that could prohibit the city council from enacting legislation to fluoridate water won by nine votes, the article noted. “It is extremely frustrating to have worked on this for two-and-a-half years and come up nine votes short,” said Dr. Tom Curran, a retired oral surgeon who practiced for 37 years
An international team of scientists led by the University of Montreal has discovered a process to produce new metal surfaces that promise to lead to superior medical and dental implants that could improve healing and allow the human body to better accept metal prostheses. According to new research published in Nano Letters, the scientists capitalized on recent advances in nanotechnology to change how metals can influence cell growth and development
If you twist your ankle or bump your head, you apply ice to numb the pain. And parents have long frozen their babies’ teething rings. So why not try the same approach before an injection? That’s the thinking behind a refrigerant recently tested as an alternative to topical anesthesia. In a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (Vol. 140:1, pp 68-72), U.S.
Procter & Gamble is betting consumers will pay $45 during a deep recession for an improved way to whiten their teeth at home: Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal, according to a story on AdAge.com. Procter & Gamble is promoting the fact that Advanced Seal’s four-layer design enables the strips to mold and adhere to teeth even when the user is drinking, talking, or kissing. As part of its marketing efforts, Procter
Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. In the December 21, 2008, issue of Dental Tribune, Dr. Ron Jackson discussed the underutilization of inlays and onlays and the overutilization of crowns. First, I would like to state my admiration for Dr. Jackson and his intelligence. He is a brilliant asset to our profession, and his lectures on adhesive
A dry mouth and burning eyes, rampant caries, parched and irritated mucous membranes — the life of a Sjögren’s patient can be miserable. Yet many patients go undiagnosed for years, partly because dentists don’t understand their role in catching and managing the syndrome, according to specialists in the disease. Some 2.5 million Americans have the disorder, and a survey published last month found the average patient suffers for seven years
Indiana Nanotech announced this week that global toothpaste manufacturer 3M ESPE is now using the Indiana company’s calcium phosphate technology in its new Clinpro 5000 fluoride toothpaste. The toothpaste uses nanotechnology to combine calcium with fluoride in one tube. Some other toothpastes containing fluoride and calcium keep the two ingredients in separate tubes until they are applied. Several competing formulations of calcium phosphate have come on the market in toothpastes,
