An Australian professor of oral medicine has stirred up new debate over whether regular use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes can increase the risk of oral cancer. In the January issue of the Australian Dental Journal (ADJ), Michael McCullough, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne dental school, claims that 25 years’ worth of clinical and epidemiological research leaves no other conclusion. But dental experts worldwide disagree — and it isn’t the
Private dental clinics are emerging all over China in response to increasing demand from China’s growing middle class and aging population, according to a new report by the Millennium Research Group (MRG). This new trend could enable the dental implant market in China to reach more than $125 million by 2013, the report states. “The global economic crisis will slow this market in 2009, but only moderately,” stated Kevin Flewwelling,
Editor’s note: Jimmy Earll (not his real name) is a practicing dentist in Northern California and a stand-up comic who performs all over North America. His column, Laughing Gas, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. Welcome to Laughing Gas, my take on the ups and downs and ins and outs of daily dental practice. As a stand-up comic as well as a general dentist, I’ll
In more than 30 years of practice, Dennis McTigue, D.D.S., M.S., has seen a lot of changes — and perhaps none more significant than attitudes about restraining kids. “It used to be that parents wanted nothing to do with sedation or general anesthesia,” he said. “Parents were not nearly as concerned about behavior management techniques. In the most recent studies, we found that parental attitude had flip-flopped.” Use of restraints
An Albuquerque teenager on a routine trip to the dentist died after apparently suffering a reaction to a common anesthetic, according to a KRQE News 13 report. Chanel Broomfield, a 17-year-old senior at Albuquerque High School, was given a combination of lidocaine and epinephrine to numb her gums, KRQE reported. When she had an adverse reaction moments later, she was rushed to the hospital, where she died. “2% lidocaine with
Looking to update your standard lecture on oral cancer prevention? Here’s a tip: Tell your patients to drink coffee. A Japanese study has found that people who drink at least one cup of coffee a day appear to be at a lower risk for oral cancer compared to people who don’t drink coffee (American Journal of Epidemiology, December 15, 2008, Vol. 168:12, pp. 1425-1432). Researchers collected data from the population-based
A Maryland dentist, picking up the work of his dead brother, has published a book to help children overcome their fear of the dentist, according to the Associated Press (AP). Blair McNinch was working on the book, Woogie the Wombat in ‘The Dentist,’ when he died in 2005, the AP reported. In the book, a wombat seeks advice from other zoo animals about visiting the dentist, and ultimately has a
Straumann reported unaudited 2008 full-year net revenue of 779 million Swiss francs ($697 million U.S.), up from 714 million francs ($639 million) in 2007. Despite the economic crisis and the market slowdown, the Straumann Group said it was able to achieve growth across all businesses in the fourth quarter. Europe (+7%) and North America (+1%) continued to generate growth in the fourth quarter, while Asia Pacific declined (-4%). Overall, net
The Smile for a Lifetime Foundation, an orthodontic organization established in October 2008 by Benjamin Burris, D.D.S., M.D.S., of Jonesboro, AR, is gearing up to expand across the U.S., according to Dr. Burris. Smile for a Lifetime provides braces for individuals who have financial challenges and/or special circumstances. “I started practicing in northeast Arkansas in 2004, and I kept running into people from some of the smaller towns who have
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), including mandatory coverage for oral health. The Senate is expected to act quickly on the bill, versions of which have passed in Congress twice, only to be vetoed by President George Bush. President-elect Barack Obama has spoken in favor of the bill, according to the New York Times. In its current
Incensed at an online review she considers libelous, Yvonne Wong, D.D.S., of Foster City, CA, is suing the parents of a young patient. The case could set a precedent in the fast-growing area of Internet commentary on healthcare practitioners. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “It would behoove them to consider a settlement and an apology. I think they owe her that after
A new survey by Align Technology, makers of Invisalign Teen, has found that teens who wear metal braces are less likely to flash their pearly whites. The survey was conducted for Align by Kelton Research. The nationwide survey included 510 U.S. respondents ages 12-17 years old. “When you walk into a room with braces, you feel like everyone is looking at you or when you’re talking to someone you feel
