Lozenge eases dry mouth with polymer and xylitol

Nuvora has introduced Salese, a soft lozenge for dry mouth sufferers that delivers moisture-retaining and bacteria-fighting ingredients for an hour or longer, according to a company press release. Traditional treatments for dry mouth have included sugar-free gum or candy, frequent sips of water, and oral rinses, as well as taking good care of teeth and gums. The ingredients in conventional mouth rinses, gums, and mints are flushed away too quickly,

Let kids eat Halloween candy

Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. Last year I wrote a blog post about letting kids enjoy their Halloween candy. The idea is really not that far-fetched — as evidenced by the LA Times and their most recent Health article, “It’s the candy season so let the kids indulge.” The Times and the dentist they quote, Dr.

Mouthwashes work but may stain teeth for a while

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 10 – Over-the-counter mouthwashes really do kill bad breath, although some may stain the tongue and teeth, at least temporarily, according to the first systematic review of the effectiveness of these products. The findings are published in the Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Bad breath, or halitosis, is caused by the breakdown of bacteria in

New bruxism products panned: Part I

You know there’s a financial crisis when the Wall Street Journal prominently prints a feature on temporomandibular disorder (TMD), as it did this week. There are no surveys to prove it, but with stock markets plunging and jobs disappearing worldwide, it’s easy to believe dentists will see more patients with sore jaws. And many of these patients — eager to save money — may come in with questions about products

Managing the oral side effects of cancer treatment

Dentists can play a key role in helping cancer patients endure the oral side effects of cancer treatments, according to Sol Silverman, D.D.S., M.A., professor of oral medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry, at the recent California Dental Association (CDA) fall seminar. The goal is to make them as comfortable as possible, he emphasized in his session, “Oral Complications of Cancer Treatments and Dental

What the candidates’ smiles say about their personalities

Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. While watching the recent debates, I found myself analyzing the presidential candidates and their smiles and concluded that their smiles give clues into their personalities — and possibly their governing style. John McCain’s yellow teeth and a gold crown on his upper right molar show his age. He probably got that

Low-dose Dex shows promise for general dentistry

An intravenous sedative that induces a more natural, sleeplike experience with fewer side effects than other sedatives could find its way into dental offices in the near future. A recent study in Anesthesia Progress concludes that intravenous dexmedetomidine (Dex), commonly used in intensive care units following surgery, is appropriate for use by anesthesia-trained professionals in certain dental applications (Fall 2008, Vol. 55:3 pp. 82-88). “Dex induces a sedative response that

Michigan Dental Association sues to stop illegal practice

A Michigan man has been stopped from illegally practicing dentistry, following a lawsuit filed by the Michigan Dental Association (MDA). Oakland County Circuit Judge Daniel O’Brien issued a preliminary injunction October 1 against Everett VanDenEeden, doing business as Smile-Rite Denture Center. Under the court order, VanDenEeden is restrained from engaging in the unauthorized practice of dentistry. The MDA charged that VanDenEeden had been illegally practicing dentistry by diagnosing and fitting

Milestone acquires patent rights, resolves litigation

Milestone Scientific has acquired additional patent rights for painless anesthetic injections, including rights related to controlling pressures used in providing these injections. In connection with this acquisition, Milestone Scientific will terminate its Declaratory Judgment action against Dr. Milton Hodosh related to claimed infringements of his patent rights, and Dr. Hodosh will terminate his existing infringement action against Milestone Scientific, according to a company press release. “We are pleased to have

Let’s be more than just tooth plumbers

Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. Welcome, and thank you for reading my first blog posting on Dr.Bicuspid.com. I am delighted to share my thoughts and views on the many interesting topics that we encounter while practicing modern dentistry. This weekend I was reading my favorite newspaper, Investor’s Business Daily, and there was an article that cited

Kettenbach enters U.S. dental market

Kettenbach, a German producer of impression materials, will now sell its dental products direct to the U.S. dental market. The company’s U.S. division is headquartered in Huntington Beach, CA. To mark its entry into the U.S. dental market, Kettenbach has introduced its full line of Futar bite registration materials, including Futar D, the leading bite registration material in Germany, according to a company press release. “Kettenbach has developed into a

Lack of antibiotics costs dentist $2.6 million

An Oklahoma dentist’s decision not to pretreat a diabetic patient with antibiotics prior to extracting her abscessed tooth may cost him $2.6 million. That is the amount a Comanche County jury has awarded the husband of Linda Culberson, who died in January 2004 from an infection after Robert Morford, D.D.S., of Lawton, OK, pulled her tooth. Mrs. Culberson, 58, went to Dr. Morford’s office in April 2002 with “a chronically