When it comes to deep carious lesions, conventional wisdom (i.e., G.V. Black) has long said that “it is better to expose the pulp of a tooth than to leave it covered only with softened dentine.” But for years some have questioned whether completely removing the infected dentin from lesions approaching the pulp is always necessary. Clinical studies supporting partial caries removal and stepwise excavation have shown, in fact, that these
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation last week that made California the first state to establish a self-regulating agency for dental hygienists. Effective January 1, 2009, Bill 853 calls for the creation of a Dental Hygiene Committee, a regulatory body under the California Dental Board that will oversee the state’s dental hygiene profession. The committee will be charged with licensure, education, and enforcement of dental hygiene, according to a press release
Periodontist Tom Wilcko and orthodontist William Wilcko’s “accelerated orthodontics” technique has become well-known for its ability to significantly speed up the teeth-straightening process and give patients a healthy bite in months rather than years. Now researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) say they have further improved the outcome of periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics (PAOO) by using a different grafting material: human bone. With PAOO, a periodontist or oral
Imagine shopping for a car if the only make was Ford. Or dining out if the only place to eat was Sizzler. For 21 years, that has been the situation dentists faced if they wanted to make crowns and other restorations in their own offices. This year, the scenario changed. After years of advance publicity, Dallas company D4D Technologies launched its E4D CAD/CAM system in the first-ever direct challenge to
“Wash your mouth out with soap” is no longer just a threat parents use to scare foul-mouthed children, but an actual recommendation some dentists are making to their patients. Vitality Products’ Perfect Prescription Tooth Soap, an all-natural oral-care soap made from whole-food ingredients such as palm oil, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil, is available online and in certain health stores. It contains no chemicals such as fluoride, glycerin,
Researchers in Berlin have discovered that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher incidence of periodontal disease compared to healthy controls. But it may not be due solely to problems with oral hygiene. For some patients, adverse RA symptoms affect manual dexterity, making certain daily routines quite difficult. One area that may be affected is oral hygiene, which can ultimately lead to periodontal disease. However, a study published in
Flouridation is coming to San Diego, the largest city in the U.S. that was still holding out against the cavity-fighting measure. The city council voted unanimously June 10 to accept $3.9 million in funding from First 5 California, a nonprofit children’s promotion group, to begin fluoridation of its municipal water supply, according to news reports. State law requires cities with more than 10,000 residents to fluoridate their water supply, if
3M of St. Paul, MN, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire TOP-Service für Lingualtechnik, a German orthodontic technology and services company offering the Incognito digital lingual orthodontic system. The Incognito system, in which braces are placed on the inside surfaces of teeth so they are invisible, is similar to the iBraces product made by 3M’s Unitek division. According to 3M, the addition of TOP expands its digital orthodontic
The oral-systemic link has elevated the importance of oral health in the public eye, but for pregnant women the stakes are even higher. And dentists have often been overly cautious in their treatment of expecting moms as a result. But a recent study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (June 2008, Vol. 139:6, pp. 685-695) finds that it is safe for pregnant women to get essential dental treatment
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Jun 10 – Preschool-age children who grind their teeth are more likely to have problems in preschool and to be withdrawn, according to research presented Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Salvatory P. Insana of West Virginia University in Morgantown and colleagues asked the low-income parents of 1,956 preschoolers if and how often their 4-year-olds grind their teeth while
According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), aging dental bridges are difficult to floss, often decay, and require replacement with longer bridges. The AAID recommends replacing them with permanent dental implants. “Many of us have had the same bridges in our mouths for 20 years or more. They were put in at a time when bridgework was considered to be the norm for replacing missing or compromised teeth,”
Numb lips, a bitten cheek, slurred words. For years dentists haven’t had much choice about causing such temporary discomforts with a nerve block in patients needing mandibular procedures. But recent research suggests an infiltration will suffice for most restorations. Infiltrations, which target only the nerves of a specific tooth, work just fine in the maxilla. By contrast, the thick bone in the mandible keeps the anesthetic from getting to its
