Sleep-disordered breathing common in pediatric patients

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) are very difficult to detect in pediatric groups, according to research presented June 5 at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine annual meeting in San Antonio. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina found that 18% of pediatric patients were at risk for SRBDs, and that pediatric risk was not associated with any demographic or craniofacial characteristics, as it is in adults, making

Forsyth Institute contributes to microbiome project

Scientists from the Forsyth Institute have provided more oral bacteria to the Human Microbiome Project than any other organization, according to the institute. The project seeks to identify and sequence the thousands of species of bacteria inhabiting human body surfaces and determine the role of microbiota in human health and disease. Genome sequences of the oral bacteria are being determined in collaboration with the four project sequencing centers. These sequences

U.S. court rules on dental services for veterans

In a case that could define what dental services the U.S. government must provide to veterans, a federal appeals court has denied a Korean War veteran’s demand that the government provide him with dentures to replace the teeth extracted by military dentists. The dentists extracted all but three of Thomas M. Nielson’s teeth without anesthesia while he was serving with the U.S. Air Force in Korea in 1952, according to

Dentists can help diagnose kid’s sleep disorders

Questionnaires can help dentists screen for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including sleep apnea, snoring, and upper-airway resistance, in pediatric patients, according to research presented June 5 at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine annual meeting in San Antonio. Researchers evaluated two SDB questionnaires in children undergoing orthodontic treatment in the undergraduate program at the University of British Columbia. The study included 189 children (48% boys), with ages ranging from 7

Louisiana mobile dentistry battle resurfaces

The conflict over whether dentistry should be practiced in Louisiana schools — one of the hottest topics for the state Legislature last year — has flared up again. Lawmakers are now so impatient with the issue they are threatening to fire the entire Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. The state Senate is expected this week to take up a House of Representatives bill setting a deadline of January 1, 2011,

Zirconia crowns prove durable in Noritake study

Crowns made of porcelain fused to zirconia (PFZ) proved as durable as crowns made from porcelain fused to metal (PFM) in a large study by Noritake Dental Supply. For the study, which will be presented July 16 at the International Association for Dental Research annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain, U.S. private dentists monitored the performance of 2,635 premolar and molar crowns (1944 PFZ and 691 PFM) fabricated by one dental

LeapFrog offers dental hygiene game

LeapFrog Enterprises, makers of handheld educational gaming devices, has introduced a dental hygiene game, Sugar Bugs, in which children learn dental hygiene as they defeat “plaque monsters.” The game is available on the company’s new Leapster Explorer device, which will offer 40 different learning and play experiences by the end of 2010 for 4- to 9-year-old kids. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com

More yogurt = fewer caries in young kids

Want to help your younger patients improve both their oral and systemic health? Try recommending they eat more yogurt. In a cross-sectional study to be published next month in the Journal of Dentistry (July 2010, Vol. 38:7, pp. 579-583), researchers from two universities in Japan examined the association between intake of dairy products and the prevalence of dental caries in young children. “In vitro studies show that milk or milk

Midnight snacking linked to tooth loss

Midnight snacking can now be blamed for more than just weight gain. It also has a direct correlation to tooth loss, according to a study in Eating Behaviors (August 2010, Vol. 11:3, pp. 170-174). Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Copenhagen University Hospital looked at medical cases of 2,217 individuals enrolled in the Danish Monitoring Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) study who were assessed on oral

Broken file? Don’t worry, researchers say

Patients often do just fine with broken instruments in their teeth, according to a systematic review of the research reported in the Journal of Endodontics (May 2010, Vol. 36:5, pp. 775-780). Researchers from Chulalongkorn University found two case-control studies covering 199 cases and calculated that 91% of these teeth healed with a retained instrument fragment. The rate dipped to 80.7% when the patient had a periapical lesion. “On the basis

Fit people have fewer perio problems

Physically fit people suffered from less periodontitis in a study published in the Journal of Periodontology (May 17, 2010). Previous studies have found that obese people develop periodontitis more often, and that people who exercise develop it less often. Now researchers at the Fukuoka Health Promotion Foundation have looked deeper into the issue by using maximal oxygen consumption during exercise as a measurement of actual fitness. The researchers divided 1,160

Henry Schein expands restoratives product portfolio

Henry Schein recently introduced a number of new products for restorative procedures. The Maxima Pro and Pro LTC handpieces feature ceramic-bearing technology and an ergonomic design. The Maxima Pro reduces hand fatigue and increases control, while the angled head improves access, according to the company. The Pro LTC model has the same features as the Maxima Pro, plus LED technology for illumination and Multiflex connection with fiber optics. Blu-Bite Clear,