Lasers offer many advantages in cavity preparation, but even at recommended settings, they may kill pulp and weaken dentin. So dentists should turn down their lasers and cut more slowly, warned a researcher at the annual American Association for Dental Research meeting held in Dallas this week. “A lot of dentists use high parameters to cut fast,” says Julia Barros, D.D.S., M.S., a clinical assistant professor at the University of
Overweight children might be at an elevated risk for many diseases, but oral disease isn’t one of them. According to a new study in this month’s issue of Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology, overweight children or those at risk of becoming overweight may have a decreased risk of caries compared to children of normal weight. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center did an analysis of the nearly 18,000
Here’s a way to convince high-risk patients to take an oral cancer screening test. Tell them it’s free. HumanaDental Insurance has announced that it will now provide oral-cancer screening to HumanaDental members — over the age of 40 — enrolled in the company’s fully insured dental plans. Starting April 1, the insurance company will cover an annual ViziLite Plus exam. Vizilite uses a chemiluminescent light to identify oral lesions and
The x-ray is one of the most potent diagnostic weapons in the dentist’s arsenal. But over time, it’s easy to take x-rays for granted, to take sloppy shots, to make the same mistakes over and over, and worse, unnecessarily expose patients to more radiation, due to retakes. That’s the hard news delivered by Edwin Parks, D.M.D., M.S. and Gail Williamson, R.D.H., M.S., both of Indiana University, in their “Picture Perfect
NEW YORK (Reuters) April 1 Having few or no natural teeth at the age of 70 may be an early indicator of accelerated aging, Danish researchers suggest. “It is important to take poor dental health seriously in that these people may be at greater risk of general physical and/or cognitive decline,” Dr. Poul Holm-Pedersen, of the Copenhagen Gerontological Oral Health Research Center, told Reuters Health. The finding in this study
A recent investigative report by WBNS-TV of Columbus, OH, found lead contamination in crowns coming into the U.S. from overseas. Following the report, the ADA issued a tip sheet for dentists concerned about contaminated restorations. Now the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) has launched a Web site for consumers. On the NADL site, you can get information about contaminated dental restorations, and contact NADL officials with questions and comments
Biolase Technology’s Waterlase and Waterlase MD laser systems have received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for root canal disinfection. An illustration of how the Waterlase laser can be used for root canal disinfection The systems are already FDA approved for obtaining access as well as cleaning and shaping. This latest nod will allow dentists to perform the complete root canal using FDA cleared procedures, states a Biolase press release. “Being
The 16-year-old came to Gordon Christensen in tears. Her enamel hypoplasia was so bad she couldn’t attend her junior prom. Her parents were also distraught, but for a different reason: The cost of 28 veneers for their daughter was $30,000. Since the father’s annual income was $48,000, that level of treatment was out of the question. But in just 40 minutes, Dr. Christensen treated the teenager and sent her on
DentalEZ has introduced new sonic scalers that it claims are clinically proven to provide a gentle cleaning for patients while removing stubborn calculus deposits and stains. The BlisSonic scaler. Image courtesy of DentalEZ. The BlisSonic SW (swivel) and BlisSonic K (fixed connection) are portable and air-powered. Their slim design allows for easy movement in the mouth, scaling hard-to-reach interproximal areas. Subgingival and supragingival scaling is easily achieved, according to DentalEZ.
Before the needle touched him, the four-year-old started crying. So, David E. Thome, D.D.S., knew he had to act quickly. “We use sleepy juice here,” he said. “It will put your tooth to sleep so it won’t feel anything at all.” He then applied a topical anesthetic and challenged the boy to find his belly button with his hands. Being careful not to let him see the syringe again, Dr.
Attention orthodontists! Need help dealing with that patient who has a million questions? Refer them to bracesreview.com, a new independent site where patients can educate themselves about treatment. The site features articles on a wide variety of topics from the cost difference between Invisalign and conventional braces, to what the patient should expect during treatment. Also, patients can surf a state-by-state orthodontists directory, vent and share stories in a half
KaVo Dental has introduced a new perio probe for its Diagnodent caries detector (in both pen and classic versions). Just remove the tip and snap on the perio probe. The Diagnodent perio probe The probe uses the Diagnodent’s laser fluorescence technology to differentiate between calculus and healthy tissue. Once the difference is detected, it makes a sound and displays a numerical readout. The probe is especially useful for detecting calculus
