Laser periodontal therapy effective alternative to surgery

Laser periodontal therapy is an effective alternative to scalpel/suture surgery for treating gum disease, according to a new study in the International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry. Led by Raymond Yukna, D.M.D., M.S., the histological split mouth design study looked at 12 single-rooted teeth with moderate to advanced chronic periodontitis. Six teeth underwent laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP) using the PerioLase MVP-7 laser by Millennium Dental Technologies, while the

Norway bans amalgam

Is amalgam safe or not? While the debate continues to rage in the United States, Norway has made its decision: the country has announced a ban on all use of mercury in manufacturing, import and export. The ban will cover amalgam fillings as well as mercury thermometers and other products. In a statement, Erik Solheim, Norway’s minister of the environment, says the ban was intended to protect the environment. “Mercury

Dental labs outsource CAD/CAM restorations

Dental laboratories in the U.S. and Europe are increasingly outsourcing crown and bridge production to keep up with the high demand for CAD/CAM restorations, according to Millennium Research Group’s “Global Markets for Dental CAD/CAM Systems 2008” report. Laboratories do not want to invest in the necessary milling equipment, and prefer to buy scanners, which are far cheaper. The actual production is then outsourced to milling centers, which many labs consider

Smaller implants meet skepticism

They’re cheaper. They’re easier. They’re government-approved. And manufacturers are promoting them heavily. But can mini-implants do everything standard ones can? Probably not. That’s the consensus of top implant experts interviewed by HuangshanDental.com. While the mini-implants (AKA “small-diameter”) work better for some purposes, standard implants still win out in lots of others. Reports about mini-implants — less than 3 mm in diameter — are burning up the dental forums. “They do

Kids’ caries test found accurate

What if you knew exactly which patients were most likely to get caries? You could focus extra efforts on protecting those patients’ teeth. Now researchers from Okayama University, Japan say they’ve got a whizz-bang bioactivity test that can help you do just that. In the January issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, the investigators report that they found Cariostat by Dentsply-Sankin statistically accurate in predicting caries in

New evidence for immediate loading

It’s hard to tell a toothless patient to wait six months for a new set of choppers. So, not surprisingly, dentists have long chafed against the established procedure of letting implant surgery heal before loading. Now researchers suggest that the delay may be unnecessary; in many cases, dentists can load an implant with its abutment and a temporary crown on the same day they place the implant. Several recent studies

How much fluoride is too much?

Scientific American has reopened an age-old debate in its January issue with a feature story titled “Second Thoughts about Fluoride.” Author Dan Fagin focuses on a 2006 report issued by the National Research Council (NRC) — based on two years of reviewing studies. The bottom line? The report suggests the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) current limit (4 mg/L) of fluoride in drinking water should be lowered to protect children from

Buccal infiltration faster for molars

Are you always on the look-out for easier, more efficient techniques of delivering anesthesia? When it comes to numbing mandibular first molars, buccal infiltration (BI), using 4 percent articaine, works faster and has the same success rate as the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANBs) method, according to a new study in the January 2008 Journal of Endodontics. Although IANB is considered the “anesthesia of choice” for these teeth, it doesn’t

FDA warns of burns from handpieces

What’s that burning smell? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the smoke could be coming from your patient — if your electric handpieces aren’t properly maintained. Already patients have been severely scorched, the agency warns. An air-driven hand tool will alert the operator to maintenance problems, according to an FDA media release. But an electric tool gives no warning when a bur dulls or gears or bearings clog.

Implants found effective despite periodontitis

Every dentist loves a good challenge. So why not try multiple implants on a patient with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP)? According to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology, partially edentulous subjects treated for GAgP can be rehabilitated successfully with osseointegrated implants, even though they show more bone and attachment loss than periodontally healthy patients. Researchers observed five patients with GAgP and five periodontally-healthy patients treated with osseointegrated implants,

Study validates filling without drilling

What if you could fill without having to drill? Scottish dentists have experimented with the approach on primary molars for years. Now a new study suggests the technique works. The study examined the Hall technique, in which dentists do not prepare the surface of the tooth they are treating or use anesthesia. Instead, they simply cement a preformed metal crown over the surface, sealing the cavity underneath. If more studies

Denturists busy in Kentucky

Denturists — nondentists who make dentures — are flourishing in Kentucky and other states, despite laws against them, according to an article in today’s New York Times. The high cost of dental care, combined with a plague of tobacco and methamphetamine use has left many Kentuckians without teeth, the article reported. Denturists are allowed to practice independently in Idaho, Maine, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. In Arizona and Colorado, they can