Ky. initiative targets kids’ dental health

Kentucky is embarking on a three-year initiative to improve dental health among children throughout Eastern Kentucky that Gov. Steve Beshear is calling “aggressive (and) potentially ground-breaking.” Utilizing more than $1.6 million in federal grants over the next three years, the initiative will: Train more dentists to work with children to help with a chronic shortage of pediatric health providers. Create community coalitions throughout Appalachia to better tailor healthcare solutions and

Sedation DOCS give surprising advice

Encourage smokers to smoke. Put patients in wheelchairs, even if they can walk. And if they get really upset, administer peppermint LifeSavers. These were some of the surprising tips offered by Michael D. Silverman, D.M.D., and Anthony S. Feck, D.M.D., of DOCS Education, at a recent meeting of the California Dental Association (CDA) in San Francisco. Dentists who can sedate their patients wind up with happier patients and busier practices,

Lasers continue to make waves in periodontology

As the first periodontist in the U.S. to practice laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP) in his practice, Lloyd Tilt, D.D.S., M.S., has carefully tracked his patients’ experiences over the past decade — and been delighted with his findings. “Lasers are a wonderful option for doctors and patients to consider in treating periodontal disease,” Dr. Tilt said at the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) annual meeting in Boston last month. But

Fluoride desensitizer may work with bleaching

A 5% potassium nitrate and 2% sodium fluoride solution worked better than a placebo in reducing tooth sensitivity during bleaching, without interfering with the whitening, in a study published in this month’s Journal of the American Dental Association (Vol. 140; 10, pp: 1245-1251). Researchers from the universities of Estadual de Ponta Grossa and Oeste de Santa Catarina wondered if sodium fluoride would interfere with the whitening effects of bleach because

U.S. Congress panel faults dental Medicaid

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) isn’t doing enough to stop dental disease in poor children, members of Congress said this week, citing a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that they had commissioned. It was the third hearing the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has held since Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old from Maryland, died from complications of a dental abscess in February 2007,

Class-action Medicaid lawsuit moves forward in Florida

A lawsuit filed in 2005 against Florida officials accusing them of not providing adequate medical and dental services to more than 1 million Medicaid-eligible children will finally go to trial in December. The suit, filed by the Florida Pediatric Society (FPS) and Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (FAPD) against the secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families,

Hygienists’ association offers H1N1 prevention tips

The California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA) has issued a list of simple ways patients and oral health professionals and their patients can prevent catching and spreading the disease. “It’s critical that the public sees the link between oral health and flu prevention because the H1N1 virus spreads through the respiratory system and mouth,” said CDHA President Daphne Von Essen. “The primary infection control goal is to prevent transmission of disease

New toothpaste contains 1.1% sodium fluoride

Research Based Preventive Products has introduced a new formulation of 1.1% sodium fluoride toothpaste (5,000 parts per million) called Denticious 5000. According to the company, 1.1% sodium fluoride toothpaste has been shown to remineralize tooth structure and can prevent cavities and white spot lesions. Dentists have been involved in the development of this product since its inception, the company noted in a press release. Their input has helped produce a

Babichenko dental lab joins SensAble center program

SensAble Technologies has announced that Babichenko Dental Laboratory of Meridian, ID, has joined the SensAble Authorized Production Center (SAPC) Program. SAPCs create fixed and removable dental restorations for their own dentists using the SensAble Dental Lab System and are certified to provide design and/or fabrication services to other dental labs, the company explained in a press release. Because not every lab is ready for a full scan/design/fabricate system, SensAble Authorized

Periodontitis a risk factor for head and neck cancer

A new study has found that chronic periodontitis is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Although there is substantial evidence that supports an association between chronic infections/inflammation and cancer, the aim of this study (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, September 2009, Vol. 18:9, pp: 2406-2412) was to assess the effect of chronic periodontitis on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), noted the study authors.

Brushing dentures may be best cleaning method

Brushing removable dentures with a paste product might be the best way to keep them clean, suggests a new review of the limited dental literature that exists on the topic (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2009, Issue 4). The scarcity of studies on real-life patients was surprising, said lead author Raphael Freitas de Souza, D.D.S. Most studies of denture cleaning methods happen in the laboratory. “We need clinical trials,” he

Researchers discover key biomarkers for periodontitis

Some surprising results from a study designed to find ways to streamline new product development at Colgate-Palmolive could pave the way for the development of a chairside periodontal health assessment tool (Journal of Dental Research, September 2009, Vol. 88:9, pp. 851-855). Using a molecular analysis technique called metabolomics, researchers from Colgate-Palmolive Technology Center, the Forsyth Institute, and Metabolon set out to test whether the cellular metabolism of diseased periodontal tissue