Fentanyl provides effective supplemental analgesia in dental surgery for pulpitis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) March 17 An interligamentary injection of fentanyl provides superior pain relief in dental debridement when added to standard local anesthesia than does local anesthesia alone, Egyptian endodontists report in the February Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Standard pain relief in dental debridement relies on interligamentary injections of mepivacaine and epinephrine. However, local analgesia is often inadequate because the acid environment created by the inflammation prevents

Periodontitis predicts kidney damage in type 2 diabetes sufferers

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Feb 14 Periodontal disease is associated with the development of overt nephropathy and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the February issue of Diabetes Care. Dr. Wendy A. Shultis, of the National Institutes of Health in Phoenix, and colleagues studied 529 type 2 diabetic subjects living in the Gila River Indian Community who were at least

Hep B virus transmitted to dental patients

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), May 2 Even with strict enforcement of infection control, hepatitis B virus (HBV) was transmitted from one patient to another when they both underwent oral surgery in the same office, on the same day, public health officials report. The index case was a 60-year-old woman with joint pain, swelling, and fatigue that began in February 2002. She had no traditional HBV risk factors, the investigators report

Mich. dentist reaches out to Allcare patients

A dentist in Michigan is offering former patients of Allcare Dental and Dentures up to $10,000 worth of dental implant services. Bruce Smoler, DDS, is also working to garner the support of dentists, oral surgeons, hospitals, and other medical providers nationwide to help him in this cause, he noted in a press release. Dr. Smoler was spurred to take action after Allcare on January 1 suddenly closed down all of

Chronic periodontitis linked to tongue cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) , May 21 In a small case-control study, chronic periodontitis was associated with an elevated risk of tongue cancer, independent of smoking status and other potential risk factors. “We expected to see an association, given the results of earlier studies linking chronic infections and inflammation to cancer risk in other organs,” lead author Dr. Mine Terzal, from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in

Teeth regrown in mice

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Feb 19 For the first time, teeth grown in culture from single cells have been used successfully to replace natural teeth in mice, Japanese researchers report in the February 18th online issue of Nature Methods. Dr. Takashi Tsuji, from the Tokyo University of Science in Chiba, and colleagues developed a three-dimensional organ-germ culture method to regrow ectodermal organs, such as teeth and hair follicles. The researchers

Want to reduce dental anxiety? Try this.

Extended reality (XR) technology may help reduce dental anxiety in adults by lowering one’s blood pressure, heart rate, and pain during treatments, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Dentistry. Furthermore, virtual reality (VR) technology may complement traditional anxiety management methods, with tailored interventions potentially improving effectiveness, the authors wrote. “Our findings suggest that XR technology effectively alleviates dental anxiety in adults,” wrote the authors, led by

Epinephrine’s risky relationship with beta blockers

Epinephrine is an essential tool in dental care, playing a critical role in pain management and procedural control. Most commonly, we use it to enhance the duration of local anesthesia, decrease systemic absorption, and minimize bleeding by vasoconstriction. This allows for more extended and controlled procedures with fewer complications. Pharmacologically, epinephrine works by stimulating various adrenergic receptors. This results in vasoconstriction, increased heart rate, and relaxed airways. In dentistry, vasoconstriction

Are 2-appointment dentures too good to be true? Dr. Lee shares his experience

Do two-appointment dentures sound too good to be true? Most dentists have grown accustomed to the challenging and time-consuming conventional denture workflows. Molds, try-ins, fittings, and adjustments can lead to many appointments and a lot of chairtime for your patient. In this webinar from Dandy, Dr. Robert Lee from Omalee Dental shares his experience adopting a digital denture workflow, including: ul.editorialList li {margin-bottom:6px;} How he transitioned his team What his

Facial pain signals illuminate path for nonopioid therapies

From a throbbing tooth or aching jaw to a pounding migraine, orofacial pain afflicts 5% to 12% of the population. Such pain can hinder daily activities like eating, toothbrushing, and mask wearing, yet opioid-based pain relievers carry the risk of misuse. Understanding how facial nerves process pain signals could help scientists find safer and more effective pain interventions. U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Researchers (NIDCR) researchers recently caught

Researchers are putting the human mouth onto microchips

Microchips that mimic parts of the human body may sound futuristic, but these devices — called organs-on-chips — are already being used to study human biology. Made from plastic, with grooves that are lined with cells and channels that transport air and fluids, these chips can simulate aspects of organ structure and function. Chips have been designed to mimic many different parts of the body, including beating heart tissue, air-filtering

Tooth protein prevents bone loss in mice

Enamel, the pearly white tissue that coats and protects our teeth, is the hardest tissue in the human body. It’s formed with the help of proteins called amelogenins. But as a recent study shows, these proteins appear to do more than fortify our teeth — they may also help keep our bones strong. A research team led by U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) senior investigator Ashok