A 15-year-old girl from Derbyshire, U.K., underwent lifesaving treatment after a visit to the dentist revealed her blood pressure was high enough to cause a heart attack, according to a Telegraph news story. Anna Campbell had gone to the dentist to have four teeth extracted when a test showed her blood pressure was dangerously high. Later a heart scan revealed that her aorta, which is typically 14 mm in diameter,
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) this week released guidelines calling on doctors and dentists to pay more attention to the relationship between periodontitis and atherosclerosis. As a result of the guidelines, cardiologists may begin examining their patients’ mouths and periodontists may begin asking questions about heart health and family history of heart disease. The guidelines were developed in conjunction with the American Journal of Cardiology and are being published
A measure to require the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) to fluoridate water in Reno, NV, and surrounding Washoe County has died without an Assembly committee vote, according to an Associated Press (AP) report. Assembly Health and Human Services Chairwoman Debbie Smith (D-Sparks) told the AP that SB311 didn’t have enough support in her committee or the full Assembly. Bill supporters had argued that lowered dental costs and increased dental
Is the best new approach to preventing caries actually thousands of years old? That’s the implication of recent company-sponsored studies on toothpastes that borrow from traditional Indian and Chinese medicine chests. One study, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive, featured Colgate Ayurveda Sampoorna toothpaste, which is made with a proprietary herbal formula drawn from ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine used in India. “A lot of people in India are using it because
The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry’s Board and Council have increased the fluoride dose recommended in their guidelines for children’s toothpaste, the organization announced. Though the guidelines have not yet been made public, the Irish Times newspaper reported that the academy now recommends that toothpaste fluoride levels targeted at children age 6 months to 2 years should have a 500 parts per million (ppm) fluoride concentration. The level should be
EFE, manufacturers of GoRinse natural mouthwash, is partnering with Practicon to provide dental offices throughout the U.S. and Canada easier access its GoRinse brand products, the company announced. “Practicon is one of the major distributors and online retailers that serve the dental industry,” said Ike Kavas, founder of EFE, in a press release. GoRinse mouthwash kills 99% of common germs that can cause plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath, according to
Omron Healthcare has introduced the HT-B551 toothbrush, which the company claims is the world’s first electric toothbrush equipped with a three-axis acceleration sensor, according to the Web site Tech-on. The sensor detects the toothbrush angle, determines what is being brushed, and automatically controls the vibration speed and direction. For example, the vibration speed is increased to 32,500 cycles/minute when the toothbrush is brushing the back teeth, but when brushing periodontal
Scientists have discovered a genetic relationship between periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD), according to research presented at the recent European Society of Human Genetics meeting in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Arne Schaefer, of the Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology at the University of Kiel in Germany, said his team had discovered a genetic variant situated on chromosome 9 that is shared between the two diseases. “We studied a genetic locus
A U.K. dental practice could have put thousands of patients at risk for infections such as HIV or hepatitis due to poor hygiene measures, according to a news story by the Daily Mirror. The dentist, who has not been named, practiced in Bristol from 2003 to July 2007 and moved to Bournemouth in January 2008. “The warning letter, from the director of South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust Dr. Chris Payne,
Q: I am thinking of purchasing a digital impression system for my office. What do I need to know before I invest? A: Digital impressions are definitely the wave of the future. At some point we will all be taking digital impressions. However, at present, digital impressions have some limitations. The biggest problem is subgingival margins. You need to see the margins. If the wand cannot see the margin, it
Millennium Research Group has launched Perception Pulse, a new tool that allows clients to track, quantify, and assess the dynamics of customer behavior and loyalty in the dental implant market. For example, the top five dental manufacturers in the U.S. scored very differently on customer advocacy, defined as a customers’ willingness to recommend a company to colleagues and friends, the company noted in a press release. Research has shown this
Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. I recently attended the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) convention in Hawaii. At the conclusion of a lecture, a young dentist asked me what other courses I would recommend. During our conversation, the topic of occlusion came up. She immediately stated that she follows the CR/CO (centric relation/centric occlusion) philosophy.