Can you fight bacteria with bacteria? Apparently so, according to a new animal study in the November issue of the Journal of Dental Research. In the study, a mixture of beneficial bacteria was applied after scaling and root planing (a technique known as Guided Pocket Recolonization or GPR). The results: growth of plaque-causing bacteria was substantially slowed and reduced, as was inflammation. The technique could be a way to sidestep
Pumpkin patches, a nip in the air, goblins, ghosts, ghouls — and lots of candy. Yup, it’s that time of year again. And around the country, dentists want to know how they can avoid becoming the Grinch of Halloween. It’s a classic dilemma. On the one hand, sugar contributes to the damage that dentists spend their lives fixing. On the other hand, what’s Halloween without trick or treating? In coping
SAN FRANCISCO — Chomping away on gum has never been a charming habit, but now we have a legitimate medical excuse for it. That’s according to John W. Shaner D.M.D., M.S., Associate Professor at the Creighton University Medical Center School of Dentistry. He argues that xylitol- and sorbitol-based gums are so effective at fighting caries that dentists should be handing them out like… well, candy. “Sugar is the main driver
Where professors tread, lawyers are sure to follow. A new consensus statement that will be published in the November issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association looks likely to increase dentists’ liability for preventing cavities. “Consensus Statement Caries Management by Risk Assessment: Implementation Guidelines to Support Oral Health” briefly describes how dentists should assess their patients’ risk of caries and work aggressively — using counseling, antibacterials, and remineralizing
After attending a meeting on plaque in the late 1990s, Albany, California dentist Nathan Kaufman, DDS, began to see just how much dentists could do to prevent caries. The realization gradually led him to transform the way he treats his patients — and the way he makes his living. “We’re changing the paradigm,” he says Dr. Kaufman has joined a new movement in dentistry called caries management by risk assessment
The dark truth behind those bright smiles Ah, for the glamorous life of a cosmetic dentist. No more bratty kids or cranky codgers filling up the waiting room. No more extractions, fillings, or root canals. You’ll spend your afternoons bleaching Lindsay Lohan’s teeth or straightening Ashton Kutcher’s smile. Who knows? You could end up with your own “Extreme Makeover”-style reality TV show. Before you decide enter into the realm of
Ultreo, Inc., makers of Ultreo, a power toothbrush based on ultrasound waveguide technology, filed a counter suit against Procter & Gamble in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York last week. P&G, which makes the Oral-B power toothbrush, filed a suit against Ultreo in September for allegedly misleading consumers and dental professionals through false advertising. According to P&G, Ultreo’s claim that their product’s ultrasound waveguide
It’s less than accreditation, but more than a pat on the back; when the Academy of General Dentistry bestows its Program Approval for Continuing Education (PACE) on a continuing education program, dentists take notice. Align Technology, makers of Invisalign, just nabbed PACE approval for its CE courses. That means Align’s training programs can earn dentists credit hours towards AGD Fellowship and Mastership awards. Align’s aim? To provide Invisalign dentists (both
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct. 17 To keep dementia at bay, take care of your teeth. That seems to be the message of a new study in which researchers found a possible link between tooth loss or having very few teeth — one to nine, to be exact — and the development of dementia later in life. The research team analyzed dental records and brain function test results accumulated over
Maxwell H. Anderson, D.D.S, M.S., M.Ed., doesn’t spend much time filling cavities these days. Instead, he’s hard at work putting other dentists out of that business. Dr. Anderson is CEO of C3 Jian, a California start-up that’s developing medicines to suppress caries-causing bacteria. And this is just one of many companies around the country working on similar techniques that could send caries the way of polio and small pox. These
A new fibrin adhesive made from an enzyme found in snake venom is more effective at closing surgical incisions than traditional sutures, according to a new study in the October issue of the Journal of Periodontology. “This unique adhesive may stimulate faster tissue repair…compared to traditional sutures used after surgery,” notes study author Monica Barbosa, PhD, Bauru Dental School at the University of Sao Paulo in a press release. The
SAN FRANCISCO – In his recent freewheeling talk at the recent ADA convention held in San Francisco, Gordon Christensen paused to ponder periodontal disease and treatment of same. While there’s much speculation about different clinical approaches, Christensen came down on the side of conservative periodontal therapy–even though he admits that “collective” research on conventional therapy is lacking. His “proven components of conservative periodontal therapy:” Education, education, and more patient education