If you twist your ankle or bump your head, you apply ice to numb the pain. And parents have long frozen their babies’ teething rings. So why not try the same approach before an injection? That’s the thinking behind a refrigerant recently tested as an alternative to topical anesthesia. In a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (Vol. 140:1, pp 68-72), U.S.
Procter & Gamble is betting consumers will pay $45 during a deep recession for an improved way to whiten their teeth at home: Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal, according to a story on AdAge.com. Procter & Gamble is promoting the fact that Advanced Seal’s four-layer design enables the strips to mold and adhere to teeth even when the user is drinking, talking, or kissing. As part of its marketing efforts, Procter
Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. In the December 21, 2008, issue of Dental Tribune, Dr. Ron Jackson discussed the underutilization of inlays and onlays and the overutilization of crowns. First, I would like to state my admiration for Dr. Jackson and his intelligence. He is a brilliant asset to our profession, and his lectures on adhesive
A dry mouth and burning eyes, rampant caries, parched and irritated mucous membranes — the life of a Sjögren’s patient can be miserable. Yet many patients go undiagnosed for years, partly because dentists don’t understand their role in catching and managing the syndrome, according to specialists in the disease. Some 2.5 million Americans have the disorder, and a survey published last month found the average patient suffers for seven years
Indiana Nanotech announced this week that global toothpaste manufacturer 3M ESPE is now using the Indiana company’s calcium phosphate technology in its new Clinpro 5000 fluoride toothpaste. The toothpaste uses nanotechnology to combine calcium with fluoride in one tube. Some other toothpastes containing fluoride and calcium keep the two ingredients in separate tubes until they are applied. Several competing formulations of calcium phosphate have come on the market in toothpastes,
An Australian professor of oral medicine has stirred up new debate over whether regular use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes can increase the risk of oral cancer. In the January issue of the Australian Dental Journal (ADJ), Michael McCullough, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne dental school, claims that 25 years’ worth of clinical and epidemiological research leaves no other conclusion. But dental experts worldwide disagree — and it isn’t the
Private dental clinics are emerging all over China in response to increasing demand from China’s growing middle class and aging population, according to a new report by the Millennium Research Group (MRG). This new trend could enable the dental implant market in China to reach more than $125 million by 2013, the report states. “The global economic crisis will slow this market in 2009, but only moderately,” stated Kevin Flewwelling,
Editor’s note: Jimmy Earll (not his real name) is a practicing dentist in Northern California and a stand-up comic who performs all over North America. His column, Laughing Gas, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. Welcome to Laughing Gas, my take on the ups and downs and ins and outs of daily dental practice. As a stand-up comic as well as a general dentist, I’ll
In more than 30 years of practice, Dennis McTigue, D.D.S., M.S., has seen a lot of changes — and perhaps none more significant than attitudes about restraining kids. “It used to be that parents wanted nothing to do with sedation or general anesthesia,” he said. “Parents were not nearly as concerned about behavior management techniques. In the most recent studies, we found that parental attitude had flip-flopped.” Use of restraints
An Albuquerque teenager on a routine trip to the dentist died after apparently suffering a reaction to a common anesthetic, according to a KRQE News 13 report. Chanel Broomfield, a 17-year-old senior at Albuquerque High School, was given a combination of lidocaine and epinephrine to numb her gums, KRQE reported. When she had an adverse reaction moments later, she was rushed to the hospital, where she died. “2% lidocaine with
Looking to update your standard lecture on oral cancer prevention? Here’s a tip: Tell your patients to drink coffee. A Japanese study has found that people who drink at least one cup of coffee a day appear to be at a lower risk for oral cancer compared to people who don’t drink coffee (American Journal of Epidemiology, December 15, 2008, Vol. 168:12, pp. 1425-1432). Researchers collected data from the population-based
A Maryland dentist, picking up the work of his dead brother, has published a book to help children overcome their fear of the dentist, according to the Associated Press (AP). Blair McNinch was working on the book, Woogie the Wombat in ‘The Dentist,’ when he died in 2005, the AP reported. In the book, a wombat seeks advice from other zoo animals about visiting the dentist, and ultimately has a