According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), aging dental bridges are difficult to floss, often decay, and require replacement with longer bridges. The AAID recommends replacing them with permanent dental implants. “Many of us have had the same bridges in our mouths for 20 years or more. They were put in at a time when bridgework was considered to be the norm for replacing missing or compromised teeth,”
Numb lips, a bitten cheek, slurred words. For years dentists haven’t had much choice about causing such temporary discomforts with a nerve block in patients needing mandibular procedures. But recent research suggests an infiltration will suffice for most restorations. Infiltrations, which target only the nerves of a specific tooth, work just fine in the maxilla. By contrast, the thick bone in the mandible keeps the anesthetic from getting to its
Patients with periodontitis who are also infected with the human papilloma virus (HPV) are at a higher risk for tongue cancer, a new study has found. Researchers from the University of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute presented the results of this study at the 2008 American Association of Dental Research meeting. “HPV plays a significant role in head and neck cancers (HNCs). However, the majority of HPV infections are
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Jun 9 – Brushing one’s teeth is nearly as likely as removing a tooth to temporarily cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream, according to a report in the journal Circulation. This finding is concerning because bacteria in the blood can lead to a rare but potentially serious heart problem called infective endocarditis, the infection of the heart valves and chambers. The risk of infective endocarditis with
Dutch researcher Agnes Berendsen of the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam has developed a 3D in vitro model that shows promise for aiding in the regeneration of periodontal ligaments and restoring tendons and ligaments elsewhere in the body. The periodontal ligament forms a flexible connection between the tooth root and the surrounding jaw bone. Trauma or inflammation can cause destruction of the periodontal ligament. Berendsen chose tissue engineering to tackle
The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care believes that mall teeth-whitening businesses could be detrimental to public health, the Cibola County Beacon recently reported. HuangshanDental.com recently highlighted some of the dental industry’s concerns regarding this trend and what several states are doing to improve regulation of these facilities. In New Mexico, tooth whitening is classified as a dental procedure that can only be performed by a licensed dentist or
The American Diabetes Association feels so strongly about the link between periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes that the group invited a number of dentists to share their thoughts on this growing problem during a special symposium at the 68th annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association this week in San Francisco. According to the American Dental Association, nearly 10% (21 million) of the U.S. population has diabetes, which means
Christian W. Hahn, D.D.S., a cosmetic dentist in Louisville, KY, has invented forceps that will allow dentists to adjust the bite and deliver indirect restorations such as caps and veneers with better accuracy and in less time. The Hahn Twin Forceps will be launched in August through a dental distributor. “Any product that helps me deliver higher-quality dentistry in less time is a winner in my practice,” Dr. Hahn said.
Many patients are obsessed with obtaining the perfect Hollywood smile. But these days, instead of heading to their dentist’s office, some are heading to the mall. Teeth-whitening kiosks and centers run by nondentists are popping up in malls across the U.S. and are attracting attention because they offer a less expensive alternative to having the work done by a dentist. Procedures that might cost $400 to $500 at a dentist’s
New research at the University of Michigan found that people with certain antibodies are at a lower risk for periodontal disease, the ADA reported in a news article. “The antibody is to a protein called HtpG, of the bug Porphyromonas gingivalis, [which is] an important pathogen in periodontal disease,” the ADA stated. “Anti-P. gingivalis HtpG antibodies are protective and … may augment the host defence to periodontitis,” the researchers wrote.
For Gregory Chotkowski, D.M.D., O.M.S., a retired oral surgeon whose son suffers from muscular dystrophy, the ability to harvest and preserve stem cells from the dental pulp of newly extracted teeth is a dream come true. So is being able to offer this same service to dentists and their patients. That’s the idea behind his company, StemSave. The Phoenix, AZ-based firm, which launched its dental stem cell extraction and storage
A father and son dental team in Indianapolis has developed a mouthguard designed to keep patients from biting their tongue, lip, or cheek while still numb from anesthesia. Dealing with the challenge of postanesthetic oral trauma every day in their pediatric dental practice gave David and Scott Morgan the idea for the Toothché TLC Protector. Instead of using folded-up cotton gauze or cotton rolls, which don’t provide a barrier between