CDA Show Report: Don’t give up on endodontics

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Infected tooth? Replace it! With the rapid improvement in implantology, that kind of thinking comes easily, but in many cases, endodontics still offers a better alternative, Jerome H. Stroumza, D.D.S., M.S., D.Sc., told an audience Thursday at the California Dental Association (CDA) Spring Scientific Session. “The trend now is probably to extract too easily and forget what endodontics can do,” said Dr. Stroumza, who has combined the

Maryland improves access to dental care

Maryland hygienists will be able to treat patients without dentist supervision under legislation passed this month in Maryland. The Maryland Legislature also allocated more than $16 million to fund other measures aimed at improving dental care in the state. The new rules will go into effect October 1, 2008. Currently, public facilities needed to file a waiver with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners to allow dental hygienists to

Betamethasone oral minipulse therapy an option in oral lichen planus

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Apr 29 – Patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus respond equally well to betamethasone oral minipulse therapy and to topical triamcinolone acetonide, but they may respond more quickly to betamethasone, results of a randomized comparative study indicate. Betamethasone oral minipulse therapy “may be a useful and convenient alternative either as a monotherapy or to achieve rapid symptomatic relief during periods of exacerbations,” the study team concludes

Do you need cone-beam CT? Part I

It began as a scan of the patient’s lower jaw in preparation for implants. But what was supposed to be a routine procedure in his Fort Lee, NJ, office turned out to be an event that prosthodontist Scott Ganz, D.M.D., still talks about years later. First, the patient was amazed that the scan — conducted with Dr. Ganz’s new cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner — was over in a matter

Lead found in U.S. crowns

Some crowns made in the United States contain lead, WBNS-TV of Columbus, Ohio, reported Friday. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA have both discounted the risk from lead in dental work at the reported levels. WBNS tested dental crowns ordered from labs in Asia and the U.S., and found traces of lead in all of them, it reported. This test followed an earlier experiment

Orthodontic treatment effective through teledentistry

In times when patients don’t have easy access to basic dental care, orthodontic care is even less accessible. Can teleconferencing be one of the solutions? It is certainly a viable option, according to a team of scientists who presented their study at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting. One group of Medicaid-eligible children were treated at the Yakima Valley Farm Worker’s Clinic in Toppenish, WA by a

Oral test could predict lung cancer, study finds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) April 14 – Damage to cells lining the mouth can predict similar damage in the lungs that eventually leads to lung cancer in smokers, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday. They hope it may be possible to some day swab the mouths of smokers to predict who is developing lung cancer — saving painful and dangerous biopsies of the lung. The process may also lead to tests that will

Ultradent adhesive matches Kuraray’s Clearfil in strength tests

In the world of self-etch adhesives, Kuraray’s Clearfil SE is like Muhammad Ali — the one to beat. That’s why researchers at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) annual meeting in Dallas did a double take when they heard Ultradent’s improved Peak SE + Peak LC matched the champion in a test of each product’s adhesive power. Ultradent’s Peak SE + Peak LC self-etch adhesive combination fared well

Oral cancer risks higher

More patients may be at risk of oral cancer than previously believed, warn Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. The three companies are collaborating on an Oral Cancer Awareness Week campaign. Recent research has highlighted concerns about the disease. A study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine found a link between oral cancer and human papiloma virus (HPV) , which can be sexually transmitted. “The

Gum disease linked with gestational diabetes risk

NEW YORK (Reuters) April 8 – Pregnant women with gum disease may be more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those with healthy gums, researchers have found. Gestational diabetes arises during pregnancy and usually resolves after the baby is born, but it can raise a woman’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on. It can also contribute to problems during pregnancy and delivery, including maternal high blood pressure and

Arginine candies may reduce caries

Candies containing a novel formula of arginine bicarbonate and calcium carbonate reduced decayed, missing, and filled surfaces by two thirds in a new study on children’s molars. A team of researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY), Stonybrook have trademarked their formula as CaviStat and have licensed it to specialty pharmaceutical firm Ortek Therapeutics of Roslyn Heights, NY, which is seeking approval from the FDA to market the

Cone-beam CT findings raise liability questions

So you’ve just bought a new cone-beam CT (CBCT) machine to plan implants, and you’re marveling about its ability to literally see inside your patients’ heads. Suddenly something catches your eye. What’s that spot on the patient’s neck? If you think that’s not your responsibility, think again. The 3D images created by cone-beam CT scans can reveal many medical problems, such as atheromas and spinal degeneration, not visible in traditional