Implants found effective despite periodontitis

Every dentist loves a good challenge. So why not try multiple implants on a patient with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP)? According to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology, partially edentulous subjects treated for GAgP can be rehabilitated successfully with osseointegrated implants, even though they show more bone and attachment loss than periodontally healthy patients. Researchers observed five patients with GAgP and five periodontally-healthy patients treated with osseointegrated implants,

Study validates filling without drilling

What if you could fill without having to drill? Scottish dentists have experimented with the approach on primary molars for years. Now a new study suggests the technique works. The study examined the Hall technique, in which dentists do not prepare the surface of the tooth they are treating or use anesthesia. Instead, they simply cement a preformed metal crown over the surface, sealing the cavity underneath. If more studies

Denturists busy in Kentucky

Denturists — nondentists who make dentures — are flourishing in Kentucky and other states, despite laws against them, according to an article in today’s New York Times. The high cost of dental care, combined with a plague of tobacco and methamphetamine use has left many Kentuckians without teeth, the article reported. Denturists are allowed to practice independently in Idaho, Maine, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. In Arizona and Colorado, they can

New guidelines shape sedation use

The patient’s knuckles whiten and his eyes roll as he clutches the arms of the chair. Suddenly he chomps on your fingers. As you start back in pain, he leaps to his feet, knocks down several thousand dollars worth of equipment, and dashes for the exit… without stopping to pay his bill. Nightmares like these — and the availability of new oral anti-anxiety drugs — help explain why more dentists

Cosmetic dentistry a $2.75 billion market

How much are patients willing to pay for cosmetic procedures? $495,000 per practice, per year! Or so calculates an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry survey. Based on responses from 5,500 members, the big picture is pretty big: Cosmetic procedures earned dentists $2.75 billion in 2006, a 15% increase over 2005. Some other notable findings: The projected number of cosmetic dental patients, based on survey results, was approximately 485 patients per

Guardian expands dental coverage to include teeth whitening

That dazzling-white Hollywood smile is most patients’ dream, and their enthusiasm will likely grow — if insurance foots the bill. And that’s exactly what the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America is doing. In a recent move, the company has expanded its dental plan coverage to include teeth whitening, citing client and broker demand as the key reason. “We believe that there is value in offering cosmetic teeth whitening because

Dentists and patients disagree on the perfect smile

Having a hard time convincing some patients that they really need cosmetic work? Maybe patients think their smile looks better than you think it does. Or so says a study in the latest issue of JADA. The study looked at 78 adults visiting a private practice in rural Norway. They were asked to rank their smiles on a visual analog scale, with one end of the spectrum being “not pleased”

Stop the presses: Endodontists preferred for root canals

What do IRS audits and root canals have in common? They both strike terror in the hearts of people. But there is a simple way to reduce the trauma of getting a root canal — go to an endodontist. At least that’s what a recent press release from the American Association of Endodontists claims, which points to an L.C. Williams & Associates poll. The poll’s not-so-surprising results: almost half of

Calcium may stop erosion

Once the brightest flower in the health food field, fruit juice has come under a cloud lately. Sure, it’s chock full of vitamins, but as public health experts point out, it’s also too sugary, and the acid erodes tooth structure. Now a new day may be dawning; a study in the December Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that calcium can counteract the acid in the juice. Juice makers

Bush vetoes children’s health bill a second time

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Dec. 13 U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a bill expanding a popular children’s health care program for the second time, angering Democrats who are locked in a fight with the administration over the budget and spending. Pushed by the Democratic-led Congress but also supported by many Republicans, the bill was aimed at providing health insurance to about 10 million children in low and moderate-income families.

Bill restricts dental therapists

Chalk one up for the American Dental Association (ADA). Having lost a battle to keep dental health aide therapists out of Alaska, the organization has nearly won its war to ban them from the rest of the country. With only a high school education and two years of intensive dental training, dental health aide therapists are certified by the federal government to do simple extractions and restorations, as well as

Ortho Organizers offers a new arch wire

Orthodontists take note: Ortho Organizers has added a rectangular version to its Super Elastic Nitanium Black Ti arch wire product line. This new product, like others in the line, has an ultrasmooth hard oxide surface that provides increased arch wire integrity and improved resiliency, while reducing sliding friction, according to the company. Ortho also claims the black oxide will not chip, wear, or peel. The rectangular Super Elastic Nitanium Black