A picture can be worth a thousand bucks–if you know how to take it properly. A clear, sharp, well lit intraoral photo can convince that stubborn insurance company or nervous patient that yes, some perio treatment or restorative work really is needed. Taking a winning shot doesn’t necessarily require mastering f/stops and Photoshop, says Richard Young, D.D.S. Dr. Young, who gave a talk on dental photography at the recent ADA
It’s safe. No it isn’t! Yes, it is! Reading the reports about bleaching and its dangers to dental structure is like watching a ping-pong match. That’s why in December two dental journals stepped in to arbitrate. And happily both agree on the winning message: bleaching is safe. But before you celebrate by uncorking a bottle of bubbly hydrogen peroxide, bear in mind that significant warnings still come along with the
They kill human cells on contact. They cause allergies. They mimic female hormones. And as more and more people keep using them, a health crisis may loom. That’s the dire assessment on resin-based composite filling materials, courtesy of Michel Goldberg, D.D.S., Ph.D., an emeritus professor of dental surgery at Paris Descartes University, who published his paper online in the November Clinical Oral Investigations. “It would be surprising [if] the harmful
For some patients, getting that crown or root canal means saving up for a year. The good news for them–and you–is that Medilinq, a health benefits provider that offers savings of up to 40 percent on medical and dental care, has formed a partnership with DenteMax, an independent dental PPO network. Medilinq members pay a monthly premium and get preferred out-of-pocket rates on prescription drugs, traditional healthcare services, and nontraditional
Toothpaste and mouthwash flavors can be so ho hum. Crest, for example, offers Peppermint. Also Strong Mint, Mild Mint, Vanilla Mint, Citrus Clean Mint, and Mint + Green Tea Extract. Did we mention mint? Colgate’s not much more imaginative with its Max Fresh Clean Mint, Cool Mint, Cinnamint, and Kiss Me Mint. Why does everything have to be so darn refreshing? Why not garlic toothpaste washed down with an olive
How many root canals do general dentists do? How often do orthodontists fill cavities? Answers to such questions can be found in a recently released report by the American Dental Association (ADA). The report, which covers a year from the second quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2006, updates surveys the ADA published in 1990 and 1999. It offers estimates of the number of procedures done and the
Editor’s Note: A few years ago there were no calcium phosphate products to be had and now they seem to be everywhere and in every form. It’s confusing, and our October report sorting out these products was one of the most popular articles on our site. But we weren’t satisfied. To do justice to the variety on the market, Assistant Editor Rabia Mughal spent the past few weeks compiling data
So you’ve taken a course on Invisalign and now you think you can straighten teeth. Maybe so. But watch out. These high-tech plastic aligners may not work as well as old-fashioned braces…in which case there could be a lawyer in your future. That’s the word from Daniel Kuncio, D.D.S., a New York orthodontist, and his colleagues at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. The team compared the teeth of
Can this pulp be saved? It’s a question occurring more and more often as dentists confront a growing number of cracked teeth. Cracks can irritate pulp, but according to a new study, catching these cracks soon enough can prevent the need for a root canal treatment. Eighty percent of cracked teeth with reversible pulpitis don’t need endodontics, researchers from the University of Iowa and the University of North Carolina, Chapel
So you’ve tried good oral hygiene, mints, mouthwashes, and sweet-smelling gum. Nothing’s worked, and you wonder what else you can do to sweeten a patient’s bad breath. How about magnolia bark? That’s the surprising proposition from researchers at the Wrigley Company. In the November 14 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they report that this traditional Chinese medicine can massacre the bacteria behind halitosis. In fact, compounds
Sun, sand, and a root canal! Not a natural combination, we know, but that’s exactly what all Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina members can get, now that they have access to dental services overseas through Companion Global Dental. If other insurers follow suit, it could encourage more Americans to leave the country to get their teeth fixed. Companion Global Healthcare was already
Charged with protecting teeth, dentists loath to grind them away. But that’s exactly what they must do sometimes to fix the alignment of an overcrowded mouth or simply even out asymmetrical tooth widths. Grinding may pose a risk to the teeth because it reduces the amount of enamel, theoretically increasing the risk of cavities and periodontal disease. And rough surfaces left by grinding are a fertile field for plaque. The