BMF’s ultrathin veneer material gets FDA nod

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) clearance to Boston Micro Fabrication’s (BMF) UltraThineer material, which is used to create a very thin dental veneer. The new 3D-printed veneers use projection micro stereolithography (PµSL), a technology designed to create greater resolution, accuracy, and precision. The custom-manufactured zirconia veneers are three times thinner than traditional veneers and require little to no tooth preparation or grinding, according to BMF.

Toothache leads to implant removal from man’s skull

A man with a toothache had emergency surgery after a dentist reportedly mistakenly screwed a dental implant into his jaw and pierced his cranial cavity, according to a story published on April 23 in Metro News. Ramazan Yilmaz, of Britain, was told he may die during the surgery, but he recovered from the procedure and was discharged from the hospital a few days later. The 40-year-old father of two plans

Sweetening up dental injections to reduce kids’ pain

Applying a sugar-free flavoring before administering local anesthetic (LA) injections in pediatric dental patients may decrease pain, according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry The use of the flavoring lowered children’s heart rates and behavior indicators, including total discomfort scores and motor responses, compared to those who were numbed without anything extra, the authors wrote. “This study is the first to show that prior

OrthoFX launches shorter-wear clear aligners

OrthoFX has launched NiTime, clear aligners that are designed to be worn for shorter periods of time and treat all classes of dental malocclusions, in the U.S. Based on Airshell technology, the aligners require nine to 12 hours of wear time to straighten teeth as opposed to the typical 22-hour time frame. OrthoFX will showcase NiTime at booth No. 1437 at the American Association of Orthodontists’ annual meeting, which is

Study reveals dental disparities in immigrant, minority children

Children of first-generation immigrants may be less likely to visit a dentist and more prone to dental issues like caries compared to nonimmigrant children, according to a large study recently published in AJPM Focus. Furthermore, immigrant children from minority racial or ethnic backgrounds and those residing in areas with poor conditions were least likely to attend routine dental visits and at greater risk for tooth decay, the authors wrote. “To

SDF may help prevent dental erosion

Topically applying 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) may better prevent erosion in enamel and dentin than stannous chloride-containing fluoride (SNF). The in vitro study was published on April 24 in the Journal of Dentistry. It is believed to be the first study to explore the preventive effect of 38% SDF solution on dental erosion in human permanent teeth, the authors wrote. “SDF provided better protection against dental erosion for human

It may be time to have tough conversations with dental patients

Clinicians may need to give patients more realistic views of the roles preexisting conditions or lifestyle habits play in the success or failure of their dental treatment. The editorial was published on May 1 in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. If dental patients reject or fail to follow through with presurgical and postoperative recommendations, such as quitting smoking, clinicians may need to forgo the excessive risk they undertake

Gender, age may affect nonsurgical periodontal therapy outcomes

Older adults and men may experience worse outcomes after nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT), suggesting the need for tailored treatment approaches for these patients. This analysis was published on April 25 in Scientific Reports. Additionally, older individuals and males appeared to exhibit greater clinical attachment level (CAL) values, while older age was linked to higher probing depth (PD) values, suggesting age and sex affects both factors despite nonsurgical gum disease treatment,

White spot lesions are common in adolescent aligner patients

Adolescent patients undergoing clear aligner treatment often experience a high occurrence of white spot lesions (WSLs), according to research recently published in Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. Many factors contribute to white lesions, including infrequent brushing, inadequate cleaning of aligners after eating, and more, the authors wrote. “In the population studied, 35.5% of patients developed at least one WSL during treatment,” wrote the authors, led by Qian Liu of the State

A dread-reducing device may be just what dental patients wanted

This is not a drill. Johns Hopkins University students and a dentist are developing an apparatus that dulls the unmistakable high-pitched, anxiety-inducing whir of a dental handpiece when its working on teeth, according to university news dated April 30. Dr. Jordan Rigsby, a dentist in Tallahassee, FL, used his personal experience undergoing loud procedures to create a model of an apparatus that was inspired by noise-canceling headphones in the hopes of

Angelalign offers new features, launches in Canada

Clear aligner technology provider Angelalign Technology has introduced new doctor-driven features and expanded into the Canadian market. New innovations include the following: The iOrtho Workbench, which offers improved usability and 3D controls for its cloud-based treatment planning software A flexible template for attachment placement A StarSort feature for patient tracking and prioritization An attachment height tool for adjusting vertical height during treatment planning The company will demonstrate the new features at booth No.

Glidewell, ProMonitoring partner on aligners

Glidewell and ProMonitoring have partnered to provide clear aligners for general dentists. The collaboration aims to address the demands of many Glidewell customers who want to offer clear aligners without extensive training or disrupting their practices. The aligners are designed to aid dentists to provide more precise orthodontic care by leveraging ProMonitoring’s artificial intelligence-driven software and service model, according to the companies.