Known for its busy medical tourism industry, Los Algodones, Baja California is a small town home to a large number of medical and dental facilities. Throughout the year, thousands of visitors, mainly from the United States and Canada, cross into Los Algodones seeking affordable medical and dental services, as a result, the town has gained the name of “Molar City”. If you’re planning a day trip to Los Algodones Mexico
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Our top story of the week covered a lawsuit that Invisalign maker Align Technology filed against SmileDirectClub. In the lawsuit, Align claims that SmileDirectClub misleads patients by advertising its clear alignment treatment is provided under the care of dentists and orthodontists. In response, SmileDirectClub says the lawsuit is meritless and an attempt by Align to maintain its status in the clear aligner category. 2023 Cuspies finalists You
Citing research showing that a majority of antibiotics prescribed by dentists in the U.K. is unwarranted, dentists in Spain argued that clinicians must learn more about antibiotic resistance. Their correspondence was published on January 12 in the International Dental Journal. Dentists, who prescribe 10% of antibiotics worldwide, may need to prioritize changing how they prescribe and use these medications. By 2050, antibiotic resistance will kill 10 million people globally if immediate
Nondestructive short-wave infrared reflectance (SWIR) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) can safely monitor the activity of secondary caries lesions, findings published January 10 in the Journal of Biomedical Optics suggest. A team led by Dr. Nai-Yuan Chang of the University of California, San Francisco reported that transparent surface layer thickness measured with OCT correlated with both SWIR and thermal measurements of rates of fluid loss. They also found that SWIR showed
Tekmika Health Technologies has signed a deal to exclusively distribute Milestone Scientific’s single-tooth anesthesia system in Brazil. The New Jersey-based computerized drug delivery instrument developer’s system enables painless anesthesia through precise, digitized, and computer-controlled dosing. Online health product platform Suprevida will oversee digital marketing for the system and disposables, as well as service, logistics, and fulfillment. Milestone Scientific has placed a major emphasis on entering new markets and expanding within
Invisalign maker Align Technology has filed a lawsuit against SmileDirectClub claiming that the company misleads patients by advertising that its clear aligner treatment is provided under the care of dentists and orthodontists. Align filed the lawsuit on January 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that SmileDirectClub is “a company built on a lie” and “from day one,” promoted its aligners and services with
Who made it to the final round in this year’s edition of the Cuspies? We are very excited to announce the people, products, and events that were selected as finalists in this year’s event recognizing excellence in dentistry. The finalists for the 2023 Cuspies awards embody the best and brightest in dentistry this past year. This year was particularly competitive. More than 3,000 people voted for their favorite candidates across
Opening a wooden clothespin inside the mouth may be a hack for improving trismus in patients, according to a technical note published on January 6 in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Wooden clothespins make good alternatives for treating patients who have difficulty opening their mouths fully when other devices, including stacked tongue depressors are not available, the authors wrote. “This is a simple, very economical method that
Alpha Healthcare Acquisition will merge with Carmell Therapeutics, which develops allogeneic plasma-based biomaterials, including for use as an alternative to bone grafting in dental restorations. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Carmell’s shareholders will receive an aggregate of 15 million shares of Alpha’s class A common stock in exchange for their existing Carmell shares. If shareholders elect not to redeem their shares, the market capitalization of the combined company will
Physical activity can stave off inflammation, which in turn could possibly decrease the risk of developing periodontitis. However, not all bodily movements appear to offer the same benefits. The large U.S. study was published on January 2 in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Leisure-time physical activity, including sports and recreational walking, protects against periodontitis, while occupational activity, including household chores or construction work, is a risk indicator for gum disease,
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is addressing pediatric dental caries in its January 2023 report titled “Maintaining and Improving the Oral Health of Young Children.” The report outlines how pediatricians can help improve children’s oral health to prevent dental caries, which the academy said affects more than 45% of U.S. children. The AAP also noted how disparities may prevent access to dental care. The AAP advises that children drink
Dear DrBicuspid Member, A case report published in Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology revealed that a humanized antibody used in cancer immunotherapy may be associated with a 44-year-old woman developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. Jaw necrosis, which generally is not associated with immunotherapy, may be a rare potentially emerging complication of pembrolizumab therapy. Read more in our top story of the week. In other news, an
