Benefits of whitening before smile-enhancing procedures

Tooth whitening, with its various delivery mechanisms, has been a very successful noninvasive procedure to improve smiles for decades. As a result of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, a significant percentage of the workforce was forced to work remotely from home using video conferencing platforms. Consequently, many people began noticing their teeth and smiles while they looked at themselves on the computer screen. Dr. Kevin Brown. With the rise of video

How to Prevent Tooth Decay

Dental caries or cavities are quite nefarious because they’re the permanent damage to the hard surface of the teeth—also known as enamel—that grow over time from tiny openings or holes created by acidic bacterial waste products. Cavities are the indication of tooth decay. Many factors cause the enamel of your permanent teeth to degrade, but it mostly roots from bad dental hygiene. Page Contents Dental Cleanup is a Must

Clinicians are feeling the pain of prolonged mask use

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are experiencing orofacial pain, including temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), related to the ongoing use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators and masks. The perspective was published on December 1 in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Mask-associated orofacial pain should be investigated for proper management and prevention. In addition, personal protective equipment makers should develop personalized masks for different face shapes, the authors wrote. “While there are

Cosmedent to host workshop

Cosmedent’s Center for Esthetic Excellence (CEE) announced a lecture and workshop, “The Three P’s of Composite: Potential, Predictability, and Profitability” with Dr. Bud Mopper in June 2023 in Chicago. Dr. Bud Mopper. Image courtesy of Cosmedent. The event will take place June 8-9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT in Chicago at CEE’s headquarters. The two-day program is designed for those seeking to improve their freehand bonding skills. Mopper is

Intraoral appliances routine part of dental practice

The fabrication and use of intraoral appliances are becoming a routine part of dental practices, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. Researchers analyzed intraoral appliance application, practice workflows, and changes in practice trends. “There likely will be ongoing interest in relevant learning opportunities about technologic advances as well as the increasingly diverse list of applications for intraoral appliances,” wrote

Is cold plasma key to better tooth whitening?

Using a cold plasma jet to apply hydrogen peroxide gel for between five and 10 minutes may achieve significant tooth whitening for dental patients, according to a new study published in BMC Oral Health. However, treatments lasting longer than 20 minutes may result in color regression and enamel damage, the authors wrote. “It takes only 5–10 min to achieve a satisfactory bleaching effect, with the enamel morphology, microhardness and surface

5 reasons why WHO’s essential medicines improve oral health equity

Just over a year ago, dental medicines were added to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. Now, dentists are weighing in on the possible implications for public health policy in a commentary published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Every two years, the WHO updates two lists of medicines: the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for

N.C. updates opioid action plan to prevent misuse

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services updated the state’s dental opioid action plan to help dentists prevent the misuse of opioids. The updated plan provides clear steps for dentists, staff members, patients, families, and communities to help counter the opioid epidemic. The plan includes actions that dentists can take to reduce opioid misuse, especially among teens and young adults. Actions include limiting inappropriate access to prescription medications,

Cloud 9 acquires Focus Ortho

Cloud-based dental practice management system provider Cloud 9 Software has acquired orthodontic platform Focus Ortho. The acquisition significantly increases Cloud 9’s customer footprint, according to the company. Details of the deal were not disclosed. Cloud 9 will continue to support the Focus Ortho platform for current customers. Meanwhile, Focus Ortho team members will integrate to become part of Cloud 9. Focus Ortho users are encouraged to join Cloud 9’s customer

NIH grant aids research on school-based dental programs

Christina Scherrer, a Kennesaw State University researcher, studies the effectiveness of school-based dental health programs in reducing tooth decay in elementary age children. Scherrer is now expanding her research to middle school students through a grant recently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Scherrer believes school-based dental programs are important, especially in communities where parents may not have access to a dentist for their children. The researchers will

Gum disease may be a risk factor for alopecia

Patients with periodontitis may be at a much greater risk of developing alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss, according to a study published on November 17 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Though the exact process in which gum disease acts as a risk factor for AA has not been identified, it may be due to the common autoimmune-inflammatory nature of

Ortho patients prefer in-person visits to teledentistry

Orthodontic patients prefer face-to-face interactions with their providers rather than teledentistry, according to a study published on November 19 in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Teledentistry for orthodontics is growing, but patient preferences for its use have remained unknown. Researchers assessed the perceived value of face-to-face interactions between patients and orthodontists, the desire for convenience, and attitudes toward specific uses of teledentistry for orthodontics in the study.