Rise in adverse events for TMJ implants prompts FDA update

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 17 released updated information about temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) implants, including the number of reported adverse events and ways the agency is engaging with patients. An influx of reports on adverse events related to TMJ implants triggered the FDA to increase engagement with patients diagnosed with TMD and to review postmarket studies. The FDA requires premarket approval (PMA)

Rare 4-cm mucocele removed from child’s submandibular gland

Clinicians removed a rare 4-cm mucocele that extended from the submandibular gland to the floor of the mouth of a 9-year-old girl. The case was published on June 16 in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. This type of mucous-filled, cystlike lesion occurs in the oral cavity; it rarely occurs in the main salivary glands. This case is one of only 14 involving a mucocele in the submandibular gland

Dental Dose: The brief history of cocaine in dentistry

Dental Dose is a twice-monthly video series featuring pharmacologist Tom Viola, RPh. In each episode, Viola shares bite-sized pieces of dental pharmacology news, facts, and myths. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, cocaine was an anesthetic agent of choice in dentistry, noted Tom Viola in the latest episode of Dental Dose. But perhaps more surprising, cocaine has accepted medical uses as an anesthetic agent to this day. About a

Align donates $1M to Operation Smile

Align Technology announced that the Align Foundation has donated $1 million to Operation Smile in celebration of the company’s 10 million Invisalign smiles milestone. The donation is intended to help children worldwide by raising awareness and generating support and funding for Operation Smile, a global surgical nonprofit. Operation Smile provides surgery and ongoing care for people affected by cleft lip and cleft palate in resource-limited environments, Align said.

Kids skip the dentist after general anesthesia procedures

Researchers from Scotland found a significant drop in dental care visits after children in the U.K. underwent general anesthesia for dental procedures in a recent study. The findings were published on June 4 in the European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry. While 85% of children in the study attended a dental exam in the 12 months before their dental general anesthesia (DGA) appointment, only 58% had an appointment the following year.

Young Innovations, TeamSmile announce partnership

Young Innovations and TeamSmile have announced a partnership to advance TeamSmile’s goal of providing disadvantaged children with dental care. Young Innovations will provide a variety of products, including disposable prophy angles, prophy paste, handpieces, and hygiene curettes and scalers, which will be used by TeamSmile to provide services to children across the U.S., the companies said. TeamSmile partners with professional sports teams and college athletic departments to set up dental

Forensic dentist publishes latest crime novel

University at Buffalo forensic dentist Dr. Mary Bush has published a new novel, The Secrets We Bury, the latest in a Buffalo, NY-based crime series. The series follows Valentina Knight, a dentist turned death-scene investigator. Knight must unravel the mystery behind the murder-suicide of a mother and child where nothing is as it seems, according to the publisher. Bush is a forensic dentist who has participated in prominent criminal investigations.

Oral-systemic health webinar scheduled

Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Crest + Oral-B, the Smile Generation, and dental service organization Pacific Dental Services are hosting a webinar on oral-systemic health. The webinar will focus on the link between periodontal disease and brain conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. It will be held on June 25 at 9 a.m. Pacific time, and attendees can earn 1.5 continuing education credits.

Delta Dental touts oral health investments in 2020

The Delta Dental Institute has released a 2020 report on its community impact, titled “Our Promise to Our Communities,” highlighting the oral health investments its companies and foundations made in 2020. Delta Dental companies invested more than $102.5 million in communities to advance oral health and address health inequities and disparities, Delta Dental said. These efforts affected about 25 million people in the U.S. Additionally, Delta Dental companies committed $1.1 billion in COVID-19

FDA clears Ormco’s Spark aligners for younger kids

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Ormco’s Spark clear aligners as an orthodontic treatment for younger children. The doctor-directed aligner system can be used on primary and secondary teeth, allowing clinicians to offer the treatment to younger patients with simple and complex orthodontic issues. Spark aligners have been used worldwide in adult patients since 2019; they were officially released in the U.S. in December 2020. Ormco said

Aspen Dental introduces Motto clear aligners

Aspen Dental Management has unveiled its Motto clear aligners. With Motto, patients first receive a digital scan to custom manufacture each aligner. Onsite labs and in-office technology then enable patients to receive their aligner on the same day, rather than forcing patients to wait weeks for their aligners or impression kit, Aspen Dental said. Motto is available now at Aspen Dental offices across the U.S., with purchase plans starting at

Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider: Kids skip the dentist after general anesthesia procedures

Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, Researchers from Scotland found a significant drop in dental care visits after children in the U.K. underwent general anesthesia for dental procedures in a recent study published in the European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry. While 85% of children in the study had a dental exam in the 12 months before their dental general anesthesia appointment, only 58% had an appointment the following year. The