Gingivitis tied to increased risk of future depression

European researchers discovered a link between gingivitis and depression in a study published in the June 2021 edition of the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Patients with chronic gingivitis had almost double the risk of developing depression as those with healthy gums. The authors looked at patients ages 14 years and older who were diagnosed with chronic gingivitis in the U.K. Approximately 16% of people with chronic gingivitis received a depression

Overjet receives FDA clearance for Dental Assist AI

Overjet announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its artificial intelligence (AI) product Dental Assist. The AI software supports dental professionals in measuring mesial and distal bone levels in bitewing and periapical radiographs. It was designed to assist in periodontal disease diagnosis and treatment planning. Overjet was founded three years ago on technology developed by dental researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of

New method uses enzymes to target early childhood caries

Early research findings suggest a new approach may be effective for treating early childhood caries. The approach uses enzymes that target interactions between bacteria and yeast responsible for forming sticky dental plaque. In lab studies, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine targeted molecular binding sites between bacterial Streptococcus mutans and fungus Candida albicans. Ordinarily, S. mutans and C. albicans form a biofilm that becomes extremely virulent

Yummy! What You Should & Shouldn’t Eat for Healthy Teeth & Gums

As dentists, we’re always stressing about how important it is to brush, floss, and see a dentist regularly. But it’s not just practicing good hygiene and seeing a dentist that make for great dental health. It’s also the food in your fridge, what you put on your plate, and what you drink to wash it all down. You may not realize it, but the food you eat has a huge

USPSTF draft recommendation backs fluoride for kids

Primary care physicians should apply fluoride varnish and prescribe fluoride supplements to certain children, according to a draft recommendation statement released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on May 11. In the draft recommendation, the USPSTF concluded with “moderate certainty that there is a moderate net benefit of preventing future dental caries with fluoride varnish application in all children younger than age 5 years.” Similarly, it said with

Dental implant causes life-threatening mouth bleeding for weeks

A young woman experienced rare, life-threatening episodes of mouth bleeding for weeks following the uncovering of a dental implant. Details of the case were published on May 11 in Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research. Clinicians managed the patient’s bleeding by embolizing her descending palatine artery, which supplies blood to the hard and soft palate. It is possible that tooth loss changed the morphology of the patient’s blood vessel anatomy.

Biolase hosts pediatric dental laser training in Calif.

Biolase said it teamed up with Healthy Smiles For Kids of Orange County to host a pediatric dental laser training session recently at the Biolase Learning Center in Foothill Ranch, CA. The May 8 session focused on using Waterlase dental lasers in a variety of common dental pediatric procedures. It covered laser safety, laser tissue interactions, restorative dentistry using minimal anesthesia, and pediatric procedures including frenectomies for tongue-tie patients, according

Which Is Better Porcelain Veneers or Lumineers

Dental veneers can be an excellent cosmetic solution for stained, chipped, or slightly misaligned teeth The benefits are primarily cosmetic, but in some cases, they are used as part of other dental treatments to treat other dental problems. Did you know that there is more than one type of veneer? Porcelain, Composite, and Lumineers are the main kind offered by dentists, each with its unique offerings. At , we want

CDC: Drug overdose deaths, including opioid, climb

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that drug overdose deaths are up 28.3% as of October 2020 from a year earlier, while opioid deaths in particular are up 36%. The number of reported drug overdose deaths in October was 88,990, compared with 69,371 in October 2019. For opioids, the number was 66,047, compared with 48,663 in October 2019. The CDC report defined natural opioid analgesics as

Shark teeth make researchers question tooth evolution

Researchers studying the history of shark teeth found that the dentition of prehistoric shark ancestors differs greatly from that of modern-day sharks — upsetting the hypothesis that teeth have a universal development method. The team of European investigators used high-energy x-rays and state-of-the-art estimation methods to study tooth and jaw structure and development among shark ancestors. They published their findings on May 6 in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Side and

Week in Review: Vaccine legal advice | Hygienists still not working | CDA Presents

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Our top story of the week was all about legal advice for when employees refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Attorney Ali Oromchian answered some tricky questions on the subject, including whether it’s legal to make vaccinations mandatory for employees and if you can fire someone for refusing to be vaccinated. Oromchian admitted that it can be hard to find the balance between protecting staff and patients

Do you know all there is to know about teeth whitening?

Hydrogen peroxide can whiten teeth safely and effectively, with its only major setback being short-term sensitivity in some patients, according to a May 13 session at the California Dental Association’s CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry virtual convention. Hydrogen peroxide does not affect tooth structure, it is tolerated on soft tissues when the dose/area is within the soft-tissue peroxide capacity, and it works, said Paul Sagel, a research