Parkell has introduced Digitest 3, a pulp vitality tester designed to help dentists identify the cause of a patient’s discomfort in tricky cases. Digitest 3 electrically stimulates the tooth to test for vitality, offering a useful diagnostic tool when percussion, ice, heat, and radiographs don’t provide enough information for dentists to identify the source of the patient’s pain, according to the vendor. The system has a single-button control and can
When it comes to preventing a type of heart infection caused by oral bacteria, good dental health is better than antibiotics, according to a landmark American Heart Association (AHA) statement published on April 15 in the journal Circulation. In the statement, the committee reviewed the evidence around the AHA’s watershed 2007 guidelines that recommended dentists limit antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) to only four types of patients. In its new review, the
Bisco has released FluoroCal, a fluoride and calcium-releasing varnish for the treatment of hypersensitive teeth. Indicated for application to enamel and dentin, FluoroCal provides targeted and sustained release of calcium and fluoride for over 24 hours, according to Bisco. The varnish is applied with a brush and immediately relieves sensitivity by penetrating and sealing dentin tubules, the company said. The 5% sodium fluoride varnish also contains tricalcium phosphate. FluoroCal fluoride
Imaging helped lead to the diagnosis and treatment of a 2-year-old girl who developed the life-threatening condition orbital cellulitis due to a dental abscess. The details were published on April 9 in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science. A dental exam revealed the child had multiple caries, gum swelling, and loose baby teeth, and a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan showed a left periosteal abscess collection extended to her orbit.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine) and the university’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have launched a new oral health initiative called the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry. The center will enable the development of new ways to address unmet oral health needs, particularly in the areas of dental caries, periodontal disease, and head and neck cancer. It will be supported by the
Approximately one-third of caries diagnosed in preschool children using dental x-rays conflicted with assessments using oral exams alone in a new study published on March 31 in BMC Oral Health. Carious lesions were diagnosed inaccurately in about 30% of baby tooth surfaces when dental x-rays were used, suggesting such x-rays may be unnecessary for tooth decay detection in young children. Clinical guidelines related to caries diagnosis may need to be
3D-printed dentures company Arfona has partnered with Dentulu and Impress3D to provide patients with greater access to better and more affordable tooth replacement options. Through the partnership, patients now have the option to see a dentist virtually and receive their 3D-printed replacement tooth in days without physically visiting a dental office, the company said. Dentists can already access digital laboratory services through the Impress3D platform and order dental prosthetics online
Dental Dose is a new twice-monthly video series featuring pharmacologist Tom Viola, RPh. In each episode, Viola shares bite-sized pieces of dental pharmacology news, facts, and myths. A patient comes in for dental work. He got the COVID-19 vaccine yesterday. What do you do? “It’s a Catch-22,” said Tom Viola in the latest episode of Dental Dose. While dentistry relies on a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen to treat most
Solmetex said that Richard Andrew Campos has joined the organization as its director of international business development and sales. Campos is a business development, sales, and marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience in the domestic and international dental markets. Company leaders said he will take Solmetex to the world stage and execute strategic global distribution initiatives in an ever-changing business environment.
Are dentists superheroes or villains? It depends on who you ask. About 50% of young children perceive dentists as a type of superhero, according to a study published on April 7 in the European Journal of Oral Sciences. But another 30% of children saw dentists as Batman’s villain the Joker or as monsters. The respondents were part of a survey to understand how children perceive dentists in order to bolster
Dominion National announced it has partnered with SmileDirectClub to offer its members access to SmileDirectClub’s orthodontic clear aligner program for teeth straightening. Dominion members will be offered three opportunities to receive 3D scans to participate in the SmileDirectClub program: either at one of SmileDirectClub’s SmileShop locations, at a SmileDirectClub Partner Network affiliated dentist or orthodontist office, or with a doctor-prescribed, at-home impression kit. Treatment is prescribed and monitored remotely by
Tooth pain or other dental issues should be treated quickly. Many people, fearing the high costs of the procedures, are reluctant to even pay for a consultation to find out what they have, because of the cost of x-rays and the necessary studies. Throughout the pandemic and still, there was a decrease in demand for dental services, can you guess the main reason? the high costs. But dental problems are not
