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. Chances are, articaine is the local anesthetic of choice in your office. But how well do you know the ever-popular agent? In this episode of Dental Dose, Tom Viola shares three articaine myths that might confuse even the most experienced dentist. “The fact
National Dentex has acquired Dental Services Group and the combined company will operate under the National Dentex Labs brand. National Dentex’s Tom Daulton will serve as CEO, leading the new organization of nearly 4,000 employees. The combined company will share best practices and capabilities to help deliver its products to independent dentists and dental service organizations. The acquisition follows on the heels of National Dentex’s union with Cerberus in October.
April 1 marks the start of National Facial Protection Month, which can be the perfect time to talk with patients and families about mouthguards and other tools to protect against sports injuries. Dr. Louis Rafetto, an oral surgeon and spokesperson for the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), spoke with HuangshanDental.com about the occasion. “The goal is to promote the use of protective gear, such as mouthguards and helmets,
Parents have higher levels of hesitancy about getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19 than they do about getting shots for themselves, according to a survey released on March 31. The survey was conducted by ParentsTogether, a nonprofit organization with 2.5 million families across the U.S. More than 970 parents participated in the survey, which was conducted via Facebook Messenger between March 7 and 12. Parents are 17% less likely to say
Singer-songwriter Madison Beer went viral on TikTok for opening a bottle of beer with her teeth. YouTuber David Dobrik uploaded the viral video with the caption “that’s why her last name is beer!!” It has garnered 2.3 million likes and more than 16,000 shares as of April 1.
Biolase has announced a pilot program to train endodontic residents at Einstein Healthcare Network to use Waterlase dental lasers. The program aims to offer residents hands-on experience with dental lasers currently used in dental practices. The Waterlase dental laser can extend endodontic treatment options and speed up treatment time, Biolase said. The endodontic residency program at Einstein Healthcare Network is one of the first hospital-based programs approved by the ADA,
A monoclonal antibody may be able to stimulate tooth regeneration, according to research published online recently in Science Advances. Researchers from Kyoto University and the University of Fukui in Japan found that an antibody for the uterine sensitization associated gene-1 (USAG-1) can stimulate tooth growth in mice with the congenital condition of tooth agenesis. Deciduous incisors erupt as excess teeth in a mouse deficient in USAG-1. Image courtesy of Kyoto
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may aid in the early detection of gum disease by showing periodontitis-linked changes in the jawbones of patients prior to bone defects occurring, according to a study published on March 21 in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Imaging showed patients with positive bleeding-on-probing tests faced a greater risk of already having bone edema around those teeth, even with probing pocket depths classified as having minimal risk
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a collection of oral health articles in its journal Preventing Chronic Disease. The collection consists of eight articles and an editorial addressing “dental public health challenges and opportunities,” the CDC said. The topics include inequities in dental care access, disparities in the prevalence of oral disease, the connection between oral health and chronic diseases, and COVID-19’s effect on access
Scientists have identified a protein in tooth cells that helps detect cold, possibly paving the way for new treatments for tooth sensitivity and pain, according to a study published on March 26 in Science Advances. They found that tooth cells called odontoblasts contain the ion channel transient receptor potential channel 5 (TRPC5), a specialized protein that functions as a cold sensor. Additionally, more TRPC5 is present in teeth with cavities.
The use of antibiotics after tooth extraction has increased over the past 17 years in South Korea, according to a study published on March 24 in the International Dental Journal. A team led by Dr. Yoon Young Choi of Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine in Wonju used data from the country’s National Health Insurance Data Sharing Service for 15.8 million cases of tooth extraction between 2002 and 2018. Prescriptions were issues
Even patients with periodontitis who are otherwise healthy may be at an increased risk for hypertension, according to findings published on March 29 in Hypertension. Patients with periodontitis but no other diseases were twice as likely to have elevated blood pressure as those with healthy gums. The new study adds to the growing body of evidence indicating a causal link between periodontitis and hypertension. The findings suggest that periodontal bacteria
