Align Technology sues SmileDirectClub for false advertising

Invisalign maker Align Technology has filed a lawsuit against SmileDirectClub claiming that the company misleads patients by advertising that its clear aligner treatment is provided under the care of dentists and orthodontists. Align filed the lawsuit on January 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that SmileDirectClub is “a company built on a lie” and “from day one,” promoted its aligners and services with

Meet the Cuspies 2023 finalists

Who made it to the final round in this year’s edition of the Cuspies? We are very excited to announce the people, products, and events that were selected as finalists in this year’s event recognizing excellence in dentistry. The finalists for the 2023 Cuspies awards embody the best and brightest in dentistry this past year. This year was particularly competitive. More than 3,000 people voted for their favorite candidates across

Is the key to improving trismus in the laundry room?

Opening a wooden clothespin inside the mouth may be a hack for improving trismus in patients, according to a technical note published on January 6 in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Wooden clothespins make good alternatives for treating patients who have difficulty opening their mouths fully when other devices, including stacked tongue depressors are not available, the authors wrote. “This is a simple, very economical method that

Alpha Healthcare to merge with Carmell Therapeutics

Alpha Healthcare Acquisition will merge with Carmell Therapeutics, which develops allogeneic plasma-based biomaterials, including for use as an alternative to bone grafting in dental restorations. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Carmell’s shareholders will receive an aggregate of 15 million shares of Alpha’s class A common stock in exchange for their existing Carmell shares. If shareholders elect not to redeem their shares, the market capitalization of the combined company will

Physical activity type matters in reducing gum disease risk

Physical activity can stave off inflammation, which in turn could possibly decrease the risk of developing periodontitis. However, not all bodily movements appear to offer the same benefits. The large U.S. study was published on January 2 in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Leisure-time physical activity, including sports and recreational walking, protects against periodontitis, while occupational activity, including household chores or construction work, is a risk indicator for gum disease,

AAP addresses pediatric dental caries in report

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is addressing pediatric dental caries in its January 2023 report titled “Maintaining and Improving the Oral Health of Young Children.” The report outlines how pediatricians can help improve children’s oral health to prevent dental caries, which the academy said affects more than 45% of U.S. children. The AAP also noted how disparities may prevent access to dental care. The AAP advises that children drink

6 Month Dental Checkups: Why They Matter

Regularly scheduled dental cleanings and checkups every 6 months are key components of maintaining a healthy smile. For young adults, these checkups are even more important to establish healthy habits and prevent future complications. Let’s take a look at why it is so important for patients to get regular checkups. Why Regular Checkups Are Important Brushing and flossing are important parts of maintaining a healthy smile, but they alone can’t

Week in Review: Cancer therapy and jaw necrosis | Dispel halitosis with probiotics | Predicting pain

Dear DrBicuspid Member, A case report published in Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology revealed that a humanized antibody used in cancer immunotherapy may be associated with a 44-year-old woman developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. Jaw necrosis, which generally is not associated with immunotherapy, may be a rare potentially emerging complication of pembrolizumab therapy. Read more in our top story of the week. In other news, an

Suit dismissed against dental patient who wrote bad reviews

An appeals court in Colorado recently dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against a dental patient who wrote negative online reviews about the root canal therapy she received from an endodontist, according to court records. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Kathryn Sullivan, dismissing a lawsuit that Dr. Andrew Stubbs of Creekside Endodontics in Denver had filed against his former patient. Sullivan posted one-star reviews on Yelp and Google

Can probiotics help treat bad breath?

Probiotics in fermented foods such as yogurt may provide short-term relief for halitosis, according to a recent study published in BMJ Open. Researchers at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, investigated the effect of probiotics on halitosis from a time perspective. They analyzed previous studies that compared the effects of oral probiotics and placebo on primary halitosis outcomes (organoleptic [OLP] scores and volatile sulfur compound levels) and secondary outcomes (tongue coating

NYU Dentistry gets $3M to study gum disease, Alzheimer’s

New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) was awarded a $3.1 million grant to study the nexus of periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease. The five-year grant, which began on January 1, was awarded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Aging. Researchers will study if and how gum disease promotes the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s. Preliminary data show that the metabolic byproduct succinate is significantly increased in the cerebrospinal fluid

How to better predict a patient’s risk of postsurgical pain

Clinical factors, including pain severity before and during root canals, may better predict the risk of postoperative pain than sociodemographic characteristics such as race and income, according to a study published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. The information may improve the pain management expectations of patients and clinicians, the authors wrote. “Using clinical factors over sociodemographic characteristics may reduce the sexual/racial biases when predicting risk,” wrote the authors, led