Sleep apnea may affect COVID-19 severity

Patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be at increased risk for more severe complications from COVID-19, according to a new study published on September 8 in Sleep Medicine Reviews. Dentists may want to focus on screening patients for the life-threatening condition, which is largely undiagnosed. Though dentists cannot diagnose sleep apnea, they can see if patients’ tongues or tonsils are enlarged and ask other health-related questions and refer

Smash Labs acquires miBrite

Oral care product firm Smash Labs has acquired miBrite, a manufacturer of consumer teeth whitening products. miBrite manufacturers the ilustra plus home whitening kit, luminite whitening pen, and nanowhite toothpaste. The acquisition enables Smash to launch new oral care products under the miBrite brand. Purchase price and other sale details were not released.

Biolase webinar on lasers and managing periodontitis draws interest

Biolase announced that approximately 400 dental professionals attended a September panel discussion about a July study on the company’s Repair Perio laser for periodontitis management. During the panel, two study authors and a panel of periodontists reviewed the design and findings of the July 2 study in the Journal of Periodontology. In the study, lead author Donald Chema, DDS, and colleagues compared periodontal flap surgery with Repair’s protocol for periodontitis.

Podcast: Why this dentist is passionate about crown and bridge

Edward Feinberg, DMD, believes that crown and bridge has stood the test of time and is a big part of the future of dentistry. “Dentists don’t realize that crown and bridge, when properly constructed, can solve a patient’s problem over a whole area, while implants only fill a space and do nothing for the teeth around it,” Dr. Feinberg said. “It’s not uncommon to see lectures where an implant is placed

The link between 3rd molars and periodontal disease

Adult African Americans, Hispanics, and those with socioeconomic disadvantages are more likely to have retained their wisdom teeth, making them more at risk for periodontal disease, according to a study published online on September 14 in Public Health. However, those who still had their third molars did not have elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, which is an indicator of systemic inflammation associated with periodontal disease and a possible modifiable

What is a Dental Emergency? A Guide to Urgent Care

Something is wrong in your mouth — maybe. Perhaps you’ve cracked or broken a filling. Maybe you feel tooth crown pain. Or perhaps something with your teeth just doesn’t feel right. Do you have a dental emergency? Perhaps you’re even wondering: What exactly is a dental emergency? What is a Dental Emergency? That’s a good question. In the beginnings of the COVID-19 epidemic, the ADA described

Case study: Using technology to restore a tooth with a failing amalgam

A 65-year-old healthy man presented for a hygiene visit and exam with a large, failing distal-occlusal amalgam on tooth #20, a mesial marginal ridge fracture, mesial recurrent decay, and buccal cuspal wear with cupping erosion (figure 1, below). An intraoral image illustrating the condition of the tooth was taken with Primescan (Dentsply Sirona) for patient education. The clinical image was shown to the patient and, upon being advised of the

Study shows link between periodontal disease and increased risk of colorectal cancer

A recent study published in Cancer Prevention Research indicates that periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Previous studies have pointed to associations between periodontal disease and other types of cancer. Tom Viola, RPh. In the new study, lead author Chun-Han Lo, MD, and colleagues prospectively collected information on periodontal disease and tooth loss in participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (1992-2002) and the Health Professionals

Byte partners with California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce to expand access

Clear-aligner brand Byte has teamed up with the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) on an initiative to expand access to teledentistry and remote teeth-straightening services. The byteCares program will offer exclusive discounts for teeth-straightening treatments, as well as provide free access to teledentistry services and oral healthcare education for a historically underserved community, according to the company.

Podcast: What you need to know about anticoagulants, changes to them, and COVID-19

Anticoagulants are a not-so-new topic that is indeed new again, according to Tom Viola, RPh. In the podcast below, Viola explains that practitioners of a certain age remember when there was one main choice when it came to an anticoagulant. However, within the past decade, a flurry of new anticoagulants have come on the market and are coming into greater focus with the onset of COVID-19. The use of those

Voco introduces CleanJoy prophy paste

Voco has introduced a new minimally abrasive prophy paste with fluoride and xylitol called CleanJoy. The product uses fine dual fillers for stain removal without the sandy feeling in traditional pastes. The splatter-controlled paste has grits that are within ADA-recommended relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) values to preserve tooth structure. CleanJoy is also free of parabens, gluten, and nuts. CleanJoy prophy paste. Image courtesy of Voco. The paste comes in single-dose

Is a probiotic the key to better oral health?

Weissella cibaria strain CMU, a probiotic lactic acid bacterium, may improve gingival bleeding and reduce levels of periodontal germs linked to diabetes and other diseases, according to a study published on September 2 in BMC Oral Health. Supplementing with W. cibaria may improve overall oral health, the authors wrote. “W. cibaria treatment could lead to an improvement in the bleeding index and the suppression of propagation of some oral bacteria