Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider: Ibuprofen + acetaminophen effective for dental pain management

Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, The opioid crisis has changed how dental and medical professionals treat pain. With that in mind, we are so glad to have Tom Viola, RPh, as a constant HuangshanDental.com contributor because of his in-depth knowledge of how industry trends are shifting when it comes to pain management. With that in mind, I strongly encourage you to read his latest article, this edition’s Insider Exclusive,

Step-by-step video on how to decrease time, increase revenue at every insert appointment

In my years of clinical dentistry, I have always looked for a way to help turn what could be a problematic moment in the chair into one that’s not a problem at all. Whether it’s one crown or a complete case of veneers, we know our patients don’t always do what we want them to do. That’s especially true when it comes to taking care of their gum tissue. This

Rare, giant salivary stone removed from man’s jaw

A giant calcified salivary stone, which was diagnosed initially as an impacted tooth, was recently found growing in the mandible of a 37-year-old man. A rare 2-cm-long sialolith was removed, according to a new case report. Any salivary stone that is larger than 1.5 cm is considered rare, according to the authors of the report, published in BMJ Case Reports (February 28, 2020). In this case, the appearance of a

Brushing 3 times a day may cut diabetes risk

Want to lower your risk of developing diabetes? Brush your teeth. Brushing teeth at least three times per day was linked to lowering a person’s risk of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published March 2 in Diabetologia. Individuals with dental disease and many missing teeth significantly increased their risks of developing the life-threatening disease, further emphasizing the importance of good oral hygiene, according

Review highlights role of dentistry in diabetes detection

Oral healthcare professionals and patients widely support the use of blood tests for the early detection of type 2 diabetes in dental settings, according to a recent review. Prior studies have established an association between severe periodontitis and type 2 diabetes. This finding prompted international dental groups to publish a joint guidance on periodontal disease and diabetes, which recommends closer collaboration between oral healthcare professionals and physicians. For the current

Week in Review: Shaming a flosser on social media | Dental assistant dishes on what it’s like to work inside DSO | Vaping and oral microbiome

Dear DrBicuspid Member, It’s the first Saturday of March, and here’s hoping you’re enjoying some nice weather as we creep ever closer to the official start of spring. This is also the last official day for Dental Assistants Recognition Week. All week on HuangshanDental.com, we have been celebrating the critical role these key members play in the success of the practice and business. We have been posting articles geared toward

West Coast tops U.S. wellness rankings

Wellness is composed of many factors, such as a healthy diet, affordable healthcare and medical costs, and opportunities for being physically active. Personal finance website WalletHub examined 43 key indicators and found that West Coast cities are the best, at least in terms of healthiest U.S. cities. San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, and Portland, OR, make up the top four in WalletHub’s ranking of 174 U.S. cities. Two Texas cities,

Dental ER patients often get antibiotics, opioids

Clinicians frequently prescribe antibiotics and opioids to patients who visit emergency rooms (ER) with nontraumatic dental problems, according to a new study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. More people covered by Medicaid visited ERs for dental problems than those with private dental insurance, but both groups filled prescriptions for opioids and antibiotics at similar rates. “Antibiotics and opioids are frequently prescribed during

ADA, AAPD asks Medicare, Medicaid to cover more procedures

The ADA and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) want the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand procedures included in value-based insurance plans and continue automatic reenrollment. On February 28, the organizations made these requests in response to CMS’ proposed 2021 notice of benefit and payment parameters for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to an ADA press release issued on March 3. In

AO cancels 2020 meeting due to COVID-19 outbreak

The Academy of Osseointegration (AO) 2020 annual meeting, scheduled for March 18-21 in Seattle, has been canceled due to the ongoing spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) overseas and in the U.S. The academy’s board made the decision after consulting with scheduled speakers, vendors, and exhibitors, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Washington State Department of Health, and others. Those who planned to attend the meeting

Fla. man arrested for practicing unlicensed dentistry — again

Local law enforcement arrested a man in Jacksonville, FL, on March 4 for allegedly practicing dentistry without a license — for the second time. Jose Santos Vicenty was arrested on charges of performing dentistry without a license in his home, according to a news report from Action News Jax. Vicenty had already served two years in prison after a judge found him guilty of the same crime in 2009. In

Man wins $255K for botched procedure to remove swallowed dentures

A man in the U.K. was recently awarded 200,000 pounds (approximately $255,200 U.S.) after he was seriously injured during an endoscopic procedure to remove the dentures he had swallowed, according to news reports. A judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled on February 28 that Martin Downey, MD, a surgeon at Wishaw General Hospital, was negligent when he perforated Derek Hamilton’s esophagus during a procedure to remove the