Dental veneers can be an excellent cosmetic solution for stained, chipped, or slightly misaligned teeth The benefits are primarily cosmetic, but in some cases, they are used as part of other dental treatments to treat other dental problems. Did you know that there is more than one type of veneer? Porcelain, Composite, and Lumineers are the main kind offered by dentists, each with its unique offerings. At , we want
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that drug overdose deaths are up 28.3% as of October 2020 from a year earlier, while opioid deaths in particular are up 36%. The number of reported drug overdose deaths in October was 88,990, compared with 69,371 in October 2019. For opioids, the number was 66,047, compared with 48,663 in October 2019. The CDC report defined natural opioid analgesics as
Researchers studying the history of shark teeth found that the dentition of prehistoric shark ancestors differs greatly from that of modern-day sharks — upsetting the hypothesis that teeth have a universal development method. The team of European investigators used high-energy x-rays and state-of-the-art estimation methods to study tooth and jaw structure and development among shark ancestors. They published their findings on May 6 in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Side and
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Our top story of the week was all about legal advice for when employees refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Attorney Ali Oromchian answered some tricky questions on the subject, including whether it’s legal to make vaccinations mandatory for employees and if you can fire someone for refusing to be vaccinated. Oromchian admitted that it can be hard to find the balance between protecting staff and patients
Hydrogen peroxide can whiten teeth safely and effectively, with its only major setback being short-term sensitivity in some patients, according to a May 13 session at the California Dental Association’s CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry virtual convention. Hydrogen peroxide does not affect tooth structure, it is tolerated on soft tissues when the dose/area is within the soft-tissue peroxide capacity, and it works, said Paul Sagel, a research
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, one of the most distinguished U.S. military leaders, was not a dentist and never led a dental practice. But when consultants who coach dental professionals on how to make practices thrive think about leadership, many think of a quote attributed to MacArthur. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others,”
Thanks to CAD/CAM, tooth-colored materials, and improved bonding technologies, dentists have more options than ever before for placing minimally invasive posterior restorations, according to Dr. Steven Gold. As a result, dentists can practice more precise dentistry and better save teeth. Gold, who is an assistant professor at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine, will address this very topic on May 16 at the California Dental Association’s CDA
Researchers had noticed an increasing trend of dental professionals and dental students reporting burnout. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, it only exacerbated the phenomenon of burnout among dental professionals and other types of healthcare workers. In an August 2020 survey of 4,000 dental professionals, the ADA Health Policy Institute found that anxiety, financial problems, and reduced quality of sleep were the most commonly reported symptoms associated with
When it comes to the adoption of telehealth in the dental industry, the COVID-19 pandemic served as more of an accelerant than a revolution. Teledentistry has steadily grown over the past decade, and once COVID-19 spread across the world, shutting down dental offices along with everything else, more dental practices jumped on board an already moving train. According to a 2020 report from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, 34%
Desktop Health has released Flexcera, a technology platform for creating 3D-printed dental prosthetics. Flexcera comes in two versions: Flexcera Smile for 3D fabrication of denture teeth and Flexcera Base for 3D fabrication of denture bases/gums. Flexcera Smile is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) class I medical device, while Flexcera Base has received FDA 510(k) clearance as a class II medical device. Flexcera is the first major product released
Oral health company Quip will join the crowded on-demand orthodontics space by offering clear aligners. The offering is a departure for the company best known for promoting its toothbrushes on social media. Quip will use telehealth for its direct-to-consumer aligners. A recent survey showed that one-third of its 6 million customers are interested in clear aligners, according to the company.
A woman in Japan can once again feel pain and temperature in her mouth thanks to the immediate repair of her alveolar nerve, which was damaged during jaw surgery. The case report was published on May 10 in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology. Clinicians cut her inferior alveolar nerve, which supplies sensation to the lower teeth, while performing a bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy to