A new internet challenge gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “my lips are sealed.” Teens, mostly girls, are posting videos of themselves gluing their upper lips with different adhesives to achieve perfect pouts. In videos posted on the video-sharing app TikTok and YouTube, girls show themselves putting eyelash, nail, and other types of glue on their upper lips, waiting for them to start to dry, and then sticking
U.S. residents are more than five times as likely to use prescription opioids than immigrants, according to a study published October 25 in JAMA Network Open. Immigrants who had been in the U.S. between five and 15 years were more than three times as likely to use opioids than new immigrants, while those living in the U.S. longer than 15 years were four times likelier, researchers found. The team also
Benzocaine has been in the news lately, and, with that, here is another reminder for dental professionals about the anesthetic’s potential problems as well as what they need to tell their patients about it. In mid-September, a 25-year-old woman checked into a Rhode Island emergency room experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, and weakness. Doctors also noticed a bluish tint to her skin and nails. All signs pointed to a rare
Dentists may be writing fewer opioid prescriptions for Medicaid patients, but recipients are still likely to get the drugs if emergency room practitioners or others treat their dental problems, according to a study in October issue of thethe Journal of the American Dental Association. Medicaid patients who receive oral healthcare at emergency departments are about seven times more likely to be prescribed opioids to manage their dental pain. Those with
A third of dental patients in Ireland would consider sedation for procedures such as fillings and extractions, because of their fear of going to the dentist, according to a news report published in the Digital Journal. In a survey commissioned by the James Clinic and conducted by Google Survey, researchers found that 32.5% of patients would choose to be sedated, while 42.7% stated they would not like to be sedated,
Teens who spend much of the day watching TV or on their phones consume more sugared, caffeinated drinks, linking extended screen time and potential health problems, including obesity, caries, and diabetes, according to a new study published October 22 in PLOS One. Despite overall soda and energy drink consumption decreasing among teens, approximately 27% of them exceeded recommended sugar intakes, and about 21% exceeded the recommended daily caffeine levels, the
A patient’s oral health and diet can have a significant effect on the development and severity of psoriasis, according to research published recently in Dermatology Online Journal. A team of researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus surveyed 256 patients, 100 with psoriasis and 165 without, at the university’s dermatology clinics. Patients with psoriasis who rated their gum health as poor or very poor exhibited significantly
A former receptionist for a Harrisburg, PA, dentist has been sentenced to federal prison for forging opioid prescriptions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Belinda Dietrich of Marysville will begin serving a one-year prison term on January 6, 2020, followed by three years of probation, for distributing a controlled substance and making false statements in healthcare matters, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Approximately 1 in 3 children younger than age 12 in Britain don’t brush their teeth before bed, according to the findings of a new national survey reported in the Daily Mail. About 70% of parents admit they don’t push their children to brush because they want to avoid major meltdowns at night. Though parents urge their children to take care of their teeth, most kids only brush on average about
The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the oral cavity was 6.2% among sexually active female adolescents in New York City, with a significant decrease in HPV prevalence among those who previously received the HPV vaccine, according to a study published online October 25 in JAMA Network Open. The researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York obtained oral rinse samples from 1,259 sexually active female adolescents between
A Connecticut dentist has been arrested on charges of trying to entice someone he met on the internet who he believed to be a 15-year-old girl into having sex, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Scott David Cohen, DDS, owner of Trumbull Smiles Family Dental in Trumbull, CT, was arrested October 25 on charges of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, travel with intent to
A natural plant compound with anticancer properties may one day help treat periodontal disease, according to a study published on October 26 in BMC Oral Health. The authors explored the ways the compound, known as luteolin, could boost oral health. Researchers from China tested the effects of luteolin on extracted human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs). The agent improved the cells’ osteogenic properties, which could pave the way for new periodontal
