Owner of Wash. dental practice fined in boy’s death

The owner of Must Love Kids Pediatric Dentistry in Vancouver, WA, has been fined $5,000 in connection with the death of a 4-year-old patient, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled in June 2018 that Mykel Wayne Peterson died of multiple drug intoxication from anesthesia he received for dental treatment in March 2017. In February 2018, the state’s Dental Quality Assurance Commission

CDHP director to receive innovator award

Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP) Executive Director Meg Booth has been chosen to receive the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund Innovator Award. The award recognizes Booth’s leadership at the CDHP, the organization said. She has served as its executive director since 2016. “Due to [Booth’s] dedicated leadership, policymakers at all levels are more aware than ever before of the critical need for a dental benefit to ensure a child’s optimal

Study: Dental specialists prescribe millions of antibiotics

Dentists and other dental specialists wrote about 9 million antibiotic prescriptions to patients during a three-year period despite growing concerns of antibiotic resistance, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Dental specialists, specifically, prescribed a steady stream of antibiotic prescriptions, writing them for 2.4 million to 38 million patients over three years. Of those specialists, clinicians in oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, and endodontics wrote the most,

Dentist pulls longest tooth ever at 1.5 inches

The longest tooth ever extracted from a human has been removed by a clinician at a German dental office, according to a report published October 14 in the Swiss Dental Journal. After the tooth was surgically removed, it was measured and confirmed that the tooth was 37.2 mm or 1.46 inches long. This tooth was slightly larger than the 36.7-mm tooth that was extracted from a student in Gujarat, India,

Biolase gets clearance for laser crown removal

Laser and CAD/CAM scanner company Biolase has received regulatory clearance from the U.S. and Canada for use of its Waterlase dental lasers for crown and veneer removal. The new application allows dentists to remove crowns and veneers in less than five minutes and eliminates excess heat, the company said.

Sugary drinks account for majority of kids’ drink sales

Sugary drinks accounted for almost two-thirds of children’s drink sales in 2018, according to a report published on October 16. Beverage manufacturers also spent millions of dollars advertising sugar-sweetened beverages to children last year. Researchers analyzed sales, nutrition, and marketing data from the top-selling children’s drinks in 2018. The findings show a dichotomy between sugary drink manufacturers’ marketing practices and their stated desire to help prevent diseases, the authors noted.

Imaging Insider: Radiation-free imaging system aids caries detection

Dear Imaging Insider, Radiography is the gold standard for dental imaging, but is it always the best option? That question is the subject of this edition’s Imaging Insider. Researchers from Spain tested one up-and-coming imaging technology, called near-infrared light transillumination. The method is a photo-optical technology that could work in conjunction with x-ray for the detection and diagnosis of caries in posterior teeth. Find out how well it worked in

Wisc. dentists lobby against sedation proposal

A group of Wisconsin dentists called the Concerned Dentists of Wisconsin (CDW) is circulating a petition to encourage the Wisconsin Dentistry Examining Board to not adopt proposed changes to training requirements for dental treatments requiring oral sedation. Under the newly proposed regulations, future Wisconsin dentists would have to undergo the same rigorous sedation training to provide “moderate oral sedation” as IV sedation-permitted dentists, according to the group. Existing oral sedation

Dr. Oz shows off his tooth-pulling technique

Leave it to Dr. Oz to get plenty of Instagram love (and comments) for helping take out a tooth. Of course, it wasn’t just any tooth. It was the tooth of 6-year-old Carmen Baldwin, the daughter of Alec and Hilaria Baldwin. Yes, that Alec Baldwin. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Dr. Oz showed his method for taking out the tooth as family members cheered on their support for Carmen. Watch Dr. Oz and

DTC orthodontics takes hit with new Calif. law requiring x-rays

California has become the first state in the U.S. to pass a law that aims to better protect patients who undergo direct-to-consumer (DTC) orthodontic treatments, such as those offered by SmileDirectClub, by requiring x-rays and more before moving ahead with care. On October 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed sunset bill AB 1519 into law, requiring dentists that provide orthodontics adhere to basic, accepted standards of care by reviewing recent patient

New research of oral anomalies aids understanding of schizophrenia

Although the causes of schizophrenia are not well understood, health professionals in recent decades have been increasingly intrigued by the links between this complicated illness and human physical and neurological development. A recent study that I conducted with colleagues offers further indications that minor physical anomalies among individuals with schizophrenia support this neurodevelopmental model of the disease. Facial anomalies seen in schizophrenia have been associated with aberrant brain development. It

Glidewell adds components for Astra Tech implants

Glidewell Dental announced that its restorative solutions and line of Inclusive prosthetic components are now available for Dentsply Sirona’s Astra Tech Implant System EV. With the newest additions, Glidewell now offers restorative solutions for 22 implant systems. Previously, the company has outsourced any Astra cases at significantly higher fees. Adding solutions for this line allows the company to drive down costs while simplifying the restorative process, according to Glidewell. The