Carriere Motion Pro bite corrector now offered by Henry Schein Orthodontics

Henry Schein Orthodontics, the orthodontics-related company of Henry Schein Inc., has added the Carriere Motion Pro bite corrector to its product offerings. The bite corrector is designed to treat the anteroposterior dimension of an occlusion to achieve a class I platform within three to six months of treatment and before placing brackets or aligners, the company said in a press release. Features of the corrector include a drop-in hook to

Dental anesthesia mishap leaves woman with severe brain damage

A husband claims in a recent court filing that his 53-year-old wife has severe brain damage and requires around-the-clock care after an anesthesia mistake prior to unneeded dental surgery, according to a story published on January 14 in the San Antonio Express-News. Maria Lugo — who now lives in a neurological rehabilitation facility in Florida, where she receives mechanical ventilation, artificial feeding, and hydration — was given too much fentanyl

Artist Ye makes outrageous dental transformation

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has had all of his teeth covered with metal fixed prosthodontics valued at an estimated $850,000 smile, according to images the pop culture provocateur posted on January 17 on his Instagram account. Ye’s new titanium dentures. Image courtesy of Ye/Instagram. In later postings, Ye shared an image of his pointy new smile with one comparing himself to the James Bond villain, Jaws.

Letters, guidance about overdoses may cut opioid prescribing

Alerting clinicians when patients die from a drug overdose may decrease high-dose opioid prescriptions and potentially prevent future casualties, according to a clinical trial recently published in Nature Communications. Clinicians who received personalized letters informing them that a patient died of an overdose along with additional planning guidance significantly reduced their prescriptions of opioids and benzodiazepines, according to the study. “Notifications may have a lasting impact on patient safety and potentially could reduce the risk

Gold dentures of influential WWII leader up for auction

The partial gold-mounted dentures of World War II (WWII) British Prime Minister Winston Churchill will be up for auction on February 6 and are expected to sell for up to 8,000 pounds ($10,000 U.S.), according to the Cotswold Auction Company in the U.K. The upper false teeth, which are one of multiple sets, were made to improve Churchill’s natural lisp and were reportedly so important to Churchill that he always

Light, not needles, may numb dental patients

A new tool uses LED lights to numb dental patients without using needles, according to clinical study being conducted by researchers at Griffiths University in Australia. This could be a game changer for those who skip the dentist due to the fear of anesthesia injections. Nuralyte, developed by startup Dentroid, works similarly to local anesthesia sans the needles. The device uses a cluster of LED lights that penetrate the bone,

Is this a game changer for dental implants?

After years of testing in Europe, a new dental product that could change the game for dental implants in the U.S. is now available. SilverPlug bills itself as “the only medical device in the world certified for filling the implant screw tunnel.” Designed to take the place of Teflon tape in a dental implant procedure, SilverPlug is drawing attention in the world of oral surgery. With that in mind, I

This drug-desensitizer mix may cut post-whitening pain

Giving patients ibuprofen plus potassium fluoride prior to in-office bleaching may be effective in reducing tooth sensitivity and pain, according to a study published on January 22 in the Journal of the American Dental Association. However, using ibuprofen and potassium fluoride separately before tooth whitening was inconclusive, the authors wrote. “It provides a superior analgesic effect,” wrote the authors, led by Dr. Raniel Peixoto, PhD, an adjunct professor with the

Correcting alveoloplasty coding calamities

When dental practices fail to receive payment on claims, they contact billing experts for advice. For example, here is a question submitted by a dentist whose claim for an alveoloplasty was denied by an insurer: “Dear Billers, I performed an alveoloplasty (D7310) with an extraction, and the claim was denied by the insurance plan because the ‘claim failed the ADA Code validation.’ What does that mean, and how can I get this claim

AAPD Foundation awards $1.8M in grants to clinics

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Foundation has awarded $1.8 million in grants to eight selected nonprofit clinics providing dental care to underserved children. The following clinics will each receive $225,000 through December 2026: Barrio Comprehensive Family Health Care Center in San Antonio Caridad Center in Boynton Beach, FL Community Volunteers in Medicine in West Chester, PA Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic in Lancaster, PA Oak Par River Forest Infant Welfare Society in Oak

Millennium Dental offers free gum disease laser treatment

Laser-assisted regeneration technology company Millennium Dental Technologies has pledged to provide free laser treatments to about 100 patients with moderate to severe periodontal disease in recognition of Gum Disease Awareness Month. The pledge is being offered in collaboration with the nonprofit Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry. Millennium’s LANAP laser treatment scholarships are valued at approximately $1 million and will be awarded to those who have limited access to healthcare services. The LANAP

This orthodontist is a scumbag

Dr. Brad Podray is a Florida native, a husband, a new father, and an orthodontist in Iowa. But he may be best known for his persona Scumbag Dad, who produces content lampooning social media influencers. Currently, Scumbag Dad boasts more than 5.8 million followers on TikTok, about 3.8 million followers on YouTube, and 560,000 followers on Instagram. On social media platforms, he can be seen doing riffs on everything from