Week in Review: Largest U.S. DSOs | Dental infections cost Texas $1.7B | Measles outbreaks

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Because of the growth in the U.S. dental service/support organization (DSO) market, we update our list of the largest DSOs in the U.S. twice a year. In our latest ranking, Western Dental has jumped three spots, having added more than 50 practices since the last update. In other news, researchers analyzed Texas hospital admissions data over a 10-year period. They found that admissions because of nontraumatic dental

Dentist among 60 charged with opioid prescription abuse

A dentist is among the 60 people who were charged with the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids and other narcotics and also healthcare fraud on April 17, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Denver Tackett, DMD, of McDowell, KY, was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky with allegedly writing prescriptions for opioids that had no legitimate medical purpose and with writing

Can a mouthwash relieve oral mucositis pain?

More than 80% of patients with head and neck cancer develop painful oral mucositis during radiation treatment. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and other institutions compared two topical therapies (mouthwashes) with a placebo mouthwash to measure the pain relief they provided. Patients who used either of the mouthwashes experienced significantly reduced oral mucositis pain compared with patients who used the placebo mouthwash, they reported in the Journal of the American

Calif. girl dies after allergic reaction to toothpaste

An 11-year-old California girl had an anaphylactic reaction to milk protein from a prescription toothpaste, according to a published report in Allergic Living. She died on April 4 after being transported to a hospital for treatment. She was prescribed the MI Paste One toothpaste (GC America) by her dentist to strengthen her tooth enamel, according to the published report. The manufacturer has included a warning that the toothpaste contains the

Have you shifted your caries management paradigm?

The current surgical model of caries management relies on symptomatic treatment via drilling and filling. However, the authors of a new review article in Dentistry Journal suggest practitioners should be refocusing their caries management using a medical model centered around prevention, timely intervention, and support of natural healing. A paradigm shift from a surgical to a medical approach is better for achieving caries-free dentition and greater oral health-related quality of

10 Foods to Eat After Dental Work

Last updated on 2022 After having dental work or dental surgery, oral health is the patients’ responsibility. Either if you’re having a tooth extraction or a more complicated procedure, you should follow your dentist’s post-treatment care directions. “Can I eat the same after dental surgery?” “What do I eat after dental work?” these are common questions asked by many patients. At , we want to guide you all along with your dental treatment: before,

New research focuses on endo pain relief issues

New research on pain control and management for patients was presented on April 11 at the 2019 American Association of Endodontists (AAE19) annual meeting in Montreal. The presentations included research on the use of photodynamic therapy, persistent pain after root end surgery, and the link between depression and postoperative pain. Photodynamic therapy In the first poster presentation, researchers in private practice and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel

Week in Review: Medicaid participation | Nonsurgical perio treatments | Endo pain relief

Dear DrBicuspid Member, It’s been difficult to obtain accurate data on exactly how many practices in the U.S. see Medicaid patients. Researchers looked at the issue, and their findings suggest that Medicaid participation rates may be much lower than previously believed, according to their study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Our clinical coverage this week featured two studies of note: one on treating patients with deep periodontal

Study tests success of nonsurgical perio treatment

Is a nonsurgical treatment approach successful when treating patients with periodontal pocket depth of 5 mm or more? A retrospective study of more than 1,100 patients sought to find out. Nonsurgical treatment that included oral hygiene instruction, scaling and root planing, and more was only successful in reducing pocket depth to 5 mm or less in about a third of the patients, the researchers reported (International Journal of Dental Hygiene,

New products: Komet launches polishing wheel

Komet USA has introduced a new, diamond-interspersed polishing wheel for all-ceramic restorations. The Footsie polishing wheel is configured in a spiral shape with a small foot at the end of each lamella (working part). The wheels can be sterilized and reused, according to Komet USA. The wheels come in blue for initial polishing and white for final polishing.

Study: Dentist Medicaid participation lower than expected

Obtaining accurate data on which dentists see Medicaid patients and how many patients they treat can be difficult. Researchers looked at these issues, and their findings suggest that Medicaid participation rates may be much lower than previously believed, they reported in a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA, April 2019, Vol. 150:4, pp. 294-304.e10). As part of a larger project to estimate the accessibility and

Komet adds to abrasives line

Komet USA has added four new instrument configurations to its line of coarse, yellow DCB (diamond with ceramic bond) abrasives. The new grinders include the following: The cylinder-shaped DCB2CA.HP.065 The cone-shaped DCB3CA.HP.040 The DCB4CA.HP.120 small wheel The DCB7CA.HP.220 large wheel Practitioners should operate the abrasives at 10,000 to 12,000 rotations per minute (RPM) with low pressure to prevent heat buildup, according to the company.