Americans are more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a motor vehicle crash, according to new data from the National Safety Council. 2017 was the first year that the odds of death from an opioid overdose surpassed car crashes in the organization’s analysis. Ken Kolosh. Image courtesy of the National Safety Council. The National Safety Council, a nonprofit organization promoting health and safety in the U.S.,
Dear DrBicuspid Member, There may be no better illustration of how pervasive the opioid epidemic is in the U.S. than the new data released by the National Safety Council reporting that Americans are now more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a motor vehicle crash. Dentists and oral surgeons have an opportunity to take the lead in pledging not to prescribe opioids. The challenge is finding
Voco America has introduced a new nanoceramic hybrid CAD/CAM disk. The Grandio disk is an 86% filled nanoceramic hybrid CAD/CAM disk for crowns, inlays/onlays, veneers, and implant-supported crowns. The disks are processed by standard milling devices and are available in four shades and two translucencies.
A little more than two decades ago, John Featherstone, PhD, set out to create a one-page tool to prevent caries. The result, caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) has come to redefine how the newest generation of dentists think about dental decay. For CAMBRA’s 21st anniversary, the Journal of the California Dental Association (CDA Journal) dedicated its entire January issue to the risk assessment tool and its use in professional
In my last column, we talked about a 30-day nutritional reset for patients. Let’s acknowledge that having a comprehensive conversation with your patients about nutrition, oral health, and their eating habits isn’t easy. Alvin Danenberg, DDS. As I had more of these conversations with my colleagues about how to have these conversations with their patients, I developed what I call a dental nutritional counseling program. This program helps your patients
If you suffer from missing one or more teeth, dental implants are the best solution for filling those gaps and recovering your confident and functional smile. Before we get into the benefits of replacing your teeth, we want to address that this procedure is usually expensive because it is one of the most advanced technologies available today. However, a great way to get lower prices for your dental needs is
The use of CAD/CAM composite resin crowns for premolars is a growing practice, but there are concerns about the complication rate. Researchers evaluated more than 500 crowns after a follow-up period of more one year to see if the complication rate was an issue. For practitioners considering using these crowns, their research findings strike a note of caution as the study authors reported a complication rate of almost 16%. The
Amalgam separation technology company Solmetex has named Kevin Danahy as its new president. Danahy most recently served as vice president of global emerging technologies and specialty sales at Zimmer Biomet.
Researchers have developed a pH-sensing device that uses dye and LED excitation to predict caries risk. Results of a pilot study conducted with a prototype suggest that although this device avoids the problems of previous dye-based pH measurement techniques, it requires some modifications before it will show up in your office. The device measures the time-dependent drop in pH in patients, and it shows promise but is not quite ready
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Have you updated the Codes on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) that your practice uses? Now is a good time, practice management consultant Teresa Duncan writes because using inactive codes can be costly to your practice. The past six months has seen continued growth in the dental service organization (DSO) market, including some major acquisitions and milestones. To get a sense of where these organizations are going,
Invisible-aligner manufacturer SmileDirectClub has named new senior leadership to support its growth in the U.S. and internationally. The new appointments are listed below: Justin Skinner: chief technology officer Steve Cicurel: chief development officer Cheryl DeSantis: chief people officer Kay Oswald: president of international Oswald will focus on the company’s upcoming launches in markets in Asia, Europe, and South America
Researchers have created a mobile application that monitors patients during their daily routine. The prototype may one day help clinicians diagnosis and monitor bruxism, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and other jaw-related disorders outside of the clinic. Mauro Farella, DDS, PhD. The prototype consists of a smartphone application and a small, wireless electromyographic (EMG) device that patients wear on their jaws. The system was created by an international team of researchers, who
