Week in Review: U.S. teen e-cigarette use & sales | 5 largest insurers | Epinephrine use

Dear DrBicuspid Member, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that more than 20% of U.S. high school students have used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their flavor delivering systems on a regular basis in 2018, almost double the number from 2017. Learn more here. In response, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, issued a directive on how and where e-cigarettes can be sold. Read

Implant surgery company hits sales milestone

Dental implant surgery company Neocis has announced the sale of its 20th robot-assisted surgical system. The company’s Yomi surgical system enables a minimally invasive flapless approach for implant placement. Neocis received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the surgical system in March 2017.

Exercise and dental health are interlinked

I tell my patients that their gut and health are dependent on moving their body. But many don’t know that even dental health is indirectly affected by healthy exercise. Two recent studies are clear: If we want to get healthy and stay healthy, we need to move our bodies. If we don’t get moving, our health will suffer. So, get moving or else. Sedentary lifestyle “So, get moving or else.”

Study: Oral disorders top global health burdens

Oral disorders were the leading cause of nonfatal health loss worldwide in both women and men, according to a major new report published November 10 in the Lancet. There were almost 3.5 billion reports of oral disorders in 2017, including caries, periodontal disease, edentulism, and other disorders. Headache disorders and tuberculosis were the next most-reported issues, the researchers found. Hundreds of practitioners participated in the data gathering. “This study emphasizes how

Study reports epinephrine safe in heart failure patients

Should epinephrine be used with local anesthesia for dental procedures in adult patients who previously had heart failure? Researchers from Brazil recently conducted a study to find out. They randomly assigned 72 patients to receive or not receive epinephrine as part of their anesthetic before treatment. Except for more reported pain in the group without epinephrine, there were no differences between the groups, the researchers found. They presented the study

Dental Excellence Awards voting ends November 15

Time is running out to join hundreds of your colleagues in voting for the 2018 DrBicuspid Dental Excellence Awards. Voting ends on November 15, 2018. The Dental Excellence Awards recognize the best new products and services in 11 categories in the dental industry. Voted on exclusively by readers, the awards showcase those products and services that dentists and dental team members have chosen to provide better patient care and greater

Bupivacaine liposome gets 2019 CDT code

The ADA has created a new Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) for Exparel, a bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension from Pacira Pharmaceuticals. The new CDT code, D9613, will go into effect on January 1, 2019. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has created a billing code for Exparel. The CMS code, C9290, will also go into effect on January 1, and it will reimburse

How to Get Dental Work Without Insurance?

When thinking about going to the dentist, whether it’s for a regular checkup or a small discomfort in the mouth, thinking about the cost of possible treatment is usually the first reason why people choose not to go. But it’s important not to forget that visiting the dentist every six months will not only help you maintain good oral health, it can also prevent future dental diseases which will make

Week in Review: U.S. elections and dentists | Mercury in fillings | Great customer service

Dear DrBicuspid Member, This week we brought you coverage of the dental-related issues in the U.S. midterm elections that most impacted you and your practice. Five dentists were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. We also covered local and state ballot measures ranging from community water fluoridation to the future of soda taxes. Read those results here. Voters in three U.S. states elected to expand Medicaid benefits

Is better oral health knowledge the key to healthier gums?

What does oral health literacy have to do with periodontal health? Could improving oral health knowledge boost oral health? A new study examined the relationship between these issues and how it may affect treatment outcomes. Patients at a Cleveland clinic were asked to fill out a questionnaire that measured oral health literacy. The study’s author then examined associations between patients’ oral health knowledge, dental disease risk and experience, and demographic

Second Opinion: The case for ending the era of toxic teeth

One of the more successful efforts in consumer misinformation campaigns — right up there with “life” insurance — has been “silver filings.” There’s a certain polished sound to the term used for dental amalgam fillings that continue to be used by some dentists to fill cavities. After all, what could be bad about silver? Mostly, the only thing silver about dental amalgam is the color. Approximately half of a dental

U.S. fares better than similar countries for oral health

The dental care delivery system in the U.S. appears to do better than those of other, similar countries, according to the results of a new study. Researchers reviewed the oral health of thousands of people and found that the U.S. beat out other countries with fee-for-service dental care. Their study included nearly 15,000 people 25 years and older from the U.S., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The U.S. came out