Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider: 9 ways patients benefit from low-level laser therapy

Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, Technology is an amazing thing. We are becoming more and more advanced in the dental industry and our society as a whole. Part of those advancements can lead to better quality of life for our patients as well. With that in mind, we’re honored to have Dr. Mel Burchman, the current president of the Academy of Laser Dentistry, writing this issue’s Insider Exclusive and discussing

Genco posthumously named NAI fellow

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has posthumously named as a fellow Robert Genco, DDS, PhD, a distinguished professor of oral biology, periodontics, and microbiology at the State University of New York (SUNY). Dubbed the “father of oral science” by the Journal of Dental Research, Genco was considered one of the world’s leading periodontal researcher and a pioneer in the study of how oral health impacts overall health. He died

Mich. sues 4 opioid distributors under drug dealer act

Michigan has filed a lawsuit against Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen Drug, and Walgreens, alleging the four major opioid distributors are liable under the state’s Drug Dealer Liability Act. “These companies knowingly and deliberately used their licenses to distribute drugs in our state without controls,” said Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general, in a statement. “This was not only negligent; it was unlawful, a public nuisance and, as a result, their actions

SmileDirectClub to expand to Germany

SmileDirectClub is set to introduce its clear-aligner therapy to Germany early next year. The company plans to open multiple SmileShops across the country to further expand its doctor-directed remote clear-aligner therapy in the European Union. During this year, SmileDirectClub increased its international reach to affiliated dentists and orthodontists in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the U.K.

Reasons to Consider Dental Implants

Tooth loss is never a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, this problem can eventually be experienced by a person as the teeth gradually decline as they age. The good news is, there are now several dental restoration options available to make the experience more bearable. One of the most popular procedures nowadays is dental implants. Instead of being a removable oral appliance, this particular option sits on the jaw securely after being

Time to play ‘Would You Rather’ dental edition

Holiday time is the perfect time to play some “Would You Rather,” the party game that forces participants to reveal surprising facts about themselves, including how seriously they take their oral hygiene, while providing insight into what they value most. Instead of coming up with your own questions, the top 250 “Would You Rather” questions were published in an article on December 11 in the magazine Parade. Some are no-brainers,

Week in Review: A DSO hygienist’s viewpoint | ‘Dirty instruments’ cause big problems | Judgment against oral surgeon

Dear DrBicuspid Member, If you’re looking to start an argument at the holiday dinner table, just bring up the topic of religion or politics. If you’re in the dental industry, you can also bring up the subject of dental service organizations (DSOs) in dentistry to liven up the conversation as well. Let’s face it, we have all heard stories and gossip about what it’s “really like” to work inside a

Uniform Teeth raises $10M to open more locations

Teeth-straightening startup Uniform Teeth received a $10 million investment boost from Canaan Partners on December 4, bringing its funding total to $14 million, according to news reports. The company plans to use the funding to open a new location in Seattle and another in Chicago early in 2020. Currently, it operates two locations in San Francisco, and it anticipates more in the U.S. by the end of 2020. The startup, which provides

Play a Sport? Why Kids, Teens & Adults Need Mouthguards

Do you or your child play a sport? Do you use a mouthguard? You probably should. They protect your teeth — and could save you thousands of dollars in emergency dental costs. At our Cleveland dental office, we see dental emergencies related to sports injuries often. In fact, sports-related dental injuries account for more than 600,000 emergency room visits each year, according to the Center for Disease Control. Between

ADA brings back Hermey the Elf to promote oral care

The ADA has brought back the character of Hermey the Elf from the Christmas classic “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to promote oral care for good girls and boys during the current holiday season. Hermey appeared in a series of holiday TV specials starting in 1964. Hermey never fit in with other elves, but instead he always dreamed of becoming a dentist. In 2014, the ADA awarded Hermey a dental do-gooder

Ultradent adds restorative template system

Ultradent Products has added its new Uveneer Extra restorative template system to its line of products. Uveneer Extra is designed to complement the original Uveneer template system with enhanced natural restorations with four new upper anterior designs — extra large, large, medium, and square templates — which work with any preferred composite to create reproducible composite veneers with predictable shape and symmetry. The autoclavable templates also are designed to prevent

Woman swallows partial dentures eating holiday pie

A woman in Glasgow, U.K., accidentally swallowed her partial dentures while eating mince pie, but she is hopeful that she will have a new set of two front bottom teeth in time for Christmas, according to news reports. Angela McGill, 52, thought on December 3 that she was swallowing a tougher piece of pastry and then began panicking when she realized it was her dentures. McGill likely swallowed the dentures