Chewing sugar-free gum slows caries progression in kids

Chewing sugar-free gum may help reduce the further development of dental cavities in children, according to a systematic review published November 19 in the Journal of Dental Research Clinical & Translational Research. Using sugar-free gum may be a supplement to preventive oral health routines, since it produced effects in reducing the advancement of dental caries comparable to other interventions, such as supervised toothbrushing programs and oral health education, wrote the

U.K. hospital admits it’s complicit in woman’s death

The hospital in the U.K. that discharged a woman in 2017 who was experiencing complications from dental work and died 12 hours later has apologized to her family and confirmed that the clinician who treated her is no longer treating patients, according to an article by London News Online. In a statement, King’s College Hospital in Camberwell gave its condolences to Magzine Gordon’s family. “An internal investigation was conducted following

Can hypnosis reduce opioid use? Maybe

Can hypnosis and other mind-body therapies reduce the number of opioids needed to treat pain after dental surgery? Maybe, according to the findings of a systematic review recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers reviewed 60 clinical studies, some of which included dental patients, to investigate whether hypnosis, meditation, and other mind-body therapies might reduce patients’ pain and opioid use. Although the results aren’t specific to dentistry, they demonstrate that

Misinformation about root canals still lives on social media

A film that revived junk science, claiming root canals cause serious illnesses like cancer, was removed from streaming platforms this past spring after backlash from the dental community, but it continues to live on social media, according to Poynter Institute’s nonprofit project PolitiFact. On November 3, Alexandra Duran posted on Facebook: “Did you know? Dentists are the only physicians that believe you can get away with leaving dead tissue in

Formlabs launches Formlabs Dental, new 3D printer

After making an impact in the dental lab space for a number of years, Formlabs has now launched a new dental business unit, Formlabs Dental. With the creation of the new business unit, Formlabs intends to make a splash in the growing 3D market for dental practices and the opportunities that are to come for the technology in the next decade. Formlabs will work with distributors such as Henry Schein

Week in review: Assistant sues over autoclave accident | Delta Dental mistakes | FTC ruling fallout

Dear DrBicuspid Member, It’s been a news-filled week for dental insurance companies — and it hasn’t always been the most positive kind of news. Delta Dental of California experienced a system error that resulted in the insurer mistakenly processing and paying for patients’ crown procedures — and it’s causing headaches. Read about the problems, along with some thoughts on the impact of this error, from dental insurance expert Teresa Duncan.

P&G launches Tooth Fairy in a Box

Procter & Gamble (P&G) brands Oral-B and Crest have launched Tooth Fairy in a Box, which aims to help parents turn a visit from the fantasy sprite into better brushing habits for their children. Tooth Fairy in a Box. Image courtesy of P&G. The box contains the following products that aim to help parents engage with and educate their children: Oral-B kids electric rechargeable toothbrush Kid’s Crest Strawberry Rush toothpaste

Dentist must pay $86K for giving patient ill-suited braces

A court in Ireland ordered a dentist to pay 77,750 euros (approximately $86,000 U.S.) to a woman who experienced teeth movement and years of pain and discomfort due to poor dental work, stemming from a discounted set of braces, according to news reports. Riyadh Emara, MScD, of Canal View Dental Surgery in Dublin, must pay the damages to Sarah O’Gorman who visited him in 2013 to discuss straightening her teeth.

FDA: No evidence suggesting dental amalgam unsafe

Dental amalgam is safe for patients and clinicians, said scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during a public meeting on November 13 that aimed to discuss the efforts being made to evaluate dental amalgam and metal-containing implants. No new published evidence would suggest considerable amalgam-related risks for the U.S. general population or dental professionals, said Lisa Torosyan, MD, PhD, a health scientist at the FDA, during the

Gold, ivory false teeth from 1800s valued at $9K for sale

False teeth crafted of hippo or walrus ivory, set in gold, and estimated to be from the early 1800s will be up for auction in November. The teeth are valued at about $9,000, according to Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers. False teeth of hippo or walrus ivory and set in gold found in Buckinghamshire, U.K. All images courtesy of Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers. Peter Cross and Diana Wild found the teeth

A tip to improve your rubber dam dentistry

As I travel around the U.S., I’m amazed at the marked difference in rubber dam usage in dental practices. Some dentists and team members love rubber dams, while others feel very uncomfortable using them. I will admit that it took some time for me to become accustomed to using rubber dams in my practice. However, today, I can’t imagine practicing dentistry without them. In fact, I now believe that great

Chip a Tooth? What to Do…

It’s never a good feeling. You bite down on a piece of hard food and suddenly realize there’s something in your mouth that’s not food at all. It feels like a rock, like a small pebble — and you know you’ve chipped a tooth. What do you do now? Simple. Call our Cleveland dentist office in Middleburg Heights immediately. We understand the need for emergency appointments — even