CDA Presents 2018: Consider anesthesia’s impact on kids

SAN FRANCISCO – Dental anesthesiologist Leonard Naftalin, DDS, got an appreciative chuckle from the audience at the beginning of his presentation on anesthesiology and children’s developing brains at the California Dental Association’s CDA Presents 2018 meeting. The question he gets from some parents of young children is meant well and laced with concern about the long-term effects of anesthesia on their child’s developing brain, he noted: “Will [child’s name] still

What your patients don’t know about stress might hurt them

We all are exposed to stress. Some of us deal with it well. Many of us don’t. Did you know that chronic stress can destroy the gut and affect your patients’ oral health? All of us must respect the damaging effects of continuous stress on the body. Effects in the gut Stress can be the initial insult to the gut. Although many articles have been written about stress in our

DOD grants $2.4M to NYU dental researcher

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a $2.4 million grant to two New York researchers, including one from the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry. Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, director of the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research at NYU, and Nigel Bunnett, PhD, a professor at Columbia University, will use the three-year grant to study how nerve cell receptors generate chronic pain. The ultimate goal is to

Endodontics Insider: Which file is best for canal glide path preparation?

Dear Endodontics Insider, When using the WaveOne single-file system to shape a root canal, practitioners often create a glide path before canal preparation to improve performance. Researchers compared three popular systems used to create glide paths to see which performed best. Read our Insider Exclusive. In other Endodontics Community news, dentists prescribe millions of antibiotics, but prescription trends vary by dental specialty and time of year, which may represent an inappropriate

Study tests 2 zirconia materials for fracture resistance

The need for a stronger material for prosthetics led to the development of zirconia for crowns and fixed prosthetics. But how does this material hold up in wear and fracture tests? Researchers subjected two different monolithic zirconia materials to in vitro tests to find out. They subjected BruxZir (Glidewell Laboratories) and inCoris TZI (Dentsply Sirona) to more than 1 million chewing cycles to measure wear and fracture resistance. They reported that

How to Get a Dental Crown in One Day in Bangkok

Did you know that you could go to Bangkok and get a one-day dental crown at an incredible affordable price? The rate is very low compared to most countries even when you take into account the airfare to and from Thailand. Sure, if you have dental insurance you can have it done in your own country for free or for a significant discount, but not all people have good dental

Types of Dentures and How to Choose From Them

If you’re missing teeth and its surrounding tissues due to intentional extraction, accidental removal, or tooth decay, getting a denture is one of the best solutions to fill in those gaps. You can either avail of dentures that are removable (like what senior citizens choose) and can be placed into a glass of water – or you can get something more permanent that’s anchored unto your gums and jaw through

Week in Review: Distributors to settle 2016 lawsuit | Implants vs. dentures | Excellence Awards

Dear DrBicuspid Member, The dental industry’s biggest distributors are close to settling class-action litigation charging them with trying to freeze out competitors. While Benco Dental has already announced a settlement, two other companies, Henry Schein and Patterson Companies, stated separately that they have set aside millions of dollars in anticipation of the case being settled. Read more here. This class-action lawsuit was filed in 2016 with the settlements announced on

Aspen appoints new VP of orthodontic services

Aspen Dental Management has appointed David Galler, DMD, as its new senior vice president for orthodontic services. Dr. Galler practiced at Premier Dental Associates of Lower Manhattan in New York City before joining the dental service organization. He has treated more than 2,000 cases with clear-aligner therapy over the last 10 years, according to Aspen Dental Management. Aspen Dental has nearly 700 locations in 38 U.S. states.

CDC study: U.S. HPV vaccine rate increasing 5% annually

The number of U.S. adolescents who have received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has increased five percentage points annually since 2013, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers analyzed data from a 2017 immunization survey for almost 21,000 adolescents and historic data to estimate U.S. adolescent vaccination coverage. During 2016-2017, the percentage of those who received at least one dose of

New guidelines recommend optimal number of opioids

How many opioids should you prescribe following dental surgery? It depends on the procedure, according to a panel of dental experts from Johns Hopkins University. They recently published new prescribing guidelines for 14 types of dental procedures. William Bruhn, co-director of CORE. The guidelines, posted on the Center for Opioid Research and Education (CORE) website on August 14, recommend that dental professionals start by first prescribing acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen for

2018 Dental Excellence Awards nominating period begins

Nominations for the 2018 DrBicuspid Dental Excellence Awards are now being accepted, giving you the chance to tell us what products should be nominated for dentistry’s most prestigious awards. Categories include Best New Dental Equipment Product, Best New Restoratives Material, Best New Toothpaste, and more. There are 11 categories in all: Best New CAD/CAM Product Best New Consumer Device Best New Dental Equipment Product Best New Dental Instrument (Rotary or