The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners will consider changing its rule that only a child who has been seen by a dentist can be treated at school. Child advocate groups are lobbying for the change, so children can undergo teeth cleaning and other dental evaluations in school districts that offer the service through visiting dentists, according to an October 22 news report by WTVD in Durham. The board’s
Today, I want to talk to my fellow dentists and team members about a shift I am currently seeing in dentistry — and I think it’s a much-needed shift. David Rice, DDS. For far too long, we have tried to treat composite like amalgam. We have tried to plug it and condense it. There’s just one big problem with that. Composite isn’t supposed to be a condensable material. We need
Colorado may become the next U.S. state to begin licensing dental therapists to improve access to oral healthcare, according to an article published online October 22 in Colorado Politics. In a discussion held on October 21 by the Pew Charitable Trusts and attended largely by dental industry professionals and lobbyists, both Colorado state Sen. Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City) and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera expressed interest in licensing dental therapists, Politics
An Illinois woman who claims to have debilitating health conditions as a result of four wisdom teeth being removed without her consent has filed a lawsuit against the dentist and another person involved in the procedure, according to a news report in the Madison – St. Clair Record. Reza Movahed, DMD, of Mid America Oral Surgery & Impact Center in O’Fallon, and an unidentified dental assistant or employee are being
WhiteSmile has launched a wireless, rechargeable, and water-resistant LED teeth-whitening kit. The WhiteSmile kit features a 16-bulb, dual-light, LED mouth device that uses a blue light to whiten the teeth in 10 minutes and a red light to help provide protection against sensitive gums, tooth decay, gum inflammation, and bad breath, according to the company. The kit is designed for people of all ages and features gel that is 100%
Can bad teeth hinder your self-confidence and chances at a new job? Many low-income Californians say yes. A new article by the Fresno Bee explored the difficulty some California residents encounter when trying to get a functional smile. Delilah Garcia, one California resident profiled in the article, chipped a tooth after she was hit in the face with a wine bottle during a bar fight. On job interviews, Garcia worked
Doctors who appeared empathetic and conveyed high expectations of treatment success during pain procedures influenced the way patients felt about outcomes in a new study, published October 21 in Nature Human Behaviour. Clinicians’ beliefs about treatment effectiveness can be passed on to patients during brief social interactions, highlighting the importance of healthcare providers’ behavior and cognitive mindset when communicating with patients, according to the researchers. “Our study provides additional empirical
A dentist in the U.K. has been suspended from practicing for 12 months after a patient who was on a blood-thinning medication bled to death soon after having 10 teeth extracted due to advanced periodontal disease. Tushar Patel, BDS, worked at Confidental Clinics in Purley and treated the patient in the summer of 2017, according to an October 22 story in the Telegraph. The women had been taking warfarin for
Fresh off its filing of a harassment lawsuit against the Dental Board of California, SmileDirectClub finds itself thrust in the news again with investigations into the way it markets it clear aligners and moves to further expand internationally. On the heels of SmileDirectClub suing the Dental Board of California for allegedly engaging in a systematic, anticompetitive campaign against its business model, it was reported on October 20 in the Sydney
A periodontist must pay approximately $1.3 million in a malpractice case in which a procedure to extract a molar in preparation for an implant resulted in bone and nerve damage, according to a judgment filed in a New Jersey court. Frank Ricker, DMD, of Bedminster, NJ, was ordered to pay $1.1 million to his patient, Kathleen Seergy, and $233,000 to her husband, Michael Seergy, following a six-day jury trial. The judgment in
Henry Schein Dental said it will be dismissed with prejudice as a defendant in a U.S. opioid lawsuit in Summit County in Ohio. The company has agreed to donate $1 million to help establish an educational foundation to promote the proper use and prescription of opioids. The company will also pay $250,000 in expenses to Summit County.
Researchers from Finland have developed a new electroencephalography (EEG) electrode set capable of assessing sleep bruxism as accurately as more complex and costly methods such as traditional polysomnography, according to a recent study. The set is reliable and easy enough to be used by patients at home, the authors noted. The group from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital sought to develop this technology as a way