New products: Geistlich launches 2 new collagen membranes

Geistlich Pharma North America has introduced two new resorbable collagen membranes. The Bio-Gide Compressed and the Bio-Gide Shape have the same biological properties as the company’s Bio-Gide and offer a slower absorption time for accurate positioning into defects. The Compressed collagen membrane has a smoother surface and is easier to cut, according to Geistlich. The Shape collagen membrane is precut and designed for the treatment of nonintact extraction sockets. The

Review advises conservative approach for painful TMD

What’s the best way to manage pain in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD)? Authors of a recent review propose a conservative approach that includes multiple kinds of treatments, including dental, psychological, medical, and physical therapies. Researchers examined studies on the effectiveness of various treatments for patients with craniofacial pain and TMD. Based on their findings, they developed a model that incorporates conservative multidisciplinary treatment. “A conservative approach appears to be

New product: Exocad debuts CAD/CAM software for same-day restorations

Exocad has released new CAD/CAM software designed to create restorations in a single visit. ChairsideCAD features a step-by-step guide for creating same-day restorations, including inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers, and bridges. It also contains dentalshare, an online tool for dental professionals and labs to collaborate and share data. The program is an open-architecture platform, so it works with other open scanners, milling machines, printers, and materials. It is available in the

New data break down dentist stats by state, specialty

General dentists are once again the most common type of dentists, according to newly published data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The data break down dentist statistics by gender, specialty, and state. The Kaiser Family Foundation maintains a database of national and state information on healthcare providers, health coverage, and access to care. The latest data from October 2017 show that there are 188,970 professionally active dentists in the U.S,

Week in Review: Top 10 DSOs | Patients’ top 4 dental fears | Dental products on tariff list

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Which dental service/support organization (DSO) is the largest in the U.S.? Is it Heartland, Aspen, or another company? Our updated list of the 10 largest DSOs features revised practice counts and a prominent organization adding more than 100 offices in the past six months. Learn more here. Also this week on HuangshanDental.com, we recruited an expert in working with patients with dental anxiety, Dr. Scott Shamblott, to

JADA: People with diabetes visit the dentist less often

New research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association found a link between a patient’s diabetes status and dental visits. People with diabetes and prediabetes visit the dentist less frequently than those without diabetes, the study found. Bei Wu, PhD. The researchers were particularly surprised that those with diabetes visited the dentist less often, since diabetes has been repeatedly linked to periodontal disease. The pattern is concerning because

How to overcome your patients’ 4 most common fears

My practice focuses on an underappreciated and underserved segment of the dental population: those with dental anxiety and dental phobia. For most dentists, these aren’t the easiest patients. I occasionally ask my peers to send me their most difficult patients, the ones they dread seeing. Most happily refer them. Dental fear knows no boundaries. It affects all ages, cultures, genders, socioeconomic groups, and ethnicities. 4 fears I encounter patients daily

Dental products featured on proposed U.S. tariff list

The dental industry has gotten caught up in the trade showdown between the U.S. and China, with a number of key dental products showing up on a list of products and materials that will have tariffs slapped on them. On April 3, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released a proposed list of 1,300 products and materials that could have tariffs imposed on their import from China.

The 4 pillars of health

Statistically, we might be living longer in the U.S. today than ever before, but we are developing chronic diseases that significantly interfere with the quality of our golden years. You’ve probably seen this in some of your long-term patients; they are in distress and pain for decades before succumbing to one of these chronic diseases. This is not the way the human body was designed or evolved to be. We

Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider: Does IV acetaminophen offer relief after third-molar surgery?

Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, Is intravenous (IV) acetaminophen a viable pain management option after third-molar extraction? In a recent study, researchers tested this treatment against a placebo of IV saline in 72 patients to find out. Read our Insider Exclusive. In the Anesthesia & Pain Management Community, we’ve brought you ongoing coverage of the opioid pain medication epidemic: ul.editorialList li {margin-bottom:12px;} The ADA has announced a new policy

What do you need to know about teledentistry? Part 1

Whether it be in a public health setting or a private practice environment, the main barriers to access to care are time, distance, efficiency, and cost. It is possible to overcome these barriers in an efficient, affordable, and secure manner by using the promising technology of teledentistry. Marty Jablow, DMD. Teledentistry is a growing subset of the much broader digital dentistry category, which most associate with more mature technologies such

Study: Positive results for placing restorations in schools

Should restorations be added to school-based sealant programs? A new study found that a school-based caries prevention program in which hygienists place interim therapeutic restorations and sealants may be more effective than placing sealants alone. Researchers from New York University (NYU) followed more than 8,000 U.S. children for 10 years to determine whether interim restorations could be a reasonable addition to school-based caries prevention programs. Their findings were published in