CVS plans to expand SmileDirectClub program

Pharmacy giant CVS Health has announced an expansion of its pilot partnership with SmileDirectClub. This year, SmileDirectClub’s SmileShops will be opened in hundreds of existing CVS Pharmacy locations, up from the present number of 13 locations in eight U.S. states. Through the partnership, patients can get 3D scans and teeth-whitening kits at these stores. CVS-owned Aetna Dental also announced that SmileDirectClub will be added as an in-network healthcare option for

Kids’ dental diseases linked to later cardio trouble

Experiencing caries or periodontal disease as a child may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life, according to the findings of a long-term study published on April 26. The study findings cast doubt on the arbitrary divide between oral health and overall health, experts noted. Pirkko Pussinen, PhD. Researchers followed more than 700 study participants from childhood into their late 30s. The more signs of dental

Week in Review: Smartphone app aids compliance | Dental fluorosis | Review supports flossing

Dear DrBicuspid Member, We start this week with two studies that examined the building blocks of oral health. What if there were a way you could help your patients remember to follow your recommendations about brushing their teeth? Now a new smartphone application could be the perfect tool to help your patients brush better. A study found that patients who used an application with brushing feedback experienced a 70% reduction

Align Technology reports increased Q1 revenues, shipments

Medical device company Align Technology has reported increases in revenues and clear-aligner shipments for the first quarter of 2019. For the quarter (end-March 31), the company reported net revenues of $549.0 million, up from $436.9 million from the same quarter in 2018. Net profit for the first quarter was $71.8 million, down from $95.9 million in the same period of 2018. The drop in net profit was attributed to charges of more than $22 million

New product: Dentsply Sirona launches zirconia material

Dentsply Sirona has introduced a new zirconia material for restorations. Cercon xt Multilayer (Cercon xt ML) is indicated for all-ceramic anterior and posterior restorations, including crowns and three-unit bridges up to the second premolar. The material offers a flexural strength of 750 megapascals and matches all 16 colors of the Vita shade guide, including one bleach shade, according to Dentsply Sirona.

CDC report questions rise of dental fluorosis

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) casts doubt on the reliability of previously reported data that suggested that dental fluorosis prevalence with age increased in the U.S. during the 2011 to 2014 period, compared with the 2001 to 2004 period. Researchers conducted a technical review of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dental fluorosis clinical assessment data from two periods: 1999

Infographic: Best states for children’s dental health 2019

Iowa is the best U.S. state for children’s dental health in 2019, according to a new report from personal finance website WalletHub. WalletHub ranked all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia based on 33 indicators of oral and overall health. To rank the states, WalletHub weighed 10 oral health metrics, including the share of children with excellent or very good teeth, cost of dental treatment in the state,

SmileDirectClub’s antitrust lawsuit in Ala. can proceed

A U.S. district judge ordered on April 17 that SmileDirectClub’s antitrust lawsuit against the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama can proceed. However, some of the lawsuit’s claims, including those against the dental board members in a nonofficial capacity, have been thrown out. In fall 2018, the Alabama dental board asked SmileDirectClub staff to stop taking digital images of patients’ mouths, claiming the company was conducting the unauthorized practice of

Results mixed for cold therapy after tooth extraction

Can cold therapy help patients after third-molar surgery? The results of a recent scientific review are mixed. While cold may be helpful for managing swelling, its other benefits are questionable. Researchers from Brazil parsed almost a dozen studies conducted over decades to evaluate whether cold therapy has an impact on pain, swelling, and trismus following third-molar extractions. Their findings were published in the International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology (March 13, 2019).

Week in Review: Largest U.S. DSOs | Dental infections cost Texas $1.7B | Measles outbreaks

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Because of the growth in the U.S. dental service/support organization (DSO) market, we update our list of the largest DSOs in the U.S. twice a year. In our latest ranking, Western Dental has jumped three spots, having added more than 50 practices since the last update. In other news, researchers analyzed Texas hospital admissions data over a 10-year period. They found that admissions because of nontraumatic dental

Dentist among 60 charged with opioid prescription abuse

A dentist is among the 60 people who were charged with the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids and other narcotics and also healthcare fraud on April 17, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Denver Tackett, DMD, of McDowell, KY, was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky with allegedly writing prescriptions for opioids that had no legitimate medical purpose and with writing

Can a mouthwash relieve oral mucositis pain?

More than 80% of patients with head and neck cancer develop painful oral mucositis during radiation treatment. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and other institutions compared two topical therapies (mouthwashes) with a placebo mouthwash to measure the pain relief they provided. Patients who used either of the mouthwashes experienced significantly reduced oral mucositis pain compared with patients who used the placebo mouthwash, they reported in the Journal of the American