A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on October 31 would remove the mandate for dentists to become a Medicare provider for their patient’s prescriptions to be reimbursed by Medicare Part D. This bill would theoretically allow older Americans a wider range of dentists to choose from. The bill, HR 4169, was introduced by Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX). In a November 1 letter in support of the bill
Dental extractions don’t have to be the equivalent of, well, pulling teeth. That’s according to Sonia Leziy, DDS, an expert on implant and surgical protocols, who explains that better tools, techniques, and technologies are making extraction and implantation smoother and quicker for patients and practitioners. Sonia Leziy, DDS. Practitioners should plan well for extractions and, where appropriate, subsequent ridge preservation and implantation, she advised during a presentation earlier this year
With hundreds of votes already counted and close races in multiple categories, it’s your turn to join your colleagues to vote for the DrBicuspid Dental Excellence Awards. Be sure to cast your vote for the finalists in our 10 categories. Voting ends on November 14, 2017. The Dental Excellence Awards recognize the best new products and services in the dental industry. Voted on exclusively by readers, the awards showcase those
Thinking about adding silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to your caries treatment tool kit? A family dentist told a packed room at the recent 2017 ADA annual meeting in Atlanta that SDF needs the same thoughtful use and treatment planning as you would deliver with any treatment. Brooke Fukuoka, DMD. Brooke Fukuoka, DMD, who owns a practice in Twin Falls, ID, serving adults with special needs, spoke about SDF, which has
New practice design software, fill material, a laser, and more were among the new or new-to-the-U.S. products highlighted at the recent 2017 ADA annual meeting in Atlanta. HuangshanDental.com brings you a look at some of these new products from Biolase, Carestream Dental, Voco, and more. Practice management products Henry Schein launches website for practice design Henry Schein Dental has launched its Integrated Design Studio website. The website is aimed at
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Thinking about adding silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to your caries treatment tool kit? A family dentist told a packed room at the recent 2017 ADA annual meeting in Atlanta that SDF needs the same thoughtful use and treatment planning as you would deliver with any treatment. Learn more here. Also this week on HuangshanDental.com, one of periodontist Dr. Alvin Danenberg’s patients emailed him asking what could be done
U.S. President Donald Trump has officially declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, garnering praise from the ADA. The declaration came more than two months after the president first called the epidemic an emergency. In his official declaration, President Trump said that confronting the epidemic will take substantial effort. “This crisis of drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths … it’s just been so long in the making,” the president
Does periodontal disease in pregnant women lead to miscarriages? If mothers-to-be are exposed to fluoride, will their children have low IQs? Such findings are often the result of “tooth fairy science,” and dental professionals should be skeptical when reading this type of research, according to a talk at the recent ADA 2017 annual meeting in Atlanta. Angelo Mariotti, DDS, PhD, spoke about periodontal-systemic associations. In a sometimes humorous lecture, Angelo
Ortek Therapeutics has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Ortek ECD, an electronic cavity detection device. The Ortek ECD device. Image courtesy of Ortek Therapeutics. The battery-powered device uses electrical conductance to diagnose and monitor caries in the biting surfaces of molars and premolars. Enamel is electrically nonconductive unless there is a fracture or demineralization. The ECD is able to complete its electrical circuit
One of my patients sent me an email with this question: “What can I do to get my teeth really white, really fast?” My quick answer was, “You might want to consider an in-office, teeth-whitening procedure that uses a peroxide gel and a proprietary blue light to quickly and effectively whiten your teeth.” But, if the patient wrote, “What do you think of teeth whitening, and should I do it?”
Mouthguard manufacturer Opro has signed a multiyear licensing agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The agreement grants U.K.-based Opro the right to provide custom mouthguards to UFC athletes and to produce UFC-branded mouthguards. The agreement takes effect in 2018.
Would telling your patients that carious pathogens are lurking between their teeth spur them to take brushing and flossing more seriously? The first study to measure the presence of specific bacteria and fungus in interdental biofilms may allow you to do just that. Researchers collected biofilms from four interdental sites in 25 caries-free adults and found that species of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus bacteria were present at all the sites, while
