Align Technology has announced that a U.S. appeals court has vacated parts of a patent decision that invalidated a claim against one of its patents for clear aligners. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has vacated certain aspects of a previous U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision that invalidated a claim against one of Align’s patents. However, the August 22 decision only
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Dental implant use has grown substantially since 1999, and the prevalence among those missing at least one tooth could reach as high as 23% in 2026 in the U.S., according to a new study. At the same time, access is still low and remains greater among certain groups. Read more here. Implants are one of the most popular topics on HuangshanDental.com, so it was somewhat surprising to
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has received a U.S. patent for a teeth-whitening device, according to an August 21 report in the Cincinnati Business Courier. The unnamed device uses blue visible or near-visible ultraviolet light in conjunction with peroxide-based substances to bleach teeth, according to the report. The device is portable, compact, and self-contained.
Smoking and certain sexual behaviors are risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a new study has confirmed. However, the researchers found that the infection rates of high-risk HPV oral infection were lower than expected in a region of England outside of London. The study of almost 700 men and women found a low infection rate of 2.2%. The participants with oral high-risk HPV infection were more likely to be
Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, 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. See their recommendations in our Insider Exclusive. The guidelines weren’t the only big opioid news this month. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
The usefulness of bitewing images for helping find caries in permanent teeth is well-established. But is the modality also useful in determining caries in primary teeth? Researchers compared the images to visual examination to find out. They found more than 400 additional caries in just over 500 children when studying the images compared with a visual examination of the child’s mouth. Their study findings were published in BMC Oral Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded a contract to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to develop evidence-based, indication-specific guidelines for appropriate prescribing of opioid analgesics. Too many prescriptions for opioids are being written, and many of these prescriptions are for a longer duration than necessary, noted FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, in a statement. It is the goal of the FDA to work with
When patients come to me suffering from insults to their bodies, I cringe to myself. I know that there are many insults to the body, some of which come in the form of poor food choices, chemicals and heavy metals, dirty electromagnetic fields, stress, inefficient or nonexistent exercise, nonrestorative sleep, and medications, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs. But sugar may be the initial insult setting us up for more damage
Kulzer has introduced 10 new resins for exclusive use with its caraPrint 3D printer. The company’s dima Print denture base materials are light-curable resins for the fabrication and repair of full and partial removable dentures and baseplates. Six of the new materials are denture teeth resins and four are denture base resins. These materials require a CAD/CAM system that includes a digital scan, the company’s Cara Print 4.0 3D digital
We’re learning more about how oral health can influence overall health, but can preoperative dental care reduce postoperative complications in patients undergoing cancer surgery? Researchers reviewed data from more than 500,000 patients from Japan to find out. They found that oral care from a dentist before the operation was significantly associated with a decrease in cases of postoperative pneumonia and reduced mortality within 30 days of surgery. Their study was
How can you get adolescents to brush longer and more effectively? Using an interactive power toothbrush connected to a smartphone could improve oral health habits and reduce plaque levels in this finicky population, according to a new study. Researchers compared plaque levels in adolescents instructed to brush as usual, with additional time in areas needing more care, using either a manual or an interactive power toothbrush that connects to a
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Dental therapists remain a controversial issue, but can these practitioners increase access to care and benefit your practice? Patti DiGangi, RDH, tackles the issues surrounding the recent approval of dental therapists in Arizona. She considers the arguments made against dental therapists and addresses them with a focus on patient care and practice profitability. Read this Second Opinion. The dental service organization Western Dental announced the launch of