Study links oral and respiratory health in aging patients

Aging patients who constantly aspirate saliva can swallow microbiota that can contribute to these patients developing pneumonia. A new large study examined how varying oral health conditions contributed to differences in tongue microbiota in these patients. Researchers collected tongue coatings from more than 500 aging adults. They found that the patients with poor oral health were more at risk for swallowing this harmful microbiota. The study was published on August

Why is it so difficult to estimate access to dental care?

Public health researchers and agencies have been estimating geographic access to dental care for decades; however, their approaches are often criticized as inadequate or inaccurate. A 2017 ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) analysis on geographic access to dental care for publicly insured children is the latest of these methodologies to be critiqued. Among other things, the HPI analysis estimated the percentage of publicly insured children who live within 15 minutes

Sonendo, TDO Software partner on endodontic workflow

Endodontic technology developer Sonendo has announced that its Gentle Wave system now integrates with TDO Software’s endodontic software. The integration allows practitioners who use TDO’s practice management software to record and retrieve procedure information directly from the Gentle Wave’s console.

New studies link perio health to kidney health

Periodontal health has again been linked to kidney health in two new studies presented at the recent 2018 International Association of Dental Research (IADR) meeting in London. The studies found a significant association between chronic kidney disease and signs of poor periodontal health. Jacopo Buti, DDS, PhD. In one study, periodontal inflammation was associated with a decrease in kidney function, and in the other, patients with worse clinical attachment levels

Second Opinion: Make back-to-school appointments count

In this Second Opinion, Dr. Joseph Castellano, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), notes that the back-to-school time frame is often hectic for parents, their children, and dental practices. He writes about how to use this time to remind pediatric patients, and their parents, to focus on their oral healthcare. Joseph Castellano, DDS, is president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Studies have shown that poor oral

Western Dental details launch of pediatric brand

Aiming to increase access to care for pediatric patients, the dental service organization (DSO) Western Dental recently announced the launch of a pediatric dentistry brand, Western Dental Kids. The DSO launched its first Western Dental Kids practice on August 8 in Modesto, CA, and another 22 Western practices will be rebranded before the end of the year. John Luther, DDS, Western’s chief dental officer, discussed the organization’s motivation behind the

Record number of kids participate in Medicaid/CHIP

A record number of eligible children are participating in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), according to new data from Health Affairs. As of 2016, nearly 94% of eligible children were enrolled in the programs. Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, Medicaid/CHIP enrollment has been steadily increasing for eligible children. The researchers attributed the growth of children’s participation to insurance

Geographic Tongue: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

While brushing your teeth, have you ever stopped to look at your tongue? How does it look? Many people have heard about Geographic Tongue and wonder if they suffer from it. Today we´ll tell you what is this condition about and how to treat it. What is Geographic Tongue? Geographic tongue is an inflammatory condition that affects the surface of the human tongue. Although it looks painful, it’s totally harmless.

Week in Review: An unconventional future | Antibiotic prescriptions | Opioids and extractions

Dear DrBicuspid Member, In a column that has inspired much discussion and debate, periodontist Dr. Alvin Danenberg wonders how dentistry will be different in the future. He discusses how the conventional way of practicing dentistry may begin to give way to seemingly unconventional ideas. Read more here. In other news this week, dentists prescribe millions of antibiotics, but prescription trends vary by dental specialty and time of year. This may represent an

New product: KaVo Kerr launches new composite system

KaVo Kerr has launched its new SonicFill 3 SingleFill composite system. The composite system allows cavities to be filled in seconds. The sonic-activated, bulk-fill composite acts as a flowable composite during placement and as a sculptable material after the sonic energy is removed, according to KaVo Kerr. The SonicFill 3 SingleFill composite system. Image courtesy of KaVo Kerr.

Opioids for third-molar extractions linked to persistent use

Adolescents and young adults who fill an opioid prescription for wisdom teeth extractions are more than twice as likely to continue filling opioid prescriptions weeks or months later, according to new research from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Calista Harbough, MD. All images courtesy of the University of Michigan. A filled opioid prescription for third-molar surgery was independently associated with persistent opioid use, researchers from the University

The future of dentistry is unconventional

Up until now, dentistry has been conventional. However, dentistry in the future may be quite different from dentistry in the past. I see dentistry broadening and deepening its approach to treatment. The conventional way of doing things may begin to embrace current unconventional ideas of functional medicine and other progressive healthcare modalities. Conventional Alvin Danenberg, DDS. In this case, conventional means “something that is based on what has been done