I’m fortunate to have some patients who are able to ask me detailed questions about their overall health. I had a patient who reads my blog ask me if I still practiced intermittent fasting and if this would be something he should try, as he wanted to lose a little weight. I’ve practiced intermittent fasting four to five days a week for almost three years now. But before we get
Dear DrBicuspid Member, If your practice’s goal is for your hygiene department to produce about a third of your total product, then simply focusing on prophies and x-rays every six months is not going to get you to your goal, writes practice management consultant Jen Butler. She offers 10 areas where you can boost your hygiene production and the answers to three common objections you are likely to hear. Read
The Pacific Dental Services (PDS) Foundation has partnered with the Special Olympics to provide oral healthcare to athletes competing in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. A team of dental professionals will provide comprehensive care to children and adults participating in the games, which take place at the University of Washington from July 2-6. The mobile dental clinic will be open at least six hours per day during
Manufacturers have claimed that CAD/CAM dentures possess superior mechanical properties compared with conventional heat-cured dentures. In a new study, researchers compared two CAD/CAM denture specimens with a heat-cured specimen to see if the claims held up. They found that the CAD/CAM specimens made from prepolymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resins were stronger and had more flexibility than the heat-cured denture. Their study was published in the Journal of Prosthodontics (June
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7-tesla magnet strength may release toxic mercury from amalgam fillings, according to a new study published online June 26 in the journal Radiology. However, the effect was not found with the lower-strength 1.5-tesla magnets that are more commonly used in the clinical setting, the researchers noted. The amount of mercury escaping amalgam fillings by scanning with a 7-tesla MRI system exceeded safety levels set by
Detecting vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth is difficult, no matter the filling material used. A new study investigated whether a tooth’s orientation in relation to the x-ray projection plane alters a practitioner’s ability to detect these fractures with cone-beam CT (CBCT). Researchers used a CBCT unit (Picasso Trio, Vatech) and viewed each root with and without different filling materials. They found that the orientation did not matter, irrespective
Dear Endodontics Insider, Gutta-percha is often considered the gold standard for obturating root canals, but a polymer-based filling material may be better at preventing vertical root fractures. A new systematic review found that Resilon bested gutta-percha at preventing these fractures in hundreds of extracted teeth. Read more in our Insider Exclusive. In other Endodontics Community news, an international team of researchers developed a list of dental never events — patient
Acteon North America has debuted the Piezotome Cube, an ultrasonic device designed for tooth extractions and other bone surgeries. The Piezotome Cube. Image courtesy of Acteon North America. The Piezotome Cube uses high-frequency, ultrasonic vibrations to cut through bone without damaging the surrounding soft tissue, according to the company. The device features a touchscreen, weighted foot pedal, and thin extraction tips that can help reduce postoperative pain and swelling. The
Although the leading health and medical organizations such as the ADA, the World Health Organization, and the American Academy of Pediatrics endorse community water fluoridation, critics continue to attack this public health practice. A few years ago, opponents were pleased when the U.S. government’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) proposed to conduct an animal study examining the effect of fluoride on learning and memory. In fact, in a December 2015 release,
Smiling is one of the most beautiful features in all of us. Sadly, some people don’t like their smile because of their crooked teeth, stained tooth, or gummy smile. Any of these or other dental problems have a solution, especially if you know where to get the right dental treatment. A gummy smile, for example, happens when the upper teeth are overshadowed by excessive gum tissue, but this can be
Coltene has announced plans to acquire SciCan, a provider of infection-control products, and French dental instrument manufacturer Micro-Mega. The acquisition will increase Coltene’s sales in infection control and endodontics, according to the company. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. The transaction price was not disclosed, but Coltene stated that it intends use equity to finance 75% of the transaction and borrowed capital to finance
DenMat has received an additional U.S. patent for its Snap-On Smile removable dental appliance, the company announced. Snap-On Smile is a removable arch designed to improve patients’ smiles without altering their dentition. The new patent covers the product’s use of acetyl resin, removable nature, and tooth-borne retention. DenMat also holds two other U.S. patents for Snap-On Smile, as well as one more pending patent application.