More than half of almost 800 U.S. parents surveyed in a new poll did not receive guidance from their child’s physician or a dentist about when their child should first see a dentist. In addition, almost 17% of the surveyed parents who did not receive advice from a healthcare practitioner stated that these visits should start when their child was 4 years or older, according to the poll results released
Postoperative pain is a reason many patients avoid implant treatment. Researchers wanted to see if giving patients a single dose of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) 15 minutes before surgery would reduce their postoperative pain intensity. Patients given the NSAID (dexketoprofen trometamol) before their implant procedure reported less pain and less inflammation in the immediate postoperative period compared with a placebo group. The study was published in the Journal of
Two pain management experts discussed the role of dentists in the opioid crisis during a February 14 webinar jointly hosted by the ADA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The webinar focused on the best strategies to manage acute pain while also mitigating patients’ risk for opioid misuse and dependency. The one-hour webinar was led by Debbie Dowell, MD, MPH, the chief medical officer for the
A single session of endodontic treatment on primary teeth can reduce the prevalence of harmful bacteria in root canals, a new study has found. Previous research has shown that single-visit treatments can effectively reduce bacterial counts for adults, but this is one of the first studies to investigate the topic in children. The researchers took bacterial swabs before and after root canal treatment on primary teeth to see whether a
Dear DrBicuspid Member, The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an antitrust complaint against the three largest distributors in dentistry: Henry Schein, Patterson Companies, and Benco Dental. The complaint alleges a conspiracy not to do business with buying groups representing small-group and solo practices. Read the story here. On February 15, the FTC released new details in its antitrust complaint against the distributors. The commission also proposed nine retributive
Premier Dental has launched its new PremierAir line of hygiene and diagnostic instruments. The PremierAir scaler and curette. Image courtesy of Premier Dental. The instruments include a combination probe and explorer, hygiene scalers and curettes, and an explorer: The Probex probe combines a probe and explorer into one instrument. The device has recessed black markings in the tips that are easy to view and reduce wear. The company’s new hygiene
Knowing the translucency levels and masking properties of pressable ceramics can be useful for choosing the right material for an aesthetically pleasing restoration. To learn more, researchers studied the optical properties of one widely used lithium disilicate ceramic system and a newer feldspar ceramic material. They assessed the translucency and masking properties of IPS e.max Press (Ivoclar Vivadent) lithium disilicate ceramics and the more recently introduced Vita PM9 (Vita Zahnfabrik)
The term medical tourism has gained popularity through the years since more and more people started saving money when traveling to receive high-quality medical or dental services outside their country of residence. There are a lot of reasons why these people rather take a flight than go to a local doctor or dentist, and these reasons are mainly the advantages we will talk about in this post. Los Algodones, Mexico
A new study investigating the fracture resistance of restorative materials found that the strength of zirconia ceramic restorations rivaled that of intact teeth. Zirconia ceramic also outperformed glass ceramic and resin composite restorations. The researchers investigated how well the three materials resisted fractures by simulated chewing forces and the environment of the oral cavity. They published their findings in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry (January 25, 2018). “The
Most dental practice owners have certain ideas about how periodontal services should be integrated into their office’s everyday patient care. But how does your office compare with others in the U.S.? Before we get into the numbers, let’s take a step back and examine the issue of periodontal care more widely. David Black, DDS. First and foremost, I am not advocating overdiagnosis. However, when you consider that data from the
Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, Postoperative pain is a reason some patients avoid implant treatment. But would taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) just before surgery reduce patients’ pain afterward? Researchers put this theory to the test. Read our Insider Exclusive. In other Anesthesia and Pain Management Community news, much of the attention about the opioid epidemic focuses on the abuse of prescription drugs, but pharmacist Tom Viola notes
Long-term funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was extended for 10 years in the U.S. government budget bill signed by President Donald Trump on February 9. The budget contains 10 years of program funding, an increase from six years in a short-term funding bill signed on January 22, according to published reports. The program helps 9 million children maintain their dental and medical coverage. The bill also keeps the