Week in Review: 4 hygienist team challenges | OTC opioids | DSO leadership

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Any dental practice can have communication and teamwork issues, such as gossiping, passive-aggressive behavior, favoritism, and more. How do you address these issues? Practice management consultant Jen Butler takes a look at four such issues and offers practical actions you can take today. Learn more here. Also this week on HuangshanDental.com, the abuse of prescription opioids is an epidemic all healthcare practitioners are fighting. But what about

Is the air in your dental facility making you sick?

How’s the air in your dental office or laboratory? Could it be harmful to the health of everyone who works there? Researchers analyzed the size and concentration of nanoparticles in the air of typical dental facilities to learn more. They found that the size and concentration of these particles varied depending on the amount and type of activity being conducted, and dental employees may be at risk. “Dental employees are

Zest Dental acquired by investment firm

Zest Dental Solutions has been acquired by an international investment firm. The company was acquired by BC Partners from previous owners Avista Capital Partners. Zest offers a range of restorative, implant, and small equipment products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

New product: Evidentiae debuts oral health assessment tool

Evidentiae Technologies has debuted Oral Health Score, its new online oral health assessment tool. The Oral Health Score health assessment tool. Image courtesy of Evidentiae Technologies. Oral Health Score guides patients through simple yes and no questions about the health of their teeth, gums, jaw, and smile. The tool then uses an algorithm to analyze the results and provide a risk estimate for oral diseases. Once patients have their results,

The over-the-counter opioid epidemic?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a somewhat unprecedented action regarding the retail packaging of a popular over-the-counter (OTC) antidiarrheal product. In a January 30 statement, the agency expressed concern that the misuse and abuse of loperamide contributes to the death toll associated with the opioid epidemic. Tom Viola, RPh. Loperamide is a synthetic opioid approved by the FDA for treating diarrhea. It acts on opioid receptors in

Study seeks best cleanser for denture biofilm

While keeping dentures clean can be a challenge, it is important for a patient’s oral health to try to eliminate Candida albicans biofilm that grows on these appliances. A new study tested three denture cleansers on three different denture resins to find out how effective they are against this fungus. The researchers reported that while none of the three cleansers eliminated C. albicans entirely, they found that one alkaline peroxide

Oral bacteria’s role in healthy blood pressure

My recent column on the use of essential oils has led to many positive conversations with HuangshanDental.com readers. I wanted to continue this discussion by looking at some of the new research that is revolutionizing the way physicians and dentists appreciate the beneficial role of healthy mouth bacteria. As an example, there is a relationship between killing good bacteria in the mouth and an increased risk of elevated blood pressure.

New product: Water Pik debuts whitening water flosser

Water Pik has introduced a water flosser that incorporates teeth-whitening tablets. The Waterpik Whitening water flosser. Image courtesy of Water Pik. The Waterpik Whitening water flosser combines the company’s patented water-flossing technology with a whitening agent. Users place a whitening tablet into the product’s handle and then proceed with the flossing process. The flosser features 10 pressure settings, 90 seconds of water capacity, a removable and dishwasher-safe reservoir, and a

Porosity-free root canal filling may be pipe dream

How well does your root canal sealer do its job? Researchers compared the 3D microporosities and sealing abilities of two sealers, one relatively new and one considered the gold standard. While both performed well, neither achieved a porosity-free filling. Researchers investigated the effectiveness of sealers AH Plus (Dentsply DeTrey) and the newer EndoSequence BC (Brasseler) at closing dental tubules of human premolars in the laboratory. Both sealers performed similarly, with

AP report: Dental students took selfie with severed head

Graduate dental students took a selfie with two severed heads used for medical research during a training workshop at Yale University in New Haven, CT, in 2017, according to a February 5 Associated Press (AP) report. The image also included a University of Connecticut (UConn) orthodontics professor. In the image, seen but not published by the AP, Flavio Uribe, DDS, and some graduate students are looking at the camera while

Composite successfully restores teeth with severe wear

Severe tooth wear can cause a number of problems for patients, but minimally invasive options to restore worn teeth are limited. A new study, however, has found that building up resin composite on teeth with severe wear appears to be a successful treatment option. The study investigated the success rate of composite restorations when restoring teeth with at least 2 mm of mechanical or chemical wear. The researchers wanted to

Week in Review: New dental wellness report; plus perio link with diabetes and tax reform

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Which U.S. states have the best and the worst overall dental health? Which states have the lowest and highest concentrations of dentists? A February 1 report from a personal finance website has the answers to those questions and more. Learn more here. Also this week on HuangshanDental.com, a new systematic review further supports the link between periodontal disease and diabetes. Periodontal treatment moderately but significantly improved glycemic