Week in Review: Pit-and-fissure sealants effectiveness; plus more DSOs and kids’ coverage

Dear DrBicuspid Member, A new systematic review has found pit-and-fissure sealants to be effective regardless of tooth type or location. In fact, sealants on premolars may last longer and prevent more caries than those on first and second molars. Read more here. You can also get continuing education credits for this article here. Also this week on HuangshanDental.com, we’re bringing you coverage of the latest reports from the ADA’s Health

Restoratives Insider: Are your patients’ habits ruining your work?

Dear Restoratives Insider, Why do fillings fail, and does the type of material used matter? A new study found similar results with composite resin and amalgam but that smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol, as well as genetics, may affect success. These findings suggest that genetics could be used to personalize treatment in the future. Read our Insider Exclusive. In other Restoratives Community news, extractions don’t have to be the equivalent

Record dental care coverage, dentist visits for U.S. kids

More children than ever before are visiting the dentist, and that could be because 90% of children in the U.S. have dental benefit coverage. These record statistics are just the latest in a long trend that show federal dental health policy may be having a real impact. Marko Vujicic, PhD. Image courtesy of the ADA. The data come from the ADA Health Policy Institute, which has tracked dental care utilization,

Not the person I remembered

I recently had lunch with an old friend who is a physician whom I hadn’t seen in many years. Decades ago, we were close and we would see each other at least once a week. We both lived similar lives. We each had a family, a professional career, and a relatively busy lifestyle. By chance, he called me and asked, “What’s new?” I responded that much had changed. So, we

Advantages of PRP and Ozone Therapy on Dentistry

All patients that undergo dental surgery need time to recover. This process depends on the type of treatments they receive and if they follow their dentist’s post-surgery care instructions. Even though the final results will be great, the recovery time can be a little overwhelming and during this, patients sometimes wonder if there’s anything else they can do to speed this process. Well, we’re very glad to let you know

New product: Dentsply Sirona Endodontics launches GuttaCore obturators

Dentsply Sirona Endodontics has introduced GuttaCore obturators for its WaveOne Gold system. The obturators are sized and color-coded to match the WaveOne Gold reciprocating file system. The obturators have a cross-linked gutta-percha core that allows the gutta-percha to follow the canal’s natural anatomy and offer the ease of a single insertion, according to the company. The product is available in small, primary, medium, and large sizes and in blister packs

U.S. House passes CHIP funding

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to reauthorize funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Healthy Kids Act (HR 3921) reauthorizes funding for the program for five years. The vote was 242-174, mostly along party lines, as House Democrats were opposed to the funding mechanisms. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, which also is working on its own version of the bill. Multiple

Week in Review: Technology evolution; plus pulling teeth and active patient data

Dear DrBicuspid Member, You’ve heard sales reps and manufacturers tell you for years that you should invest in technology that will change your practice. But this investment likely also includes a significant amount of your money and your time. Kim Miranda of Brighter writes that there is a way to spend 10 minutes to make a positive impact on your practice’s bottom line and improve your patient retention. Learn more

Pa. dentist indicted on 200 counts

A federal grand jury in Pennsylvania has indicted a Pittsburgh dentist on 200 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, healthcare fraud, using or maintaining a drug-involved premises, and other charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Daniel Garner, DMD, 45, allegedly distributed hydrocodone and/or oxycodone (classified as schedule II and III controlled substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency), on 196 occasions outside

Can yogurt help fight periodontal disease?

Is avoiding periodontal disease as easy as telling your patients to eat more yogurt? Of course not, but a new study found that those who ate more yogurt were indeed less likely to have periodontal disease. In a study of more than 6,000 Korean adults, researchers found that patients who ate less yogurt were more at risk for periodontal disease. However, the exact mechanism of how yogurt helps was not

New U.S. bill would remove Medicare prescription rule

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on October 31 would remove the mandate for dentists to become a Medicare provider for their patient’s prescriptions to be reimbursed by Medicare Part D. This bill would theoretically allow older Americans a wider range of dentists to choose from. The bill, HR 4169, was introduced by Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX). In a November 1 letter in support of the bill

Why pulling teeth doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth

Dental extractions don’t have to be the equivalent of, well, pulling teeth. That’s according to Sonia Leziy, DDS, an expert on implant and surgical protocols, who explains that better tools, techniques, and technologies are making extraction and implantation smoother and quicker for patients and practitioners. Sonia Leziy, DDS. Practitioners should plan well for extractions and, where appropriate, subsequent ridge preservation and implantation, she advised during a presentation earlier this year