Week in Review: Dentists and Graham-Cassidy bill; plus charcoal toothpastes and fluoride levels

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Experts, including the ADA, have criticized the latest Republican U.S. healthcare bill, which would change the way state Medicaid programs are funded. The ADA cautioned that some of the provisions in the Graham-Cassidy bill could reverse recent advances made in improving pediatric dental use. What should you know about this bill? Read more here. September 30 is the deadline for both a vote on a healthcare bill

Six Month Smiles VS. Invisalign

A straight smile can go a long way, especially for adults. You may find that your relationships, business and self-confidence get a major boost when your teeth are straight and balanced. If you have teeth that are gapped, crowded, crooked or misaligned, what are your options as an adult? Thankfully, you aren’t limited to traditional metal braces like you were when you were a kid. In fact, modern orthodontics offers

What thickness is best for single-molar crowns?

If you use ceramic materials to fabricate single-molar CAD/CAM crowns, how do you determine which will hold up best? Researchers put six silicate ceramic materials through testing at three thicknesses to find out which could handle the highest fractural loading. The results might change which material you use. The researchers found that the greater the thickness, the higher the survival rate. While all crowns survived fatigue testing at a thickness

Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider: Caffeine may be opioid alternative for implant therapy

Dear Anesthesia & Pain Management Insider, Can caffeine help solve the opioid crisis? A study compared pain and swelling incidence for nearly 80 patients after implant treatment and found that acetaminophen with caffeine may be a viable alternative to opioids after dental implant treatment. Learn more in our Insider Exclusive. In other Anesthesia & Pain Management Community news, in response to a national television segment on pediatric sedation, Dr. James Nickman,

NYU researchers awarded $13M to study SDF

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has awarded $13 million to researchers from the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry to study the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride (SDF). The researchers, Richard Niederman, DMD, and Ryan Richard Ruff, MPH, PhD, will use the funds to conduct a five-year study comparing the effectiveness of biannual SDF and fluoride varnish versus traditional sealants and fluoride varnish. The study will be done in low-income

Families of kids with cleft lip need more dental support

What’s getting in the way of children born with a cleft lip or palate having better oral health? A new study examined the experience of toothbrushing in these children and their families, and found that, despite good intentions, they encountered some obstacles to maintaining consistent effective oral health routines. Researchers conducted interviews with children born with cleft lip or palate and their parents about the child’s toothbrushing habits. While strongly

Study: High fluoride levels may affect young kids’ IQ

Does a high level of prenatal fluoride exposure affect children’s cognitive function? What about their brain development after birth? Fluoride in the urine of pregnant women showed a correlation with lower measures of intelligence in their children, according to a new study that focused on women and children from Mexico (Environmental Health Perspectives, September 19, 2017). The researchers found that an increase in maternal urine fluoride of 0.5 mg/L predicted

Week in Review: Practice ownership declines; plus a new CE course and CAMBRA

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Fewer dentists owned a dental practice in 2015 than in 2005, according to an article in the September 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. Author Marko Vujicic, PhD, from the ADA Health Policy Institute, explored how this trend is poised to change dentistry. Read more here. Did you know you can obtain continuing education (CE) credits while reading specially designated HuangshanDental.com articles? Our

Summer 2017 new-product roundup from DrBicuspid.com

During summer 2017, new products ranging from accessory posts to composites and amalgam separators were introduced. Here is our roundup of new products from Kulzer, Komet USA, Cosmedent, and other companies. CAD/CAM Kulzer launches 3D printer The cara Print 4.0. Image courtesy of Kulzer. Kulzer has launched a new 3D printer for dental laboratories. The cara Print 4.0 3D printer can print a wide range of polymer dental appliances, according

Rotary better than manual instruments for endo retreatment

Researchers tested two rotary instruments and one manual file side by side to see which was able to remove the most residual filling material after failed endodontic therapy. The comparison resulted in a striking clinical preference. The rotary instruments outperformed the manual files in removing this material, even if none of the three systems was able to remove all of it, according to a new study of three systems from

Some chlorhexidine mouthwashes may be better than others

Chlorhexidine is known for reducing plaque, but how do mouthwashes with varying chlorhexidine concentration levels compare? Researchers tested three chlorhexidine solutions to see which was better at combating plaque and gingivitis, and they found some unexpected differences. Researchers from Norway experimentally induced gingivitis in study participants and monitored them as they used a chlorhexidine mouthwash with one of three solutions (0.2%, 0.12%, or 0.06%) for 21 days. The formulations had

Are periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis linked?

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also is a chronic inflammatory disease. In addition, both have autoimmune characteristics. Many people who have periodontitis have rheumatoid arthritis. Likewise, many people who have rheumatoid arthritis have periodontitis. Which came first? Current medical research offers a robust discussion. However, another question may be more basic and important: Could there be a common cause for both diseases? Chronic inflammation Alvin Danenberg,