Week in Review: Pneumonia and dental visits; new dental app; and orthodontics ruling

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Did you know that a million Americans are diagnosed with pneumonia each year and that 50,000 die from it? However, patients with regularly scheduled dental visits are less likely to come down with pneumonia, according to a new study using data from more than 26,000 patients. Read more here. At the junction of clinical practice and technology, this week, a new smartphone app enables patients to share

Brasseler releases new handpiece

Brasseler USA has released a new handpiece, the NL4500. The handpiece features a 45° angle head for improved visibility and posterior access, such as for treating impacted molars, according to the company. It also features a triple-port design that delivers a stream of water to the tip of the bur.

U.S. judge rules against orthodontics firm in ad case

A U.S. district court has ruled on October 26 that Propel Orthodontics has “disseminated false and misleading advertisements” for its tooth aligners, while granting a preliminary injunction against the company in favor of OrthoAccel Technologies. In the preliminary injunction, Judge Amos Mazzant of the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas enjoined Propel from making specific claims in its advertising of its VPro5 accelerated tooth aligner product. OrthoAccel

ADA 2016: 4 steps to screen for childhood obesity — Part 2

In this two-part series, a nurse and a dietitian share why it is important to screen children for obesity within your dental practice and explain how to successfully screen children. Part one focused on why dental providers can — and should — do weight assessments. Part two focuses on four steps dental providers can use to screen kids for obesity. Screening for obesity within the dental practice can help prevent

ADA 2016: Why dentists should screen kids for obesity — Part 1

In this two-part series, a nurse practitioner and a dietitian share why it’s important to screen kids for obesity within your dental practice and explain how to successfully do so. Part one focuses on why dental providers can — and should — do weight assessments. Did you know elementary school-aged kids see their dentist more often than their primary care provider? That’s why it’s important for dental professionals to screen

Legal Cases: Placement of implants projecting into the maxillary sinus

HuangshanDental.com is pleased to present the next column from two lawyers who spend every day defending dentists in litigation and before the licensing board. The purpose of this column is to offer our readers a fresh perspective on common practice and risk management issues from attorneys who litigate these issues in the real world. A 61-year-old male patient presented to a large group practice where our client, a prosthodontist, worked

Nasal spray anesthetic now available for preorder

St. Renatus has announced that the company’s nasal anesthetic for dentistry, Kovanaze, is now available for preorder. Kovanaze enables dental anesthesia to be administered through a nasal spray without using a needle, according to the company. The product is indicated for regional anesthesia when performing a restorative procedure on teeth #4 through #13 and teeth #A through #J in adults and children weighing more than 40 kg. The product was

New DentalCodeology book covers gingivitis CDT code

The latest installment of the DentalCodeology minibook series focuses on the new Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) for gingivitis treatment. A Gingivitis Code Finally! is the fifth minibook Patti DiGangi, RDH, has published on the topic of CDT codes. This book focuses on CDT D4346, which is the first code for the treatment of gingivitis. the code is specifically designated for “scaling in presence of generalized moderate or

CDC: More low-income kids need dental sealants

Dental sealants are very effective for preventing most of the caries children get in their permanent back teeth, but most children still don’t get them, especially those from low-income families, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 7 million low-income children need sealants, including about 60% of children between ages 6 and 11 who don’t get dental sealants, the October 18

Number of kids infected in Calif. water line case grows

The number of children who have been hospitalized for dental infections after having pulpotomies at a Southern California dental clinic has risen to 41. Health officials have traced the infection to the clinic’s water lines, and the state dental board is investigating possible breaches of infection-control protocols. The children, ages 3 to 9, were hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Orange County after developing slowly progressive oral cellulitis, often with dental

Ecological whitening system debuts at ADA 2016

DENVER – Dent Cache has introduced a new ecological dental whitening system at this week’s ADA annual meeting The Natural+ whitening system is a nontoxic formula that contains no heavy metals. The system uses agents that slow the decomposition of peroxide, which leads to the release of oxygen molecules, according to the company. The company’s products are made of Dead Sea minerals, calcium, fluoride, and a gel that contains ecologically

DEXIS updates CariVu software

DEXIS has updated the software for the CariVu portable caries detection device. Quick capture: A one-second squeeze of the ring saves images to patient records. Same tooth comparison: The software autodraws an outline of a prior image of the same tooth, acquiring new images that are the same size and orientation. On-screen acquisition guidance: The on-screen indicator shows whether the lens should be closer to the tooth or farther away