Giving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery doesn’t increase the rate of complications and death, and might even decrease the risk of such events, according to a pair of studies in Anesthesia & Analgesia (May 2013, Vol. 116:5, pp. 1034-1040). But an accompanying series of editorials points out some important limitations of the two studies, which can’t completely overcome previous concerns about the safety of using
Kaiser Permanente’s vice president of dental services, Kenneth Wright, DMD, has announced his intent to eliminate periodontal hygienists within the Kaiser dental system in Oregon. The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), which represents Kaiser’s hygienists, has attempted to negotiate with management and demonstrate that eliminating the periodontal hygienist classification is a superficial cost solution that will negatively impact patient care and will actually cost more money in
The Wrigley Company Foundation, in partnership with the New Zealand Dental Association, is sponsoring an $84,000 community service grant program to provide oral care to underserved communities in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Between 2013 and 2015, the Wrigley Company Foundation will make the money available to community-minded dentists and dental students to implement oral health community service projects in vulnerable and underserved communities, according to a company press
Parents of children with cleft lip or palate or people who were born with a cleft lip or palate themselves are being asked to take part in a new research study to develop an online resource for families and individuals affected by this condition. The research is being led by Andrea Waylen, PhD, at the University of Bristol School of Oral and Dental Sciences. The aim of the study is
While there is no shortage of enthusiasm for xylitol in some sectors of dentistry, others are still skeptical of its usefulness in preventing caries or improving oral health. A secondary analysis of a previously published three-year trial evaluating the effectiveness of xylitol lozenges compared to a placebo has found statistically significant results supporting xylitol’s effectiveness (Journal of Dental Research, April 15, 2013). “While our analysis shows that the caries preventive
Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) maintain a high quality of life a year after having transoral robotic surgery, according to a new study in the JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (April 10, 2013). But elderly patients and those treated with adjuvant treatments such as external-beam radiation therapy and chemoradiation therapy do not, according to the study authors. Patients with OPSCC have historically been treated with primary
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) is asking the Health Service Executive (HSE) to give dentists a more prominent role in the country’s tobacco control strategy. Peter Gannon, chair of the IDA’s General Practitioner Committee, told delegates at the association’s annual conference in Galway last week that, contrary to popular perception, smoking remains the biggest killer of Irish people. In Ireland, one in three adults smoke, he added. The IDA believes
Align Technology reported revenues of $154 million for the first quarter of 2013 (end-March 31), up from $135 million in the same quarter a year ago. However, the company reported a net loss of $42 million for the quarter, compared with net profit of $21 million in the first quarter of 2012. “Recent changes in the competitive environment for intraoral scanners including announcements in March 2013 of new low-priced scanners
Lowering the radiation dose to the submandibular gland of patients with head and neck cancer decreases xerostomia, according to a study presented on April 20 at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) meeting in Geneva. Radiation oncologists at University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) showed for the first time that it is possible to reduce xerostomia in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer if the radiation
A new iodine mouthwash was shown to be safe and effective at fighting gingivitis and lowering LDL cholesterol, according to clinical trial results to be presented this week at a meeting of the American Academy of Oral Medicine. Conducted on behalf of Biomedical Development Corp. (BDC), the three-month, phase II trial was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A longer phase II trial is now being conducted
A California judge has issued an interim order removing the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from the state’s list of reproductive toxicants, as part of an ongoing lawsuit against a California agency. The chemical industry is seeking to convince a Sacramento County Superior Court judge that the chemical does not cause birth defects, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group
The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) School of Dentistry is joining a Michigan project to provide orthodontic care to the state’s foster children. The program is a partnership between faculty and students in the postgraduate orthodontics department at UDM and the Detroit Department of Human Services. The effort is being coordinated by an organization called For the Seventh Generation, which matches donations of goods and services with foster children, foster
