Preventive dental visits may not lower kids’ costs

It may seem logical that taking children to the dentist for regular preventive checkups will lead to fewer pricy restorative procedures. But new findings published online in Pediatrics (May 27, 2013) indicate the opposite. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, it is recommended that children see a pediatric dentist as soon as their first tooth appears to prevent dental problems. But earlier research actually does not show that

Study: Diet soda as bad for teeth as meth, crack

Drinking large quantities of carbonated soda could be as damaging to teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use, according to a case study published in the March/April 2013 issue of General Dentistry. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to your mouth through the process of tooth erosion, the study authors found. The General Dentistry case study compared the damage in three individuals’

Heraeus prosthetic measurement device gets U.S. patent

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Heraeus Kulzer a new patent for the company’s PalaMeter prosthetic measurement device. The PalaMeter can be used to measure the width of a gap, the aesthetic curve, dimensions for implantology, appliance width, vertical dimension, the dental arch, height of incisal length, and the position of the mandibular arch in relation to the maxilla, the company noted in a press release. It can

Coating method accelerates bonding with bone

Japanese researchers have developed a coating method that accelerates bonding with bone, which could reduce the burden of orthodontic subperiosteal devices on dental patients, according to a new study in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials (April 2, 2013). Orthodontic subperiosteal devices are superior in terms of low invasiveness, but because bonding with bone on the surface of the bone is necessary, a minimum waiting time

Research supports dental therapists’ quality of care

Midlevel dental providers who are trained to provide fillings do so competently and safely, according to a new study in the Journal of Dental Research (May 20, 2013). Researchers from the University of Michigan reviewed the findings of 23 separate studies conducted in six industrialized countries during the past 60 years that assessed the clinical competence of nondentists performing a limited set of “irreversible” procedures, such as simple fillings and

Keating wins lawsuit over ‘bruxer’ name

Keating Dental Arts(KDA) has prevailed in a two-year trademark dispute brought against KDA by Glidewell Laboratories. In 2011, Glidewell sued KDA over its use of the name “KDZ Bruxer,” which Glidewell claimed was an infringement on its “BruxZir” product name. On March 7, 2013, a judge ruled that there was no trademark infringement. “The lawsuit came as a shock due in large part to the frequent use of the common

Are lasers effective for dentin hypersensitivity?

A recent study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that one in eight general practice patients have dentin hypersensitivity (DH). With those odds, it’s inevitable that practitioners will have to manage it. Could lasers be a treatment option? A new study in General Dentistry (May-June 2013, Vol. 61:3, pp. 66-71) comparing the efficacy of diode lasers (DL) with stannous fluoride and potassium nitrate gels in the treatment

Dental Heroes: Dentist’s foundation offers healthcare haven

Although not as well known as her celebrity chef husband, Iron Chef-restaurateur Jose Garces, Philadelphia dentist Beatriz Mirabal Garces, DMD, is quietly making her own mark as a dentist committed to providing oral care for poor immigrants through the Garces Family Foundation. At the foundation’s inaugural gala last fall, more than $100,000 was raised to support its programs and to fund grants to Puentes de Salud, a nonprofit organization that

Heartburn increases risk for throat cancer

Gastric reflux increases the risk for laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LPSCC), but antacids may provide protection, according to a new study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (May 23, 2013). U.S. researchers studied the incidence of gastric reflux and medication use in 631 Boston-area patients with LPSCC who were not heavy smokers or drinkers, matching them with 1,234 healthy controls. After controlling for age, sex, race, smoking history, alcohol consumption,

Routine esophageal screening critical for HNSCC patients

Routine esophageal screening can increase the early detection of second primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and is particularly recommended for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a study in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, March 21, 2013). Patients with HNSCC have a high prevalence of second primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), according to the study authors, from Chang Gung University College of

Optical imaging techniques advance oral cancer detection, diagnosis

More effective detection and diagnosis of oral cancer could result from an advance in noninvasive imaging of epithelial tissue, according to a study in Journal of Biomedical Optics (March 19, 2013). Researchers from Texas A&M University in College Station used confocal microscopy together with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to noninvasively evaluate structural changes in tissue and molecular changes that take place on a cellular and tissue level. These morphological and

UF provides pediatric dental sedation training

The University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry in Gainesville is helping pediatric dentists get specialized training in dental sedation and office emergency preparedness. During two courses in April, 70 dentists learned about evolving sedation practice guidelines that are critical to the safety and welfare of pediatric dental patients, and earned certification in advanced cardiac life support, the university noted in a press release. Part of the training was held