The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will decide whether to ban bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical with estrogenic properties that has been used for more than four decades in various products, including dental sealants. The FDA must issue a final decision by March 31, 2012, not a “tentative response,” according to a court settlement reached December 7 between the FDA and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), according
Orthodontic appliance design can influence judgments about the personal characteristics of young adult patients, according to a study in the European Journal of Orthodontics (October 2011, Vol. 33:5, pp. 476-482). Demand for orthodontic treatment in adults appears to be increasing due to improved dental and orthodontic awareness, increased social acceptance of appliance therapy, and innovations in the aesthetics of appliances, according to the study authors, from King’s College London Dental
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could play an important role in the diagnosis of oral cancer, according to a study in Brazilian Oral Researcher (December 2011, Vol. 25:6, pp. 512-518). Researchers from the University Center of Anapolis School of Dentistry compared clinical staging and MRI staging for oral cancer in 10 patients diagnosed with oral cancer. A head and neck surgeon performed standard TNM staging, while two medical radiologists and two
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A single session of photodynamic therapy using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and a pulsed dye laser shrank oral leukoplakia (OL) lesions in a substantial majority of patients in a small phase I/II study. A major goal of the study — to confirm the safety and tolerability of the approach — was met, U.S. and German researchers reported this month in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Like most U.S. states, Missouri provides Medicaid coverage for pediatric orthodontics. But dentists, parents, and program administrators all agree that the qualification system is flawed. So the question remains: What is a fair way to determine which children should qualify for orthodontic care? Robert Waxler, DMD, the orthodontic director for MO HealthNet and a practicing orthodontist for 30 years, is responsible for deciding whether children meet Medicaid standards for orthodontics
The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners illegally thwarted competition by working to bar nondentist providers of teeth-whitening services from selling their products to consumers, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The board plans to appeal the decision. In a unanimous opinion and final order issued December 2, the FTC held that the board sought to, and did, exclude nondentist providers from the market for teeth-whitening services,
More than 50% of all 6-year-olds in Australia are affected by decay of their deciduous teeth, according to a new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report, “The Child Dental Health Surveys Australia, 2005 and 2006,” presents information on the oral health of Australian children attending a school dental service in 2005 and 2006. The results cover 193,457 children ages 4 to 15 in all
Dental x-rays can be used to predict a person’s risk of bone fractures, according to a study in Bone (October 2011, Vol. 49:4, pp. 873-879). In previous research, a team from the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy and Region Västra Götaland demonstrated that a sparse bone structure in the trabecular bone in the lower jaw is linked to a greater chance of having previously had fractures in other parts of
OralDNA Labs has enhanced its MyPerioPath patient lab report with the addition of an expanded section called MyPerioProgress. The MyPerioPath salivary diagnostic test identifies the type and concentration of specific perio-pathogenic bacteria that are known to cause periodontal disease and help support clinicians with better risk assessment and personalized treatment options for more predictable patient outcomes, OralDNA noted. The MyPerioProgress section is a new, third page that is automatically generated
White Smile Global has introduced the White Smile Pro teeth-whitening pen, which features the company’s all-natural Vitagen antisensitivity gel. The pen is designed to be used to maintain a person’s whitening after any variation of professional whitening systems have been used, or spot treat areas in which a person feels that their teeth are less white due to spaces between the tooth surfaces where stains can commonly accrue, according to
Short implants are a successful short-term treatment option for reconstructive procedures in clinical situations of limited vertical bone height, according to a study in the Journal of Dental Research (January 2012, Vol. 91:1, pp. 25-32). Researchers from the University of Rome systematically evaluated clinical studies of implants less than 10 mm in length to determine the success of short implant-supported prosthesis in the atrophic jaw. They measured implant survival, incidence
Align Technology is encouraging dental practitioners who are considering offering Invisalign treatment specials through social coupon sites such as Groupon and Living Social to consult with an attorney first. In a letter sent to customers December 5, the company stated it has received a number of complaints from Invisalign customers who feel the use of social coupons is not in the patient’s best interests, and is unethical and demeaning to
