A Coalinga, CA, dentist whose developmentally disabled son died after the dentist gave him Valium and morphine before treating an abscessed tooth has been ordered to stand trial by a Fresno County Superior Court judge. Earlier this year, a coroner’s report concluded that Patrick Clare, 35, died last year from the sedatives that his father, Allen Clare, DDS, administered. Dr. Clare was charged with unlawfully practicing dentistry because he was
A group of inmates in a New York county jail is suing the Westchester County Department of Corrections for $500 million over dental floss — or lack thereof, according to a story in the Journal News. In a 25-page lawsuit filed September 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Santiago Gomez, lead plaintiff in the suit, claims the prisoners’ civil rights have been violated
Japanese researchers have created an ultrathin, flexible hydroxyapatite sheet that could have several applications in restorative and cosmetic dentistry, from preventing decay and restoring enamel to giving teeth a whiter appearance. The biocompatible film, developed by scientists from the Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology at Kinki University in Wakayama, Japan, is made from hydroxyapatite (HAp) that is fabricated into microscopically thin sheets. The hydroxyapatite film is the first of
Artificial gingiva is recommended for more precise color matching and color reproduction with all-ceramic crowns, according to a new study in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry (September 14, 2012). The optical effects of gingival tissue on all-ceramic crowns have never been fully studied, according to the study authors, from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine and West China College of Stomatology. Using a spectrophotometer, the researchers measured the
Secondhand smoke is accountable for 42,000 deaths annually to nonsmokers in the U.S., including nearly 900 infants, according to a new University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study published in the American Journal of Public Health (September 20, 2012). Altogether, annual deaths from secondhand smoke represent nearly 600,000 years of potential life lost — an average of 14.2 years per person — and $6.6 billion in lost productivity, amounting to
While the advantages of loupes are generally acknowledged, U.S. educational programs in dental hygiene seem slow to adopt and require the use of loupes, according to a study in the Journal of Dental Hygiene (August 27, 2012). To determine policies and practices regarding magnification loupes among faculty and students in accredited dental hygiene programs, researchers from the Division of Dental Hygiene at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry emailed a
Thyroid cancer among people with lower socioeconomic status is diagnosed at a more advanced stage, according to new data presented this week at the American Thyroid Association (ATA) annual meeting in Québec City. Though previous studies have suggested a higher rate of thyroid cancer in patients with a higher rate of health insurance and higher socioeconomic status, whether the stage of thyroid cancer at the time of diagnosis varies with
The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today warned people and dental staff to be wary when buying dental equipment from the Internet after its enforcement investigators seized a number of potentially dangerous fake dental instruments. The MHRA is the U.K. government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe. Following an MHRA raid at a business address in the West Midlands,
SciCan has announced the release of its new autoclave, the Statim G4 series. In addition to an updated appearance, the device has G4 technology, providing a direct channel of communication through the Internet, according to the company. The Statim G4 has a 3.5-inch high-resolution touchscreen that displays of messages and current cycle information. The bubble level has been integrated into the high-resolution touchscreen. The Statim G4 series also saves all
If dental hygienists do not integrate the growing evidence on the oral-systemic link into their practices, they will have forfeited a great opportunity to define themselves as healers rather than mechanics, according to Casey Hein, BSDH, during the Pacific Dental Hygiene Conference last week at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. “I want to see this evidence base that we have accumulated really come full circle,”
Anlit Advanced Nutrition Supplements, a developer of consumer vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements for children, will present a new, child-friendly supplement for oral health next month at CPhI Worldwide in Madrid, Spain. The new product is based on a combination of xylitol and BLIS K12, the world’s first probiotic for sore throats and ear infections, according to the company. Anlit’s oral health supplement supports the oral health system by providing
Zimmer Dental has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the term “osseoincorporation” in describing the bone-healing process made possible with its Zimmer Trabecular Metal dental implant. Osseoincorporation refers to the healing potential of bone onto an implant surface and into an implant structure, the company noted. The Trabecular Metal dental implant has an osteoconductive midsection that is designed for ingrowth as well as ongrowth