Milwaukee to continue fluoridating water supply

Milwaukee’s Common Council on July 24 agreed to direct the Milwaukee Water Works to continue fluoridating the city’s drinking water but with a lower concentration of fluoride. Alderman Jim Bohl originally wanted to ban fluoride entirely from the city’s drinking water, setting off a community debate. The new legislation lowers Milwaukee’s water fluoridation levels from 1.1 parts per million (ppm) to 0.7 ppm, which is the new proposed recommendation from

Electrochemotherapy fares well in SCCHN study

Electrochemotherapy appears to be safe and comparable to surgery in achieving control in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), according to data presented this week at the International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in Toronto. OncoSec Medical, a company developing the OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumors, presented data from an interim analysis of two randomized phase III clinical trials, HNBE-01 and

‘The View’ revises apology to dental hygienists

ABC’s “The View” has issued a clarification of its July 16 apology to dental hygienists for a segment on the show that misportrayed the education requirements and salary of hygienists. On July 6, in a segment entitled “Where Are The Jobs?” financial reporter Regina Lewis stated that a college degree is not needed to become a dental hygienist and that the average hygienist’s salary is $45,000. Dental hygienists took to

New York City’s proposed ban on big sugary sodas draws heated debate

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large sodas is expected to pass in September, but that didn’t deter hundreds who showed up on Tuesday either to praise the measure as a way to battle obesity or oppose it as pointless and unfair. The proposal before the city Board of Health, the first of its kind in the nation, would limit servings of sugary drinks

Vident releases new Vita denture shades

Vident announced that its Vita Multifunctional Teeth (MFT) are now available in four new shades. The new shades are A1, A3, C3, and D3, across all molds, according to the company. The Vita line offers good functionality (posteriors can be set in either lingualized or conventional occlusion) within a limited mold range, Vident said. Vita MFT are suited for laboratories looking to reduce inventory and improve efficiency. Vita MFT are

Hygiene instructor named to Ind. dental board

Jennifer Bartek, MS, LDH, CDA, instructor in dental hygiene at the University of Southern Indiana (USI), has been appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels to a three-year term on the state Board of Dentistry. The board licenses and regulates dentistry and its related professions in Indiana, according to a press release. As a member of the board, Bartek will be responsible for enforcing laws pertaining to the practice of dentistry and

Dental coalition urges analysis of sugar-sweetened beverages

Sixteen dental organizations have asked the White House to commission a U.S. Surgeon General’s report on relationships between specific dietary practices and oral diseases. “We strongly urge you to commission a report that, at a minimum, evaluates scientific literature on the extent to which sugar-sweetened beverage consumption affects oral health,” said the coalition letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the administration’s chief health officer, according to an

UCLA gets $9M to increase dental care for kids

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry has received $9 million from the child advocacy group First 5 LA to increase dental care access for infants and young children. This funding is in response to an urgent need for improved oral healthcare for Los Angeles children from birth to age 5, especially young Latinos and African-Americans who are at high risk for early dental disease, according to

AACD offers patient videos

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is offering its members free patient education videos. The videos are customized for members’ practices and can be placed on practice websites and social media platforms or used chairside with an iPad or tablet, according to AACD. The videos include topics such as the following: A cosmetic dentistry overview How to choose a cosmetic dentist Porcelain veneers Teeth whitening Dental implants Dentists can

Study IDs ‘best’ technique for ECC risk assessment

A study comparing four approaches for identifying children younger than 3 years old who are at significant risk for developing early childhood caries (ECC) has found that a salivary culture of mutans streptococci (MS) alone was the most accurate and clinically useful. The other methods tested in the study were the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s caries risk assessment tool (CAT), CAT minus socioeconomic status, and CAT minus socioeconomic status

ECC assessment tools compared; what if a patient breaks your chair?

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Is one early childhood caries (ECC) risk-assessment technique better than the rest? A study in the current Journal of the American Dental Association comparing four approaches for identifying young children who are at significant risk for developing ECC claims there is. But have newer, more accurate methods been developed since the study began? Click here to read what one ECC expert thinks in this latest Restoratives Community

Study to compare oropharyngeal cancer treatments

Canadian researchers will conduct a study to compare robotic surgery to radiation therapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal (OP) cancer. Researchers at the Lawson Health Research Institute will examine the impact of both treatments on patients’ speech and swallowing function and quality of life as a first step toward identifying the best treatment option, according to a press release. In Canada, radiation therapy, often combined with chemotherapy, is the accepted