NSAIDS safer than opioids for elderly

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are safer than opioids for elderly patients, according to a study published in the December 13/27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. While nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of bleeding and other problems, the investigators found that elderly people on opioids had higher rates of fracture, cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and death. And even though doctors have long believed that

Fluoride study yields unexpected findings

In a study that the authors describe as lending credence to the idiom, “by the skin of your teeth,” scientists from Saarland University Hospital report that the protective shield fluoride forms on teeth is up to 100 times thinner than previously believed (Langmuir, December 21, 2010, Vol. 26:24, pp. 18750-18759). This raises questions about how fluoride really works and could lead to better ways of protecting teeth from decay, the

BonaDent announces $11M expansion in NY

BonaDent is embarking on an $11 million expansion of its dental laboratory operations in Seneca County, NY, to support its need for more space and to accommodate 90 new employees and equipment. BonaDent will purchase and renovate a former Wal-Mart facility, located on a lot adjacent to its headquarters, in Seneca Falls, the company announced. A $750,000 convertible loan from the Empire State Development Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund will be

NC physicians boost Medicaid kids’ oral care access

Training primary care physicians to do oral health assessments, provide preventive education, and apply fluoride varnish in very young children can ease access-to-care issues for low-income populations, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill (Health Affairs, December 2010, Vol. 29:12, pp. 2278-2285). At the end of the 1990s, only 16% of North Carolina dentists actively participated in Medicaid, and only one out of every

Survey: DANB-certified dental assistants earn more

Dental assistants who are certified by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) earn more and stay in the profession longer than noncertified assistants, according to DANB’s 2010 salary survey. DANB-certified dental assistants (CDAs) who work full time (73% of respondents) reported a median salary of $18.73 per hour, which is up $0.73 from 2008, the survey found. The median salary for full- and part-time DANB CDAs is $18.50. Noncertified assistants

U.K. scientists find how HPV triggers oral cancer

University of Manchester scientists have discovered for the first time an important new way in which the human papillomavirus (HPV) triggers cancer in what could lead to new treatments for cervical and oral cancer (British Journal of Cancer, December 7, 2010). HPV infection is known to increase the risk of developing cancers of the cervix and mouth, with the two high-risk forms of the virus accounting for about 70% of

Oral surgeon sued after patient suffers stroke

A Pennsylvania malpractice suit involving an oral surgeon’s patient who suffered a massive stroke following multiple tooth extractions is expected to go to trial after testimony from two expert witnesses was deemed admissible by a federal judge. Christopher Ellison, 49 at the time, had a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, diabetes, and obesity when he arrived at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center on September 11, 2007, to have

Smile Reminder teams with CareCredit

Smile Reminder and CareCredit have created the CareCredit Edition of Smile Reminder, designed to help practices that offer CareCredit enhance and streamline their patient communications. Smile Reminder features a range of personalized, opt-in patient communications, including text and e-mail appointment reminders, thank you notes, patient surveys, and newsletters. The CareCredit Edition of Smile Reminder enables practice teams to inform patients about their payment options, according to the companies. In addition,

Patient compliance with retainers declines over time

You have done the hard work. Your patient’s teeth are straight, and now it is mostly up to them to keep it that way. Unfortunately, you can give patients all the instructions you want about regular retainer use after orthodontic treatment, but there is no way to guarantee compliance. But a new study indicates they may be doing better than you think (American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, November

Denbur donation supports NCOHF preventive programs

Denbur has donated multibrush disposable bristle applicators valued at more than $51,000 to benefit National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) oral health programs for at-risk children. Twenty-one NCOHF affiliate community-based nonprofit partners received donated Denbur products that will aid in providing critical care to children in need this holiday season, NCOHF said. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com

FDA panel begins dental amalgam scrutiny

A small cluster of protesters, carrying tooth-shaped signs with slogans such as “Ban Mercury,” heralded the opening of a two-day meeting today in Washington, DC, called by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revisit the safety of dental amalgam. The restorative material, a mixture of metals including powdered alloy and liquid mercury, has been valued for years for its workability, low cost, and strength. But is it really

Zometa aids patients with head and neck cancer

Zoledronic acid, a drug currently approved for osteoporosis treatment, has been shown to reduce bone loss in a study of mice with oral cancer, suggesting it could serve as a supplemental therapy in patients with head and neck cancers that erode bone (Cancer Research, November 1, 2010, Vol. 70:21, pp. 8607-8616). The drug, known by the brand name Zometa, is designed to inhibit bone resorption. Oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts