Dr. Esther Wilkins, a Chelmsford native and longtime professor at Tufts University who was known as the “godmother of dental hygiene” as one of the world’s foremost experts in the field, died Monday. She turned 100 just three days prior. Tufts University School of Dental Medicine was to celebrate the achievements Wilkins and two others … Read more
32-year-old Dental Hygienist, April MacDougall, has returned from volunteering with Mercy Ships onboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, in Cotonou, Benin. MacDougall paid her own way to live and work amongst 400 international crew members all giving their time to provide free life-changing healthcare to thousands in need. MacDougall was born and raised … Read more
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a new report that presents research and policy recommendations on electronic cigarettes and their use among adolescents and young adults. The report, which was reviewed by 150 experts, highlights some of the risks associated with using electronic cigarettes, including nicotine addiction, behavior risks – including the use of other drugs … Read more
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is pleased that Health Affairs recognizes the enormous impact oral health has on the overall public health system in the U.S. by devoting an entire issue to the subject. ADHA has long advocated evidence-based oral health management strategies for the prevention of oral and systemic diseases. In fact, ongoing … Read more
A new study in the Journal of Dental Research suggests that dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth. Dr. Timothy Cox, a craniofacial researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and lead author, found that mice with … Read more
Poor oral health is one of the most pressing, unmet health care issues facing Illinois children and adults today according to a new state oral health assessment report Oral Health in Illinois, the first comprehensive statewide oral health assessment ever completed. Tooth decay, dubbed “America’s silent epidemic” by the U.S. Surgeon General, disproportionately affects poor … Read more
Only 12 percent of older Americans have some form of dental insurance and fewer than half visited a dentist in the previous year, suggests new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research on Medicare beneficiaries. Insurance status appeared to be the biggest predictor of whether a person received oral health care: For those with … Read more
Every day we come to the rescue of our patients by taking them out of pain, combating the results of an accident, reversing the ravages of time or simply getting them ready for a special day in their lives. We become heroes to our patients. We can do this simply and easily because of the … Read more
Evidence-Based Medicine Since the 1980s, when McMaster Medical School in Canada termed the process of integrating scientific information into medical practice, Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), it was formally adapted by the Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group, and a new paradigm for medical practice emerged. 1 Later, other health fields, like oral health care, began incorporating the same … Read more
The task of repairing restorations has historically been an unproductive procedure in the dental practice. Dental professionals have learned through extensive personal experience that repairs, whether intra- or extra-oral, have a very poor prognosis. In fact, no matter how carefully the fractured ceramic or composite surface was roughed, cleaned, dried, primed, and bonded, the repair … Read more
Pediatric dentistry has seen considerable improvements in materials and treatment options over the past few years. While other dental specialties have experienced tremendous developments in their materials and methods over the past forty years, pediatric dentistry has seemed to evolve much more slowly. Although we have enjoyed success with the treatments of the past, less invasive … Read more
Glass ionomers have enjoyed many firsts in dentistry. They were the first materials designed to resist recurrent decay. They were the first bioactive materials, which release fluoride in an acidic environment and recharge or replace lost fluoride ions when they are re-introduced back into the oral environment. They were the first easy to use bulk-fill … Read more
Introduction & Background Bisphosphonates are a class of medications that prevent the loss of bone mass. Not only are they used extensively in the treatment of metabolic bone disease such as osteoporosis, but they have been shown to decrease risk of fracture and bone pain in lung, breast, and other metastatic cancer. They are grouped … Read more
Dental implants have emerged as the standard of care for replacing a single tooth in healthy patients. In the US alone more than 35 million Americans are edentulous and 178 million are missing at least one tooth. 1 According to the Levin group it is estimated that the number of dental implants received by patients … Read more
A 42-year-old male client presented with generalized chronic moderate to severe marginal gingivitis and generalized chronic moderate to advanced periodontitis. He reported that non-surgical periodontal therapy, by means of scaling and root planing, had failed to prevent increased clinical attachment loss and he was referred to a periodontist for pocket reduction surgery. After consultation, the … Read more
Antibiotics used for the treatment of periodontal disease have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. One concern lies in the rise of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, complicating treatment and posing general health risks. Some patients want to avoid antibiotics and their side effects altogether. Many dentists have raised concerns about antibiotic long-term efficacy. An … Read more
Few studies have described ZIKV manifestations in the mouth of infected patients. Recently, Brasil et al. reported local hyperemia and petechiae on the hard palate of an infected patient. 1 Some viruses are transmitted through saliva, including herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV1, HSV2) and cytomegalovirus (CMV). 2 Notably, HSV and ZIKV display … Read more
The Internet-of-Things is everywhere. Even in your toothbrush. Chicago startup Onvi has created what it calls the world’s first video toothbrush, named Prophix, which uses a video camera paired with an iOS app that lets you see the areas you’ve missed while brushing. The high-tech brush connects to your phone via Bluetooth (no pun intend) and lets … Read more
According to a new series of reports on the U.S. market for dental materials by iData Research (www.idataresearch.com), the market is projected to experience modest growth over the next several years, largely limited by the emergence of intraoral scanners. As digital impression scanners are becoming more popular and affordable, the need for dental impression and … Read more
It is important for the clinician who is restoring an implant, whether it be with a single crown, a fixed or removable prosthesis, to understand the mechanics of a threaded fastener or a screw and why screws may become loose. The prevalence of screw loosening has been reported to be between 5 and 8.8% after … Read more