News

WHO releases mercury-free oral health guidelines to curb dental amalgam use

by Oral Health
Late last year, a United Nations environmental body has decided to phase out the use of mercury — including dental amalgam — by 2034. (iStock)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new global guidelines promoting environmentally sustainable and less invasive approaches to preventing and managing dental caries, including a shift toward mercury-free restorative materials. The guideline, Environmentally Friendly and Less Invasive Oral Health Care for Preventing and Managing Dental Caries, provides evidence-based recommendations aimed at improving patient safety while … Read more

Gum disease in children increases cardiovascular risk in adult life

by Oral Health
Researchers say early childhood oral health may have long-term implications for cardiovascular risk. (iStock)

Gum disease in children is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular complications in adulthood, according to a new Danish study of more than half a million children. Researchers analyzed data from 568,778 children born between 1963 and 1972 using records from the Danish Health Authority’s National Child Odontology Register (SCOR). They compared those records … Read more

Nitrous oxide sedation carries carbon footprint equal to 72.8-mile car trip

by Oral Health
Nitrous oxide has a global warming potential 273 times greater than carbon dioxide. (iStock)

The average carbon footprint of a single nitrous oxide — commonly known as laughing gas — sedation appointment is 28.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO₂e), equal to a 72.8-mile journey in a gasoline car, according to a study by the UCL Eastman Dental Institute at University College London. Researchers analysed data from 891 … Read more

U of T dean of dentistry on leave over antisemitic images in course materials: school

by The Canadian Press
U of T says it has launched an investigation after antisemitic images were used in one of the dentistry dean’s recent lectures. (iStock)

The University of Toronto says its dean of dentistry is on leave as the school investigates the use of images with “antisemitic and discriminatory meanings” in his course materials. The university’s vice-president and provost, Trevor Young, says dean Anil Kishen will participate “fully” in the investigation.  Jewish advocacy organization B’nai Brith Canada shared on social media images … Read more

AI dental algorithm shows high accuracy in guiding treatment for patients missing permanent teeth

by Oral Health
AI dental algorithm in orthodontics can guide treatment decisions but will not replace clinical judgment, particularly in complex cases. (iStock)

An artificial intelligence (AI) dental algorithm has demonstrated 96.4% accuracy in helping orthodontists determine the best treatment approach for patients missing permanent second premolars — a common but complex clinical scenario, the University at Buffalo reported. While most children see their permanent second premolars erupt around age 11, between two and 11 per cent of … Read more

Diabetes screening in dental clinics could help detect undiagnosed cases, study shows

by Oral Health
Many patients in the study were unaware of their glycaemic status. (iStock)

Diabetes screening in dental clinics could be a new frontline for early detection, study suggests. HbA1c values — the standard diagnostic marker for diabetes — rose progressively with worsening gum disease, from periodontal health to gingivitis to periodontitis, according to a cross-sectional study published Feb. 13 in the Journal of Dentistry. Researchers at King’s College … Read more

Teething Period – Cree dentistry expands community care in Quebec

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation
Teething Period – Cree dentistry working to expand community care. (iStock)

As the Cree Health Board strives to secure sufficient dental services throughout the region, new facilities are expanding the quality and availability of care within communities. In January, Waskaganish became the latest Cree community to open a state-of-the-art Community Miyupimaatisiiun Centre (CMC). Waskaganish’s new health clinic is about four times the size of the former one with … Read more

Team developing gum-healing prototype wins U of T bioengineering competition

by Oral Health
SmileHacks 2026 winning teams presenting dental innovation prototypes at University of Toronto

A prototype aimed at supporting gum healing using electromagnetic stimulation earned first place at the University of Toronto’s bioengineering competition, SmileHacks, on Saturday. Ten teams — primarily undergraduate students — presented ideas ranging from xerostomia solutions and gamified pediatric oral health tools to robotic automation designed to address staffing shortages in dental offices. The $800 first-place prize … Read more

Wheatgrass extract outperforms NSAID in reducing irreversible pulpitis pain, study finds

by Oral Health
Researchers used 500 mg wheatgrass extract to reduce acute dental pain in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. (iStock)

A randomized clinical trial suggests sublingual wheatgrass extract may reduce acute dental pain more effectively than a commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The study, published Feb. 4 in Odontology, compared the analgesic effects of sublingual wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) extract with piroxicam and a placebo. Researchers enrolled 45 patients … Read more

Winnipeg man with disabilities sues dental clinic, alleges teeth removed without consent

by Oral Health
Court documents allege the extractions were carried out without informed consent and that the patient suffered ongoing physical and psychological harm. (iStock)

A Winnipeg man with autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities has filed a lawsuit alleging four teeth were removed without his consent during a dental procedure in 2024. According to reporting by the Winnipeg Free Press and CBC News, the statement of claim was filed this month in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench. The man, … Read more

Columbia disciplines two dental officials after Epstein girlfriend admitted through ‘irregular process’

by Oral Health
Columbia University says it has “taken action” against two officials who allowed Epstein's girlfriend enrol in its dental school through an “irregular process. (iStock)

Columbia University has removed a former College of Dental Medicine professor and stripped administrative duties from another senior official after determining that Jeffrey Epstein’s then-girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, was admitted in 2012 through what the university described as an “irregular process.” The action follows the release of U.S. Department of Justice records on Jan. 30 that … Read more

Non-profit U.S. institute aims to link long-siloed medical and dental data using AI

by Oral Health
Medical and dental data integration efforts are not new. (iStock)

A U.S.-based oral health nonprofit is seeking to bridge the long-standing divide between medical and dental data using artificial intelligence. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a national nonprofit focused on advancing a more accessible and integrated oral health system, announced Tuesday it has partnered with health-care AI company Innovaccer to integrate medical and dental claims … Read more

German dentists propose converting pension fund into stock corporation amid C$1.78B losses

by Oral Health
Independent dentists in Berlin say their pension fund’s governance “must be professionalised” as the fund seeks C$132.6 million in damages from auditing firm Baker Tilly. (iStock)

An initiative representing independent dentists in Berlin is proposing a sweeping governance overhaul of the region’s pension fund, including converting it into a stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft), according to IPE. The proposal from the Initiative of Independent Dentists Berlin (IUZB) would transform the first-pillar pension fund structure and align it with German stock corporation law. Under … Read more

Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027

by Graham Lee Brewer And Savannah Peters, The Associated Press
The use of mercury-containing amalgams, also known as “silver fillings” due to their appearance, has declined sharply since 2009. (iStock)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The federal agency that provides health care to Native Americans and Alaska Natives has announced it will phase out the use of dental fillings containing mercury. The Indian Health Service has used fillings, known as dental amalgams, that contain elemental mercury to treat decayed and otherwise damaged teeth for decades. Native American rights and industry … Read more

CDCP update: 3.8 million receive dental care as approvals reach 6.27 million

by Oral Health
(iStock)

More than 3.8 million Canadians have received dental care under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) as of Jan. 31 — an increase of about 100,000 people from the previous month — according to updated figures from the federal government. As of Jan. 31, 6.27 million people have been approved for coverage under the federal … Read more

Study reveals gums are pre-wired for immune defense — even in health

by Oral Health
In health and disease, the gingiva remains on immune alert to protect the oral barrier, researchers report. (iStock)

Researchers have generated a detailed multi-omics atlas of the human oral mucosa, revealing that the gingiva is organized into distinct immune zones that remain structurally intact even during inflammatory disease. The study, published Feb. 9 in Nature Immunology, describes a “remarkable immune zonation” at the tooth–gum interface, where a dynamic epithelium is underlined by a … Read more

U of T biomedical engineering competition expands nationally, tackles oral health

by Oral Health
Members of The NeuroHack organizing team pose at the opening ceremony with keynote speaker Taufik A. Valiante from the Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, during last year’s BMEC. (Photo supplied)

The University of Toronto’s Biomedical Engineering Design Competition (BMEC) is expanding nationally for the first time this year, with dentistry and oral health selected as the central theme — an area drawing increased national attention. As of Dec. 31, more than six million Canadians have been approved under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), with … Read more

Trump signs bipartisan spending bill boosting dental research as broader public-health cuts loom

by Oral Health
Most notably, funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research rises by $5 million, bringing its total budget to $525 million. (iStock)

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a $1.2-trillion bipartisan federal spending bill that increases funding for dental research, oral-health programs and workforce development, even as the administration signals cutbacks in other areas of public-health spending. The fiscal 2026 funding package, approved by both chambers of Congress and signed Feb. 3, ends a partial government shutdown. … Read more

Registration opens for BioHorizons Global Symposium, set for April in Miami Beach

by Oral Health
biohorizons global symposium alternate text for this image

Registration is now open for the BioHorizons Global Symposium, scheduled for April 16–18, 2026, at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Florida. The three-day international meeting will bring together clinicians, specialists and dental teams to explore how emerging science and technology are reshaping implant dentistry. Hosted by BioHorizons, the symposium will feature more than 40 internationally … Read more

BioSyent Inc. to acquire Oral Science Inc. in $25.5M deal

by Oral Health
“Oral Science is a Canadian success story much like our own,” says René Goehrum, president and CEO of BioSyent. (iStock)

Mississauga, Ont.-based BioSyent Inc. says on Monday it has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire Oral Science Inc., a privately owned Canadian distributor of dental hygiene and oral health products, in a deal valued at $25.5 million. The agreement, dated Feb. 8, will see BioSyent acquire 100 per cent of the issued and … Read more