Oral Care

It may not be totally accurate, but that doesn’t stop Texas dentist Dr. Ron Bosher, FAGD, from sharing a very funny line about why he chose his profession. Because while he likes to joke that dentists “hurt people,” his career involves going to great lengths to protect people, specifically athletes both young and old.

In recent years, faculty members at the UCLA School of Dentistry have been expanding the traditional boundaries of dentistry through groundbreaking multidisciplinary research that has led to major advances in everything from stem cell science to saliva diagnostics. 

This week's episode of DPR Friday highlights the cover products from the July issue of DPR. The notable dental products include...  

In light of the recent investigative film that examined the flaws in the dental care system, dental professionals from across the country have expressed mixed reactions. FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity were behind the production of the film.

Advanstar Dental Media's Director of Content, Thais Carter, flew to Charlotte, North Carolina to cover the inaugural Oral Health Zone Summit.

1. Sunstar America's GUM PerioShield oral health rinse represents a next generation solution to achieving and maintaining a healthy mouth. It inhibits bacterial adhesion to tooth surfaces and serves as an adjunct to normal mechanical oral hygiene. 2. The rinse provides a tool clinically proven to prevent plaque and gingivitis that could lead to periodontitis.

Patients often experience oral inflammation, whether it’s from self-induced trauma or an area that must heal following a dental procedure. MIS Implants Technologies’ PeriZone™ PerioPatch® acts as a barrier while it provides relief and absorbs excess wound exudates to promote healing.

For the dads in your practice and the dads in your life, check out the slideshow to the left for five great products to consider recommending to keep their smiles healthy and handsome.

The DPR Technology Census has been a cornerstone of the DPR Editorial Calendar for a number of years. Part of what makes the tech census a must-read year after year is the fact that it helps dentists benchmark themselves. It's not always about what technology is available, but who is using it, who plans to use it, and what barriers to entry exist.

Virginia Commonwealth University Dental School outreach director tells Thais Carter that events like this weekend's Give Kids A Smile NASCAR event in Richmond prepare dental and hygiene students for under-served children that are right there in their community. Watch the full video interview below.

Dr. Fresh®, Inc., maker of the best-selling FireFly® toothbrush, announced that it has entered a new licensing agreement as the exclusive U.S. manufacturer and marketer of Angry Birds® branded oral care products. Angry Birds fever has captivated a broad swath of consumers across all generations, and Dr. Fresh is the first to leverage the brand’s appeal in an innovative oral care line.

Looking to better serve governments, large accounts and educational facilities, Holt Dental Supply has created a Special Markets Division. Over the years Holt Dental Supply has worked steadily to build the best full service dental dealer possible. For more information on the company's announcement, see the full press release below.

Humanitarian Eric Cope, founder of Smile Squared, wants to give children the opportunity of healthy teeth with is eco-friendly toothbrush "buy one, give one" philosophy. Each time someone purchases a sustainable toothbrush from Smile Squared, one goes to a child in need. Watch the video to learn more.

Dental cavities and tooth decay is one of the most common medical conditions experienced by Americans and the single most common disease of childhood. 

Research presented by the American Association of Dental Research shows that periodontal treatment and appropriate dental care can help lower the medical costs for diabetic patients.

August 18, 2010-People know their cholesterol number, but there is another important number that affects your health –the number that tells the acidity of your mouth.  There are billions of bacteria in your mouth. Each time you eat or drink anything with sugar, you are feeding the bacteria – and they double in number every 20 minutes. As the bacteria eat, they give off acids which increase the acidity of your mouth.  Acids dissolve the calcium in your teeth and are the basis of decay.  Scientists talk about acidity in terms of numbers called pH.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – Aug. 10, 2010 – Each year, more than 51 million school hours are lost as a result of problems related to tooth decay, the most common chronic childhood disease in America. Yet according to a recent survey by Trident®, more than eight in 10 (84%) American parents don’t realize this.

01 DentalEZ just purchased the Identafi 3000 ultra oral cancer screening device. Why was this a good time for such an acquisition?

September 9, 2010-In January 2010, a 43-member team representing the New York University College of Dentistry-Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program carried out the most comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment program ever undertaken in a Caribbean country, hosted by the governments of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Health care providers now have evidence-based guidelines to emphasize the importance of pregnant women maintaining good oral health care and the safety of providing appropriate treatment during pregnancy as published in the June Journal of the California Dental Association.

CHIICAGO, IL, July 28, 2010 – Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in America, yet over eight in ten (84%) American parents don't realize this. Smiles Across America® (SAA), an Oral Health America program led in conjunction with Trident® gum, is pleased to welcome Denver-based Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND) into the SAA network.

SYRACUSE, N.Y., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Practicing good oral hygiene and receiving regular dental exams are critical to good oral health, yet many Aspen Dental dentists report that patients continue to delay care, a decision that can prove costly down the road.

Dr. Tamara Bailey After rising above a difficult divorce and moving to a new city, Dr. Tamara Bailey settled in to life as a single mom in a male-dominated profession, building a successful dental practice from scratch. These days, she is serving as the Director of Doctor Relations for the Atlanta Center for Dental Excellence, busy overseeing the building of a new office, and somehow still finding time to take her three kids to hockey practice.

There are an overwhelming number of studies showing that your oral health is related to your body’s overall health. If your mouth isn’t healthy, you may be twice as likely to die from a heart attack, three times as likely to die from a stroke and even four to seven times more likely to die if you have diabetes. Additionally, you may be 63% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Clearly oral health (or lack thereof) has life and death consequences.

June 7, 2010 | modernhygienist.com web exclusive Part 1: The importance of oral cancer screenings Photo: Trimira Clinical Image Library

The history of the public's perception of dentistry may be viewed as consisting of three waves. I like to describe the first wave with the term "Feel Well Dentistry."  During this wave, dentists were perceived as first and foremost who to call to get you out of tooth pain. 

This is the story about Zeb, a promising Brooklyn high school student who privately suffered pain and embarrassment stemming from the effects of poor oral health. He was afraid to smile when asked to “say cheese” for a camera and dreaded meeting new people, fearing ridicule once they saw his unsightly smile.

There are many serious consequences to imbibing to excess. Alcoholic beverages can affect the mouth and teeth in many different ways. In recent times, some of the healthful benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have been noted. Certainly, in excess, alcohol has been shown to be detrimental to health. The detrimental effects of alcohol on the mouth can range from gum disease to oral cancer. Drinking can lead to gum disease

01 OralDNA® Labs is relatively new to the dental industry. Can you provide a little background? The company was formed in May 2008 in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tenn., by an experienced group of health care and business professionals whose specialty is in establishing and managing diagnostic laboratories. In May of 2009 OralDNA® Labs was acquired by Quest Diagnostics®.