Industry News

“Jedes kind kostet die mutter einen zahn,” says an old German saying; “every child costs the mother one tooth.” While many people dismiss old wives tales, this is one that has some basis in reality: According to researchers at New York University, the risk of tooth loss and gum disease increases with the number of children a woman bears.

Ask any cosmetic dentist that’s been around for awhile, and he or she will tell you a lot of the most popular treatments are now done in fresh and exciting ways. And while there are new, cutting-edge procedures, there are still a number of mainstays that provide the majority of their work.

Many people dread going to the dentist, but at least they only have to think about it a few times a year. This is not the case for one British man who, due to a bizarre case of amnesia, wakes up every morning thinking it’s the day of his dental appointment.

While stretching out in the sun this summer has its cancer-causing risks, it can also ensure a healthier smile. Research has found that a healthy dose of sunlight could actually help stave off gum disease and increase gum health.

A new study is calling on dental teams to alert parents to the oral health risk of sharing spoons with toddlers at mealtimes.

According to new guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA), dentists treating patients with chronic periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease that can lead to tooth loss, are advised to use scaling and root planing (SRP), deep cleaning of the teeth, as initial treatment.

Almost 11,000 Australian patients have been warned that they may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases due to appalling hygiene negligence in Sydney dental clinics.

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is set to hold its 101st Annual Meeting from November 14-17, 2015, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. 

Steve Jobs once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Amann Girrbach has announced a distribution partnership agreement with Benco Dental, the large dental supply distribution company in Pennsylvania that serves more than 35,000 dental professionals.

In all our years of fanatically watching Shark Week, we’ve learned a few things: Don’t go swimming at dusk; avoid inserting body parts into a shark’s mouth; we’ll probably need a bigger boat, and, perhaps most interestingly, that a shark can endlessly replace its teeth-which could have major implications for human dental health.

As we cross the midway point of the year, now is an excellent time for a dental practice to examine its fee structure and see what needs to be updated and improved, said Teresa Duncan, DPR’s insurance editor and a noted practice management consultant.

Dental Lab Products looks at the hourly and annual salary numbers for dental lab technicians in the United States.

Whether the millions of people who sit in a dentists’ chair each year know it or not, dental technicians are a key part of the workflow that gets restorations into their mouths.

A recent study by researchers at the Indiana University – Purdue University Department of Health Policy and Management found that access to health care – in particular dentists and pharmacists – increases the availability and subsequent abuse of prescription opioids.

Did you know that nearly two thirds of dentists who retire early are forced to due to a musculoskeletal disorder? And that studies show the prevalence of work-related pain in dentistry today is roughly the same as it was in 1946?  

Not everything gets better with age.

Empire Dental Solutions has announced they now offer the White Peaks Dental product line for CAD/CAM milling of temporary and permanent crowns, bridges, abutments and bars.

America: Home to revolutionaries, heroes, Wild West gunslingers, Olympic legends and artistic geniuses. What do all those country-shaping patriots have in common? Many of them were also dentists.

Are your patients lying to you about their oral hygiene habits? Probably so, says one new national survey. 

Even the greatest leaders can’t be perfect. In George Washington’s case, one big shortcoming was his infamously terrible teeth. Equally infamous, Washington’s wooden dentures have become the stuff of legend… a factually incorrect legend, as Washington never actually sported dentures made from wood.

Brazilian researchers discovered that consumption of alcoholic beverages can have adverse effects on the health of a person’s gums, aggravating existing cases of severe periodontal disease or increasing periodontal disease risk factors. 

It’s no wonder that three out of four dentists and hygienists complain of neck pain. EMG studies show that the upper trapezius muscle is the most active muscle during the delivery of dental care, which can lead to the development of a painful condition called trapezius myalgia.

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. has announced that, following the receipt of U.S. Federal Trade Commission clearance, Zimmer has completed the acquisition of Biomet in a cash and equity transaction currently valued at approximately $14.0 billion.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and the Departments of Urology and Pathology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center reported that treating gum disease reduced symptoms of prostate inflammation, called prostatitis.

A recent study found that tooth loss could be a predictor for future cardiovascular events, diabetes and even death.

A recent study out of Tufts University found that the accuracy of impression techniques can be affected by partial vs. complete edentulism. The study evaluated the differing levels of success of conventional and digital impression techniques in partially and completely edentulous patients.  It also assessed the effect different variables, such as materials, angulation, and connection type, had in regard to the accuracy of implant impressions.

A new antimicrobial agent could have serious benefits for dentistry by helping combat bacterial and fungal infections that cause composite filling failure and oral health issues.

A recent study out of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found that adults suffering from severe dental anxiety (DA) often struggle with poorer oral health and depression, but that cognitive behavior therapy can help alleviate anxiety.

G&H Dental Arts recently announced the acquisition of Cushman & Associates Dental Lab and Buttress-Wilshire Dental Laboratory, adding personnel and new offerings to the 80-person lab.