Placement of Dental Implants Results in Minimal Bone Loss
from PhysOrg
A recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that the majority of bone remodeling occurred in the time between the implant placement and final prosthesis placement. Subsequently, little mean bone change was observed in the five years following the implant placement, independent of type of restoration or implant length. More

Imaging Focused on a Tooth Reveals an Unusual Mass
from the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
A 37-year-old man noted intermittent decreased sensation in his chin and lower lip with associated pain and swelling in his left lower jaw. He was planning to see his primary care physician to have the symptoms evaluated when he fell off a ladder, injuring his neck and the side of his face. The patient went to the emergency department, where a series of cervical spine radiographs was performed and read as negative. The radiographs showed normal cervical curvature with preservation of the intervertebral disk spaces and no prevertebral soft-tissue swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications were prescribed, and the symptoms subsequently subsided. More

BioHorizons Reports on Comparative Three-Year Dental Implant Study Showing Significant Crestal Bone and Soft Tissue Retention
from PR Newswire
BioHorizons, a leader in the dental implant industry, reported today that data from a three-year prospective, controlled, multi-center study of implants with Laser-Lok(R) surface treatment confirmed previous results observed for Laser-Lok in vitro and in animal studies. Laser-Lok implants showed superior crestal bone maintenance when compared to traditional implants and to bone loss commonly reported in other studies. More

Teeth Bare Insights into Columbus Voyage
from The Washington Post via The Concord Monitor
In the past few years, chemical studies of the skeletons, especially their teeth, have begun to yield new insights into the lives and origins of Christopher Columbus's crew. The studies hint that, among other things, crew members may have included free black Africans who arrived in the New World about a decade before the slave trade began. More

Face Protection Effective in Preventing Flu Spread
from Infection Control Today
A new article in the journal Risk Analysis assessed various ways in which aerosol transmission of the flu, a central mode of diffusion which involves breathing droplets in the air, can be reduced. Results show that face protection is a key infection control measure for influenza and can thus affect how people should try to protect themselves from the swine flu. More

Jeweled Teeth Popular among Native Americans
from National Geographic via ChattahBox
Skulls that have been found all over what was once Mesoamerica have shown that many people within Native American tribes once decorated their teeth with jewels, carvings, and designs. The finding point to ‘dentists’ that worked more then 2,500 years ago to offer certain members of the tribe oral decorations, such as glittering gemstones. More

American Dental Association Statement on Zinc in Denture Cream
from American Dental Association
A recent case report describes four case histories of patients who reportedly developed neurological problems, presumably from excessive ingestion of certain denture creams containing zinc. The authors noted that these individuals used excessive amounts of denture creams containing zinc (two or more tubes of denture cream per week for years, when one tube would normally last for three to-10 weeks) and suggested that these individuals might have swallowed large amounts of denture cream over a prolonged period. At this point, the authors agree that this is just a hypothesis. The ADA has no independent knowledge of the facts in these cases. More

Influence of Defect Depth on Resonance Frequency Analysis and Insertion Torque Values for Implants Placed in Fresh Extraction Sockets
from Osseo News
Clinical studies show promising outcomes with implants inserted at the time of extraction. However, this often results in an initial bone defect at the marginal region which preferably should heal for an optimal function. Therefore, monitoring of these implants is vital. More

Dental Researchers ID New Target in Fight Against Osteoporosis, Periodontitis
from Science Daily
Osteoporosis and periodontitis are common diseases whose sufferers must cope with weakness, injury and reduced function as they lose bone more quickly than it is formed. While the mechanism of bone destruction in these diseases is understood, scientists have had less information about how bone formation is impaired. More

Vertical Bone Augmentation vs. 7-mm-Long Implants in Posterior Atrophic Mandibles
from The European Journal of Esthetic Dentistry
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether 7-mm-long implants could be a suitable alternative to longer implants placed in vertically augmented bone for the treatment of atrophic posterior mandibles … Sixty partially edentulous patients having 7 to 8 mm of residual crestal height and at least 5.5 mm thickness measured on a computed tomography scan above the mandibular canal were randomised to receive either two to three submerged 7-mm-long NanoTite External Hex implants (Biomet 3i) or 10-mm or longer implants (30 patients per group) placed in vertically augmented bone. More

Minnesota Passes Legislation Allowing Mid-level Oral Health Provider
from PR Newswire
History was recently made when Minnesota became the first state to pass legislation allowing a "mid-level" oral health provider into state statute - enabling students who are educated under the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner model to become licensed to practice. The new providers will focus their practice on care for underserved populations in the state and will administer educational, preventive, palliative, therapeutic, and restorative services. More