Dental care trends for 2010
DentalPlans.com
The world of dental care is evolving, as certain procedures now involve less discomfort and others have been replaced with better alternatives. The Consumer Guide to Dentistry recently released its top dental trends for 2010, and implants are high on the list. Dental implants are an alternative to crowns and bridges for individuals who need replacement teeth, according to the American Dental Association.More

Study: Surgical masks nearly as effective as N95 respirators
American Dental Association
Surgical masks appear to be nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a study published recently in JAMA. A research team led by Mark Loeb, MD, MSc, professor at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, conducted a randomized controlled trial of 446 nurses in eight Ontario hospitals to compare the surgical mask with the N95 respirator in protecting health care workers against influenza. Nurses were randomly assigned to two groups: 225 received surgical masks and 221 received the fitted N95 respirator. The nurses were to wear the masks or respirators when caring for patients with febrile respiratory illness.More

Immediate mandibular molar implant placement
The Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry
While anterior and maxillary implants tend to get the most attention as far as immediate implants are concerned, mandibular posterior teeth are a great yet often overlooked location for immediate implants. The thick buccal and lingual walls allow for excellent bone formation without much of the resorption that you may see with thin facial plates in the anterior maxilla/mandible.More

Scientists use dental stem cells in first successful human transplant
MarketWire via Benzinga
Scientists at The Second University of Naples, Italy have successfully used stem cells taken from dental pulp found in teeth to create new bone tissue and graft it onto a human jaw. The success yields a vast number of medical possibilities for dental stem cells, and for those people who store them for future use.More

Dental therapists to fill dentist shortage
United Press International
Dental therapists, who perform preventive and basic dental services, could provide care to millions of underserved Americans, a foundation says. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation report said dental therapists are similar to nurse practitioners or physician assistant in the medical field. "Training and placing new dental therapists under the general supervision of a dentist in underserved areas could help ensure that more families, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can access quality, affordable dental care," Sterling K. Speirn, president of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, said in a statement.More

Saliva microRNAs act as oral cancer biomarkers
Oncology Nursing News
MicroRNAs present in saliva can be used for oral cancer detection, say researchers at the UCLA School of Dentistry. According to background information provided in the paper, oral squamous cell carcinoma constitutes approximately 90 percent of oral cancer and in the US, OSCC is the sixth most common cancer, leading to approximately 8000 deaths per year. Furthermore, it was revealed that the average five year survival rate for OSCC is around 50 percent, and the authors explained that an early detection method for OSCC is needed to increase long-term patient survival.More

Serious gaps revealed in U.S. response to health emergencies
U.S. News & World Reports
The outbreak of the pandemic H1N1 swine flu has revealed serious flaws in the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies, a new report says. The report, prepared by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also finds the dire economy has strained the already underfunded public health system. "The 2009 H1N1 outbreak is the latest in a series of reminders — from Sept. 11 to the subsequent anthrax attacks to hurricane Katrina — that the nation's public health system needs to be ready to respond to a major health crisis," said Richard Hamburg, deputy director of the Trust for America's Health.More

Drug allows for faster recovery time after dental visit
KMGH-TV
There's a new way to cut back on your recovery time after leaving the dentist's chair. More than 17 million people undergo the unpleasant experience of a root canal every year. The anesthetics take away the pain, but can leave you numb for hours.More

Study: More than 90 percent of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes
Science Daily
An overwhelming majority of people who have periodontal disease are also at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes, a New York University nursing-dental research team has found. The researchers also determined that half of those at risk had seen a dentist in the previous year, concluded that dentists should consider offering diabetes screenings in their offices, and described practical approaches to conducting diabetes screenings in dental offices.More

Study: Older dental fillings contain form of mercury unlikely to be toxic
Science Daily
A new study on the surface chemistry of silver-colored, mercury-based dental fillings suggests that the surface forms of mercury may be less toxic than previously thought. In the study, researchers note that mercury-based fillings, also called amalgams, have been used by dentists to repair teeth for well-over a century. In recent decades their use has become controversial because of concerns about exposure to potentially toxic mercury. However, mercury can potentially exist in several different chemical forms, each with a different toxicity.More

FDA approves long-acting olanzapine
MedPage Today
A long-acting depot formulation of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine has been approved by the FDA, which had rejected the same product early last year. The new version, to be marketed as Zyprexa RelPrevv, is given by intramuscular injection every two to four weeks, depending on the dose, and is now approved for treatment of schizophrenia in adults. Olanzapine was previously approved in oral and injectable forms for daily use.More