Scalpels of Light
from Alexandria Town Talk
John Bryan lay patiently as his dentist, Dr. Chris Edwards, shot laser energy into his gums, without anesthesia, to reshape them. The procedure lasted just two to three minutes, creating minimal bleeding and discomfort. More dentists, like Edwards, are tapping into lasers to banish bacteria during root canals. More

Single Adult Stem Cell Can Self Renew
from Science Daily
The first demonstration that a single adult stem cell can self-renew in a mammal was reported recently at the American Society for Cell Biology 48th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The transplanted adult stem cell and its differentiated descendants restored lost function to mice with hind limb muscle tissue damage. More

Bulimia Can't Hide From Dentist
from The Wall Street Journal
Bulimics are notorious for hiding their disease. Hiding the signs becomes a way of life, until the bulimic goes to the dentist that is. "The mouth is like an open book, the signals that something is wrong are everywhere - swollen salivary glands, stomach-acid etched teeth," says dentist Dr. Brian McKay, author of the new book, "Bulimia Is a Dental Disease." More

Gene Therapy Effective Treatment Against Gum Disease
from Biology News
Using gene transfer to treat life threatening conditions is not new, but University of Michigan scientists are the first known to use the gene delivery approach to show potential in treating chronic conditions such as periodontal disease, said William Giannobile, professor at the U of M School of Dentistry and principal investigator on the study. More

Rehabilitation of Maxillae with Severe Atrophy Using Extra Long Dental Implants
from Osseo News
There is a need to simplify dental implants treatment for complete arch rehabilitation of severely atrophic maxillae, as well as a desire to eliminate grafting and provide quality rehabilitation in terms of esthetics, function, and comfort for the patient. The purpose of this study was to report on the initial results of rehabilitation of complete edentulous atrophied maxillae using a new surgical approach and a newly designed extra long implant, placed externally to the maxillary bone. More

Dentists Skipping Washes Between Patients
from The Herald via the Dental Office Magazine
Nearly three-quarters of dentists failed to wash their hands between patients during a study of hygiene practice at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, a dental teaching hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. The research found clinical staff who supervise students were the worst offenders for breaching basic hand hygiene procedures, seen as crucial for preventing the spread of infections such as the superbug MRSA. More

Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease Linked
from Medical News Today
Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes and celiac disease appear to share a common genetic origin, scientists at the University of Cambridge and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, have confirmed. Their findings, which are reported in this week's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, identified seven chromosome regions which are shared between the two diseases. More

Orally Based Diagnosis of Celiac Disease: Current Perspectives
from The Journal of Dental Research
Celiac disease is a lifelong immune-mediated disorder caused by the ingestion of wheat gluten in genetically susceptible persons. Most cases of CD are atypical and remain undiagnosed, which exposes the individuals to the risk of life-threatening complications. More

Dental Network of America Becomes Largest National Dental Network in the U.S.
from The Wall Street Journal
Dental Network of America, Inc., announces double digit growth of 26 percent for 2008 in its national dental network − the DNoA Preferred Network − now totaling over 120,000 dentist access points nationwide. This significant network growth places DNoA as the largest dental network, in terms of access points in the United States. More