Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Dentistry News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/dentistry/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171261.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171261.php The British Dental Association (BDA) has called once again for a full review of the evidence base for the HTM 01-05 guidance document on decontamination in dental surgeries. The BDA has written to the Department of Health (DH) renewing its 2007 call for a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) review of the evidence, after it emerged that three areas of the guidance have already been amended before the document is even printed. Dentistry Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171083.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171083.php The unnecessarily complex contracts for dental access funding make them risky and inappropriate for dental practice, despite some changes made by the Department of Health (DH), the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC) has said today. The final version of the 'PDS+' agreement developed for the current round of dental access procurement has been published today by DH. It runs to nearly 50 pages and 17 schedules. Dentistry Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170826.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170826.php One day in medical clinics, the big picture of a patient's state of health may be found in little pictures from the mouth, says Li Mao, MD, a new professor at the University of Maryland Dental School. The mouth or oral cavity area is an excellent indicator of the whole body's health, says Mao, who is the chair of the new Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at the School. Dentistry Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170851.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170851.php Renishaw, the world's largest supplier of in-lab CAD/CAM scanning machines (hall 6 stand Q18), will highlight its new inciseTM dental milling system which enables dental laboratories of all sizes to manufacture truly low cost zirconia frameworks in-house. Dentistry Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170480.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170480.php In a remarkable study in Sweden, dentists have led the way in a study designed to spot the early-warning signs of cardiovascular disease - which can lead to heart attacks. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170426.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170426.php Tooth enamel is the hardest material in the human body because it's made almost entirely of minerals. As tough as it may be, however, enamel can be broken down by bacteria, forming cavities and eventually destroying the tooth. That's why dentists repair cavities by filling them with a material to replace the lost enamel. The most common such restorative is a material invented in the 19th-century known as amalgam -- the classic silver-black fillings many people have. Dentistry Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170326.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170326.php Amid the on-going controversy over the safety of mercury-containing dental fillings, a University of Saskatchewan research team has shed new light on how the chemical forms of mercury at the surface of fillings change over time. Their work, just published in the American Chemical Society journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, shows that the surface forms of mercury in older "silver" fillings (also known as amalgams) may be less toxic than previously thought. Dentistry Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170317.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170317.php Jeanne C. Sinkford, D.D.S., Ph.D., will receive national recognition for her outstanding contributions to promoting justice in medical education and health care as the recipient of the 2009 Herbert W. Nickens Award. She will be one of nine individuals and one medical school recognized for contributions to medical education on November 7, during the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) annual meeting. "Dr. Dentistry Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170185.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170185.php An "unacceptable and growing chasm" exists in the UK between those with good and poor oral health, according to the British Dental Association's (BDA's) Oral Health Inequalities Policy which is published today. The policy highlights the close association between low socio-economic status and poor oral health, calling for more focus on preventive care. It also says there should be a more integrated approach to oral health from health and social care providers. Dentistry Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170136.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170136.php A dental abscess, or tooth abscess, is an accumulation of pus that forms inside the teeth or gums. The abscess typically originates from a bacterial infection, often one that has accumulated in the soft pulp of the tooth. Bacteria exist in plaque, a by-product of food, saliva and bacteria in the mouth which sticks to the teeth and damages them, as well as the gums. Dentistry Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170160.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170160.php The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded researchers in Rice University's new BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) a $2 million Grand Opportunity (GO) grant to develop a fast, inexpensive test for oral cancer that a dentist could perform simply by using a brush to collect a small sample of cells from a patient's mouth. Cancer / Oncology Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170028.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170028.php A new study indicates dentists can play a potentially life-saving role in health care by identifying patients at risk of fatal heart attacks and referring them to physicians for further evaluation. Dentistry Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169968.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169968.php Unrelenting toothache means a visit to the dentist is inevitable, and if the tooth decay is really bad root canal treatment is often the only option. The dentist first removes the nerve completely and then closes the ensuing canal with a filler. This must be airtight to prevent bacteria from entering and causing renewed inflammation. On the other hand, the material must also be removable. Dentistry Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169833.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169833.php New clinical guidelines released by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) emphasize the importance of periodontal health for people with diabetes. Diabetes affects approximately 246 million people worldwide, and this number is only expected to increase. The IDF is an organization of 200 national diabetes associations from 160 countries. Diabetes Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169426.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169426.php In today's state watch, Virginia plans to close a pharmacy for the mentally ill, Medicaid patients in Michigan are suing over dental care and Rhode Island reports that insurers remain relatively healthy. Mental Health Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169370.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169370.php The annual amount spent by Georgians and Ohioans or their insurers for dental care in 2006 averaged about $150 less than the national average of $607, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The average annual dental expenditure for each Georgian who had dental care was $466, while for Ohioans, it was $474. Dentistry Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169306.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169306.php An "unacceptable and growing chasm" exists in the UK between those with good and poor oral health, according to the British Dental Association's (BDA's) Oral Health Inequalities Policy which is published today. The policy highlights the close association between low socio-economic status and poor oral health, calling for more focus on preventive care. It also says there should be a more integrated approach to oral health from health and social care providers. Dentistry Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169196.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169196.php PAIR Technologies, a start-up company established by University of Delaware researchers and a former DuPont scientist, is preparing to commercialize a high-precision detector - a planar array infrared spectrograph - that can identify biological and chemical agents in solids, liquids, and gases, present at low levels, and in less than a second. IT / Internet / E-mail Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169049.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169049.php Philanthropists Irwin and Joan Jacobs of La Jolla, CA are giving a $6.5 million gift to UCSF for head and neck cancer research. It is believed to be the largest private, U.S. gift for research supporting this disease. Irwin Jacobs is the founder, retired CEO, and current board member of telecommunications giant Qualcomm. He is also a survivor of a rare form of the cancer. Cancer / Oncology Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168934.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168934.php It has long been known that acids can erode tooth enamel but a new Swedish study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that strong alkaline substances can damage teeth too - substances with high pH values can destroy parts of the organic content of the tooth, leaving the enamel more vulnerable. Dentistry Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168794.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168794.php "Unions representing thousands of teachers and state and local government workers are bracing for the worst if Congress adopts a proposed 'Cadillac' tax on health insurance," Newsday reports. "The 40 percent levy on health care costs above $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families passed the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 13. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168648.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168648.php Plastic Surgery 2009 keeping you up-to-date on embargoed studies and other news presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) held October 23-27 in Seattle. Neurology / Neuroscience Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168216.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168216.php The University of Southern Nevada (USN), a private, non-profit institution of higher education, announced today plans to expand its College of Dental Medicine by starting a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program at the university's campus located at 10920 South River Front Parkway in South Jordan, Utah. The university expects to admit its first class in fall 2011. "Currently no pre-doctoral dental program exists in Utah," said USN President Dr. Harry Rosenberg, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Dentistry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168098.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168098.php Pacifier, baby bottle or finger sucking may hamper a child's speech development if the habit goes on too long. In a study that took place in Patagonia, Chile, researchers associated the persistence of these sucking habits with an increased risk of speech disorders in preschool children. The children were more likely to have difficulty producing certain word sounds and to simplify their pronunciation. The results are published Wednesday, Oct. Pediatrics / Children's Health Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167947.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167947.php West Virginia's Medicaid patients are nearing a crisis when it comes to access to dental care, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. Medicaid's reimbursement rates for dentistry haven't increased since 1991, and West Virginia cut rates in 1994 by 30 percent, causing fewer and fewer dentists to accept payment from the public program for low-income patients. Dentistry