Dental clinic Murder, New Regulation, MCI president arrested, PG seat Scam, Free journal, Banking virus, articaine is better ?

Wife murders husband in Dental Clinic
A young woman has been arrested for murder of her husband on Tuesday in a dental clinic in village Lambra. She has told police that her paramour, along with three of his accomplices, had killed her husband in her presence.
They stabbed him to death and Amandeep was then tied up. Fact of the murder came to light when a patient visited the clinic and found Boota in a pool of blood and Amandeep tied up in an unconscious state.  MORE

Medical Council President Ketan Desai arrested
Dr Ketan Desai and two others were arrested late on Thursday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs two crore to grant recognition to a medical college in Punjab.

Desai was arrested late last night after the CBI conducted searches at his office here following information that he along with his associate Jitender Pal Singh was allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs two crore to recognise a college in Punjab. The CBI laid a trap after receiving a complaint and caught Singh red-handed with Rs 2 crore, to be delivered to Desai.  MORE HERE

Health Minister introduces Bill to regulate medical clinics

 A Bill to regulate medical clinics to ensure uniform standards of facilities and services was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

According to the statement of objects and reasons appended to the Bill, it provides for constitution of a national council consisting of representatives from the Medical Council of India, the Dental Council, the Nursing Council etc., to determine the standards for the clinics, classify them, develop the minimum standards and their periodic review, compile, maintain and update a national register of clinical establishments.

Besides, State Council will be formed in the States. Under the Bill no person could keep a clinic unless it was registered in accordance with the relevant provisions. However this would not apply to clinics of the armed forces. MORE

IPL Matches are fixed
The Indian Premier League (IPL) matches you have been keenly following for most of the past two months have been fixed, according to an income tax (I-T) report. Worse still, by none other than your cricketing idols. MORE HERE

Dental art  from Lithuania
Designer Jolanta Prunskaite takes pictures of teeth and different pictures of mouth and turns them into unique pieces of arts. There are a lot of different colors and designs that are used in making the art for odontology and if you or someone that you know has dental practice, any of these paintings would be an ideal addition to their home or office. Dental art designs are recomended for odontologists and odontology clinicues. They prerfectly fit for any interior of odontology cliniques. See examples of a hand bag, Christmas card and a neck tie, MORE HERE

Sting operation exposes Comed-K PG seat allotment
The second round of counselling for medical and dental seats via Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges (Comed-K) PGET 2010 came to an abrupt halt on Thursday after a sting exposed the role of brokers in blocking seats during the counselling process.MORE HERE 

Free open access new clinical journal launched in India

Contemporary Clinical Dentistry is a Quarterly peer-reviewed international journal published by the Maharishi Markandeshwar University (VC Prof SG Damle). The journal’s full text is available online at www.contempclindent.org. The journal allows free access (Open Access) to its contents and permits authors to self-archive final accepted version of the articles on any OAI-compliant institutional / subject-based repository. The journal does not charge for submission, processing or publication of manuscripts and even for color reproduction of photographs.

The journal will cover technical and clinical studies related to diagnosis and therapy during the pre-natal stage in humans including ethical and social issues. Articles with clinical interest and implications will be given preference. 


Banking virus is back
Zeus, a virus that steals online banking details from infected computer users, is more powerful than ever, warns a web security company.

Trusteer says it has spotted the Trojan virus in one of every 3,000 of the 5.5m computers it monitors in the US and UK.Zeus 1.6 can infect people using Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers, the company claims.The malware steals login information by recording keystrokes when the infected user is on a list of target websites. MORE ON BBC

BioMers Introduces New Aesthetic Products For Orthodontics
Orthodontic braces comprise of brackets and wires to align teeth. The SimpliClear™ braces system is made up of translucent brackets and a proprietary translucent wire. Although the development for an invisible orthodontic braces system began over 30 years ago with the introduction of translucent brackets, there has never been a complete workable solution until SimpliClear™. MORE HERE

Mouth Breathing Can Cause Major Health Problems
The physical, medical and social problems associated with mouth breathing are not recognized by most health care professionals, according to a study published in the January/February 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Dentists typically request that their patients return every six months, which means that some people see their dentist more frequently than they see their physician. As a result, dentists may be the first to identify the symptoms of mouth breathing. And, because dentists understand the problems associated with mouth breathing, they can help prevent the adverse effects.   MORE HERE


Is articaine better local anesthetic for infiltrations?  
Articaine worked better than competing anesthetics in seven out of 10 randomized clinical trials of infiltration analyzed for a review presented at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Washington, DC.

"We have a number of solutions to choose from, and, for me, that's a daunting task," said Ryan Brandt, D.D.S., a University of Michigan endodontic resident. He said he'd found recommendations from some of dentistry's leading luminaries, but "these opinions don't necessarily agree with the evidence." On the other hand, lidocaine is still the most used for infiltrations in the U.S., he said. Articanine is sold as Septocaine by Septodent. There are reports that articaine use for nerve blocks may cause paresthesia.
MORE HERE and 
Read More on Articaine in THIS ARTICLE

Sinusitis after Implants, Oral bacteria travel to womb, Drink tap water-avoid caries

More Mobile phones in India than Toothbrush or Toilets
Indians have "low level of awareness about the importance of oral health and hygiene" and nearly half of them do not use toothbrush and toothpaste, a survey said Monday, 12 April.

This was revealed by the Consumer Usage and Attitudes Survey conducted across the four geographic zones in India. The study conducted by research firm IMRB said only 51 percent of the people brush their teeth with a toothpaste and a toothbrush.

"Only 28 percent of the respondents brush their teeth twice a day and 34 percent believe that the current frequency of brushing once a day is sufficient," the survey said."Two out of three consumers have never visited a dentist."
The study also said that only 47 percent of total treatments received are by dentists. The rest prefer to rely on advice from chemists, general practitioners or self-treatment using home remedies.  LINK

According to a report the total mobile phone or wireless connections in the country, by the end of January 2010, was at 54.50 crore. It is estimated to be about 60% as on April 2010.   LINK

According to a UN report there are more mobile phones in India than toilets, LINK 

Jaypee Launches World journal of Dentistry

Indian will see addition of a new quality indexed dental journal specially with a focus on general dentistry. For more info on subscription and/or article submission send email to us or to infoiagd@gmail.com 

Maxillary Sinusitis After Implant Placement, Yes it Happens

Implant Dentistry:,April 2010 - Volume 19 - Issue 2 - pp 115-121

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognosis and treatment of infection of the maxillary sinus associated with dental implants.

Methods: Oral and radiographic general clinical features of 2 patients who developed maxillary sinusitis after implant placement.
Results: The symptoms of maxillary sinusitis were improved by curettage through the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus, antibiotics, and sinus irrigation after 2 weeks of the operation.

Conclusion: It was concluded that acute maxillary sinusitis should be treated with a direct approach to the maxillary sinus via lateral wall opening, regular irrigation in hospital, and antibiotics.

Oral contraceptives in women adversely impact periodontal health
JOP Apr 2010
oral contraceptive (OC)  users, particularly smokers, showed a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of severe periodontitis. OC users had deeper probing depths and higher gingival index scores ≥2 and clinical attachment loss ≥5 mm than non-users (P <0.01). Patients on OCs had significantly higher numbers of cultures positive for Candida. Seven Candida species were isolated. Subgingival Candida was associated with P. gingivalis and P. intermedia in 82.9% and 85.4%, respectively, in patients taking OCs. A. actinomycetemcomitans was isolated in patients with moderate and severe periodontitis and was associated with subgingival P. gingivalis, P. intermedia and Candida.

Conclusions: OC use may increase the risk of severe periodontitis and seems to cause a selection of certain Candida species in periodontal pockets. OC users showed a higher prevalence of P. gingivalis, P. intermedia and A. actinomycetemcomitans compared to non-users. C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata were the species with the ability to survive in the conditions created by the sex hormones after 3 years.

Oral Bacteria Linked to Intrauterine Infections and Pre-Term Birth

Bacteria in the mouths of pregnant women can contribute to pre-term birth, according to researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights. The findings are published in the April 2010 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Approximately 12.7% of births in the U.S. are pre-term deliveries, a rate that reflects a 36% increase over the last 25 years. Intrauterine infection is recognized as a main cause of pre-term birth as well as late miscarriage and still birth. The cause of intrauterine infections has long been attributed to bacteria ascending into the uterus from the lower genital tract, however, recent studies indicate such infections are caused not only by bacteria found in the vaginal tract, but also in the mouth. MORE HERE

 Caries, Gum Disease Found in Genes
Certain genetic variations may be linked to higher rates of tooth decay and aggressive periodontitis, according to two recently published papers by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and their collaborators.
Alexandre R. Vieira, D.D. S., Ph.D., senior author of both papers and an assistant professor of oral biology, and his colleagues at the School of Dental Medicine found that the rate of dental caries was influenced by individual variations, or polymorphisms, in a gene called beta defensin 1(DEFB1), which plays a key role in the first-line immune response against invading germs. The findings are available online in the Journal of Dental Research. MORE HERE

Toothpaste With Triclosan/copolymer Kills Harmful Germs, also read the next news below
The human mouth is home to an estimated 800 to 1,000 different kinds of bacteria. The warm and moist environment, along with hard tooth surfaces and soft tissues, prove to be optimal factors in boosting germ growth. Many of these bacteria are harmful and can form a film on teeth called "dental plaque," which causes cavities, gingivitis and eventually more severe kinds of gum.
Toothpaste that contains triclosan/copolymer is better than regular fluoride toothpastes at killing the kinds of bacteria that live in people's mouths, according to a study published in the January/February 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). MORE HERE

Studies Show Antiseptic Chemical Triclosan Can Alter Hormones in Animals
April 13, 2010

With new research indicating that triclosan -- a chemical found in toothpaste and many other consumer products -- may disrupt the endocrine system and create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, the FDA is now looking at whether this substance is as safe as originally thought.

The agency's decision to review triclosan -- a substance it last studied in 1997, concluding at the time that it helped enhance toothpaste -- comes after repeated requests by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.

Markey first approached the FDA with concerns about triclosan in January, and repeated his request for a review of the substance in letters sent to the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this month. He has also written to 13 major manufacturers of products containing triclosan -- including Colgate-Palmolive and Procter and Gamble -- urging them to voluntarily stop using triclosan.  MORE

Drinking Tap Water May Help You Avoid Dentist's Drill
The controlled addition of a fluoride compound to public water supplies is considered to be the most cost-effective way to prevent cavities and fight tooth decay, according to a study published in the January/February 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) peer-reviewed clinical journal.
Tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC states that tooth decay, if left untreated, can cause pain and infections that hinder eating, speaking, playing and learning. MORE

New Mouth Rinse, Finishing composite restorations, Predicatable Oral Cancer Diagnosis, Anterior Implant gingival papilla, Obesity and saliva flow

Funding cuts in UK Dental Schools

Cuts to the funding of dental academia could adversely affect the ability of UK dental schools to maintain the supply of high-quality new graduates into the workforce, the British Dental Association (BDA) has warned today. The BDA's warning follows the recent announcement by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) that funding allocations for universities and higher education colleges for 2010-11 will be reduced. MORE 

'Ugly Betty' Effect brings Ortho patients (Jassi jaisi koi Nahin)

Orthodontists call it the 'Ugly Betty effect', after the television show character who, despite working on a trendy fashion magazine, sports full 'train-track' braces.Adults now make up half of all patients in some UK clinics, according to the British Orthodontic Society  -  and despite the invisible, discreet options available, many choose to have traditional fixed braces.
'Thanks to Ugly Betty and film stars such as Tom Cruise having orthodontic treatment, there is no longer shame about being an adult with braces,' says Dr Neil Counihan of Elleven Orthodontics, in Central London, one of a number of private practices catering solely to the adult market. MORE

Use Chlorhexidine to improve bond strength
Want to make your restorations last longer? Add a dab of chlorhexidine to the preparation. That's the latest tip from some researchers presenting their findings at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Washington, DC. In fact, a few dental professors are so convinced it works they're already teaching it to their students as standard procedure.
And surprisingly, the main argument for adding this well-known disinfectant has nothing to do with bacteria.

"I think we're one of the first schools in the country to use it," said Peter Moon, Ph.D., director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Dental Biomaterials Laboratory. "I feel pretty strongly that it works."
Moon expects his review of the research to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Open Dentistry Journal. Another research group published a clinical trial last summer in Operative Dentistry (July-August 2009, Vol. 34:4, pp. 379-383). And two presentations on the topic at the AADR meeting generated some of the gathering's hottest buzz. MORE

The Effectiveness of a Preprocedural Mouthrinse Containing Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC)
JADA Apr 2010
During oral procedures, microorganisms from the oral cavity may contaminate nearby surfaces. The authors evaluated the efficacy of a commercial preprocedural mouthrinse containing 0.05 percent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in reducing the levels and composition of viable bacteria in oral spatter. CPC and CHX were equally effective in lowering the levels of spatter bacteria and performed better than water and no rinsing.
Owing to its strong antibacterial effect and the fact that it has fewer side effects than CHX, a solution containing 0.05 percent CPC may be a good alternative to that containing 0.12 CHX as a preprocedural mouthrinse used to help decrease the level of contamination in spatter.

The Efficacy of Terminalia chebula (Haritaki) Rinse on Streptococcus mutans Count in Saliva and Its Effect on Salivary pH, Oral Health Prev Dent 8 (2010), No. 1  (01.04.2010)

Ten per cent of T. chebula extract was prepared. A purposive sample of 30 subjects was selected and randomly divided into extract and control groups. Baseline salivary sample was collected. The freshly prepared extract rinse and control were given to the respective groups. Distilled water was used as a negative control. Salivary samples were collected at 5 and 60 min after rinsing and were subjected to pH and microbiological analyses. An acceptability questionnaire was given to all of the participants. Statistical analysis was done using paired and unpaired t tests.
Results: There was a significant reduction in the S. mutans count at 5 and 60 min after rinsing the extract. Salivary pH remained alkaline for a period of 1 h after rinsing the extract. Results of the acceptability questionnaire indicated that the mouthrinse was acceptable to 80% of the subjects.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that T. chebula may prove to be an effective anticaries mouthwash owing to its ability to increase salivary pH and inhibit S. mutans. This may also be a valuable public health intervention as it is economical and has multiple health benefits.

Effect of Finishing Instrumentation on the Marginal Integrity of Resin-based Composite Restorations
J of Est and Res dentisty feb 2010
The negative control specimens (course diamond) presented the largest gaps, whereas the positive control specimens (mechanically polished) generated the smallest gaps. No statistically significant difference was noted between the finishing diamonds and the positive control. The negative control exhibited significantly larger gaps when compared with the other finishing instruments. Intermediate results were observed for cross-cut, straight-cut, and spiral-cut laminated burs. Fine, extra-fine and ultra-fine finishing diamonds generated smaller gaps compared with laminated burs, but the differences were not always statistically significant.

Conclusion: Fine, extra-fine and ultra-fine finishing diamonds used to finish composite restorations generated better marginal integrity when compared with carbides and regular-grit diamonds. When finishing composite restorations, finishing diamond burs result in better composite margins than carbide laminated burs.

PROTEINS MAY PREDICT ORAL CANCER
The presence of certain proteins in oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) may predict oral cancer development, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the journal Cancer.

Small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins (SIBLINGs) are a family of five proteins that help mineralize bone but also can spread cancer. SIBLINGs have been found in cancers including breast, lung, colon and prostate.

Researchers evaluated 60 archival surgical biopsy specimens of dysplastic OPLs by means of immunohistochemistry for expression of BSP, DSPP and OPN and correlated the specimens with local transformation to oral squamous cell carcinomas at sites adjacent to the surgically removed dysplastic OPLs.

They found that 87 percent of the biopsy specimens were positive for at least one SIBLING, which they discovered could be good or bad, depending on the protein. For instance, they found that DSPP increased the risk of developing oral cancer fourfold, and BSP significantly decreased this risk.

"The proteins could be used as biomarkers to predict [the potential of a lesion to become cancerous]," said Dr. Ogbureke. "That is very significant, because we would then be in a position to modify treatment for the individual patient’s need in the near future." JADA apr 2010

Nano-Bio-Chip Effective To Detect Premalignancies In Oral Cancer ?
Journal Cancer Prevention Research The test that uses Rice's diagnostic nano-bio-chip was found to be 97 percent "sensitive" and 93 percent specific in detecting which patients had malignant or premalignant lesions, results that compared well with traditional tests.
"One of the key discoveries in this paper is to show that the miniaturized, noninvasive approach produces about the same result as the pathologists do," said John McDevitt, the Brown-Wiess Professor of Chemistry and Bioengineering at Rice. His lab developed the novel nano-bio-chip technology at the university's BioScience Research Collaborative.

Oral cancer afflicts more than 300,000 people a year, including 35,000 in the United States alone. The five-year survival rate is 60 percent, but if cancer is detected early, that rate rises to 90 percent.  MORE

Factors affecting soft tissue level around anterior maxillary single-tooth implants
Clinical Oral Implants Research Apr 2010
The majority of the implants (75%) replaced the upper central incisors. The facial mucosal margin of the implant was 0.5±0.9 mm more apical than that of the contralateral tooth. Half or more of papilla fill was observed in 89% of the samples. More apical level of the facial mucosal margin at the implant sites was significantly influenced by many factors including a thin peri-implant biotype, a proclined implant fixture angle, more apical level of the facial bone crest, increased distance from the contact point to the bone crest, contact point to the platform, and contact point to implant bone. A thin biotype was the most significant factor in determining the facial marginal mucosal level. Increased distance from the contact point to the bone crest was the only factor significantly associated with less papilla fill.

Conclusions: The papilla level around single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla was mainly influenced by the interproximal bone crest level of the adjacent tooth. Facial marginal mucosal level, on the other hand, was affected by multiple factors including the peri-implant biotype, the facial bone crest level, the implant fixture angle, the interproximal bone crest level, the depth of implant platform, and the level of first bone to implant contact.

Association Between Obesity, Flow Rate of Whole Saliva, and Dental Caries in Adolescents
Obesity Mar 2010
Of obese patients, 17 subjects had visible plaque index % >25 and 21 had bleeding on probing (BOP)% >25, both compared to only 5 subjects of the normal weight with P values of 0.005 and <0.001, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model BMI-sds was significantly associated with the flow rate of stimulated whole saliva less than the median value 1.5 ml/min (P < 0.001; odds ratio (OR) 1.36) as well as with DS (DS >0) (P = 0.002; OR 1.31) and the associations were not found to be confounded by any of the studied variables. The results indicate that childhood obesity is associated with reduced flow rate of stimulated whole saliva and dental caries and further strengthens obesity's negative effect on children's oral health.

Best Endo stopping, Credit card fraud, Best regime for Perio, Bone loss around Implants

Bacterial Leakage Of Provisional Restorative Materials Used In Endodontics

Quin Int, April 2010, Volume 41 , Issue 4
Aim was to test the bacterial sealing ability of commonly used provisional endodontic restorative materials. Method and Materials: This study investigated Cavit (3M ESPE), Ketac (3M ESPE), DuoTemp (Coltène/Whaledent), and a combination technique using Ketac and Cavit. One hundred molars were randomly selected and then mounted in an apparatus that isolated the crown portion of the tooth. Provisional restorative materials were placed in an open access following manufacturer guidelines. Streptococcus mutans was applied to the samples, and results were tabulated over the course of 4 weeks. Results: Cavit and DuoTemp performed the best, and Ketac performed the worst. After 14 days, however, all materials leaked in over half of the samples. Conclusion: No material can be recommended as superior in providing a reliable seal after 14 days. It is better to Do Single Visit Endo, LEARN NOW

Woman arrested for using gradma's credit card for dental work ( it happens only in USA ! )
A 42-year-old Tempe, AZ, USA woman who is accused of stealing her grandmother’s credit card and using it to get $2,300 in dental work done was arrested Monday on suspicion of theft and identity theft.

Jennifer Brice, who admitted to police she used the credit card without her grandmother’s permission, was using her grandmother’s car when she found the card inside of it, according to Mesa police.

Brice was able to rack up the charges on the card after pretending to call her grandmother from the dentist’s office to ask if she was allowed to use it, according to police.
Brice’s grandmother, who had forgotten about the credit card, was reimbursed.

Dental practice hit by online thieves
Computer criminals stole more than $200,000 ( Rs 92 Lakh )out of the online bank accounts of a Missouri dental practice on March 22, according to an article on krebsonsecurity.com, a blog written by Brian Krebs, a former Washington Post reporter who now covers online scams, data breaches, and related stories.

Dentists working at Smile Zone, a pediatric dental practice in Springfield, MO, told Krebs that the unidentified thieves sent at least $205,000 of the practice's money to nearly a dozen individuals around the U.S.

The money was allegedly taken in 11 different transfers, including three large wires. The attack was carried out with the help of "money mules" -- willing or unwitting individuals hired through Internet-based work-at-home job schemes who help the attackers launder the stolen money, according to Krebs.

Eric Hudkins, Smile Zone office manager, told Krebs that he had contacted the FBI but was told the agency won't open a case on a theft like this unless it is more than $500,000 in losses. The case will instead be included with a group of similar investigations being handled by an FBI task force in Omaha, NE. MORE

Efficacy of Amoxicillin and Metronidazole Combination for the Management of Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis - JOP March 2010
Twenty-eight patients were randomly included. The test group (N = 12) received amoxicillin- metronidazole combination and scaling-root planing; the control group (N = 16) received scaling-root planing alone.All clinical parameters improved significantly compared to baseline (P <0.05) in both groups. There was a statistically significant reduction of pockets and clinical attachment gain in the combined group compared to the control group (P <0.05). Total counts of bacteria also decreased significantly at 3 and 6 months in both groups (P <0.05). Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia were the most prevalent bacteria throughout the study. Treponema denticola showed a continuous decrease over 6 months in the test group while no change was seen in the control group beyond 3 months. Porphyromonas gingivalis decreased significantly at 3 months (P <0.05) while Tannerella forsythia was the only pathogen decreased below detection limits by the combination therapy with a significant difference compared to the control group (P <0.05).

Conclusion: The results from this study suggest that combined amoxicillin and metronidazole use as an adjunct to scaling and root planing leads to a better clinical healing compared to the mechanical treatment alone. The polypharmaceutical approach used results in a significant and substantial decrease in Tannerella forsythia and prevents its recolonization for 6 months suggesting that Tannerella forsythia may determine the long-term stability of periodontal treatment outcome.

Silver bullet for Dental Caries
"Why drill when the infection is gone?" asks Dr. Steven Duffin, D.D.S., who frequently uses silver diamine fluoride on an off-label basis in his general practice in Oregon. He calls it the "most effective agent" he's seen in 30 years to arrest caries.

In addition, he believes that SDF's potent antimicrobial effectiveness is also long-lasting and pervasive. "I have also noticed that kids who are treated with SDF do not get new cavities three-plus years out," he said in an interview. "It seems to have a protective effect beyond the treated lesion."

But SDF has yet to win FDA clearance. And it is plagued by a well-known and unsightly drawback: It leaves behind a "black crust" on caries lesions. MORE HERE

A Systematic Review of Marginal Bone Loss Around Implants Retaining or Supporting Overdentures
Forty-six articles were included in the analyses; data extraction and meta-analysis were able to be conducted on eight studies. Data regarding maxillary overdentures could not be analyzed statistically. Bone loss around mandibular implants did not seem to be influenced by implant system or attachment design (bar, ball, magnet, and other types) in the first year, from 1 to ≤ 5 years, and even after 5 years (P > .05). Meta-analysis could not detect differences in implant systems or attachment types (P > .05). Conclusions: Based upon a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature that identified a total of 4,200 implants from 13 manufacturers, there was no difference in marginal bone loss around implants retaining/supporting mandibular overdentures relative to implant type or attachment designs. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2010;25:266–277

Sedation Death, Choosing Right Composite, House Call, Green tea, Acupuncture, Best Retainer ? Shade Matching.

Woman sues sedation training center over husband's death
A Missouri woman whose husband died in 2007 following conscious sedation for a dental procedure is now suing the company that provided the dentist's sedation training.

Sarah Coleman originally sued the dentist, Guilan Norouzi, D.M.D., alleging that Dr. Norouzi's negligence led to her husband's death. That lawsuit was settled out of court last December for an undisclosed amount.

John Coleman, then 47, went to Dr. Norouzi in March 2007 to have nearly a dozen teeth extracted and replaced with dental implants. Prior to the procedure, he was given 2 mg of Halcion (triazolam). According to legal documents and news reports, he did not respond well to the drug and had to be restrained in order for Dr. Norouzi to complete the dental work.

Following the procedure, he was given a reversal agent, Romazicon (flumazenil), but went into cardiac arrest while still in Dr. Norouzi's office. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced brain-dead a short while later and died the next day, leaving behind his wife and three young sons.

Best retainer routine, post orthodontic treatment
Now a new study on patient compliance with orthodontic retainers has found that initial wear of vacuum-form retainers (VFRs), followed by a Hawley appliance one to two years into the retention phase, may yield the best results.
The study was presented at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Washington, DC, March 3-6.
This is the first study that has quantitatively evaluated retainer compliance at different amounts of time following treatment, study author Michael Pratt, D.M.D., a resident in the orthodontic department at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry.
The study shows that average patient compliance decreases dramatically the longer a patient is out of treatment, and is abysmal at five years following treatment.

Should Dentist make house call ?

Dentists went to her apartment, evaluated her dental health and took X-rays. They discovered that besides a new tooth, she needed root canals and a crown - "a huge reconstruction of her teeth," Green said.
Because she needed so much work, Bay Area House Call Dentists arranged transportation to its office in San Francisco, where all the work was done in about four hours.  
After a follow-up visit, "she did fine," Green said. "She liked the people. They kept us informed." MORE HERE

Composite in Everyday Practice: How to Choose the Right Material ?
Eur J Esthetic Dent
In daily practice, composites are the materials most commonly used for restorative dentistry. They are used for preventive seals, microinvasive restorations, build-ups and complex direct and indirect restorations in posterior sections.
Indeed, it is in the anterior sections that composites have traditionally been used to the greatest effect, enabling clinicians to carry out complex restorations using direct techniques with notable esthetic and clinical results.

Recent product developments combined with clinical research on stratification make it now possible to utilize new composites that have excellent opalescence and fluorescence characteristics and provide an excellent color range to choose from.1,2
It is however, a common complaint among clinicians that the layering techniques are rather complex and it is difficult to make the right color choice. Paradoxically, they say that the appearance on the market of sophisticated materials, designed to give ever better results in the medium and long term, only makes it more difficult to make the correct decision.
In the present article, the authors will discuss these topics and make suggestions on how to achieve high quality results every day, both from an esthetic and clinical point of view. 23 page full paper available on payment, email to gurudental@yahoo.com

Secrets of Good Shade Matching

Using daylight for shade matching may not always be the best option. Getting a second opinion from a young, female dental assistant may help you achieve a perfectly matched crown. And as for that blue card you use for eye relaxation, it may be time to rethink it.
As we age, our eyes can get old and look at objects with brownish tints, he noted. Most of the retina is composed of rods that see black and white. The eye has much fewer cones that see color, and that is why eyes are more sensitive to black and white. Women have a greater percentage of photoreceptor cells (cones) than men and can see color better. Most dentists are told to keep a blue card in their office so they can look at it and relax their retinas before taking a shade, Dr. Ziemiecki said.Instead of the blue card, he suggested using an 18% photographic gray card or gray construction paper with no color to relax the saturated receptors in the retina.
Also, peripheral information can affect our choice of shade -- even lipstick can change shade perception, Dr. Ziemiecki said. He suggested separating all the teeth by putting borders around them and making the individual teeth stand out more. Isolating the tooth can help achieve a more accurate idea of color for a better shade match, he said.

Acupuncture Calms Highly Anxious Dental Patients
A  visit to the dentist provokes extreme fear and anxiety in an estimated one in 20 people, and can put them off going altogether, a condition termed odontophobia. And up to a third of patients report moderate anxiety at the prospect of dental treatment, studies show.

The authors base their findings on 16 women and four men from eight dental practice lists.
Each of the patients was moderately or extremely anxious about going to the dentist for treatment, as assessed by a validated questionnaire -- the Back Anxiety Inventory (BAI). MORE HERE

Drink Green Tea For Healthy Teeth And Gums
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology, routine consumption of green tea can help promote superior dental health.

In the study, Japanese researchers analyzed the oral health of 940 men based on three indicators of periodontal disease: clinical attachment loss of gum tissue, periodontal pocket depth and bleeding upon probing of the gum tissue.

The research team found that every cup of green tea consumed was associated with an additional decrease in all three symptoms related to periodontal disease. MORE HERE

Japan develops Robot to train Dental students

A robot which can simulate the reactions of humans was unveiled in Japan this week.
The humanoid – Hanako –was developed to train dental students.
It's the joint creation of Showa University, a research team led by humanoid pioneer, Atsuo Takanishi, a professor at Waseda University, and robot-making company Tmusk.

The robotic dental patient is supposed to be female, can converse with dental professionals, discharges robotic saliva, sneezes and opens and closes her mouth.
Standing 157cm tall, Hanako's body is the work of Tmsuk, while the medical features were developed by the dental faculties of the universities involved in the project.
There are nine joints in her body – in her jaw, tongue and even in her eyelids. MORE HERE
Watch live action in this video
 


 

Formula for making teeth, Hypersenstivity, Powerful Painkiller, Dentists income declines in USA

Formula for Making Teeth ?

Each cusp of our teeth is regulated by genes which carefully control the development. A similar genetic puzzle also regulates the differentiation of our other organs and of all living organisms. A team of researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki has developed a computer model reproducing population-level variation in complex structures like teeth and organs. The research takes a step towards the growing of correctly shaped teeth and other organs. MORE

30 Times more potent pain relief in Dental Pain ?

In a study, researchers at  India tried combining buprenorphine with bupivacaine to see if they could produce long-term pain relief in patients undergoing oral surgery (Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, December 2009, Vol. 67:12, pp. 2571-2576).

The investigators selected 50 patients scheduled for such procedures as incision and drainage of abscesses, enucleation of cysts, apicectomy, and third-molar extraction. Twenty-four had procedures in the maxilla and 26 in the mandible.

The investigators randomly divided the patients into two groups similar in demographics and the type of procedure they underwent. Before the surgery, dentists administered nerve blocks consisting of 0.5% bupivacaine and 1:200,000 epinephrine alone to one group, and the same formula mixed with 0.3 mg of buprenorphine to the other group, with the injection site varying depending on the procedure. A different group of dentists then performed the surgery, and a third group asked the patients to rate their pain.

The researchers found that pain relief lasted a mean time of 8.34 (± 0.11 hours) for those patients who only got the bupivacaine and epinephrine, but 28.18 (± 1.02 hours) when buprenorphine was added to the mix, a very significant difference (p < 0.001). By the end of 12 hours, all the patients who didn't get buprenorphine had asked for additional pain relief, compared to only 8% of the buprenorphine patients.

BioDelivery is also testing buprenorphine delivered in what it calls a bioerodible mucoadhesive (BEMA). BEMA consists of a small polymer film that is applied to buccal membranes. It adheres in less than five seconds, then it dissolves in 15 to 30 minutes as the drug crosses the membrane into the bloodstream, according to the company.

Appointment/Election of DCI president challenged in High Court
CHENNAI: A writ of Quo Warranto has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to show cause under what authority Anil Kohli is holding the office of the president, Dental Council of India (DCI).

In his petition, George Paul of Fairlands, Salem, submitted that he was a registered medical practitioner. Dr. Kohli ought not to have been nominated a member of the DCI as he had become a member of the council by way of a nomination by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi in June 2009.

The Dentists Act enabled each State to nominate one member, who was a medical practitioner in that State. But, no Union Territory could nominate any member. “Dr Kohli, though not validly nominated, contested and was elected as president of the DCI in July 2009. As Dr Kohli’s election as a member of the DCI is void, his election as its president is also void,” the petition said. LINK 

Jail for charging Capitation fee, bill cleared by Cabinet-Cabinet Clears education reform bills
New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Duping students by charging capitation fee or failing to keep promise of quality education could now attract a fine of upto Rs 50 lakh for errant institutes or imprisonment upto three years for its administrators, according a Bill cleared by the cabinet today.

Paving the way for stricter penal action against educational institutions indulging in unfair practices, the Cabinet approved the draft Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010.

The Cabinet also cleared two other education reforms bills -- one for setting up of Educational Tribunals to adjudicate disputes in campuses and another on setting up a National Accreditation Agency to give accreditation and benchmarks to institutions. These bills will now be tabled in Parliament, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters here. LINK

Leave that Carious dentin ALONE
 Contrary to decades of tradition, dentists should leave carious dentin untouched in many lesions, researchers said Wednesday at the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) annual meeting.
For years, dental professors have taught their students to remove all infected tissue from cavities and carefully shape the preparation before placing a restoration, said Edwina Kidd, a former professor at King's College London.

"Does this fit with knowledge?" she asked. "I think the answer may be 'no,' which means I've been teaching unsubstantiated rubbish for 30 years."

James Summitt, chair of restorative dentistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio agreed, citing multiple studies that suggest sealing over a lesion can arrest its progress.
And even when a restoration is needed, it may be sufficient to seal over the cavity without removing the infected tissue, said Dr. Kidd, citing four randomized, controlled trials of this approach. In two of them, the investigators re-entered the lesions to see what had happened under the filling, and the results looked promising, she said.
She also cited a study of the Hall technique, in which a preformed metal crown is placed over an unprepared molar. The procedure is less traumatic for the patient -- typically a child. A randomized trial led by Nicola Innes, in BMC Oral Health found that this type of restoration had no more failure than traditional restorations for the same type of lesion.

USA Dentist used paper clips in Root Canals !

Paper clips are really handy. You can use them for things like hitting that tiny reset button on your DVR and, well, clipping paper. And according to the Attorney General's office in Massachusetts, one dentist was using them in patients' mouths during root canals.

A grand jury in the Bay State have indicted a dentist who had once had a practice in Fall River, Mass., of using paper clips in place of stainless steel posts during root canal procedures. According to the indictment, he would then bill Medicaid for the steel posts and presumably pocket the difference.

Charges brought against the dentist, who now lives in Maryland, include assault and battery, larceny, submitting false claims to Medicaid and illegally prescribing prescription drugs. You can see patient interview video HERE

Best way to Treat Dentin Hypersensitivity, JADA Mar 2010
Three agents were tested, Pain-Free -Parkell, BisBlock-Bisco, Seal & Protect-Dentsply. The results of the statistical analysis showed that all visual analog scale (VAS ) scores at the posttreatment evaluation periods were reduced significantly compared with those at baseline (P < .05). More teeth were sensitive to air stimuli than to tactile stimuli. The mean VAS scores for Dentin Hypersensitivity (DH) in the mandibular teeth were significantly higher than for those in maxillary teeth immediately after treatment (for tactile stimuli) and two weeks after the first application (for air stimuli) (P < .05)
Conclusions. All three desensitizing agents were effective in relieving DH up to four weeks, independent of their application procedures. There was, however, a significant reduction in mean sensitivity scores of teeth that had been treated with Seal & Protect and Pain-Free compared with those of BisBlock at weeks two, three and four.

Dentist's income decline in USA

Dentists' net incomes fell by 5% in 2009, according to a new ADA quarterly survey report. If the finding is borne out by the organization's more detailed annual survey, it would be the biggest drop since at least 2003. Dentists have reported a decline in income for six straight quarters in the survey. In the fourth quarter of 2009, 56.7% of dentists reported that they made less money than they had in the previous quarter. Only 17% said they made more money.

"The fourth quarter of 2009 was another difficult period for dentists who participated in the American Dental Association Quarterly Survey of Economic Confidence," the authors wrote. "Although a number of indicators moved upward, the general results were quite negative."

USA lawsuit Dismissed Listerine's False claims
A Los Angeles court has dismissed a class-action lawsuit challenging Listerine's claim that its mouthwash is "as effective as floss" when used regularly. The suit, originally filed in 2005, alleged false advertising and fraudulent business practices, and was brought on behalf of anyone who purchased Listerine in California from June 2004 through January 2005.

The litigation stemmed from Listerine TV commercials that declared, "It's clinically proven. A quick, easy rinse with Listerine Antiseptic twice a day is actually as effective as floss." Flashy animated graphics showed streams of Listerine flowing around teeth, magically removing bits of food and plaque. The judge in that ruling ordered the company to stop the ads, noting that "substantial evidence" suggests that no amount of mouthwash can replace daily flossing. MORE

Video showing inferior alveolar nerve block

It demonstrates the technique very nicely

Perio helps combat Preterm birth, 3 D revolution, Suremile

Avoid Preterm baby, get Perio treatment

Previous studies have explored the effect of periodontal treatment, irrespective of efficacy of treatment, in reducing infant prematurity. In a study titled "Risk of Preterm Birth Is Reduced with Successful Periodontal Treatment," (from the University of Pennsylvania, Washington University) determined whether a reduction in infant prematurity was associated with successful periodontal treatment. Subjects who were successfully treated for their periodontal disease had a significantly lower incidence of preterm birth less than 35 weeks gestation. MORE 
See it on BBC

Efficiency And Effectiveness Of Suresmile  WJO 2010;11:16–22.

Patients treated using the SureSmile process and a conventional approach were anonymized and randomized prior to independent scoring by two ABO OGS–calibrated examiners. Results: Intra- and interexaminer reliability was consistent in all components with no differences between examiners (r = 0.96, P < .001). The ABO OGS score for the SureSmile patients (mean 26.3) was 4.4 points lower (P < .001) than for those treated conventionally (mean 30.7). Furthermore, treatment with the SureSmile process was shorter (14.7 months vs 20.0 months). Conclusion: The SureSmile process results in a lower mean ABO OGS score and a reduced treatment time than conventional approaches. The approach has great potential to both decrease treatment time and improve quality.

Throw away your plaster models AJODO Feb 2010

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of dental measurements taken with calipers on plaster dental casts and those from computed tomography scans of the dentition with a dental measurement program.
Dental measurements obtained from the 3DD are comparable with those from conventional models in the 3 planes of space. This technology has the added benefits of eliminating the need for taking impressions and the time needed for making models. With conebeam
CT becoming mainstream in orthodontic practice, are we going to an era whereby a single step of data acquisition can compute all our diagnostic information?

Instant Orthodontics !

There are several treatment alternatives for slight-to-moderate anterior tooth malpositioning. The first option to be considered should be orthodontic treatment, especially in younger patients with unrestored teeth. However, the cost or length of orthodontic treatment often makes this treatment undesirable for many patients. Recent literature suggests that minor tooth-alignment issues, such as facio-lingual displacement and crowding, may be resolved with indirect porcelain veneer restorations.1,2 However, others have questioned the value of this treatment because of the nonconservative nature of the indirect preparations. Full Paper

And Now the 3D Facial Norms ? AJODO Mar 2010

The aim of this study was to assess the use of 3-dimensional facial averages in determining
facial morphologic differences in 2 white population groups. Methods: Three-dimensional images were obtained in a reproducible and controlled environment from a commercially available stereo-photogrammetric camera capture system. The 3dMDface system (3dMD, Atlanta, Ga) photographed 200 subjects from 2 population groups (Budapest, Hungary, and Houston, Tex); each group included 50 men and 50 women, aged 18 to 30 years. Each face was obtained as a facial mesh and orientated along a triangulated axis. All faces
were overlaid, one on top of the other, and a complex mathematical algorithm was used until an average composite face of 1 man and 1 woman was obtained for each subgroup (Hungarian men, Hungarian women, Texas men, and Texas women). These average facial composites were superimposed (men and women) based on a previously validated superimposition method, and the facial differences were quantified.

Reconstruction of Endodontically Treated Posterior Teeth - with or without Post? Guidelines for the Dental Practitioner- Eu J of Esthetic issue 4, 2009

The clinical concepts regarding the restoration of root canal treated teeth are not clear today and often based on conjecture due to a lack of sound empirical data. The diversity of published opinions is confusing and may lead to less-than-optimal treatment selections. There is also emerging debate whether or not a post is necessary. The purpose of the present article is to organize this topic in evidence-based principles and provide dental practitioners with clear guidelines about restorative therapy for premolar and molar teeth. Two clinical reports are presented, to exemplify the different clinical situations.
The first case highlights a conservative restoration of an endodontically treated molar, maintaining an adequate quantity of healthy residual tissue and only covering the cusp with restoration material, which was not sustained by healthy dentin. In the second case, the fact that the premolar was so badly damaged by carious pathology meant that it was necessary to use a pin to anchor the composite material, and the cusp was covered completely. Request full paper email to icdr@hotmail.com