Dental v/s Mental, Truth ?

An intriguing association between dental and mental pathology in addicted and control subjects: a cross-sectional survey
BDJ 24 Oct. 2008

* This paper demonstrates a statistical association between dental and mental illness in normal clinical patients.
* This finding shows that this relationship is strengthened in patients addicted to illicit drugs who form a high risk group for both dental and mental disease.
* This suggests that such disorders may share common aetiopathological pathways such as common risk factors between the two sets of pathologies. More HERE

Above study and the one below shows again that oral health is crucial for good general health. This point has to be driven home to health planners and general public so that oral health maintenance is given top priority, More HERE

Oral health, general health, and quality of life in older people
special care Nov 2008

The purpose of this report is to review the interrelationship between poor oral health conditions of older people and general health. The impact of poor oral health on quality of life (QOL) is analyzed, and the implications for public health intervention and oral health care are discussed. Findings from the current research may lead to the following conclusions: The available scientific evidence is particularly strong for a direct relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease; the direct relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease is less convincing. General and associated oral health conditions have a direct influence on elder people's QOL and lifestyle. The growing number of elderly people challenges health authorities in most countries. The evidence on oral health-general health relationships is particularly important to WHO in its effort to strengthen integrated oral health promotion and disease prevention around the globe.


Games Dental Colleges/DCI Play

The students said the college didn’t inform them of the limited seats and they had deposited their fees. “Thursday, October 30, was the last date of seeking admission in any of the dental colleges. We are in a fix as the college took the admission fee and we thought they would take us,” Amit Chowdhary, another student seeking clarification, said. More HERE

Comparison of Success of Implants versus Endodontically Treated Teeth
JOE sept 2008

Implants verses root canal therapy is a current controversy in dentistry. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the success of each treatment, with minimal subjective grading. Outcome was determined by clinical chart notes and radiographs. Failure was defined as removal of the implant or tooth. Uncertain findings for implants were defined as mobility class I or greater, radiographic signs of bone loss, or an additional surgical procedure. Mobility, periapical index score of 3 or greater, or the need for apical surgery was classified as uncertain for endodontically treated teeth.

Success was recorded if the implant or tooth was in place and functional. Implants were placed by periodontists in a group practice, whereas the endodontic treatments were performed by endodontists in group practice. Charts of 129 implants meeting inclusion criteria showed follow-up of an average of 36 months (range, 15–57 months), with a success rate of 98.4%. One hundred forty-three endodontically treated teeth were followed for an average of 22 months (range, 18–59 months), with a success rate of 99.3%. No statistically significant differences were found (P = .56). When uncertain findings were added to the failures, implant success dropped to 87.6%, and endodontic success declined to 90.2%. This difference was not statistically significant (P = .61). We found that 12.4% of implants required interventions, whereas 1.3% of endodontically treated teeth required interventions, which was statistically significant (P = .0003). The success of implant and endodontically treated teeth was essentially identical, but implants required more postoperative treatments to maintain them.

Alignment efficiency of Damon3 self-ligating and conventional orthodontic bracket systems: A randomized clinical trial, AJODO oct 2008

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of mandibular tooth alignment and the clinical effectiveness of a self-ligating and a conventional preadjusted edgewise orthodontic bracket system. Methods: A multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2 orthodontic clinics. Sixty-two subjects (32 male, 30 female; mean age, 16.27 years) with mandibular incisor irregularities of 5 to 12 mm and a prescribed extraction pattern including the mandibular first premolars were randomly allocated to treatment with Damon3 self-ligating (Ormco, Glendora, Calif) or Synthesis (Ormco) conventionally ligated brackets. Fully ligated 0.014-in nickel-titanium archwires were used first in both groups, followed by a sequence of 0.014 × 0.025-in and 0.018 × 0.025-in nickel-titanium, and 0.019 × 0.025-in stainless steel. Study casts were taken at the start of treatment (T1), the first archwire change (T2), and the placement of the final 0.019 × 0.025-in archwire (T3). Cephalometric lateral skull and long-cone periapical radiographs of the mandibular incisors were taken at T1 and T3.

Results: No significant difference was noted (P >0.05) in initial rate of alignment for either bracket system. Initial irregularity influenced subsequent rate of movement, but sex, age, and appliance type were statistically insignificant. Alignment was associated with an increase in intercanine width, a reduction in arch length, and proclination of the mandibular incisors for both appliances, but the differences were not significant. Incisor root resorption was not clinically significant and did not differ between systems.
Conclusions: Damon3 self-ligating brackets are no more efficient than conventional ligated preadjusted brackets during tooth alignment.

How to fight the economic downturn, Tooth Lightening v/s Whitening ?

Tooth Lightening better than tooth whitening ?

With the current strong levels of interest by patients in reducing the aging-related yellow shades within their teeth by bleaching, it is surprising that greater attention has not been directed to other means of reducing yellowness. This paper looks at the concept of "tooth lightening" using simple in-office and supporting at-home measures, as opposed to "tooth whitening" using peroxides.


The concept is based on exploiting a number of well-established optical properties of teeth, enamel and water under visible light conditions. These are presented step-wise in Tables 1-3 and the accompanying Figures 1 and 2. The scientific foundations of the tooth lightening concept rest largely on altering the short wavelength (blue) scatter of enamel and reducing its transmission of yellow light, although there are minor accompanying changes such as reduced red absorption which also occur. More here

Master your Endodontic work to next Level, read this Classic paper to know the Truth behind success in Single Sitting Endo, Click Here to Read

Current economic downturn is keeping many patients out of the dental chair

But it's not just a matter of money, a new study suggests; rather, it's fear and stress.

The study, published online last month by Health Services Research (September 12, 2008), found that the correlation between a struggling economy, rising unemployment, and a drop in preventive dental care is not necessarily due to people being out of work or short of cash.

"During stressful periods, those things that don't seem as urgent may be ignored," Quinn said. "This is stress about the economy overall. People are concerned about themselves or their partners losing their jobs, so decisions about going to the dentist go by the wayside."

The psychological effects of the current economic downturn are impacting many U.S. dental practices, Roger Levin, D.D.S., president of Levin Group, a dental practice management company, said in an interview.

"We are definitely seeing a lot of practices slowing down, and we definitely believe this is due more to fear -- economic fears tied to a slowdown in spending -- than reality," Dr. Levin said. In the upcoming Annual Practice Survey that the Levin Group does with Dental Economics each November, "our data shows that practices are very flat compared to a year ago,"

"During stressful periods, the distraction mechanism predicts that the resources needed to cope with life's challenges leave too little time or energy for nonurgent activities," the study authors wrote. "Thus, routine checkups that are received normally would be postponed or foregone altogether during periods of high unemployment. The distraction mechanism can be particularly acute for utilization of preventive care because of its seemingly discretionary nature."

This phenomenon poses a challenge for dentists today, in terms of both patient and practice management.
"Dentistry is so resilient, but this is probably the worst economy we've had in 40 years," Dr. Levin said. "So it is very important for practices today to have the best step-by-step systems in place they've ever had, from case presentation and scheduling to hygiene productivity and patient financing. You don't have to sit around and wait for the economy to improve. The key is to be proactive."

Good Oral Hygiene can reduce Risk of Dying from Pneumonia
Among nursing home residents, having a nursing aide help them maintain good oral hygiene lowers the odds of them dying from pneumonia, a study suggests.

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in elderly nursing home residents, Dr. Carol W. Bassim and colleagues point out in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. "Several studies have shown that poor oral hygiene or inadequate oral care are also associated with pneumonia," they add.

Bassim, now at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Maryland, and her associates studied the impact of enhanced oral hygiene care for residents in two wards at a Florida nursing home compared with residents in two other wards.

Initially, there was no difference in the mortality rate from pneumonia between the two groups. However, patients in the oral care group were older and more disabled than those who did not receive oral care, and once this was taken into account the risk of dying from pneumonia was more than three times higher in patients who did not receive oral care. More HERE

Guard your Kids from Junk Food and Acidic Candies
Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold.

Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
The American Dietetic Association, for example, accepts money from companies such as Coca-Cola, which get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs, as this release explains. As Nestle notes in her blog and discusses at length in her book Food Politics, the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups. This one, for example, which is sponsored by an industry group that promotes lamb, rather unsurprisingly touts the nutritional benefits of lamb. More HERE

In a recent press release, the California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA), stated that “While this new generation of candy is highly popular, most of it contains acid levels so high that it approaches the ph level of battery acid,” in a statewide warning to parents about the dangers of sour candy. The popular sour candies combine sweet and sour ingredients that together can destroy the enamel on children’s as well as adults’ teeth. More HERE

Eat Slowly this Diwali

People who eat quickly until full are three times more likely to be overweight, a Japanese research indicates. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, highlight how eating styles, and not just what or how much is eaten, can contribute to an obesity epidemic. For their study, researchers at Osaka University asked more than 3,000 Japanese volunteers aged 30 to 69 about their eating. About half of the men and a little more than half of the women said they ate until full. About 45 per cent of the men and 36 per cent of the women said they ate quickly. Those who said they ate until full and ate quickly were three times more likely to be fat than people in the “not eating until full and not eating quickly” group.

Endo or Implants, How to Choose ? Economic meltdown and us.

60% dental seats are unfilled
10 Oct 2008, TNN

BANGALORE: Having heard of shortage of doctors, teachers, lecturers and so on, it's time to turn to another similar trend. Going by vacancies in dental colleges in the state, it's likely that a shortage of dentists will affect us in the years to come. The figures are shocking -- over 60% of the seats in dental colleges in the state have not been filled.

The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has taken serious note of this and drawn up a plan to reduce the bar to fill up vacant seats. The proposal will be sent to dental education regulator DCI soon. More HERE


Say Good bye to your Halogen Dental Chair Light

Replacing halogen also lowers energy consumption and increases lifetime

San Jose, CA, United States - Philips Lumileds announced today that Gnatus, a leading dental equipment manufacturer, has released a LUXEON-based dental lamp that is the first in the industry to use solid-state lighting technology. The new Gnatus Dental Lamp LED Plus overcomes the inconveniences associated with conventional halogen models, including short bulb life, high power usage and spillover light that has in some cases prompted dentists to supply patients with sunglasses, while also offering significant advantages for dental care. More Here

Implant OR Endodontics ?
From Editorial in Triple O, Aug 2008

Implant is an excellent treatment option for the replacement of a missing tooth. However, it should never be an option for the replacement of an existing restorable tooth. A recent literature review and meta-analysis found that natural teeth surrounded by healthy periodontal tissues yield a very high longevity of up to 99.5% over 50 years. Periodontally compromised teeth that are treated and maintained regularly have a survival rate of 92%-93%. That study concluded that oral implants, when evaluated after 10 years of service, do not surpass the longevity of even compromised but successfully treated natural teeth. Therefore, an implant should not be a treatment alternative for teeth that a reasonable competent dentist can restore and care for.

And remember most importantly two factors are of Key importance:
1. Good apical cleaning (possible only with Smart Endo )
2. Proper restorative choice and perfect margins.

Time to buy blue chip shares but wait for six months if you want to buy property, from Rediff

Deep or partial caries removal: which is best?

In deep carious lesions, should all infected and affected dentine be removed prior to restoration?

Current studies provide evidence supporting the practice of leaving behind infected dentine, the removal of which would risk pulp exposure. A number of other studies show that cariogenic bacteria, once isolated from their source of nutrition by a restoration of sufficient integrity, either remain dormant or die and thus pose no risk to the health of the dentition. More HERE

Extra Marital affair can Kill You, Does Mouthwash help Bad Breath ?

An extra-marital affair 'can kill you'

Men, beware! An extra-marital affair can do more than just killing your marriage - it could kill you too, particularly if you are prone to bad headaches.
Researchers have found that the strain of juggling married life and a secret lover leads to stress and tension for the cheating partner, which can lead to migraine pain that could cause ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. In their study, the researchers studied hundreds of patients across Italy who reported migraines and found that some of the worst affected were having affairs. Full News HERE

Combatting Bad Breath: Does Mouthrinses Work ?

Over-the-counter mouthrinses really do put a stop to bad breath. The first systematic review on the effectiveness of mouthrinses shows that they play an important role in reducing levels of bacteria and chemicals that cause mouth odours. Pick which one you use though, because some can temporarily stain your tongue and teeth, warns this new review from The Cochrane Library. Full Systematic Review HERE

Bad breath is a very common complaint affecting around half the population in developed countries. The smell is generated by bacteria that accumulate on the tongue and produce sulphur compounds including hydrogen sulphide. This is the same compound that makes rotten eggs smell bad. To combat this, mouth rinses are classified in two categories, those that kill the bacteria producing the sulphur compounds and those that neutralise or mask the odour of these compounds. Antibacterial mouthrinses are widely used to treat bad breath, despite some uncertainty about their effectiveness.

"We found that antibacterial mouthrinses, as well as those containing chemicals that neutralise odours, are actually very good at controlling bad breath,' says lead researcher, Zbys Fedorowicz, who works at the Ministry of Health in Bahrain. Full NEws


OrthoNewsline.com Launched as Orthodontic Industry News Source

The orthodontic industry has a new source for industry news -- OrthoNewsline.com

Disinfectants Can Make Bacteria Resistant To Treatment

ScienceDaily (Oct. 6, 2008) — Chemicals used in the environment to kill bacteria could be making them stronger, according to a paper published in the October issue of the journal Microbiology. Low levels of these chemicals, called biocides, can make the potentially lethal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus remove toxic chemicals from the cell even more efficiently, potentially making it resistant to being killed by some antibiotics.

If bacteria that live in protected environments are exposed to biocides repeatedly, for example during cleaning, they can build up resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics. Such bacteria have been shown to contribute to hospital-acquired infections. More HERE

New Device Aims To Give Sleep Apnea Sufferers Relief And Rest

ScienceDaily (Oct. 6, 2008) — For some, a full night’s rest can be anything but restful. That’s because they have sleep apnea, which causes them to struggle for breath in bouts throughout the night. Six percent of the population is affected by the condition—but many don’t even know they have it. What is Sleep Apnea

“They don’t make the connection between the fact that they snore loudly at night and they complain about being tired during the day,” says Samuel Krachman, D.O. , professor of medicine and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital. “They think that they’re just tired, not getting enough sleep or just working too hard. But in reality, it’s related to the sleep apnea.”

“Zzoma is a device which is worn around the chest area like a belt, with a device on the back, which is a firm, foam material wrapped in canvas to keep them from moving on their backs. Over the last year, we’ve been studying its use in treating patients with mild to moderate positional sleep apnea.” Full NEws HERE

Are You Pragnant ? Get your teeth fixed

Dental Care Can Reduce Risk Of Preterm Birth By Nearly 50 Percent

Women with healthy teeth have a better chance of having a healthy baby. According to a study conducted by Aetna and Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, women who received dental care before or during their pregnancy had a lower risk of giving birth to a preterm or low birth weight baby than pregnant women who didn't seek dental care at all. The study, conducted between January 1, 2003 and September 30, 2006, reviewed medical and dental insurance data for 29,000 pregnant women who each had medical and dental coverage with Aetna to determine if there was an association between dental treatment and the likelihood of experiencing either birth outcome.

When comparing the group who did not receive any dental treatment to the groups that received gum treatment and dental cleaning, the study found:

- The preterm birth rate was 11.0 percent for those not receiving dental treatment, and 6.4 percent for those receiving treatment
- The low birth weight rate was 5.4 percent for those not receiving dental treatment and 3.6 percent or lower among the groups receiving treatment

It is high time that we educate public about mandatory dental care for pregnant women.
Full News HERE

Web based learning to Help Dental Practitioners

Internet is a very useful tool for learning. But now web based lectures or Webinars as they are called are becoming more common. To get the feel and hang of it you can attend some Endodontic or laser lecture which will be very educating and will update you to provide better care for your patients: Click on the links below to see the video lecture/webinar

What is latest in Single visit Endodontics & why is my Endo failing ?
Click on the above link and click on Frank Allen in the above webpage
What are Diode Lasers ?


Dental Procedure Education System- A Free Patient Education Resource

This very nicely designed website shows step by step procedures for patients before their visit to family dentist. Animations are very well designed with a crisp and clear commentary. The website is an effort by University of Toronto, dental faculty. CLICK HERE to See MORE

Adopt Microimplants for Anchorage
Micro/mini implants are here to stay. Catch up continue to struggle. Download two very interesting and informative/educative articles on Mini implants (orthodontics) or microimplants, CLICK HERE,
To learn more or buy these implants at a special price CLICK HERE

The efficacy of a plasma arc light in orthodontic bonding: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Journal of Orthodontics, Vol. 35, No. 3, 202-209, September 2008

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of a plasma arc light (Ortho LITE, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA) against a conventional tungsten–quartz halogen curing light (Visilux 2, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA) for direct orthodontic bonding.


Subjects and methods: Forty-three consecutive patients requiring fixed appliances from the orthodontic waiting list. A split mouth technique was adopted; with quadrants randomly assigned to either the plasma arc light or the conventional halogen curing light and bonded directly with APC pre-adjusted edgewise brackets (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA).

Results: No statistically significant difference in bracket failure rates over the full course of treatment was found between the plasma arc light (6.7%; 95% CI 4.5–10.0) and the halogen curing light (9.5%; 95% CI 6.8–13.1). There was no statistically significant difference in bracket survival times. The bond-up times were typically reduced by 204 seconds per patient with the plasma arc light. There were no differences in patient reported sensitivity or discomfort or rebond times.

Conclusion: The plasma arc light is a viable clinical alternative to the conventional halogen curing light with benefits for both the clinician and patient due to reduced bonding times.