Health

Six Year Old Dies After Dentist Visit

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A six year old boy has died during a recent visit to the dentist.  This said story has been reported by several news sources such as MSNBC. An autopsy is currently being conducted to determine the specific cause of death. However, the boy was given anesthesia  during the dental procedure and died after the breathing tube was removed. This tragic story has occurred in Virginia. Sedation certainly caries risks when at the dentist and I have previously reported on this blog of a case where someone has died after undergoing anesthesia while having their wisdom teeth removed. If you are considering having anesthesia while visiting the dentist or oral surgeon you should be aware of the risks and potential harmful complications that can occur.

Physicians for A National Health Program

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While I have linked to the Physicians for a National Health Program before I don’t think I have discussed their website and ideals in any significant way. For those not familiar Physicians for a National Health Program abbreviated PNHP says they are at the “forefront of research and action for a single-payer national health program.” This is for the United States. The website features articles of interest that are updated daily. For example a recent article posted is titled “Forum probes health care.” In the article there is a quote by Nick Egnatz, an activitist, “There’s something wrong with a system that doesn’t take care of everyone.” PNHP also features a blog that is also updated quite frequently with posts of interest. Much of the site that is updated daily is managed by PNHP’s Senior Health Policy Fellow Don McCanne, … Read more

Root Canal Treatments: New Composite

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New root canal components are being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg working in collaboration with VOCO GmbH. “The basis of this material is provided by ORMOCER®s,” explains Dr. Herbert Wolter. “We have combined these ORMOCER®s with various nano- and microparticles to achieve the highly diverse properties needed.” Materials used in filling the root canal should not shrink as they harder, be visible in x-rays, and should form an airtight bond with the dental material. However, the material used to rebuild the tooth, should have the same properties as the tooth itself. “Hybrid materials are well suited to these requirements. For instance, they only shrink by about 1.3 percent as they harden, while standard materials generally shrink by 2 to 4 percent. ORMOCER®s can also be adapted to adhere to the different parts … Read more

Aging Causes Fracture Toughness Reduction in Dentin

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Researchers led by Dr. Dwayne D. Arola of the University of Maryland, have recently examined the role of aging and its affect on the reduction in fracture toughness of human dentin. The article appears on the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials (October 2009 issue, pages 550-559). Dr. Arola and colleagues found that the average fracture toughness of  old dentin was approximately 30% lower than young dentin. The researchers observed that the fracture toughness seemed to depend on the number of lumens, which is important in determining the mineral-to-collagen ratio and the variation in the degree of age-related sclerosis, or embrittlement, throughout dentin. They were able to do this by examining the crack growth resistance of human coronal dentin using tissue obtained from patients 18 to 83 years of age and for crack extension oriented perpendicular to the … Read more

White Paper on Ethics & Professionalism in Dental Education

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The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) has recently published a White Paper on Ethics & Professionalism in Dental Education which can be found at http://www.asdanet.org/uploadedFiles/The_Issues/ASDA%20White%20Paper%20Final-Newcomb.pdf The paper is designed to help address issues of cheating which have occurred at dental schools. The ASDA Student Code of Ethics states that, “ASDA recognizes the importance of high ethical standards in the dental school setting. Therefore, the Association believes students should conduct themselves in a manner reflecting integrity and fairness in both the didactic and clinical learning environments. Ethical and professional behavior by dental students is characterized by honesty, fairness, and integrity in all circumstances; respect for the rights, differences, and property of others; concern for the welfare of patients, competence in the delivery of care, and preservation of confidentiality in all situations where this is warranted.” The paper addresses some of the … Read more