dentist

Antibiotic resistance: what should dentists know

by

An interesting article titled “Antibiotic resistance: The silent pandemia” appears in the International Dental Journal on January 12 2023 written by Angel-Orión Salgad Peralvo and et. al. The article discusses a call to action for dentists worldwide to cut back on their antibiotic prescribing habits arguing that 66% of antiobitics prescibed is not warranted. In the article the authors mention that dentists prescribe 10% of all antibiotics in the world. However, the way they see it, antibiotics being overly prescribed can contribute to the worldwide development of antimicrobial resistance. Antibitoics are used in dentistry for preventive purposes and to avoid systemic bacteraemia in patients at risk or to prevent possible bacterial contamination during surgery. Yet the resistance problem increases medical costs and increases mortality. Therefore they feel that dentists should change the way they prescribe antiobitics as the resistance problem … Read more

Iowa dentist with history of inappropriate conduct faces new charges

by

An Iowa dentist with a history of alleged sexual misconduct with multiple patients is facing more charges from state regulators. The dentist first faced trouble in July 1993, when was charged with unprofessional conduct in the practice of dentistry and accused of inappropriately touching two female patients, one 17 and one 25 during their dental appointments. The 17 year old was recovering after being sedated during wisdom teeth surgery when the dentist entered and inappropriately touched the patient while she was in the dental chair. The 25 year old at her first appointment was sedated and upon waking found that her clothes were disheveled and had pain in her pubic bone. At her second appointment of the 25 year old, she allegedly awoke and heard the dentist making suggestive remarks while inappropriately touching her. Shortly after the first two patients … Read more

Good News for Dental Phobes: Pain-Free and Needle-Free Dentistry May be Coming

by

Dental visits often evoke fear and anxiety, largely due to the dreaded needle and potential pain associated with procedures. But what if there was a way to experience pain-free and needle-free dentistry? Griffith University in Australia is currently trialing a revolutionary device called the Nuralyte that may offer pain and needle free dentistry the future. The reseaschers are developing a technology utilizing light to temporarily block nerve conduction in the teeth and jaw, mimicking the numbing effect of a traditional injection. One burst of light from the Nuralyte may provide 15 to 20 minutes of pain relief. Unlike X-rays, the energy in this light source does not alter DNA. Developed by tech start-up Dentroid, the Nuralyte holds immense potential to transform the dental industry. For individuals with dental anxiety or those who experience difficulty achieving complete numbness from injections, this … Read more

Traveling Oral Surgeon Performs Wisdom Teeth Extractions and Other Procedures for Those in Need

by

Rural residents in the U.S. are less likely to have access to specialized dental health care treatments. One New York based oral surgeon decided early on in his career to travel to provide oral surgery for those in need. The oral surgeon was inspired to practice medicine since a trip he took to South Africa when he was younger. When he was there he saw packed waiting rooms and numerous patients holding their mouths in need of dentistry. When the oral surgeon started practing he had an idea, why shoud he be limited to one office when he moves around and open up a business and spread himself around. For over eight years the oral surgeon has traveled to parts of Upstate New York and western Connecticut to work out of other dentist’s offices. Using their equipment the oral surgeon … Read more

Doctors are feeling pain from prolonged mask use

by

An interesting article titled “Is Prolonged Mask Wearing Associated With Orofacial Pain?” appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by Vicky Yau, Hong-Yu Liang, and Chenyu Sun (vol. 80, pp. 1875-1877, 2022). The article discuses how with the prolonged use of face masks and surgical respirators, issues of mask associated orofacial pain are now happening for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This is a new issue due to the use of surgical N95 respirators (also called medical respirators) used by healthcare providers for protection from airborne and fluid transmission and protection from COVID-19. The article discusses how healthcare workers have reported masks-associatedorofacial pain, in the areas of temporalis, zygomaticus, nasalis, and auricularis muscle with the use of N95 masks. N95 masks have a tight facial fit, and provide enhanced filtration against 95% or more of 0.3-mm particles. Orofacial … Read more