dentist

What Makes the Best Dentists?

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There’s plenty of dentists to choose from and we know that finding the best one can be quite difficult. Dental health is not a matter that can be taken for granted and you need to know that your dentist will efficiently see to your needs. A good dentist will be concerned for his patients well being and will focus on it. A good dentist is also honest and won’t try and get you to buy all unnecessary dental treatments and products. After all he’s a dentist, not a salesman. You Should Feel Safe In Your Dentist’s Office: In a dentist office, it’s easy to feel vulnerable. Dentists see everything in your mouth, and regardless of what you’ve told them, they can tell how often you’re brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. When you have to undergo a procedure, from tooth extractions … Read more

Nanoparticles can be used to break up plaque and prevent cavities

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Bacteria living in dental plaque contribute to tooth decay which is often resistant to traditional antimicrobial treatment. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took advantage of pH sensitive and enzyme like properties of iron containing nanoparticles to catalyze the activity of hydrogen peroxide. The activated hydrogen peroxide produced free radicals that were able to degrade the biofilm matrix associated with tooth decay and kill bacteria thus preventing plaque and reducing tooth decay. The researchers said that even a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide was effective at disrupting the biofilm. It was found that adding nanoparticles increased the efficiency of bacterial killing more than 5,000-fold. The work built off a seminal finding published in 2007  showing that nanoparticles, long believed to be biologically and chemically inert, could in fact possess enzyme-like properties. This study showed that an iron oxide nanoparticle behaved similarly to a … Read more

Shared decision making in cases of conflicted evidence

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An interesting article titled “When clinical evidence is conflicted, who decides how to proceed? An opportunity for shared decision making,” appears in the October 2015 issue of JADA (vol. 146 issue 10, pp. 713-714) and written by Arthur H. Friedlander and et al. The article discusses the concept of shared decision making “…particularly necessary in dentistry at this juncture, given recommendations but inconclusive data available to support abandoning the provision of prophylactic antibiotics to patients with total joint prostheses.” I have previously talked about shared medical decision making in the blog post The Well Informed Patient https://blog.teethremoval.com/the-well-informed-patient/. The article talks about how historically patients were expected to consent to the recommendations of their doctors without much discussion. However, since this is not enough to be legally and ethically correct shared decision making can be used which is a “…collaborative process encouraging patients … Read more

Chewing sugar free gum could help prevent tooth decay and save money

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An interesting article titled “Oral health promotion: the economic benefits to the NHS of increased use of sugarfree gum in the UK” explores the effects of children chewing sugar free gum after eating or drinking in the U.K. Specifically the article finds out that in the National Health Service in England savings of £8.2 million a year could occur if all 12-year-olds across the U.K. chewed sugar free gum after eating or drinking, which is due to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay. This savings would be equivalent to roughly 364,000 dental check-ups. Sugar free gum can be an easy and effective addition to oral health routines. The British Dental Health Foundation recommends brushing for two minutes, twice a day and for children over the age of seven, chewing sugar-free gum during the day. This can … Read more

Will There Be No More Needles at the Dentist Soon?

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A new study reveals how a dentist could give you an anesthetic using a tiny electric current instead of a needle.  The study was published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces and reveals how a dentist could give you anesthetic using a tiny electric current instead of a needle. The researchers from the study are from the University of São Paulo and believe their findings could help improve dental procedures and bring relief to millions of people who are scared of needles. Dentists commonly currently use anesthetics that block pain administered using needles. Many patients are afraid of these injections, and this can result in them postponing and canceling visits to the dentist. For patients who do not like needles, dentists can give them a topical painkiller to reduce their pain and fear. This can come in the form of … Read more