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All Blog Posts (1,381)

Come fly with me...

A new study looks at the highly sophisticated structure of teeth and how this structure could be applied to aircraft and space vehicles of the future. It's been a mystery: how can our teeth withstand such an enormous amount of pressure, over many years, when tooth enamel is only about as strong as glass? Professor Herzl Chai of Tel Aviv University's School of Mechanical Engineering and his colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and George Washington University gives…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 27, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Biologically Active 'Scaffold' May Help Humans Replace Lost Or Missing Bone

Scientist and Professor Meital Zilberman of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biomedical Engineering has developed a new biologically active "scaffold" made from soluble fibers, which may help humans replace lost or missing bone. The invention, which does not yet have a name, could be used to restore missing bone in a limb lost in an accident, or repair receded jawbones necessary to secure dental implants, says Prof. Zilberman. The scaffold can be shaped so the bone will grow into… Continue

Added by Giovanni Castellucci, DMD on October 26, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Zirconia, More Biocompatible than High Noble Gold Alloy PFM's???

This evening I had a presentation at my dental laboratory with NobelBiocare. The title of the lecture was Zirconia vs PFM Restorations. The speaker, Dr. Thomas Williams showed several examples of less than ideal soft tissue health that resolved with changing to porcelain fused to zirconia restorations. What is the general observations of others on WebDental regarding this subject? Are all ceramics and even composite restorations more biocompatible thna PFM's? Please understand… Continue

Added by Ira N. Dickerman, CDT on October 21, 2009 at 11:41pm — 5 Comments

"White wine rots your teeth...", what's next?

“White wine rots your teeth… and brushing makes it worse,” claimed the Daily Mail today, a British newspaper. This statement was based on a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Research. According to the study, dental erosion from red wine is not as severe. 'The tradition of enjoying different cheeses for dessert or in combination with…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 21, 2009 at 10:00pm — 1 Comment

Social Networking for Dentists - a Fad or the Real Deal?

If you are still wondering if social networking has a place in dentistry, take a look at the video below. Given the enormous power of social networking, all dental professionals can connect with and learn from others, as well as promote themselves and their practices. You are only limited by your… Continue

Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 17, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

Dental Care For Children Gets a Boost in Health Reform Proposals

Children are not "left behind" in the Democratic versions of the health care reform proposals, as reported by Kaiser Health News. This is encouraging news for our nation's children, but not without some pitfalls according to some. Your thoughts?

Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 13, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Medicaid: Millions of Children Still Have Untreated Tooth Decay

Low-income kids continue to have difficulty getting proper dental care through Medicaid according to the Government Accountability Office. Some of you may remember the tragic case of a twelve year old boy who died in 2007 because of a brain infection which originated from an untreated dental abscess. Investigators determined that many people, including children, simply do not take advantage of the… Continue

Added by Giovanni Castellucci, DMD on October 10, 2009 at 8:17am — 1 Comment

The End of Dental Implants?

Researchers in China have hypothesized that third molar tooth buds could be harvested during development and later used to replace missing teeth in the future. Could this mean the end of dental implant treatment? The dental implant manufacturers…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 8, 2009 at 7:30am — 1 Comment

American Dental Association Celebrates 150 Years!

Congratulations on 150 Years!

The American Dental Association turned 150 years old this year, and it’s in very good health for its age. With 157,000 members, the ADA represents more than 70 percent of U.S. dentists, making it the world’s largest and oldest national dental association—America’s leading advocate for oral health.

It's hard to believe that…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on October 3, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Tooth Implanted in Eye Helps Woman to See Again

Perhaps you have heard about this amazing procedure which recently helped a Miami woman regain her lost eyesight. A prosthetic lens was inserted into a tooth that was removed from the patient, and then implanted into the eye. The surgical technique, modified osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (MOOKP), has proven effective in cases where severe corneal scarring blocks vision, but the eye remains healthy. Has anyone heard of this before? Thoughts or… Continue

Added by Giovanni Castellucci, DMD on September 27, 2009 at 1:00pm — 3 Comments

ADA Combats Fears of Mercury Toxicity

The ADA made an announcement recently that it was urging Congress not to support a resolution that "expressed the need for enhanced public awareness of potential health effects posed by mercury." The resolution made frequent references to mercury in dental amalgam.

The primary argument is that most public concern over the mercury content in amalgam is based on… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on September 21, 2009 at 2:41pm — No Comments

WebDental Job Board Launches

We recently launched a job board where WebDental members can post resumes, view jobs, create alerts and find open positions from resources all over the Web.

So if you are looking, or even if you are just curious to see what else is out there, head over and… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on September 21, 2009 at 1:53pm — No Comments

Is Drinking Water Destroying Your Patient's Teeth?

The New York Times just had this eye opening article toxic water supplies and its impact on peoples health. If people have to put on special lotion on their skin aver showering, I can't even imagine the damage that it is doing to their teeth.

I have become attached to… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on September 15, 2009 at 12:58pm — No Comments

"Lip Fillers" and Cosmetic Dentistry

One of the newest treatments on the frontier of cosmetic dentistry is Juvederm and Restylane. These are injectable fillers that can create fullness in the lips,as well as to eliminate "smiles lines". We have all been taught that the lips are the frame for the smile, and the teeth represent the "artwork". An increasing number of restorative dentists have embraced these techniques and are incorporating them into their daily esthetic dentistry practices. What…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on September 12, 2009 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

ADA Lobbying for Increased Dental Medicaid Funding

A recent article in the Nation's Journal provided insight into the ADA's lobbying activity around the current proposed heathcare reform legislation. Increasing funding for dental medicaid is a primary focus of the ADA according to the article.

The ADA noted that low-income Americans are the ones hit hardest when it comes to access to adequate dental care and they… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on September 3, 2009 at 3:37pm — 1 Comment

Dental Implants Increasingly Preferred for Tooth Restorations

The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) said times have changed and patients should forego prolonged dental heroics to save failing teeth and replace them with long-lasting dental implants.

"There really is no justification for undergoing multiple endodontic or periodontic procedures, and enduring the pain and financial burden, to save a diseased tooth," said John Minichetti, DDS, speaking for the AAID. "The days are over for saving teeth till they fall out. Preserving…

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Added by Cary Feuerman, DMD on September 2, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

26% of Dentists Quit ADA

Okay, so I know I've been blogging a lot about survey data lately, but this one really piqued my interest and I wanted to hear what everyone hear thought of it.

The data comes from TheWealthyDentist.com and says that more than 1 in 4 dentists has quit the ADA for one reason or another.

What is your take on the ADA? Everyone… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on August 27, 2009 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

Problems with Dental Patients Texting In-Chair

A survey from the Chicago Dental Society has some pretty interesting stats on exactly how likely patients are to send text messages or take cell phone calls while in the dentists' chair.

The survey was taken from a sample of their Facebook fans. Not exactly a scientific sampling, but interesting nonetheless.

It found that 46 percent of dentists… Continue

Added by Jamie Bull on August 27, 2009 at 2:30pm — 2 Comments

Chart Auditing article printed in Dental Assisting Digest by Dr. Ron Arndt and Mary Beth Bajornas

CHART AUDITING

Ronald F. Arndt, DDS, MBA, MAGD, MCC

Mary Beth Bajornas, CMT,VA

How much dentistry is sitting on your wall? What financial opportunities are you missing with your patients of record? What are you willing to do to “harvest the diamonds in your own back yard?”

Chart auditing is the review of charts to determine the status of idle patients. Chart auditing is done by the front desk staff, and should be done minimally on an annual basis. Although this… Continue

Added by Mary Beth Bajornas on August 25, 2009 at 9:37pm — No Comments

Have Bad Breath? Here's some tips to share how to remedy it

Something that we are all afraid of as people is having bad breath and leaving a poor first impression on anyone, whether its a hot date or your boss. Some of the common symptoms of bad breath include; smoking, not brushing properly, and eating the wrong foods. We all think its as easy as chewing a piece of gum to remedy the situation, but it can be a little more complicated than that.

Some of the more common remedies to get rid of bad breath include:

1. Drinking plenty of… Continue

Added by Divij Bhatia on August 25, 2009 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment