False advertising in dentistry
Advertising dental services is a common way to attract new patients, but it ’s important that the information presented is both factual and supported by sufficient evidence. Patients aren’t all knowledgeable about dental practices, and advertisements should not lead them astray. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 23, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: COMMENTARY Source Type: research

Justifying our existence
Dentists, the health care industry, and the press are pushing the concept that individuals must take care of their oral health or they will suffer heart attacks and any number of other adverse systemic health conditions. A close look at the supposed link between oral health and systemic health is needed to set the record straight. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 23, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: COMMENTARY Source Type: research

Anticarious properties of silver diamine fluoride
The traditional treatment of dental caries requires removal of the caries and placement of a restoration. However, if detected early, the lesion can be remineralized. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) offers a way to arrest caries and prevent future carious lesion development. It has been used worldwide, except in the United States, for more than 80 years. Current recommendations advise applying 38% SDF directly to the carious lesion twice a year. The clinical use of SDF and limitations and cautions to observe were outlined. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research

Using silver diamine fluoride for caries arrest
Dental caries is the most prevalent human disease. Although fluoridated toothpaste has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of dental caries, no drug has been approved for treating dental caries. Ideally, caries treatment would address the bacteria involved, strengthen the teeth, enhance salivary quality and quantity as needed, and diminish sugar consumption. The most common approach for young children is operative treatment, which includes sedation and anesthesia. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research

Fluoride concentration and frequency of application
Interventions to restore teeth in young children with early childhood caries (ECC) are challenging because of the youth of the patient and the resulting lack of cooperation. Access to dental care can also be limited, resulting in a public health challenge when decayed primary teeth remain mostly untreated. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has shown the ability to arrest caries in preschool children and has been approved for this off-label use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The SDF agents now available come in various fluoride concentrations, specifically, 12%, 30%, and 38%, with the lower-concentration agents deve...
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research

Alternative methods to reduce dental distress
Dental treatment engenders much less pain than in the past but is still often perceived as uncomfortable for patients. Patients may experience fear or anxiety not just related to the actual care but also to the sights, sounds, and smells associated with the dental office, the relationship to injections, the dental instruments, and the perceived loss of control. As a result, they can experience mental distress. A few patients suffer dental phobia, but many have some degree of anxiety. Many nonpharmacological approaches are available that might improve the dental experience for anxious patients both before and during treatme...
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research

Light activation or not?
Patients often desire to increase the whiteness of their teeth in order to have a better smile. Tooth whitening is a technically easier and less expensive option than veneers and is a highly conservative way to address dental discoloration. It can be done in the office, at home with a professionally dispensed product, or with an over-the-counter product. The products are based on hydrogen peroxide (HP) or carbamide peroxide. Advantages of using in-office bleaching include direct professional supervision to avoid soft-tissue exposure and gel ingestion, reduce treatment time, and obtain rapid whitening. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research

Managing TMD pain
Facial pain can be challenging to assess for its underlying cause. In addition, having the potential for chronicity can complicate management strategies. When the cause is nondental, which is not uncommon, dentists can struggle to determine what is happening and to craft an appropriate intervention. Headache can be one of those pain disorders that can be challenging, especially headache associated with TMDs. Focusing specifically on headache of temporomandibular origin, a pattern for approaching the patient, making an appropriate diagnosis, and selecting proper management protocols was discussed. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Inquiry Source Type: research

Innovative dental care delivery and coverage models
Little objective evidence proves that the expenditures made on dental care result in better oral health in individuals or populations who receive this care. As a result, innovative models of dental care delivery and coverage are being developed to provide evidence-based practice models that use objective dental quality measures to help dental professionals achieve the outcomes their patients desire. Rather than focus on the traditional dental quality measures (process of care, technical standards of care, and patient satisfaction with the experience), the new models incorporate outcomes into the plan. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Big Picture Source Type: research

New dental care delivery approaches
Most health care fields are beginning to recognize the importance of oral health to overall health. In 2010 the Health and Human Services (HHS) department created the Oral Health Initiative, which reinforced the idea that oral health had a place in overall health care. In 2011 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published Advancing Oral Health in America, with its companion book, Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations. These publications evaluated the state of oral health in nondental professions, assessed educational settings, and challenged professionals in social work and internal me...
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Big Picture Source Type: research

Impact of dental disease on the economy
Although the resources available for health care are limited, health care expenditures have increased in recent years, making it important to carefully consider how resources should be used. Obtaining transparent, reliable, and current information about the type and level of health care costs that are being incurred is vital for policy decision makers in these areas. These parties tend to set priorities based on information. In areas such as oral health care, with unclear or scarce information about the economic impact of dental disorders, no real impact is recorded, so the policies will overlook this important area of hea...
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Big Picture Source Type: research

Traumatic dental injury
Eighty-five percent of persons who come for treatment of an oral injury have a traumatic dental injury (TDI), making this a very frequent occurrence. The actual frequency of TDIs is unknown, probably because the diagnosis has not been standardized and no registry has been created to keep track of cases. A literature  search was done to provide an estimate of world TDI frequency. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Big Picture Source Type: research

Dentists' opinions of innovative technologies
The level of use of digital technologies in society varies greatly, which is also the case for dentistry. Changes have been made in dental work patterns and in workplaces because of digital technology, and there is the potential to change the dental profession itself. Users' opinions and how widely technology is used vary between and within professions, partly because of the content and organization of the work, partly due to social processes within the profession, and partly in accordance with the attitudes and resources of the professionals. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Front Office Source Type: research

Going digital
The developments taking place in digital technology for dentistry have the potential to improve clinical care through streamlined diagnostics, increased case acceptance, better treatment planning, and improved communication. The dentistry delivered is more predictable and has greater long-term success, which is an attractive reason for implementing digital technology for both patients and dentists. Dentists have been slow to incorporate digital dental technologies in their practices, with cost and the needed learning curve being negatives that contribute to this slow penetration. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Front Office Source Type: research

Updating your website
Investing in updated features for the dental practice website is an essential element in differentiating it from others and in reaching new patients. A website that isn't mobile-friendly will be quickly abandoned by users today, which means a loss of potential patients and less contact with current patients. Three specific changes are essential to making the website better and more in tune with the needs of patients. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - November 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: The Front Office Source Type: research