Cosmetic Dentistry News

Access To NHS Dentistry Declines Further, UK
Statistics published by The Information Centre provide new evidence that the Government's 2006 reforms are failing to achieve their aim of improving patients' ability to access to NHS dentistry. The figures show that 881,000 people across England have lost access to NHS dentistry since the implementation of reforms in April 2006.

The Government Must Unravel The Harm Done By A Failing Contract, Dentists' Leader Warns, UK
The Department of Health must undo the damage done by the new dental contract, while dentists need to seize the opportunities that will emerge from the chaos, delegates heard today at the annual Local Dental Committees' conference in London. Addressing the conference, the Chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, Dr Lester Ellman said: "The Department must work with the profession, not against it.

Good Dental Hygiene May Help Prevent Heart Infection
Good dental hygiene and health may be crucial in preventing heart valve infection, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.In a study of 290 dental patients, researchers investigated several measures of bacteremia (bacteria released into the bloodstream) during three different dental activities - tooth brushing, a single tooth extraction with a preventive antibiotic and a single tooth extraction with a placebo.

CPD Is On The Way, Says General Dental Council, UK
Continuing professional development for dental care professionals - CPD for DCPs - is almost here, the GDC reminds registrants. The key date is 1 August 2008, when all DCPs should start gathering evidence that they are keeping up to date. Under the GDC requirements, DCPs must complete at least 150 hours of CPD every five years. At least 50 of these hours need to be "verifiable" - be independently documented, quality controlled, and have a clear purpose and outcomes.

ADHA Unveils New Format At 85th Annual Session In Albuquerque
More than 1,100 registered dental hygienists (RDH) from across the United States will travel to Albuquerque, N.M. to experience to the new format for the 85th annual session of the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) June 18-25. News HighlightsADHA Unveils New Meeting format For the first time since their inception, ADHA will combine the Center for Lifelong Learning and Annual Session.

Using Periodontal Ligament Regeneration To Save Teeth
Teeth may fall out as a result of inflammation and subsequent destruction of the tissues supporting the teeth. Dutch researcher Agnes Berendsen has investigated a possible solution to this problem. At the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), she has studied the regeneration of the periodontal ligament by use of tissue engineering.

Dentists And Dental Care Professionals "Must Act To Protect Children And Vulnerable Adults", Says GDC, UK
Dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) are well placed to identify possible abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults - and have a responsibility to raise their concerns if they do, says the GDC. All registrants should know who - a local health trust or board, for example - to contact for advice if they have concerns about potential abuse or neglect, says the GDC in a new statement on child protection.

Three-dimensional Molar Enamel Distribution And Thickness In Australopithecus And Paranthropus
Thick molar enamel is among the few diagnostic characters of hominins that are measurable in fossil specimens. Despite a long history of study and characterisation of Paranthropus molars as relatively "hyper-thick," only a few tooth fragments and controlled planes of section (designed to be proxies of whole-crown thickness) have been measured.

Toothpaste Too Pricey For The Poor
Fluoride toothpaste is prohibitively expensive for the world's poorest people, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Globalization and Health. Researchers revealed that the poorest populations of developing countries have the least access to affordable toothpaste.The team, which includes Ann Goldman of the School of Public Health and Health Services at the George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Nagging Headache Often Linked To Dental Pain
Could that nagging headache and painful jaw be tied to your oral health? Many headache sufferers might want to consult their dentist as well as their doctor since headaches and dental pain have a lot in common, says Director of the Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Graduate Program at the USC School of Dentistry Glenn Clark.