FDA gets earful on mobile apps; anxious patients love dentist's dog

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

How should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate mobile applications used for medical purposes? That tricky question was the subject of a forum this week at the agency's headquarters in Rockville, MD.

The FDA has proposed a regulatory framework for mobile app regulation, and clinicians and software developers had some strong opinions about the proposals during the two-day hearing. Click here to read a report from the first day of the forum.

Meanwhile, a California dentist has come up with a unique method for easing her patients' anxieties: her dog, Buster. The 25-pound pug has become so popular that some patients insist on having him in their laps during treatment. And apparently the drill doesn't bother Buster too much; he often falls asleep during the procedures, according to his owner, Dr. Lori Doran-Garcia. Read more in our latest Practice Management Community feature.

And while teeth whitening is an incredibly popular cosmetic procedure, it can have some negative side effects, including enamel softening. But a new study in Operative Dentistry found that adding a remineralizing agent to the bleaching agent can help. Click here to read more, or visit the Cosmetics Community.

Finally, check out the latest Products in Practice review, featuring a new soft reline denture material that fared well when it comes to one of the biggest issues associated with these materials: softness longevity.