Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Should you prescribe antibiotics to patients with prosthetics? Our top story of the week covered a session at the 2022 Illinois Summit on Antimicrobial Stewardship that explored the intricacies of that very question. If you're interested in this topic, you don't want to miss our additional coverage of the summit.
What to know about monkeypox
Monkeypox, a rare disease of unknown origin that spreads through close contact with an infected person, is making headlines as cases continue to rise in the U.S. Some lesions associated with the virus may be first observed in the maxillofacial region, which is why researchers say dental professionals should be aware of the signs and symptoms of monkeypox.
COVID fingers?
In a fitting example of how hard it can sometimes be to deduce the proper diagnosis of many viral illnesses, Dr. Teresa Yang shares how she initially thought her daughter had COVID-19 when she saw diffuse redness and slight swelling in daughter's fingers, but the actual diagnosis was a condition familiar to oral health professionals.
4 factors for teeth whitening success
You likely already know that the success of teeth whitening depends on the bleaching agent used and the exposure time, but those two factors are just the start of considerations that dental professionals must take into account to achieve a pearly white finish for patients.
A review of evidence has identified four surprising factors that affect teeth whitening success, including the type of tooth stain and whether restorations are new or old. If you want to go even deeper in your teeth whitening knowledge, the review also explored the science behind teeth whitening methods.
Will more DSOs lead to more legal cases?
Last but not least, I want to highlight our coverage of a thought-provoking legal article which argues that the continued growth of dental service organizations (DSOs) will likely lead to more violations of the corporate practice of dentistry.
What makes the journal publication interesting, though, is that it initially reads as if the author is arguing against DSOs, but, in fact, the author makes it clear that is not the case. She argues that DSOs benefit patients and that these corporations should remain part of the dental industry but that dentistry also needs new, improved regulation.
