Week in Review: Listerine and gonorrhea; treating large caries; and apical sealing materials

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In 1879, the manufacturers of Listerine claimed the antiseptic mouthwash could cure gonorrhea. Almost 140 years later, the findings of a new study indicate that this claim just might be true. Researchers found that rinsing with Listerine significantly reduced the prevalence in the mouth and throat of the bacteria that cause the sexually transmitted infection. Read more here.

Also this week on DrBicuspid.com, is the way you treat large caries about to change? The results of an animal study published in Scientific Reports suggest that using a degradable collagen sponge filled with a pharmaceutical first tested for treating Alzheimer's disease may stimulate natural dentine repair and eventually replace the need for fillings and cements. Learn more here.

One ongoing issue in dentistry is the lack of high-quality published evidence that supports time-tested clinical practice. An example of this a recent literature review by researchers from China. While hundreds of studies have documented the safety and efficacy of filling materials most often used for apical sealing, the researchers sought to find out if the published evidence backed the clinical practice. Their conclusions highlight the need for rigorous research and follow-up. Find out more here.

Also, while many cancer rates in the U.S. are dropping, the number of new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx in men is expected to increase to more than 35,000 in the U.S. in 2017, according to a report on cancer mortality published by the American Cancer Society. The number of new cases of these cancers in women is expected to remain around 14,000. Read more here.

Congratulations again to the winners of our 2017 Dental Excellence Awards. A complete list of the winners is available here. We're looking forward to presenting the awards at the Chicago Midwinter meeting in February.