Dear DrBicuspid Member,
The debate over how best to care for diseased teeth heated up last week when the American Academy of Implant Dentistry issued a press release asserting that implants are more reliable than root canals and the American Association of Endodontists issued an immediate rebuttal. Read more.
In clinical news, will mandibular infiltration ever replace the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB)? Articaine in a 4% solution with 1:100,000 epinephrine numbed mandibular first molars better than five other formulas of anesthetic in a study published in this month's Journal of the American Dental Association. But none of the formulas provided reliable enough anesthesia to support the idea of using infiltration in place of an IANB. Read more.
Meanwhile, a study in the Journal of Dental Research found that motivational interviewing can yield positive changes in oral health behavior in people with severe mental illness. It might also be useful for the general population as well, the researchers say.
And over on the Second Opinion page, Jimmy Earll tells the tale of the professor every student in his dental class feared, while Dr. Don Deems notes that when it comes to resolutions, how you make them is critical to how successful you will be in sticking to them.
