Dear Restoratives Insider,
Despite numerous studies -- including a Cochrane meta-analysis published in July -- that indicate using preoperative antibiotics can help prevent dental implant failures, some experts still question whether all implant patients should be given prophylactic antibiotics prior to surgery.
In our latest Restoratives Community Insider Exclusive, contributing editor Rosemary Frei looks at the pros and potential cons of prescribing prophylactic antibiotics prior to implant surgery.
In other implant news, with its ability to create 3D images that contain key anatomical and morphological details, cone-beam CT is emerging as the standard of care for implant treatment planning and placement. Click here to read more.
And while implant manufacturers typically provide congruent osteotomes for patients who have spongy bone structures, these instruments must be inserted with controlled hammer strokes. There are gentler alternatives, according to Ludwig Hermeler, D.D.S. Read more.
In other Restoratives Community news, gender appears to play a role in our risk of developing certain oral diseases. For women, it's caries. For men, periodontal disease. Two recent studies attempt to explain the genetic differences that account for these gender-specific predispositions.
Meanwhile, can a sophisticated plastic model of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity help dental students learn to give local anesthesia injections with less pain and more success? A study by Dutch dentistry professors suggests it can.
Speaking of inventions, prosthodontists may one day have an easier, less costly way to create dental bars, thanks to a dental researcher's efforts to digitize and automate the process. Read more.
Finally, are flowable composites the unsung heroes of bonding? Yes, according to Phil Brown, D.D.S., in his article outlining how these materials have gone from being seen as a passing fad to a workhorse in aesthetic dentistry.
