Dear Restoratives Insider,
Once one of the most beloved restorative materials in dentistry, gold has been surpassed in recent years by other composite restorative materials as dentists and dental labs adapt to the skyrocketing cost of precious metals.
Does this mean that porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations are on their way to becoming obsolete? Click here to read what some experts say in this latest Restoratives Insider Exclusive.
In other Restoratives Community news, the first installment in DrBicuspid.com's new Dental Heroes series featured Stan Brock, the charismatic founder of Remote Area Medical (RAM), a nonprofit that has provided free dental care to hundreds of thousands of individuals. Find out where Brock stands on access-to-care issues facing the U.S. by clicking here.
DrBicuspid.com got a firsthand look at the amazing work RAM does during a massive free clinic in Oakland, CA, in April. Read about the community's overwhelming response here.
In clinical research news, the root cause of local anesthetic-related neurosensory disturbances in dentistry has been unclear. But now a group of Danish researchers say it is neurotoxicity related to high-concentration formulations of anesthetics -- particularly articaine -- not needle penetration. Read more.
Meanwhile, a study in the Journal of Dentistry offered interesting conclusions about prosthodontic treatment and how it affects patients' perception of their overall health. Find out how here.
In technology news, Canadian researchers are working on a diagnostic tool that could reduce the number of implant failures. Learn more about their new approach.
And a study about the impact that loupes magnification has on caries-treatment decision-making produced some surprising results. Click here to read more.
Moving abroad, Brazilian researchers have created a new syringe cover that will help dentists administer local anesthesia to children without scaring the heck out of them. Read more about this unique device.
Finally, in other pediatric dental news, mothers who use xylitol while their children are very young can prevent the development of caries in their baby teeth. Click here to read more about this study out of Finland.
