Dear Restoratives Insider,
Are amalgam restorations replaced too often? That is the contention of a University of Florida researcher following a seven-year clinical study published in the latest Journal of the American Dental Association.
In fact, amalgam repairs are an equally effective, yet more conservative treatment option, the study found, and the cost and time savings could contribute to an improvement in access to care. Read more in this latest Restoratives Insider Exclusive.
In related Restoratives Community news, a study in Quintessence International highlighted a treatment option for filling interproximal root caries that also focuses on preserving tooth structure. Click here to walk through the step-by-step process.
Treatment options pertaining to root canals also got a recent look in a study in Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology. While syringe irrigation is the most common technique used for clearing dentin debris during root canals, practitioners may want to consider incorporating an activated irrigation system into their root canal procedures, according to a team of Swiss researchers.
Meanwhile, Japanese researchers say they have successfully used mouse stem cells to grow teeth which were then implanted into mice. Read more about this advancement in stem cell research.
While implanting a live tooth is not yet an option, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed a method that could rapidly remineralize carious lesions in the dentin of existing teeth. Learn about the results of their study here.
A different sort of development in dentistry could help medical providers in Third World countries. Read more about the unique portable dental chair two former Purdue University students invented.
Recent innovation is also poised to have a positive impact on dental injections; learn about one researcher's award-winning pain-reducing syringe modification here.
In business news, the dental implant landscape could change dramatically following Dentsply International's $1.8 billion purchase of Astra Tech. Read more about the deal's details here.
Finally, a study from the University of Michigan has corroborated previous research linking phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) to thyroid function. Click here to read more about the latest evidence of BPA's negative potential side effects.
