Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
Dentists aren't just wielding needles filled with Novocain these days. Many are now injecting their patients with Botox -- and inciting the ire of dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and some of their colleagues in the process.
As state dental boards around the U.S. struggle with how to regulate such injections, some dentists are forging ahead, spurred on by the financial rewards. Others are adamant that Botox offers numerous therapeutic advantages as well. But for many the question remains: Should dentists be doing Botox? Read more in our latest Insider Exclusive.
Also in this issue: Align Technology reversed a controversial policy put into effect last year and will no longer require dentists who want to be active Invisalign providers to start at least 10 Invisalign cases annually. The move was prompted by customer demand expressed through thousands of e-mails and phone calls to the company. Read more.
On the clinical front, researchers from the University of Trieste investigated whether using too much hydrogen peroxide for whitening can permanently damage tooth enamel. Click here to read more.
The recent American Association for Dental Research conference also yielded some interesting new studies. In one, researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University raised concerns that many oral and maxillofacial surgery programs in the U.S. are not producing enough research. Another found that dental practitioners should not rely solely on clinical impressions when looking at potentially cancerous oral lesions, but should submit all biopsied tissue to a pathologist for microscopic examination. Click here to find out why.
And using daylight for shade matching may not always be the best option. And as for that blue card you use for eye relaxation, it may be time to rethink it. These are a few of the tips from Thomas Ziemiecki, D.D.S., whose seminar at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting was full of advice on how to achieve better shade matching. Click here to read his tips.
In other Cosmetics Community news, a West Virginia woman who claims she received defective and ill-fitting dentures from Allcare Dental and Dentures is suing the company for breach of contract and breach of implied warranty. Read more.
Finally, some teeth-whitening companies have had a run of bad luck of late. Creditors of BSML, which offers teeth-whitening services through its BriteSmile spas, filed a bankruptcy petition against the company, while a Florida teeth-whitening firm was sued by the state over allegations that they enrolled consumers in a monthly subscription program without their knowledge or consent. Click here and here for details.
