Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
As part of our new Leaders in Dentistry series, DrBicuspid.com talked with Louis Malcmacher, DDS, a practicing general dentist, lecturer, author, and current president of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, to get his views on dentists doing Botox.
Dr. Malcmacher discussed the growing use of Botox in dentistry for both aesthetic and therapeutic purposes, and whether the opposition from dermatologists and plastic surgeons is really about patient safety or simply a turf war. Read more in our latest Cosmetic Dentistry Insider Exclusive.
In other Cosmetics Community news, ClearCorrect has filed a lawsuit against Align Technology, denying allegations that its clear-aligner therapy systems infringe on Align patents. In fact, ClearCorrect is asking the court to declare all 408 claims in 10 of Align's patents invalid. Read more.
In related news, Align Technology has acquired Cadent, a provider of 3D digital scanning solutions for orthodontics and dentistry, for $190 million, making Align a new competitor in the intraoral scanning and digital impressioning market. Click here for details.
On the clinical front, a detailed informed consent process is important before the start of any orthodontic treatment, but a study presented at the recent International Association for Dental Research (IADR) conference in San Diego found that reducing the volume of information can actually increase efficiency. Read more.
Also at the IADR meeting, researchers from Brazil reported that adding calcium and fluoride to bleaching gels does not interfere with the whitening efficacy of the gels.
Meanwhile, a new study in the Journal of Dentistry found that patients' perception of their general health improves after receiving prosthodontic treatment. Click here for details.
Also, while pregnant women who take potent topical corticosteroids risk fetal growth restriction in their infants, there is no risk of fetal orofacial clefts with any form of corticosteroid taken by pregnant women, a pair of studies has found.
Finally, Allcare's litigation woes continue as the Pennsylvania attorney general filed suit against the company and three top company officials, accusing them of numerous violations of Pennsylvania's consumer protection and credit laws. Click here to read more.
