Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
The type of orthodontic appliance young adults choose to wear can influence judgments about the personal characteristics of these patients, according to a study in the European Journal of Orthodontics.
The study authors assessed whether orthodontic appliance design affected patients' ratings for social competence, intellectual ability, psychological adjustment, and attractiveness.
Not only did they find that judgments are influenced by appliance design, but they also identified differences in judgments for different designs. Read more in this latest Cosmetic Dentistry Insider Exclusive.
In other Cosmetics Community news, patients who come in for cosmetic work are often seeking the perfect smile, but some dentists may be compromising sound enamel and dentin by giving patients unnecessary porcelain crowns and veneers. Click here to read why one dentist calls this practice "porcelain pornography."
Meanwhile, the contentious issue of teeth whitening in malls and spas recently flared up again after a public interest law firm filed a lawsuit last month against the Connecticut Dental Commission, alleging that the commission illegally shut down small businesses that offered the procedure at lower prices than dental offices. Read more.
In related news, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is considering the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners' appeal of a July ruling that the board's efforts to block nondentists from providing teeth-whitening services constitute an illegal anticompetitive conspiracy.
And Botox continues to be another hot topic in dentistry. While presenters at the recent American Academy of Implant Dentistry annual meeting reported that Botox can enhance implant outcomes, Australian dentists now find themselves engaged in a what is being called a Botox "turf war." Click here and here to read more.
On the clinical front, a patient receiving antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis has a low risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), and benefits of the medication outweigh the risk of ONJ, according to an advisory statement from the ADA. Read on to learn more about the latest recommendations from the ADA on the management of patients at risk for ONJ.
Finally, when Dr. William Magee accepted an invitation in 1982 to go to the Philippines to help treat children with cleft palates and cleft lips, he had no intention of starting a charitable organization. But 30 years later, his Operation Smile organization has provided free care to more than 200,000 children worldwide. Click here to read about Dr. Magee's pioneering work.
