Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
Demand for cosmetic dentistry services has declined 13% since 2007, primarily due to the ongoing recession and its impact on patients' spending behavior, according to a survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Even so, the news isn't all bad, especially with regard to crown and bridge work, implants, and orthodontics.
Read more about the survey and its findings in this latest Cosmetic Dentistry Insider Exclusive.
In other Cosmetics Community news, the American Association of Orthodontists has launched a multimillion dollar advertising campaign designed to educate the public about orthodontists' unique qualifications, with particular emphasis on the adult market. Click here to read more.
Meanwhile, an edentulous woman who robbed a Pennsylvania bank told police she needed the money to buy dentures. Her plight reflects the ongoing struggle many Americans are having when it comes to affording medical and dental care in the current economy. Read more.
In business news, a cosmetic physician from Miami has invented the Ouchless Needle, a disposable attachment for syringes that delivers a topical refrigerant to the skin just prior to needle insertion to minimize pain from Botox injections and dermal fillers.
On the clinical front, preliminary data from a study to be presented at the upcoming American Association for Dental Research annual meeting shows that periodontitis and oral hygiene are not associated with the risk of developing bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.
Meanwhile, researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have identified a genetic variation that raises the risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients who take bisphosphonates.
Also, while the adoption of cone-beam CT in dentistry has so far been strongest in orthodontics, a new literature review in the Journal of the American Dental Association questions whether this imaging modality should be as widely used as it is in orthodontics. Read more.
And young children who snore a lot or have other breathing problems at night may have a heightened risk of behavioral and emotional problems later on, a new study suggests.
Finally, a state appellate court in New Jersey has ruled that the dental board should decide if teeth-whitening services offered by nondentists at mall kiosks and beauty salons constitutes the practice of dentistry. Click here to read why.
