Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
In the latest installment of DrBicuspid.com's Dental Heroes series, we spoke with Gary Parker, DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has dedicated his life to serving the poor in developing nations. As a surgeon and chief medical officer aboard the world's largest nongovernmental hospital ship, Dr. Parker has used his skills to transform many lives in complex cases not seen in the West.
Dr. Parker, who currently makes his home onboard the Africa Mercy with his wife and two teenage children, spoke with us about the challenges of working in such an environment and how the patients he works with keep him motivated every day.
Read more in this latest Cosmetic Dentistry Insider Exclusive.
In other Cosmetics Community news, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) can no longer be called just bisphosphonate-associated ONJ since other drugs also play a role in prompting the condition, according to Cesar Migliorati, DDS, PhD, who was part of an expert panel discussion on the topic at ADA Annual Session in San Francisco in October. Click here to learn more.
But is there anything that can be done to mitigate the risk of bisphosphonate-related ONJ? Options such as drug holidays and serum CTX testing exist but aren't fully reliable at this point, according to Thomas Dodson, DMD, MPH, from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, who was also part of the expert panel discussion.
On the clinical front, ceramic mandibular veneers are likely to be as successful as veneer restorations placed on maxillary teeth, according to a new study in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. Read more.
And when bonded to prepared enamel substrate, feldspathic porcelain veneers have excellent long-term survival and low failure rates, according to a study in the International Journal of Prosthodontics.
Also, dental trauma and trauma to the face are among the most frequent injuries suffered by elderly victims of abuse, according to a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago. Read more.
Finally, more than one-third of American adults are unhappy with their smile, according to a recent survey commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists. Click here to find out more.
