Florida judge axes dental advertising law; more IADR news

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In breaking news today, a Florida judge has ruled that a state law restricting how dentists can advertise credentials issued by bona fide professional organizations is unconstitutional and violates the U.S. Constitution, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID).

The AAID says the verdict is a victory for practitioners who want to promote their credentials to the public, and establishes a strong precedent that could form the basis for challenging similar restrictions in other states. Read more.

In other news coming out of Florida, the dental community took Miami by storm last week, with hundreds of papers and posters presented at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) annual meeting. Key themes included the role of periodontal disease in numerous systemic health issues, the increasing emphasis on preventive care versus "drill and fill," the growing importance of evidence-based dentistry, and next-generation techniques such as tissue regeneration and stem cell transplants.

Our coverage of the IADR meeting includes:

• A series of studies that suggest sealing, refinishing, or repairing an older restoration can be just as effective as replacing it.
• Research linking periodontal pathogens with a higher risk of heart disease.
• A study showing that people who sip sports drinks all day are exposing themselves to levels of acid that can cause tooth erosion and hypersensitivity.
• A look at the relationship between toothbrushing technique and plaque removal -- or lack thereof.
• A new infrared spectrometer that its developers say may be more helpful than probing when diagnosing periodontitis.

What's in a name?

On the practice management front, strong opinions abound about the value and safety of electronic health records, especially when it comes to patient-specific data. But some dental entrepreneurs are hoping to change a few minds with new patient assessment and charting software that takes dental care to a whole new level. Read more.

And in the Imaging Community, Dr. Allan Farman asks: "What's in a name?" A lot, apparently, when it comes to cone-beam CT and the accuracy of that moniker.