Tooth stains prompt lawsuit; custom implants show promise

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

A Michigan lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against Procter & Gamble (P&G), claiming the company's Crest Pro-Health mouthwash is responsible for brown stains that developed on his teeth after he used three-quarters of a bottle.

While P&G acknowledges that the active ingredient in Crest Pro-Health -- cetylpyridinium chloride -- can lead to tooth discoloration, the company says the condition is "preventable and reversible" and that 99.9% of its Crest Pro-Health customers have not expressed concern about staining. Read more.

In clinical news, researchers in Austria and the U.S. say it's time to forget your one-size-fits-all, screw-in-place, run-of-the-mill implants. The artificial teeth of the future will be custom-made in the same shape as the natural teeth they replace. Read more.

And in our ongoing "How To" series, Dr. Lee Gause takes on one of the more sensitive issues that can occur between dentist and patient: bad breath. Dr. Gause contends that rather than ignoring it, dentists should bring the matter to their patient's attention and work with them to develop an appropriate treatment plan. To read his treatment tips, click here.