Fluoride wins in Phoenix; 9/11 dentist recalls days at ground zero

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Fluoride advocates are cheering after the city council of Phoenix yesterday voted to continue fluoridating the public water supply -- a practice the city has supported for 20 years.

Phoenix is one of three major metropolitan areas in the U.S. that has been debating the issue of late; next up is Portland, OR, where the city council is expected to vote today on whether to finally begin fluoridating the water supply. Click here to read more in this latest Restoratives Community feature.

Meanwhile, as people across the U.S. honored the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we spoke with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who, as a surgical resident at New York University Medical Center in 2001, was one of the first responders at the World Trade Center site. In this moving story, Dr. Jeffrey Dongieux recalls the days immediately following the attack and his experiences rushing to ground zero to treat victims and rescue workers.

Finally, researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research have discovered that rapamycin, a drug that protects stem cells, may also prevent cancer patients from developing radiation-induced oral mucositis. Read more.