Questions surround Calif. patient's death; Dr. Brown on 'the new normal'

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

What caused a seemingly healthy 25-year-old California man's death last month during what was considered routine third-molar surgery? Early reports suggested he was given too much anesthesia. But medical reports point to something else as the possible cause. Now the state dental board and the man's family are looking for answers. Read more.

Meanwhile, over in the Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community, regular aspirin use was associated with a 22% reduction in head and neck cancer and seems to be particularly effective in preventing laryngeal cancer, according to a new study in the British Journal of Cancer.

And in his latest Dentistry at a Crossroads column, Dr. William Brown presents his views on what constitutes "the new normal" in dentistry, with particular emphasis on how the delivery of dental services is changing. Despite the groundswell of change, he sees new opportunities emerging for the dental community.