Okla. Dental Assoc. aids tornado victims; lasers good for dentin hypersensitivity?

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The epic tornado that ripped through a suburb of Oklahoma City last week has prompted an outpouring of goodwill and aid to residents of that community as they struggle to regroup and rebuild.

Among those pitching in is the Oklahoma Dental Association, which has collected thousands of dollars in donations for dentists and dental students affected by the storm and has been serving as a Red Cross donation site for the community. Read more.

Meanwhile, a dentist in Philadelphia is doing her part to help disadvantaged children and adults get access to much-needed healthcare services and education. Dr. Beatriz Mirabal Garces, whose husband is celebrity chef Jose Garces of Iron Chef fame, talked with Features Editor Donna Domino about the Garces Family Foundation, created last year to help provide medical and dental care to Hispanic immigrants. Click here to read the latest installment in our popular Dental Heroes series.

In clinical research news, three types of lasers -- Er:YAG, Nd:YAG, and diode -- were found to be effective in treating dentin hypersensitivity, according to a meta-analysis appearing next month in the Journal of Dental Research.

And because patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have a high prevalence of second primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), researchers recommend routine esophageal screening of HNSCC patients to help increase the early detection of second primary ESCC. Read more.

Finally, Dr. Don Deems believes the dental industry is in need of leaders who will help restore the profession to its past glory. And he doesn't mean just those in organized dentistry, but those who will step up and be true leaders in their practices and their communities.