Blowing up cancer cells; lasers that trigger dental stem cells; saliva substitutes

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

A new anticancer technology called "quadrapeutics" that uses a combination of clinical treatments is more efficient than conventional chemoradiation therapy against aggressive, drug-resistant head and neck cancer (HNC), according to a study in Nature Medicine. The process works by instantaneously detecting and killing only cancer cells -- often by blowing them apart. Read more about this promising technology here.

A multidisciplinary research team has become the first to use a low-power laser to trigger stem cells to regenerate tissue. The researchers were able to trigger dental stem cells to form dentin, and published their findings in Science Translational Medicine. Read more here.

Saliva substitutes are a necessary treatment for many patients with xerostomia, but how do they affect their enamel? A new study can help dentists treat a patient group that is already at high risk for caries and create treatment plans with the right saliva substitute for the right patient. Read more here.

It's spring and time to do some office spring cleaning, Dr. Sheri Doniger notes in her latest column. She explains why spring cleaning everything from old journals and magazines to outdated electronic equipment is both a necessity and a catharsis. Read her latest Sheri's Solution here.

Last Friday we ran an article about an organization that is helping wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan rebuild their oral health. The organization, Rebuilding America's Wounded (RAW), reported back to me that six dentists have already reached out to volunteer their time to aid U.S. veterans after reading the article. Thank you to those dentists who took that step. If you'd like to learn more, you can read the article here.