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Dentistry news

Dentistry

Countries agree to end mercury tooth fillings by 2034

Countries agreed Friday to phase out the use of mercury-based dental amalgams in tooth fillings by 2034, in a move that will change dentistry around the world.

Neuroscience

Over-the-counter painkillers match or surpass opioids for dental surgery in all adults, analysis confirms

Over-the-counter pain medications work as well or better than opioids after wisdom tooth extraction for both men and women, according to a Rutgers Health-led follow-up to a landmark paper on comparative pain relief.

Dentistry

Countries call for mercury dental fillings ban by 2030

Multiple countries including the United States called Monday for a worldwide ban on mercury-based dental amalgams by 2030, at a meeting of signatories to a treaty on limiting the toxic metal.

Medical research

Scientists find cells that know when, where and how to grow teeth

Tooth development is a dynamic process that involves the stages of the bud, the cap, and the bell, followed by root development and subsequent tooth formation. Processes such as the bud-to-cap transition are mediated by epithelial-mesenchymal ...

Medications

Antidepressants show promise for alleviating jaw pain

Certain antidepressants can help alleviate chronic jaw pain caused by temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), according to a research review by a team of researchers with expertise in dentistry and pharmacy published in the Journal ...

Dentistry

AI-assisted growth prediction advances orthodontics

Orthodontic treatment is most effective when timed to coincide with a child's growth peak. Traditionally, clinicians estimate growth by examining X-ray images of the cervical vertebrae—the neck bones visible in routine ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Investigating ways to reduce COVID-19 risks in dental offices 

According to a study from the University of Illinois Chicago, adding a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the water in ultrasonic scalers used to clean teeth can help mitigate the risk of spreading airborne diseases, including ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

COVID-19 testing kits also can measure oral microbiome in saliva

COVID-19 saliva testing kits that include a novel preservative can also be used measure microscopic organisms in the mouth, a Rutgers study has found. This enables study of the relationship between mouth and lung microbes ...

Health

Why having bad oral health could raise the risk of COVID

Not brushing your teeth will get you in trouble with the dentist—but since the arrival of the pandemic, it could lead to bigger problems too. There's growing evidence that poor oral health raises the risk posed by COVID.

Dentistry

Making for a better sleep device fit

Experts are working on a way to make dental appliances more effective in reducing the effects of sleep apnea and snoring.

HIV & AIDS

Oral health in HIV+ population

Pushpa Pandiyan, associate professor of biological sciences in the School of Dental Medicine, and a team of researchers have been working to discover the cause behind residual systemic inflammation and dysfunction of the ...

Dentistry

Root canal treatment work still favored for badly damaged teeth

Few patients regret having a severely damaged tooth saved by a root canal filling. A University of Gothenburg thesis shows that 87 percent would choose the same treatment again, if in need, although pain and discomfort around ...

Dentistry

Study: The best, worst and unproven tools to care for your teeth

Do probiotics prevent gum disease? Is flossing necessary? Many patients are unable to confidently answer these questions and more due to the abundance of conflicting medical information. However, new research led by the University ...

Dentistry

Taxane-containing chemo associated with persistent alopecia

(HealthDay)—Persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia is more severe in patients who receive a taxane-containing chemotherapy for breast cancer, but a significant proportion of patients see improvement in hair density with ...