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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 ...

Medications

New drug to regenerate lost teeth

The tooth fairy is a welcome guest for any child who has lost a tooth. Not only will the fairy leave a small gift under the pillow, but the child can be assured of a new tooth in a few months. The same cannot be said of adults ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

SARS-CoV-2 positivity in asymptomatic-screened dental patients

Asymptomatic carriage of SARS-CoV-2 is a potentially significant source of transmission, yet remains relatively poorly understood. The study "SARS-CoV-2 Positivity in Asymptomatic-screened Dental Patients" published in the ...

Neuroscience

How teeth sense the cold

For people with tooth decay, drinking a cold beverage can be agony.

Surgery

What is gum recession and how do gum grafts work to remedy it?

Gum recession can be a result of genetic factors, orthodontics, age, tobacco use, or vigorous tooth brushing. It may even happen to people who take good care of their teeth. Periodontal disease, which is increasing in adults, ...

Dentistry

Medicaid expansion made mouths healthier, study finds

As the pandemic's economic effects drive more people to enroll in Medicaid as safety-net health insurance, a new study suggests that the program's dental coverage can improve their oral health in ways that help them seek ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Certain mouthwashes might stop COVID-19 virus transmission

Researchers at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine have found evidence that two types of mouthwash disrupt the COVID-19 virus under laboratory conditions, preventing it from replicating in a human cell.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Is your child afraid of the dentist? CBT could help

A pioneering study led by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals will investigate whether Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) could help reduce the worryingly high number of children who are afraid of ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Study finds low rate of COVID-19 among dental hygienists

Despite having been designated as high risk for COVID-19 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a new study finds 3.1 percent of dental hygienists have had COVID-19 based on data collected in October 2020. ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

A fifth of adults in Sweden report dental anxiety

In Sweden, approximately one in five adults suffers from dental anxiety or phobia. The number has decreased over time, but still an important part of the population have major problems, according to a recent doctoral thesis ...

Health

Why good oral health is more than a beautiful smile

Your oral health is more important than you might realize. Like other areas of the body, your mouth teems with bacteria—and those bacteria are mostly harmless. But your mouth is the entry point to your digestive and respiratory ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Gum disease linked to COVID-19 complications

COVID-19 patients are at least three times more likely to experience complications if they also have gum disease, according to research published today in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology,1 the official publication ...