dentapress: news of dentistry » Headlines

Online campaign aims to crack down on growing threat of illegal ‘dentists’ practising across the UK

CB — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:25:33 +0000

A NEW drive has been launched to crack down on the problem of illegal dentistry in the UK.Experts believe illegal practice is widespread as patients learn about unregistered dental technicians by word of mouth.Clinical dental technicians are trained and registered to provide patients direct treatment for the construction, repairing and fitting of removable dental appliances, such as dentures.Unless a clinical dental technician is registered with the General Dental Council, they are not allowed to provide dentures directly to the public…

Prison for man who refused son dentist

CB — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:15:20 +0000

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to up to two years in prison for failing to take his son to the dentist when he tried to pull his rotting teeth.Francisco Torres, 41, pleaded guilty in October to recklessly endangering another person for refusing to take his 14-year-old son to the dentist even though he complained of tooth pain for weeks…

Brains may be ‘wired’ for addiction

JG — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:20:01 +0000

Abnormalities in the brain may make some people more likely to become drug addicts, according to scientists at the University of Cambridge. They found the same differences in the brains of addicts and their non-addicted brothers and sisters. The BBC’s Science Editor David Shukman was given access to the research.

All Smiles

CB — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:15:46 +0000

Faculty, students and staff from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Dentistry on Friday, Feb. 3, provided free dental services to more than 100 sixth- and seventh-grade students from Memphis Academy of Health Sciences.The event was part of the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile Day…

Rethink retirement age, say dentists

JG — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:12:50 +0000

The British Dental Association (BDA) is calling for a proposal to extend dentists’ working lives to the age of 68 to be abandoned by government. The proposal is part of a raft of fundamental reforms government wishes to make to the NHS pension scheme. Health trade unions, including the BDA, are consulting members on the acceptability of those proposals, the current iteration of which was arrived at before Christmas 2011 as the best achievable by negotiation. The BDA call follows a survey of more than 4,000 dentists, which found that a significant majority of practitioners (68%) did not think it was safe for practitioners up to the age of 68 to continue treating patients.

Pa. man gets 1 to 2 years after son pulled teeth

JG — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:59:11 +0000

An eastern Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to one to two years in prison after his teenage son tried to pull out his own teeth because he hadn’t been taken to a dentist. Northampton County Judge Michael Koury Jr. said Friday that he only wished he could sentence 41-year-old Francisco Torres to more prison time. The judge said “Neglecting one’s child is the ultimate betrayal.” Torres pleaded guilty in October to recklessly endangering another person. He apologized in court. Police say the boy tried to pull out his teeth after complaining of pain for several months but broke two teeth and needed emergency surgery.

Relax – it creates less headaches

CB — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:09:32 +0000

Are your teeth a pain in the neck? Many people grind and clench their teeth. It’s called Bruxism and can cause facial/jaw pain, headaches, neck/muscle pain as well as excessive wear on teeth. It is considered an unintentional habit of biting down too hard at certain times, especially during sleep (sleep-related bruxism). Grinding is usually noisy and clenching is silent…

Best Dentists in Hawaii 2012

CB — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:08:50 +0000

HONOLULU Magazine helps you find the dentist you need, whether it’s for a routine checkup or more specialized work, with this list of 214 top dentists in the Islands. They come highly recommended—by other dentists who know their work best…

Patients’ perceptions of improvements after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy advancement surgery: 10 to 14 years of follow-up

JG — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:31:10 +0000

Most responders reported improvements on the 7 items. The most significant change was reported for chewing. “Very satisfied” with the treatment was reported by 13 responders; 19 of 36 persons were “reasonably satisfied.” Reporting “very satisfied with treatment” was 8 times more likely when peers had noticed a changed in the participant’s appearance after surgery. Sex was significantly associated with quality of life. The most frequently reported reason for treatment was to improve chewing, and the item that showed the most pronounced improvement was also chewing. Most responders were only reasonably satisfied with the treatment. Whether peers noticed a change in appearance after treatment was a significant factor affecting both treatment satisfaction and reporting a good quality of life.

Program to provide financial help for dentists in rural Kansas

CB — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:09:35 +0000

The Kansas Dental Association and the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation unveil a new loan repayment program on Thursday. It will provide financial assistance to attract dentists to areas identified as under-served.The program is the Kansas Initiative for New Dentists. “The KIND program will target the location of new dentists…