In 1973, Woody Allen amused audiences by presenting a dialogue between two doctors discussing the curious case of newly-awakened Miles Monroe, a refugee from the twentieth century who had just been revived from a coma in the 22nd century. Dr. Melik: This morning for breakfast he requested something called “wheat germ, organic honey and tiger’s milk.” Dr. Aragon: [chuckling] Oh, …
No More Horse Pills? Intranasal Non-Opioid Pain Relief For Dental, Orofacial, & Endodontic Pain
As dental professionals seek non-opioid alternatives to help patients control and manage moderate to severe pain, researchers and pharmacists are reaching deeper into their pharmacologic bag of tricks to find combinations that can offer patients quick, meaningful relief. Those measures—speed of relief and meaningful relief¬—were two of the measures evaluated in a recent double-blind evaluation of Ketorolac, a nonsteroidal analgesic …
Cannabis & Oral Health: What You Need to Know
(source: Wikipedia: Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction) Is your state of practice any shade of green? If so, you may be seeing more and more patients who are (legally!) using cannabis products in the dental practice, and that means it’s time to bone up on the potential effects of smoked, vaped, edible, and topical cannabis products on oral health. With …
Teens Who Abuse Alcohol and Other Substances May Neglect Their Teeth
Raising adolescents (even under the best of circumstances) can be difficult. So, the results of a new study out of Brazil, published in December 2018, may come as no surprise. Parents, teachers, community advocates, social scientists, and health care professionals have bemoaned the influence of a “bad crowd” on teens since the dawn of time. However, science relies on data, not “common …
Psoriasis Linked To Periodontal Disease in New Study
Studies observing a stark and compelling correlation between periodontitis and dental bone loss in individuals suffering from psoriasis—an autoimmune disorder characterized by thick, red, itchy, scaly skin plaques—are not new. As early as 2013, Scandinavian researchers, working with a wealth of data from the groundbreaking US-based retrospective longitudinal Nurses’ Health Study, noted and remarked on an unusual correlation between the …
Ibuprofen & Nitrous Oxide May Dull Pulpitis Pain in Kids
By: Theresa Pablos, associate editor, DrBicuspid.com A combination of nitrous oxide and ibuprofen may help dull the pain of children undergoing vital pulp therapy for irreversible pulpitis. A new study found that the combination significantly bolstered children’s pain relief compared with those who received ibuprofen alone. Pain management for irreversible pulpitis in children’s permanent teeth can be difficult, but it …
Top 10 Drugs Associated with Overdose Deaths
By: Deborah Brauser, Medscape Pharmacists Deaths from drug overdose in the United States increased by 54% from 2011 to 2016 — with opioids, benzodiazepines (benzos), and stimulants the most commonly used drug classes involved, a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), shows. The report notes that there were 41,340 …
The Link Between Periodontal Conditions and Alzheimer’s Disease
By: Dimensions of Dental Hygiene (Editors) New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago indicates periodontal conditions may be an initiating factor in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published in PLOS One, suggest long-term exposure to periodontal pathogens causes inflammation and degeneration of brain neurons in mice. Reporting in the paper, “Chronic Oral Application of a Periodontal Pathogen Results in …
Meet the Bee Who’s Helping Kids Feel More Comfortable at the Dentist
By: Theresa Pablos, associate editor, DrBicuspid.com For many children, seeing a long, silver needle headed for their mouth is one of the most fear-inducing parts of dentistry. But a bee-shaped distraction device may help ease this pain and anxiety, according to the findings of a new study. Buzzy has a vibrating base and cold wings. All images courtesy of PainCareLabs. …
Are nonnarcotic analgesics effective for post-op endo pain?
By: Lori Roniger, DrBicuspid.com Associate Editor Some patients and dental practitioners favor the use of nonnarcotic analgesics or opioid alternatives for treating postoperative endodontic pain, but studies on their effectiveness for this indication have been conflicting. However, a new review suggests that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen are potent options. Researchers analyzed high-quality, placebo-controlled studies on the use of …