Dear DrBicuspid Member,
A case report published in Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology revealed that a humanized antibody used in cancer immunotherapy may be associated with a 44-year-old woman developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. Jaw necrosis, which generally is not associated with immunotherapy, may be a rare potentially emerging complication of pembrolizumab therapy. Read more in our top story of the week.
In other news, an appeals court in Colorado recently dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against a dental patient who wrote negative online reviews about the root canal therapy she received from an endodontist, according to a court decision. The court dismissed the case that Dr. Andrew Stubbs filed against Kathryn Sullivan, who posted one-star reviews on Yelp and Google Reviews claiming the root canals of her treated teeth were overfilled.
What is the best way to predict the risk of postoperative pain? Clinical factors, including pain severity before and during root canals, may be better indicators than sociodemographic characteristics such as race and income, according to a recent study published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.
Additionally, probiotics in fermented foods such as yogurt may offer short-term relief from bad breath, according to a recent study. Investigating from a time perspective, researchers analyzed previous studies that compared the effects of oral probiotics and placebo on primary halitosis outcomes (organoleptic scores and volatile sulfur compound levels) and secondary outcomes (tongue coating scores and plaque index).
Also, in our Hygiene Community, the New York University College of Dentistry was awarded a $3.1 million grant to study the nexus of periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers will study if and how gum disease promotes the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's.
Until next time, have a great weekend. Editor-in-Chief Theresa Pablos will be back next week.
