Doniger on social media; xylitol's effectiveness questioned; amalgam restorations study

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In her latest Sheri's Solutions, Dr. Sheri Doniger relates the story of patients wearing color-coordinated clothing to match her office, while illustrating the bigger picture of how simple it can be to make social media a positive tool in your practice.

There is limited evidence to show that xylitol is effective in preventing dental caries in children and adults, a new Cochrane research review has concluded. But a dental professor asserts that xylitol has valuable properties that inhibit caries development. Read Featured Editor Donna Domino's article here.

Restorations placed with amalgam had the lowest failure rate in a new study on the success of primary molar restorations. Glass ionomer restorations had the highest failure rates, while composites fell in the middle. Read Rabia Mughal's article here.

Whether your practice is exclusively focused on pediatric patients or you have a mixture of adults and children, you understand that children offer challenges that go beyond treatment. Dr. Robert Wade shares his unique approach to making children feel welcome and achieving better clinical outcomes.

Xylitol has been held up for some time as an important component of a caries prevention regimen. While a new Cochrane review study (highlighted above) raises some interesting questions, a University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry professor cautions not "throwing xylitol out with the bathwater." How will this information change what you tell your patients? I'd love to hear your thoughts.