Dear Restoratives Insider,
The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and other international organizations -- including the World Health Organization, FDI World Dental Federation, and the International Federation of Dental Educators and Associations -- are moving forward with efforts to reduce the use of mercury and dental amalgam worldwide.
This latest Insider Exclusive provides some insight into why those who see amalgam as a necessary option for restorative dentistry and those who want to ban it are both pleased with the outcome of two recent meetings and a new global mercury treaty unveiled last week by UNEP.
In other Restoratives Community news, DrBicuspid.com addressed a question on many practitioners' minds: How will the medical device tax impact U.S. dentistry? Read our report here.
In another article, one company's focus on hygiene drove significant advances in a piece of equipment found in every dentist's office. Click here to read more about a new air compressor that offers both cleaner air and higher capacity.
Several recent articles covered the expanding knowledge base of anesthesia in dentistry. Find out how a broad database review determined that nerve blocks in kids are overwhelmingly safe.
And while it is well-known that secondhand smoke has numerous impacts on health, its effect on general anesthesia recovery times in kids has not been well-documented. This article explains the findings of a new study that attempted to shed light on the relationship.
Age was not a factor in another study about anesthesia, but hair color was. So what is the connection between inferior alveolar nerve blocks and redheads?
Meanwhile, a systematic review in Nutrition Reviews found evidence of vitamin D's role in lowering rates of dental caries, particularly for children.
Unfortunately, "D" described the grade most U.S. states received from the Pew Center on the States for their dental sealant programs. Read about the report that many of them are disputing here.
Finally, check out our coverage of a Brazilian study on the impact of bleaching on teeth at a molecular level, and see the discussion it spurred about its safety and guidelines for usage in different nations.
