Reader survey; implants fast and small

Dear DrBicuspid.com member:

With New Hampshire primary fever in the air, it seems appropriate that DrB should hold a little referendum of its own. I refer to our spanking new reader survey at survey.drbicuspid.com. Click this link and you will be transported to our brief survey, where you can tell us in no uncertain terms what you like about our site, what you don't, and what you'd like to see. With a few clicks you can tell us what topics are important to you and which ones aren't, what kinds of articles you want, and also jot a personal note telling us what's what. Feel free to gripe, praise, vent, and otherwise share your ideas. The Doctor is in...and he's waiting for your call.

Implants fast and small

It's hard to tell a patient to wait months for new teeth. Yet that's the frustrating reality for dentists when it comes to implants, since traditionally, the implant surgery must heal before you slap on a crown. But some very recent research turns traditional practice on its head; "immediate" loading is fine in certain circumstances. And not-so-fine in others. To get the scoop, click here.

The other big debate: can small (mini) implants take the place of standard implants? The issue is being hotly debated in forums across the Internet. We're still digging into this issue, so I can't provide a story link right now. But check DrB tomorrow for a piece titled "Smaller implants meet skepticism" and find out what oral implantology mavens have concluded.

How much fluoride is too much?

That's the question raised in a recent report from the National Research Council. The EPA's current limit may be too high for both children and adults, possibly leading to fluorosis...and far worse conditions. Check out this look at the current dustup.