No-drill fillings; win a satellite radio

Dear DrBicuspid.com member:

How do you prep a carious primary molar? With a bur, of course. Not Norna Hall, B.D.S. A few years ago, this maverick dentist in Scotland decided to use ... nothing. Hall, a general dentist in Scotland with a lot of kids in her practice, was keen on avoiding drilling, filling, and anesthesia. Her solution? Cementing crowns over untreated primary molars. This approach supposedly works because it starves the bacteria causing the caries in the first place. Is this procedure sound? Safe? Blasphemy? The debate is in full swing. See Senior Editor Laird Harrison's scoop on this story here.

Refer a friend, win a prize

As you might imagine, we're pretty fond of DrBicuspid.com. And it seems like a lot of our readers are too. If you're one of them, spread the word. Just hop over to tellafriend.drbicuspid.com and enter the name and email address of colleagues you would like to introduce to DrB. One plus: The more folks you refer, the greater your chance to win a XM Satellite radio from Delphi. One pledge: We will not use this information for nefarious purposes. In other words, if you share an email address with us, it will only be used for our internal purposes -- namely, inviting your pals to sign up for DrBicuspid.com. We will not sell or share this information.

And if you are not a fond reader of DrBicuspid.com, send me a cranky note telling me why. We are always open to critiques. You can reach me at [email protected].

To sleep, perchance, to choke

Once again, dentists are at the ramparts, catching the signs of a serious condition long before other physicians. The condition? Sleep apnea, an under-diagnosed disorder that can lead to strokes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more. Traditionally, sufferers have to use onerous breathing machines to get through the night. But could a humble dental appliance be the solution? Read here for what works and what doesn't.