Will amalgam separators become mandatory? And, patients unaware of BON risks

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come under fire for not requiring all dentists in the U.S. to install amalgam separators in their offices.

In a May 26 hearing on Capitol Hill, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform heard testimony from officials who are adamant that the EPA should no longer exempt dentists from mercury emission regulations. But the ADA stood its ground too, insisting that the government shouldn't make amalgam separators mandatory because enough dentists will install them on their own. Read more.

In clinical news, despite all the attention the media has given to the apparent connection between bisphosphonate therapy and osteonecrosis (BON), many patients who take bisphosphonates are not aware of the risks involved after they undergo invasive dental care, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Read more.

And researchers from University College London last week reported yet another eye-opening link between periodontal health, inflammation, and heart disease. Writing in the British Medical Journal, they found that adults with poor oral hygiene had a 70% greater risk of developing heart disease than those who brushed their teeth twice a day.

Over on the Second Opinion page, Dr. Sheri Doniger shares her latest journey: this time as dental patient rather than doctor. And in Ask Marty, Dr. Martin Jablow looks at the latest in loupes.