Calif. town wants amalgam banned; scientific misconduct on the rise

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Carlsbad, CA, has become the first city in the U.S. to call for a ban on dental amalgam. On October 19 the city council unanimously approved a resolution that does not actually ban the material but calls on local dentists to stop using it and federal and state agencies to eliminate it. Read more by clicking here or visiting the Restoratives Community.

In other news, while scientific misconduct in medical research is not new, increasing competition for funding and academic pressure to gain tenure by publishing in prestigious journals drive a surprising number of researchers to misrepresent their findings, according to an article in the Journal of Dental Research. Should these professionals be expected to hold themselves to a higher standard, or are they just human too? Read more in this latest Practice Management Community feature.

In clinical news, an article in the current Journal of Oral Implantology outlines the risks of inferior alveolar nerve injuries during implant surgery and what practitioners can do to avoid them.

Finally, in a public statement issued last week, the ADA said it regrets not taking a stronger stand against discriminatory membership practices before the civil rights era. The announcement reinforces the ADA's commitment to a diverse and inclusive profession, according to the organization's newest president -- who is also its first African-American president. Read more.