Christensen: U.S. implants rates 'pathetic'; FDA chides denture cream makers

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Given the number of adults in the U.S. who have lost at least one tooth and those who are edentulous, the number of dental implants that have been placed is "pathetic," according to Dr. Gordon Christensen during a lively panel discussion at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting last week.

Dr. Christensen believes more general dentists should be placing implants, and he is not alone. Read more in this latest Restoratives Community feature.

In other news from the Midwinter Meeting, a New Jersey dentist is headed to France as the grand-prize winner of DentalEZ's yearlong Museum of Handpiece Art contest. Click here to read more about this unique competition and see one of the winning submissions.

And go to News in Brief to check out several of the innovative products that made their debut in Chicago.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking manufacturers of denture adhesives to take a more proactive role in informing consumers about the risks of zinc poisoning posed by some denture adhesive products. In a letter sent February 23 to the manufacturers of these products, the agency said it has received "numerous reports" of adverse events related to the use of denture adhesives that contain zinc.

Finally, in Hygiene Community news, researchers from New York University are embarking on a one-year study to test the viability of using blood taken from gingival tissue to diagnose diabetes and identify prediabetes. Read more.