Pew finds dental sealants lacking; teeth whitening not as safe as it seems

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Some 40% of all U.S. states are falling well short of federal goals to provide dental sealants to high-risk children via school-based programs, according to the latest report from the Pew Center on the States.

Research has shown that providing sealants through school-based programs is a cost-effective way to reach low-income children, who are at greater risk of decay, according to Pew. But two-thirds of all states do not have sealant programs in a majority of high-need schools, Pew found.

Click here to read more details from the report, which also graded states on how well they have met four key benchmarks.

In Cosmetics Community news, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can have a dramatic impact on tooth enamel and dentin, according to a molecular-level analysis in the Journal of Dental Research. The study sheds new light on the safety of some in-office bleaching.

Meanwhile, one of the hottest topics in dentistry in 2012 was the rise of corporate dentistry and growing equity investment in these dental chains. While many in the dental community are wary of the model, it does have its supporters -- including Dr. Benjamin Poest, who is employed by a Pacific Dental Services affiliate in Texas and says that, for dentists just starting out, it has both personal and professional advantages.

Finally, in his latest Ask Marty column, Dr. Jablow shares his preferences for fabricating indirect restorations, from chairside CAD/CAM to more traditional approaches.