Many people have concerns about the mercury in their silver fillings. Since 1990, when “60 Minutes” ran a story on the alleged risks of dental amalgam, there has been a tremendous amount of media coverage. Reports were made claiming that there have been miraculous “cures” for a variety of medical conditions after these types of restorations are removed, and that dental amalgam is a potential source of mercury toxicity. Mercury, a neurotoxic metal, constitutes approximately 50% of dental amalgam fillings, and trace amounts of mercury vapor escape in the process of chewing.

Bad breath--and we're talking persistent halitosis, not the temporary kind caused by that pastrami sandwich with extra onions you had for lunch--is caused by an organism with the scary name Solobacterium moorei.

 Many patients want the perfect Hollywood smile. But these days, instead of heading to their dentist's office, some are heading to the mall.Teeth-whitening kiosks and centers run by nondentists are popping up in malls across the U.S. and are attracting attention because they offer a less expensive alternative to having the work done by a dentist. But are they safe?

 Based on a review of new and existing scientific evidence, most dental patients with heart disease no longer need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent Infective Endocarditis, a rare, but life threatening heart infection.  According to the recently revised guidelines from the American Heart Association with input from the American Dental Association, antibiotics are now only recommended for patients that are at the greatest risk for negative outcomes form Infective Endocarditis including those with artificial heart valves, heart transplant recipients who develop heart valve proble

The FDA this week settled a lawsuit that sought to have mercury fillings banned from the U.S. market. While not agreeing to a ban, the agency has agreed to add warnings regarding the use of amalgams in some patient groups, and to complete a review that could lead to more stringent regulation of the substance. "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," the agency now states on its Web site .

Many of us grew up with toothpaste commercials, which ended with “brush your teeth every day and have your teeth cleaned every six months”.  In addition, most Dental Insurance Plans only cover one or two cleanings per year.  One would imagine that a cleaning every six months is enough to maintain everyone’s optimum oral health.   However, this is not the case since treatment must be based on everyone’s individual needs.  In order to understand this we need to look a little closer at gum disease and how to prevent it.

More than 80 million people suffer from bad breath also known as Halitosis. In most cases it originates from the gums and tongue. The odor is caused by wastes from bacteria in the mouth, the decomposition of food particles, poor oral hygiene and Gum Disease. The decomposition of certain proteins produces a sulfur compound that causes the unpleasant odor.  

Looking inside someone's mouth may one day involve more than dental care. It could enable early diagnosis of various cancers, leading to more effective treatment outcomes and better survival rates. According to research presented at the 2008 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in San Diego, analyzing the DNA in saliva can provide clues about the molecular damage that can lead to cancer. In particular, the investigators found that analyzing this DNA may help detect the early signs of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). 

Many patients hate the lingering numbness after dental injections.  Some hate it so much that they choose not to be numb for dental procedures!  Recently, the FDA has approved OraVerse, the first drug indicated for reversing the effects of local anesthesia used by dentists. According to Novalar Pharmaceuticals, the drug company that makes OraVerse, the FDA approved OraVerse's use in adults and children based on several clinical studies in which patients got an injection of OraVerse or a placebo after undergoing dental procedures under local anesthetics.