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January

I’ve had quite a number of patients mentioning story the media has been running recently, it’s about a study published in the Dental Journal of Australia which found ‘significant evidence’ that: alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer.

hrmm, I found it interesting that Flap found some older studies which did NOT find any correlation between mouthwash and oral cancer. I found it even more interesting to have a letter sent to me reassuring me that alcohol-based mouthwash is safe. Bad news sure does travel fast!

Anyway.

My best answer to my patients?

BRUSH AND FLOSS!

Regardless of whether they use alcoholic, non-alcoholic, organic, none, or whatever. I would still rather have my patients brushing and flossing like they’re supposed to. Why talk and worry about mouthwash when you haven’t even got the basic habits down pat?

Not only that, I don’t actually know anyone who recommends mouthwash for anything other than perio and dry mouth… (I feel like I’ve just jinxed myself)

I only wonder how this will impact on Listerine? This publicity will definitely put a dent in their sales regardless of how “significant” the evidence really is. I bet they’re going to be changing their marketing stance, say bye bye to the big *kabOOm* finally! (I never liked those ads anyway)

Category: Dental Blog Tags: cancer, Dental Blog, mouthwash 2 Comments

Dental Device Measures Teeth

January

Selina Lai

Here’s one of many interesting articles I found from Modern Mechanix, this dental device almost looks like a torture device~ Not surprised so many people still fear going to the dentist

Aren’t we all glad that Dental technology has advanced so far? Nowadays we just fill our mouths up with putty and take an impression of our teeth, yaY! Although there’s still downsides to having impression material in your mouth, two points.

It has the potential to be messy! messy! messy! (especially when the patient upchucks in the chair )
Gaggers worst nightmare! They might even prefer to use this monstrous dental device instead O_o

Source: Popular Science
Issue: Jun, 1939

Device Takes Measure of the Teeth

WITH the aid of the “gnathograph,” an instrument as mouth-filling as its name, a dentist’s patients may now be assured of a perfect fit for artificial teeth.

Fitted to the jaws as shown above, the new device registers the arrangement of the teeth and the direction of the “bite,” to guide the dentist in straightening teeth or fitting inlays, crowns, bridges, and plates.

Its inventor, Dr. Beverly B. McCollum of Los Angeles, Calif., demonstrates in the picture at the right [image edited] how the instrument is then mounted for use in tooling a plate to just the right shape to give the most comfortable fit in the mouth.