Dentist Blog

Dr. Peter J. March, a dentist in Illinois, attended the state dental association's Mission of Mercy this month, reports Russell Publications Online.
"We're always happy to help those in need," said Dr. March to Russell Publications Online. The Mission of Mercy is a two-day event held at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

The event featured 1,300 dental professionals who volunteered their time to help patients in need. "Throughout the course of this giant, free clinic, our dental volunteers provided 1,113 exams and oral cancer screenings; 811 cleanings; 878 extractions; 1,242 restorative treatments, including fillings, root canals, and crowns; and more than 100 partials and denture repairs." said Dr. Mark Humenik, a general dentist who chairs the Mission of Mercy, to Russell Publications Online.

The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is launching a campaign to encourage parents to bring their children to the dentist by the age of one year old. The "Dentist By 1" campaign is a public service campaign to raise awareness of the importance of early dental visits. The campaign is designed to educate parents about the importance of dentist visits at an early age.

"Caregivers may think because their child's baby teeth will eventually fall out, that caring for them is less important. But baby teeth help children chew and speak properly and hold space for permanent teeth," said Dr. Katina Morelli, a dentist and dental director for Delta Dental of Illinois, in a statement. "Tooth decay is nearly 100 percent preventable, but can develop any time after teeth appear in the mouth, starting around 6 months of age. So it's important to begin good oral health habits, like visiting the dentist, when children are very young."

A biomaterial rich in blood platelets can help the healing process for dental implants, reports the Wealthy Dentist. The latest issue of Journal of Oral Implantology describes a case where a patient injured a tooth in a sports accident. The patient's tooth was removed, and an implant was installed in the jawbone. Dentists prepared a biomaterial of blood platelet concentrates to aid the healing of the implant.

Two years later, the patient's dental implant is stable. Dentists also checked in on the healing process of the dental implant after six months. The biomaterial contributes to anti-hemorrhaging, and the mixture of leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin speeds the healing process. The biomaterial takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare, so it does not add on a significant amount of time to the dental implant surgery.