electric handpieces. Poorlymaintained electric handpieces can
heat up very quickly and cause third degree burns or tissue damage
to patients. Unlike air-turbine handpieces which may stall or slow
when bur rotation is compromised, electric handpieces compensate
with increased power to the gears—which can lead to a sudden
increase in heat discharge. This heat discharge may not be
discernible to the dentist holding the handpiece shaft and it may
not be felt immediately by the patient if they are anesthetized.
Problems with handpieces can be reported to the FDA by calling 1-
800-332-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.
ADA Resolution 10H-2007 created a new category of membership
in the ADA. The new category is for individuals who have a dental
degree but are not licensed to practice dentistry. Dentists living
in the U.S. and/or its territories but who do not provide patient
care for renumeration can now still be part of organized dentistry.
US Congressman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a former practicing
dentist, has been a fiveterm congressman and recently was one of
the first dentists to apply for ADA membership under the new
category. The ADA hopes that other government officials,
policymakers, dental industry representatives, researchers,
educators, and dentists in corporate positions who are not
practicing dentists will join the ADA under this new category.
Even though the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal has
been removed from most vaccines since 2001, autism rates from
1995 to March 2007 have continued to increase. This has lead
researchers to conclude that thimerosal is not a primary cause of
autism. The study was published in the January issue of the
Archives of General
Psychiatry.
Norway has instituted a ban on the use of mercury-containing
products including most uses for dental amalgam. The ban (which
went into effect January 1, 2008) permits limited use of dental
amalgam until the end of 2010. A government official noted that
most of the mercury in Norway actually comes from pollution
from other countries.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) are hoping
that salivary samples may soon be used in the early detection of
head and neck cancer. JHU scientists have found that eight genes
in salivary samples have the best predictive potential for
identifying head and neck cancers, and that a combination of three
or four of these genes was more highly indicative of cancer risk. In
a separate study, the University of Texas at Houston is
investigating whether salivary proteins can be used to detect breast
cancer.
The Journal of Archaeological Science reports that a 40,000
year-old tooth found in Greece in 2002 may hold some information
about the migratory patterns of Neanderthals. Scientists examined
levels of strontium isotopes in the enamel of the tooth. Levels of
the isotope indicate that the Neanderthal was more migratory than
once believed, since levels of the isotope vary depending on the
food or water consumed from a specific geographic location.
The final deadline for the National Provider Identification (NPI) is
May 23, 2008. Dentists who file electronic claims will be required
to use an NPI as their new unique identifier instead of tax-ID
numbers or social security numbers. An NPI may also be required
by dental insurance companies, third-party payors, insurance
clearinghouses or for insurance eligibility inquiries, electronic
remittance advice and claim status inquiries. Go to www.ada.
org/goto/npi for more info or call the ADA at extension 4608.
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