Companies in almost all industries are consolidating these days, and those in dentistry are no exception. From manufacturers acquiring other companies in order to round out their product offerings, to distributors purchasing smaller and/or regionally based businesses to broaden or strengthen their reach, competition and the desire to control more of the market share have led to more than 60 dentistry-related acquisitions in 2005 worldwide.

As National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) mandates strive to reduce mercury and other contaminants to low levels to protect beneficial users, the dental profession finds itself under increasing fire as one of the chief sources of mercury pollutants. As this article is being written, eight states have statewide regulations regarding mercury pollution from dental practices, yet there seems to be a marked resistance to installing amalgam separation units that would effectively reduce mercury pollution at its source.

There is a clear need to expand the current options available for preventive treatment of muscle-generated dental disease. The ideal treatment requires effective, safe agents with minimal side effects that are well-tolerated for long-term use and eliminate or reduce the need for other irreversible treatments or medications.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB)—whether snoring or sleep apnea, respectively—are disruptive and potentially fatal for those who experience them. They’re bothersome to loved ones. What’s more, they’re among the most under-diagnosed conditions in healthcare today

Evidence-based dentistry is a set of recommendations calculated on the strength of a careful scientific review of the literature on a topic that can be used by dentists to assist in clinical decision making. These scientific reviews are beginning to lead the way to helping us understand what has worked and what we might expect to work for our patients.

Seasonal influenza epidemics occur every year in the United States in varying degrees of severity. Between 1990 and 1999, flu epidemics caused approximately 36,000 deaths annually, primarily among the very young and the very old. Recently, heightened awareness triggered by reports of avian flu virus transmission to people in Asia has set plans in motion to respond to, and possibly prevent, an influenza pandemic that could cause illness and even death among millions in the United States and worldwide.

Today’s discussions about porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) or all-ceramics—specifically today’s higher strength zirconia core options—are not about whether either is better or worse than the other. Rather, they’re about preference, confidence, and convenience.

It is incumbent that each licensed American dentist and the remainder of the dental health care delivery team be regularly reminded of the importance of oral cancer screening as well as refreshed in the proper head and neck soft tissue examination technique. The purpose of this article is to update the dental clinician on the importance and proper technique of oral cancer screening as well as review some important information about oral premalignant lesions.

What is the true nature of changing gender demographics and the impact of women on dentistry in the United States?