2023 Articles

Overview
The emergence of COVID-19 changed the landscape of remote work forever, and dentistry was not excluded from these developments. However, many dentists still have not realized the benefits of teledentistry. This technology has emerged as complement to in-person dentistry where dentists can check in on patients virtually or have a hygienist take images to review later. These use cases have the ability to increase accessibility and quality of dental health care.

How many dentists are using teledentistry in their practices? How are they using this technology? What benefits have they realized from its adoption? Learn the answers to the these questions and more.

Presented by
Scott Howell DMD, MPH; Purnima Kumar BDS, PhD, MS; Juliana da Costa DDS, MS; Violet Haraszthy DDS, MS, PhD; Effie Ioannidou DDS, MDS; William MacDonnell DDS; Livia M. A. Tenuta DDS, MSc, PhD; Jennifer Holtzman DDS, MPH; Kevin Frazier, DMD, EdS; Roy Rockman DDS; and Rashad Vinh; for the Council on Scientific Affairs.

JADA October 2023

Background.
Caries is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children. Topical fluoride is used to decrease the incidence of caries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of fluoride varnish and gel applications on future restorative dental treatment claims.

Keywords. 
Fluoride; restorations; extractions; pediatric dentistry.

JADA October 2023

Background.
Self-assembling peptide (SAP) P₁₁-4 was introduced to treat initial caries lesions by means of guiding hydroxyapatite regeneration within the lesion. The objective of this study was to assess its effectiveness in a practical clinical setting.

Keywords. 
Initial caries lesion; Curodont Repair; real-world data; pediatric dentistry.

JADA October 2023

Background.
Identifying the presence of teeth in newborns is important as it may require immediate care. This study aimed to determine the worldwide prevalence of natal and neonatal teeth.

Keywords. 
Natal teeth; neonatal teeth; prevalence; systematic review.

JADA September 2023

Background.
Children with traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) may simultaneously sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of concomitant TBI in children with TDIs.

Keywords. 
Dental trauma; brain injury; children; TDI; TBI.

JADA September 2023

Background.
The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology established an ad hoc committee to draft evidence-based recommendations and clinical guidance for the application of patient contact shielding during dentomaxillofacial imaging.

Keywords. 
Radiation effects; radiation shielding; radiation protection; thyroid collar; lead apron.

JADA September 2023

Background.
In the oral health literature, researchers sometimes report measures of association that are inappropriate for their study design. Clinicians using evidence to inform their practice should be able to interpret clinical study results on the basis of the types of measures of association, independent of what the researchers of a study reported.

Keywords. 
Measure of association; contingency table; relative risk; odds ratio; relative risk difference; absolute risk difference; study design.

JADA August 2023

Background.
Advancements in dental materials and changing parental preferences are modifying the frequency of use of restorative materials. This insurance claims analysis examined the trends in the use of amalgam and resin composite in the United States.

Keywords. 
Composite resins; dental amalgam; pediatric dentistry.

JADA August 2023

Background.
Chronic health conditions and socioeconomic problems that affect the well-being and life expectancy of older adults are common. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the association between sociodemographic variables, oral conditions, and general health and the biomarkers of older adults using machine learning (ML).

Keywords. 
Tooth loss; older adults; aging; lipid profile; general health; oral health; machine learning.

JADA August 2023

Background.
Hemostatic agents are used to control bleeding after tooth extraction and have been compared with conventional measures (that is, sutures or gauze pressure) in several studies. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the benefits of topical hemostatic agents for controlling bleeding after tooth extractions, especially in patients receiving antithrombotic therapy.

Keywords. 
Bleeding time; coagulants; fibrinolytic agents; hemorrhage; hemostatics; hemostasis; systematic review; tooth extraction.