Dental Links and Things, 6-20-2012. Dental spas, shotless lasers, fighting plaque

No Shots with a Dental Laser

Dr. Mitchell Joseph's expounds on a patient question regarding numbing shots during dental procedures. The good thing about shots with laser dentistry? They don't happen.

Yet Another Dental Spa Opens in the Village

I think my first exposure to the rising trend of 'spa dental offices' was a couple of years ago when I read about a Texas dentist offering beer and cocktails to patients in the waiting room. The beer and cocktails sounded nice, but I think this whole deal might be getting a bit out of hand with the likes of hot towels, Swedish massages, and mud baths. I think a dental practice should be highlighted in the 'Health & Science' section of a newspaper, not 'Fashion & Style'. Of course, if it gets the word out and patients start blowing up the phone, who am I to argue with the utility of a dental spa?

Dentists say: Step Up Plaque Fighting Efforts

From the Spokesman-Review via The (McAllen, Texas) Monitor.

The president of the Rio Grande Valley Dental Hygienist Society, Gladys Arjona, said many locals pass on their teeth cleanings for various reasons – and the consequences are not good. “You wait until you are hurting, that you have a toothache,” Arjona said of contacting a doctor. Arjona attributes the problem to the lack of awareness about oral health.

Future headlines may include -- Police: Stop committing crimes, Firefighters: Stop starting fires, Teachers: Read a book, Dogs: Give me a steak.

Henry Schein Partners with Alma Lasers

However, if you're a fan of dental laser technology this will have minimal impact since it's for the foot and ankle medicine side of Henry Schein:

Per the deal, the Foot and Ankle business of Henry Schein Medical will distribute Harmony ClearChoice to treat onychomycosis, a nail fungus variant. Earlier in March 2012, the Harmony laser technologyplatform of Alma Lasers received the US Food and Drug Administration's clearance. This platform provides two discrete laser technologies to treat onychomycosisfrom inside.