A bill passed the Kansas House that will let specially trained dental hygienists do temporary fillings, pull baby teeth and perform other basic dental services.

In Kansas there is a severe dentist shortage, so this measure will help Kansas dentists spend more time doing complicated work that might have been neglected since they were so busy doing basic services.

The dental hygienists would be a new class, Level III, and would have to receive more training than other hygienists. Their additional responsibilities would include identifying and removing decay, placing temporary fillings, adjusting dentures and checking for sore spots, extracting loose [...]

Most TV shows or movies about crime scene investigations focus on a dead body lying on the ground, but forensics also includes examining victims' teeth. The FBI states that there are 100,000 active missing people cases in the USA at any time. Forensic dentists help identify victims and criminals in order to bring peace to families’ lives.

Forensic dentists are also known as forensic odontologists. They must identify the dead by their teeth and also if victims were bitten they must determine who or what bit them.

Teeth are helpful in identifying victims because they remain when other parts of [...]

There is now another option for parents who missed out on saving their child’s umbilical cord stem cells. New research shows that children’s “milk teeth” have stem cells that can be used to help during disease or illness.

The stem cells can be saved from baby teeth, teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons, and wisdom teeth.  Dental stem cells are located in the pulp of healthy teeth. The dental pulp is stored at low temperatures until needed.

Stem cells are important because they can be used in future therapies in regenerative medicine and dentistry. Studies have shown that dental stem cells [...]

If you avoid the dentist because of the pain you feel even with anesthetic injections, now there is a new way to help lessen your agony by using sugar alcohol.

Up to 40 percent of the time anesthesia during painful dental procedures fails to numb. But when it is mixed with mannitol, the effects are much better. Mannitol opens the membrane that shelters nerve fibers under the tooth and lets the anesthesia come in.

Mannitol is very similar to sorbitol. It is a safe, natural chemical, which is found in fruits and vegetables and passes through the body rapidly, according [...]

Most children wandering middle and high school hallways had braces, have braces, or will get them soon. Yet now there is a rise in elementary school children getting braces. According to the American Association of Orthodontics, 7-years-old is now the perfect time to see whether children need braces.

The number of kids ages 17 and younger getting braces has risen 46% over the past decade to 3.8 million in 2008, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.  The Association’s president stated that 15-20% of 7-10 year-olds he sees get orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontists state it is better to correct underbites and [...]

Everyone loves chewing gum---about 100,000 tons of it is consumed every year. Thankfully this popular habit has a benefit that you and your Austin dentist can both enjoy. Not only does gum freshen your breath, but also it helps your oral hygiene by preventing cavities.

After people munch on snacks or eat meals, plaque levels go up. This creates cavities as the acids in the plaque’s bacteria eat away at the teeth. After eating a meal, it helps to chew gum because it creates saliva, which washes away the acid in plaque that creates teeth decay and bad breath.

Toothpaste comes in handy, but not only for preventing cavities.  Here are 7 useful ways to use your toothpaste outside the bathroom.

1. Get Rid of Scratches on CDs or DVDs

Instead of throwing away marked-up CDs or DVDs, rub non-gel toothpaste over the scratches. Then rinse with warm water. You may need to try it again if there are multiple scratches, but after your toothpaste trick, the DVDs and CDs should work as good as new.

2. Hang Up Posters

Squeeze out a little toothpaste to each corner and edge of the poster, and then stick it up on [...]

The sharpest teeth of all time were in the jawless mouth of a primitive eel-like animal---the two-inch long conodont.

New research from the University of Bristol and Monash Univeristy, Australia found that conodonts’ teeth had tips one-twentieth the width of a human hair and are invisible without a microscope, but could apply pressure that could compete with that of human jaws.

The condonts went extinct about the time dinosaurs arose 200 million years ago, but they were most likely the first creatures with teeth. Even though the condont didn’t have a jaw or jaw muscles like us to help it [...]

If it is hard for your children to instill a teeth brushing habit, there is a new product that will help them enjoy and even want to brush their teeth.

The Justin Bieber singing toothbrush by Brush Buddies has two buttons: one for when you brush your teeth in the morning and one for at night. Each button plays a popular Justin Bieber song, such as “Somebody to Love” and “Love Me”, for two minutes, which is the time we recommend for you to spend brushing your teeth.

It also has a replaceable brush head since we also suggest that [...]

Even if you brush your teeth twice a day, and visit the dentist every once in awhile, it doesn’t mean you have great dental hygiene. There are many bad habits that can harm your teeth without even realizing it like these five below:

1. Chewing Ice:

Many people enjoy chomping on ice after drinking a nice, cold drink. It may be refreshing, but it isn’t for your teeth. Biting down on the cold, hard ice causes fractures in your enamel, which can lead to cavities or other dental issues because bacteria settle in the cracks. Instead, chew on something like [...]