Is fluoride varnish contraindicated for patients who have a peanut or tree nut allergy? Some fluoride varnish products list tree rosin as an ingredient.

What are your thoughts regarding the use of antioxidants, such as green tea, to manage periodontal diseases?

I have a number of patients (mostly women) who want to lose weight. Many drink water with seeds, or some type of fiber, and slices of orange, lemon, or lime to aid in their weight loss efforts. I am concerned that these beverages when…

I was recently flipping through my newspaper when a "Dear Abby" headline caught my attention: "Dental Care in Nursing Homes Can Be Difficult to Arrange."

One of my patients takes clonazepam to address her anxiety and prevent panic attacks. She is scheduled to begin four quadrants of scaling and root planing, and I would like to provide anesthesia to make this experience more comfortable.…

I learned during a recent continuing education course that the use of ultrasonic scalers is no longer contraindicated for patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Per universal precautions, I understand…

Is the appropriate interval for fluoride varnish application among patients at average or slightly elevated caries risk every 3 months to 6 months? If so, what is the protocol for patients at high risk? Would applying varnish every 72 hours…

I recently moved to a new area that is 90 minutes away from the dental office in which I have worked for 18 years. I found a position close to my new home, so I gave my employer, who recently purchased the practice, a letter of resignation…

The dental assistants I work with open the cassettes or take contaminated instruments out of the cassettes before they put them in the ultrasonic cleaner. I informed them that the point of the cassettes and the ultrasonic cleaner is to…

In an office I recently worked at, the protocol for pain control during scaling and root planing was to anesthetize the entire mouth before beginning therapy. Is this an acceptable approach?