Month: August 2016

Developing a Solution to the Problem of Dry Mouth

Posted on August 16, 2016October 3, 2018 by Carrero, Yesenia

Dry mouth. It’s listed as a possible side effect for hundreds of prescription and non-prescription medications, and can also be brought on by factors such as aging, tobacco use, cancer therapy, or autoimmune diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Also known as xerostomia, chronic dry mouth due to lack of saliva affects the quality of life for an estimated 20 million Americans. Yet over-the-counter mouthwashes are currently the only available treatment.

Dr. Robert Kelly of the UConn School of Dental Medicine has invented new technology to address the problem of chronic dry mouth. (Lanny Nagler for UConn)

Dr. Robert Kelly, a professor of reconstructive sciences in the School of Dental Medicine, and his colleagues have set out to develop and commercialize a technology that could help: an artificial salivary gland that, when surgically implanted into a patient’s mouth, mimics natural saliva production and relieves dryness.

UConn Dentist Says Restored Teeth Need Lifelong Care

Posted on August 16, 2016October 6, 2016 by Carrero, Yesenia

For patients with tooth restorations such as crowns, bridges, veneers, and implants, UConn Health dentist Dr. Avinash Bidrarecommends regular six-month dental examinations and a daily regimen of individual at-home care to help these restorations last longer.

Bidra is the lead author of the first national clinical practice guidelines for caring for such patients, published in the January 2016 issue of the Journal of Prosthodontics.

The American College of Prosthodontists’ (ACP) newly published guidelines are intended for professionals to follow themselves and to tell patients what to do at home.

UConn Dentist Says Restored Teeth Need Lifelong Care

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Carrero, Yesenia

All but one member of the UConn School of Dental Medicine Class of 2016 will start a residency program upon graduation.

Unlike their counterparts in medical school, who are required to complete a residency before they can be licensed to practice, graduating dental students have the option of becoming licensed and going directly into clinical practice.

But this is an option rarely exercised at the UConn School of Dental Medicine.