ADA Announces Newest Dental Specialty, Pediatric Prosthodontics

Jul. 8, 2016

NEW HAVEN – Citing a new demand and its solution that addresses the nation’s most vulnerable populations, the American Dental Association (ADA) recently announced a new dental specialty, Pediatric Prosthodontics.

“Partial edentulism is a debilitating condition. We know it affects millions of American adults, but a paradigm shift in the field revealed that it also affects virtually every child in the country,” said Dr. Selina Xu, the director of the nation’s first CODA-accredited Pediatric Prosthodontics residency program at Yale Dental School.

“How did we not realize this epidemic earlier? I don’t know. But the more we think about it, the more it makes sense. The idea is simple and minimalist. To make removable partial dentures every 6-12 months, just like taking bitewing radiographs, to accommodate kids’ growing jaws.”

Evidence-based dentistry points out that newborns are completely edentulous and may even benefit from complete dentures. Initial research from Dr. Xu’s laboratory suggests this allows for precocious mastication and speech development. She did warn, however, that mothers should remove their newborn’s dentures prior to breastfeeding.

Not surprisingly, parents around the country are sharing their vocal support of the tenth dental specialty recognized by the ADA.

“My neighbor asked me the other day if my little boy got hit in the face with a baseball. I was too embarrassed to say anything. I can’t wait to bring my son to a certified Pediatric Prosthodontist to get his first set of dentures,” wrote mother Susan Sarno in a passionate letter to the editor of JADA supporting the pediatric prosthodontics revolution.

Inspired by the flippers worn by her niece at a local child beauty pageant, and by the new dentures worn by her great aunt made specifically for her funeral, Dr. Xu put two and two together and quickly established the groundwork for Yale’s Pediatric Prosthodontics residency program.

"Children are our future. And no future is complete without teeth. I am thrilled to lead the field of dentistry into a new era where we can address the needs of millions of children and deliver them optimal oral health. I am confident the phrase ‘denture home’ will be soon be synonymous with dental home."

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) just released new guidelines written specifically for pediatric prosthodontists.

Complete dentures should be fabricated no more than one month after birth. Removable partial dentures should then be fabricated on a semi-annual to annual basis beginning from 6 months of age when the primary central incisors erupt until the full permanent dentition erupts.

Students Rally Against Dental School Tuition Decreases, Garner Acclaim

Jan. 30, 2015

NEW HAVEN -- In what seems to be an act of passion and self-preservation, students at Yale Dental School gathered Monday morning in support of a student coalition protesting tuition decreases for the upcoming academic year.

“Clearly, a tuition decrease can only mean one thing, that the value of our education will also decrease,” laments Kimberly Fioretti, the dental student who organized the rally.

“With annual tuition dipping below $90,000 for the first time in five years, I am now unsure of the quality of the education that I will be receiving. Is my dental school investment worth it? I don’t know anymore.”

Historically, tuition and clinic fees increase by approximately 5% per year. But with the strength of the dollar increasing in foreign markets, and with oil prices continuing to drop compounded by the most recent measles outbreak, the school trustees had no option but to lower the cost of education.

Yet despite futile attempts by Dean Paula Embargo, B.A., M.S., D.D.S., M.D., M.B.A., Pharm.D., J.D., to explain this rationale to the student body, students have responded in complete opposition to the proposed tuition decrease.

“We are currently number one in the country in terms of student debt,” shouted Fioretti to the crowd of students who were picketing near a fence. “Next year, we will inevitably lose our prestigious ranking. This is completely unacceptable. We must stop it!”

Students have appealed to alumni with reason and logic. In fact, their key argument is non-debatable: that the lower the tuition is, the lesser the amount of money they can borrow from the government. This, in turn, would inhibit stimulus of the Las Vegas economy, thereby destabilizing global markets and exacerbate the effects of global warming.

In terms of student turnout, this morning’s rally fell slightly short of last year’s rally where 12 students gathered in protest of eliminating a live-patient licensure examination.

A Case for Access Points

We are excited to announce that our paper, A Case for Access Points, has been officially published! After months of hard work, we are ecstatic to share with you all the fruits of our labor.

We would like to acknowledge Jeremy Stribling, Max Krohn, and Dan Aguayo for their contributions to our paper. Their incredible team over at SCIgen have been an invaluable asset. Without them, this work would not have been possible!

Rubber Dam Technology Offers Breakthrough in Orthodontics

Nov. 9, 2014

NEW HAVEN -- In effort to combat the increasing costs of orthodontic treatment, researchers at Yale Dental School have pioneered a breakthrough platform technology that seeks to make braces affordable and attainable for everyone.

"The solution has been in front of our eyes the entire time," said Dr. Susan Lehigh, professor and vice chair of clinical research. "It involves the application of rubber dams to the field of orthodontics. Who knew that we could achieve the same, esthetic results with rubber alone?"

Like many other scientific breakthroughs, this landmark discovery - such as the usage of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction despite its intended use for angina - was born out of total accident.

While punching holes in a rubber dam for a common restorative procedure, a third-year dental student accidentally punched one hole for both maxillary central incisors and fitted both teeth into the hole. Upon removal of the rubber dam at the conclusion of the six-hour appointment, the dental student found that she had inadvertently closed the patient's diastema.

"At first I was completely mortified," confided the third-year dental student who chose to remain anonymous due to a pending lawsuit for the same procedure where she accidentally hit the pulp upon drilling a shallow Class I lesion. "The patient didn't sign the informed consent form for orthodontic treatment and I was so worried." The tooth ultimately needed to be extracted and was replaced with a one-unit removable partial denture.

Yet despite it's rocky beginnings, Rubber Dam Orthodontics (RDO), as Dr. Lehigh has coined the pioneering technology, has been effectively proven to eliminate crowding, correct molar relationships, and even intrude teeth.

"The possibilities are endless," glows Dr. Lehigh. "In fact, we're currently investigating the applications of RDO for rapid palatal expansion."

The one drawback associated with rubber dam orthodontics is that patients need to wear their rubber dam appliances continuously for a period of one month. Some patients have reported both negative and positive side-effects such as asphyxiation and weight-loss, respectively.

Despite its shortcomings, the American Association of Orthodontists believes that the substantially reduced cost of rubber dam orthodontics will change the field for the better.

The ADA is in complete agreement, citing that just about anyone now can provide orthodontic treatment thanks to rubber dam technology.