Category·Articles
Global News
Dental news from other countries, read from where Korea stands
Attack on Dubai-Bound Flight: A Dentist's First Aid Saved the Captain's Life
When a copilot stabbed the captain on a flight from Dubai to Israel, a passenger who happened to be a dentist stayed by the badly bleeding captain's side and helped save his life. With help from a plumber among the passengers and foreign pilots on board, the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
3 min read
Dyson's 750,000-Won AI Toothbrush Sold Out on Preorder Day in Korea, Then Vanished From US Stores Over a Defect
Dyson's 750,000-won AI toothbrush, the CameraJet, sold out on its first day of preorders in Korea, only to disappear from US stores soon after amid defect reports. Dyson has now said a component issue in one early production batch could let water seep into the device. Early Korean buyers aren't entirely in the clear either, though no domestic cases have surfaced so far.
3 min read
400,000-Year-Old Tooth Fossils in China Show Signs of Interbreeding Among Human Ancestors
An analysis of enamel proteins from 400,000-year-old Homo erectus teeth found in China has turned up genetic variants also seen in Denisovans and some modern humans. We look at the study published in Nature this past May, along with the fossil gap on the Korean Peninsula for this period.
3 min read
Untreated Toothache Led to Death at a U.S. Immigration Detention Facility
An autopsy has confirmed that a Haitian man detained at an immigration facility in Arizona died from complications of a tooth infection. This piece looks at how an untreated toothache led to his death, the gaps in medical care at detention facilities, and the state of dental support for migrant workers in Korea.
3 min read
Noma, the Disease That Destroys Children's Faces, Is Rising Again in Nigeria
In Nigeria, more children are contracting noma, an infection that starts with gum inflammation and destroys the face within weeks. This article looks at Doctors Without Borders' free reconstructive surgeries, why the WHO designated noma a neglected tropical disease, and why the disease has all but disappeared in Korea.
3 min read
Laughing Gas Is a Greenhouse Gas Too: Hospitals Start by Cutting Anesthesia Gases
Hospitals in the US and Europe are cutting back on the anesthetic desflurane and on nitrous oxide, the laughing gas also used in dentistry, citing their greenhouse gas emissions. With nitrous oxide use surging at South Korean pediatric dental clinics, we look at what this shift means.
3 min read
UK Government Investigates Dental Prices, But the Real Crisis Is the NHS
The UK government has launched an investigation into rising private dental fees. But critics say the real crisis lies in the collapse of NHS dental care. This piece examines the price data, the flaws in the current system, and how far South Korea's health insurance covers dental care by comparison.
3 min read
India Turns to Detection Dogs and AI for Early Cancer Screening
Indian startup Dognosis is testing a cancer screening method across India that combines dogs' sense of smell with artificial intelligence to catch cancer early. We also look at India's low oral cancer screening rate and the state of Korea's national cancer screening program.
3 min read
New Review Finds E-Cigarettes May Also Cause Oral and Lung Cancer
A research team at the University of New South Wales in Australia pooled clinical observations, animal studies and cell-level research into a review concluding that e-cigarettes are likely to cause lung cancer and oral cancer. Epidemiological data also show that people who use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes face four times the risk of lung cancer. Since April this year, South Korea has begun regulating synthetic-nicotine liquid e-cigarettes the same way as ordinary cigarettes.
3 min read
US Tap Water Fluoride Levels Shaken for Half a Year by Middle East War
The Middle East war has reduced U.S. imports of fluorosilicic acid, the raw material used to fluoridate tap water, lowering fluoride levels in some areas. As the shortage that began in April continues past September, more than half a year later, this article looks at both America's already-shaky fluoride policy and South Korea's situation, where few regions fluoridate their water to begin with.
3 min read
Ohio Tracks Radioactive Brine Exposure Through Children's Baby Teeth
Researchers at Ohio State University are collecting children's baby teeth, adults' toenail clippings, and soil samples to check exposure to radioactive oilfield brine sprayed on roads. Baby teeth, which form from the fetal period onward, serve as a record of childhood exposure.
3 min read
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