Ill. foundation awards $2.4M in dental grants

The Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation is providing $2.4 million to 12 organizations to expand existing oral healthcare programs or create new ones, according to a news story in the News Gazette. Two of the grants have been awarded to Champaign County programs: Frances Nelson Health Center and SmileHealthy. Frances Nelson Health Center will receive $320,500 to help pay for remodeling to open a dental clinic, and SmileHealthy will receive $34,000

Canadian dental implant market outpaces U.S.’

The Canadian dental implant market achieved moderate growth of 5.6% in 2009, while the struggling U.S. economy led to a shrinking market last year, according to Millennium Research Group (MRG). The greatest discrepancy was seen in the North American market for regular-diameter dental implant fixtures, MRG noted. As volumes shrank in the U.S., prices dropped as manufacturers attempted to maintain volumes through discounting. As a result, the U.S. regular-diameter dental

Global toothpaste market to reach $12.6B by 2015

The global market for toothpaste is expected to reach $12.6 billion by 2015, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Toothpastes and oral care products aimed at children will have particularly high growth potential, the report contends. Market drivers include multifunctional and whitening toothpastes, product innovations, rising population levels, and greater awareness about oral hygiene, the market research firm asserts. The report also cited the advent of

Bisphosphonates aid dental health in menopausal women

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density, long-term bisphosphonate therapy appears to benefit the periodontium, researchers report in a September 10 online paper in Menopause. Nevertheless, “in rare cases,” Dr. Leena Palomo told Reuters Health by e-mail, “bisphosphonate therapy for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis has been associated with death of the jawbone.” However, she added, “Since the accepted incidence of this negative

OSAP changes name and logo

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Procedures (OSAP) is announcing its new name, look, and message in recognition of International Infection Prevention Week, October 17-23. The organization will now be known as the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention. The name change comes with a new logo and the tag line, “Because Safety Matters.” “By supporting and acknowledging Infection Prevention Week, we felt it was the right time to launch

Komet offers soft cutter for orthodontics, dentures

Komet has introduced a new soft cutter, the SC1, for orthodontic and denture adjustments. The cutter protects metal surfaces during fine acrylic adjustments in critical areas, according to the company. The SC1 is suitable for highly detailed acrylic work, including the removal of excess marginal material from orthodontic appliances and detailed trimming around wire elements, Komet said. In addition, it can be used for precision work on temporary clasp dentures

Zimmer seeks to improve surgical control with new kit

The new Drill Stop Kit from Zimmer Dental is designed to facilitate bone-level depth control, thereby reducing chair time and enhancing surgical confidence during osteotomy procedures, according to the company. The kit is intended to alleviate the stress and uncertainty associated with traditional instrumentation and depth-control methods. The goal was to increase a clinician’s confidence in controlling and predicting drilling depths, and accelerate and simplify the preparation of the osteotomy,

Sleep apnea mask can cause craniofacial changes

Use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) as a therapy for sleep apnea over a long period of time can lead to facial changes in adults, according to a new study (Chest, October 2010, Vol. 138:4, pp. 870-874). Many patients with sleep apnea use nCPAP as a first-line therapy. They are fitted with a mask that they wear every night that delivers positive air pressure from the CPAP machine.

Komet offers composite kit for dental assistants

Komet USA has introduced the Shannon L. Pace Composite Kit for EFDAs (Expanding Function of Dental Assistants) designed specifically for dental assistants who are allowed by their state boards to place composite. Developed in conjunction with Shannon L. Pace, C.D.A., of Virginia Beach, VA, the kit comes with 15 different instruments (carbides, polishers, and brushes), providing all the tools necessary to work on composites, the company noted. Included in the

Handpiece makers respond to FDA safety warnings

Following last month’s warning from the FDA regarding dental patients being burned by electric handpieces, manufacturers of these products are working to reassure customers about the safety of their products and also remind them that regular maintenance is key. The FDA’s safety warning came one month after the agency notified all handpiece manufacturers that there continue to be adverse reports of patients being burned — in some cases severely —

Bite Tech joins Patterson for breast cancer awareness

In recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, athletic mouthguard maker Bite Tech is introducing a special edition of its Under Armour Performance Mouthwear: making mouthpieces and mouthguards available with pink ArmourBite wedges. The special offering is part of Patterson Dental’s Grins for a Good Cause initiative, a national outreach in which Patterson branches partner with local breast cancer organizations to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. Patterson Dental

Common spice can enhance head/neck cancer treatment

Curcumin, the major component in the spice turmeric, when combined with the drug cisplatin, enhances the chemotherapy’s suppression of head and neck cancer cell growth, according to researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, October 2010, Vol. 9:10, pp. 2665-2675). A naturally occurring spice widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, turmeric has long been known to have medicinal