A new report states more testing is needed for dental patients and their families who may be at risk due to violations of infection-control policies at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center dental clinic in Dayton, OH, according to a story by WHIO TV. The 3,000-page report was released September 19 by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). More infectious disease testing should be offered to past dental patients and their
Innocoll, which makes pharmaceutical products and medical devices, has added dental-specific products to its line of wound-care and collagen-based products. The new products, which are available for commercialization in the U.S., European Union, and other markets such as Canada and New Zealand, include the following: CollaCare, a range of advanced bioactive wound dressings for the management of chronic and acute wounds available in sponge, film, and powder formats. CollaCare Dental,
Cone-beam CT (CBCT) helped researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand identify a relationship between severe periodontal bone loss and mucosal thickening of the maxillary sinus (Journal of Periodontology, September 12, 2011). The researchers studied 250 cone-beam CT scans of dental patients to assess periodontal bone loss, periapical lesions, and root canal fillings in the upper posterior teeth. They also recorded the presence of mucosal thickening and mucosal cysts of the
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) applauds the introduction of the Medicare Oral Health Rehabilitative Enhancement Act of 2011 (HR 2863), which would amend current law prohibiting dentists from referring their Medicare patients for physical therapy. Introduced on September 7 by U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), HR 2863 would revise the current statute, which requires that dentists must refer their Medicare
The Azenic DHP disposable dental handpiece is now being sold through national and regional dental dealers across the U.S. Available in a unit-dispensing box of 12, each handpiece is individually wrapped, sterile, ready to use, and 100% recyclable, according to the company. For a list of authorized dealers, call 888-347-7576.
Why are African-Americans more likely than Caucasians not only to be diagnosed with head and neck cancer, but also to die from the disease? While the answer isn’t a simple one, differences in lifestyle, access to care, and tumor genetics may be partly to blame, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital. The study, which was presented September 14 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and
Biomet 3i is expanding its product offerings with a revised restorative product line and a new regenerative membrane. BellaTek is a line of digital dentistry solutions that will be offered through a series of nonexclusive collaborations with digital dentistry companies, including 3M ESPE, 3Shape, and Align Technologies (iTero). The BellaTek line includes: BellaTek Encode impression system: It allows clinicians to create a BellaTek abutment (formerly known as an Encode definitive
Tooth Soap, a manufacturer of natural oral care products, has received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for claims in U.S. patent application No. 11/709,610. This patent application generally relates to novel formulations of Tooth Soap’s flagship product, Tooth Soap, the company said. A notice of allowance is the official notification that the USPTO finds the claimed subject matter novel and nonobvious, and intends
Over the past decade, Rhode Island has made progress in improving access to oral healthcare for children, but more work still needs to be done, according to a news brief issued this week by Rhode Island Kids Count. According to a statewide oral health survey conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Health Oral Health Program, dental decay was found to be a significant public health problem for Rhode Island
A U.K. dentist is being investigated after a 30-year-old patient died, allegedly from an allergic reaction to a mouth rinse. During an inquest this week, the Brighton County Court heard that Sacha Rumaner’s anaphylactic shock was mistaken for a heart attack or an epileptic fit, the Argus reported. During a postextraction follow-up in February, Dr. Labina Rhamen and her nurse cleaned Rumaner’s socket with Corsodyl mouthwash, which contains chlorhexidine. Rumaner,
Guy Richardson, the former director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Dayton, OH, who was reassigned to Cincinnati after an infection control scandal at the center’s dental clinic, has now been appointed as a regional deputy network director in Maryland, according to a news story in the Dayton Daily News. A report released in April by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General
Resin-based composites (RBCs) give patients the aesthetic results they want, but certain foods can prompt unsightly stains on these materials, according to a new study in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry (August 2011, Vol. 23:4, pp. 250-257). Researchers from Manipal University in India looked at the interaction between different types of resin-based composites and various stains, and found a universal microhybrid composite to be more stain-resistant than others.