Air Techniques adds antimicrobial lining to compressors

Air Techniques has added a patented antimicrobial coating to its line of AirStar dental compressors to inhibit the growth and transmission of harmful bacteria, the company announced. AirStar’s main compressor tank is now internally coated with a silver-based powder coating that contains environmentally sustainable silver ions. These ions work continuously to protect against bacterial cell functions by disrupting and prohibiting their growth and reproduction, according to the company. Air Techniques

Good oral health can reduce piercing problems

Early complications following lip and tongue piercings are frequent and might be minimized with proper overall oral healthcare, according to a study in Quintessence International (October 2010, Vol. 41:9, pp. 731-737). Researchers from Innsbruck Medical University set out to assess the prevalence of early and late complications associated with lip and tongue piercing in a population obtained from a nondental setting. Study participants had a total of 130 lip and

Oral bacteria can trigger heart disease

Plaque-causing bacteria can escape from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase the risk of heart attack, according to research from the University of Bristol. Howard Jenkinson, Ph.D., a professor of oral microbiology at Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Sciences, explained how oral bacteria can wreak havoc if they are not kept in check by regular brushing and flossing during a presentation at the Society for General Microbiology’s fall

MI Paste Plus hinders decalcification in ortho patients

The use of MI Paste Plus (GC America) with Recaldent — containing casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate and fluoride (CPP-ACPF) — helps prevent decalcification in orthodontic patients, according to research presented at the 2010 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The four-week study, conducted by Chung How Kau, D.D.S., Ph.D., and associates at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston Department of Orthodontics, compared the use

GNC stores to offer oral care probiotic

The oral care probiotic EvoraPlus will soon become available at GNC stores across the U.S., according to Oragenics, the company that makes EvoraPlus. GNC has included Oragenics’ EvoraKids oral care probiotic for children in its concept stores and on GNC.com, the company said. ProBiora3, the active ingredient in Oragenics’ probiotic products, contains three strains of beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy microbial balance in the mouth, according to the

Allergan to pay $600M for illegally marketing Botox

Accused of aggressively marketing Botox to medical professionals to encourage off-label use, pharmaceutical giant Allergan will pay $600 million to settle civil and criminal accusations that it illegally marketed Botox for uses for which the drug had not been approved, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Click here to read the rest of the article.

No more hepatitis B cases found in W.Va.

Health officials have found no additional cases of hepatitis B among people treated at a free dental clinic in West Virginia last year, according to a story in the Herald-Mail. In June 2009, the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and Healthy Smiles West Virginia provided free medical screenings and dental services to more than 1,100 patients at a Mission of Mercy dental clinic in Hedgesville. Some 719 volunteers provided

Calif. town pressured to fluoridate water

California public health officials say they will fine the town of Watsonville $200 a day for failing to commit to add fluoride to the community’s water, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The fine, suspended until September 30, was included in a citation issued by the state Department of Public Health on September 1 for failing to meet a deadline to commit to fluoridation by August 29,

Preop prophylactic antibiotics — yes or no?

A Cochrane meta-analysis published online in July concluded that preoperative antibiotics prevent failure of dental implants. Even so, controversy still exists over whether all implant patients should be given prophylactic antibiotics prior to surgery. And the controversy will likely continue for some time, as there is still relatively little consensus about the best strategies to prevent biofilm formation. Marco Esposito, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor in the department of oral and

Colgate offers refund for dental visits in Ireland

In a bid to promote oral health in Ireland, Colgate-Palmolive is offering to refund customers 65 euros ($83) each if they make a visit to the dentist. The offer is being made as part of the company’s Oral Health Month 2010 initiative, organized in conjunction with the Irish Dental Association (IDA). During September, the Oral Health Month “road show” will tour the country offering the public the chance to talk

Adhesive classifications: Science or marketing?

Are you using a fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-generation bonding adhesive? Who decides what generation it is? What constitutes a new generation — the number of steps involved or something else? One company recently suggested that its all-in-one self-etch adhesive is an eighth-generation product because it is dual-cure. To complicate matters, marketing departments are intent on convincing us that their product is like no other. The book The 22 Immutable Laws

Erbium laser can debond ceramic brackets

Laser energy can be used to debond ceramic brackets, according to a study in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (August 2010, Vol. 138:2, pp. 195-200). Researchers from Yeditepe University in Istanbul wanted to develop a new way to debond ceramic brackets by scanning the brackets with an Er:YAG laser. For their in vitro study, they randomly divided 60 bovine mandibular incisors into two groups of 30. Polycrystalline