Dental implants aid oral cancer patients

Dental implants provide an important alternative in the oral rehabilitation of oral cancer patients, according to a study in the Australian Dental Journal (June 2011, Vol. 56:2, pp. 160-165). The study authors reported on the clinical experience of dental implant placement in patients following resection of oral cancer during a 15-year period. Researchers from Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia analyzed the demographic data of 31 patients who had dental implants

Canadian firm licenses oral cancer detection technology

Imaging technology provider Verisante Technology has entered into an exclusive agreement to license the worldwide rights for a novel multispectral imaging cancer detection technology with the inventors, Haishan Zeng PhD, and Yasser Fawzy of the British Columbia Cancer Agency. The multispectral imaging technology is protected by a pending patent. Verisante now has the field of use rights to detect skin cancer and oral cancer and the right of first refusal

HPV highly prevalent in organ transplant recipients

A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals an association between certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in organ transplant recipients (July 2011, Vol. 11:7, pp. 1498-1509). HPV is known to cause cervical cancer and SCC in the anogenital area and also plays a role in some forms of head and neck cancer. SCC of the skin is increasing in

Experts grow whole tooth units using mouse stem cells

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Scientists in Japan said on Wednesday they have created teeth — complete with connective fibers and bones — by using mouse stem cells and successfully transplanted them into mice, a step they hope will lead to progress in stem cell research. The entire tooth units, which were inserted into lower jaws of mice, attached successfully with jaw bones and the rats were able to chew normally,

NCOHF names new chief dental officer

Rebecca Slayton, DDS, PhD, has been named chief dental officer of the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF). As chief dental officer, she will continue to chair the NCOHF Scientific Advisory Board while assuming responsibility for oral health messaging, approval of preventive strategies, and treatment protocols. Dr. Slayton is a professor and chair of the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of Iowa. She is a board-certified pediatric dentist

Sleep apnea may cause blood vessel abnormalities

Obstructive sleep apnea may cause changes in blood vessel function that reduce blood supply to the heart in people who are otherwise healthy, according to new research reported in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). However, treatment with 26 weeks of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improved study participants’ blood supply and function, according to the study authors. Obstructive sleep apnea affects about 15 million adults in

Higher Medicaid rates mean more dental care for U.S. kids

Children in states with higher Medicaid reimbursements got more dental care than those in states with lower payment rates between 2000 and 2008, but children covered by Medicaid received dental care less often than children with private insurance, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, July 13, 2011, Vol. 306:2, pp. 187-193). Between 2000 and 2008, children covered by Medicaid were less likely

Study finds BPA, phthalates influence thyroid function

A link between phthalates — industrial chemicals used to make plastics such as polyvinyl chloride — and thyroid hormone levels has been confirmed by University of Michigan researchers in the first large-scale and nationally representative study of phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) in relation to thyroid function in humans (Environmental Health Perspectives, July 11, 2011). The study authors also reported suggestive findings consistent with a previously reported link between BPA

Gene links craniosynostosis, delayed tooth eruption, extra teeth

Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland have described a new, recessively inherited human syndrome featuring craniosynostosis, maxillary hyperplasia, delayed tooth eruption, and extra teeth (American Journal of Human Genetics, July 7, 2011). The researchers also identified causative mutations in the gene for interleukin 11 receptor alpha (IL11RA). In craniosynostosis, the sutures between skull bones become ossified prematurely, affecting skull shape and limiting space for the growth of the

8% hydrogen peroxide effective for ortho patients

A new 8% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent was found to be effective in patients wearing fixed orthodontic appliances, according to a study in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (July 2011, Vol. 140:1, pp. e43-7). Researchers assessed six anterior maxillary teeth of 40 patients ages 18 to 40. The patients were divided into two groups (n = 20): in group A, the patients used the bleaching agent during

AAPD, Univ. of Pa. form leadership institute

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and its Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children foundation have partnered with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to establish the Advanced Leadership Institute. For the past six years, the AAPD has partnered with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago and Ultradent Products to provide members with the first institute of its kind among dental and medical organizations. This

New root caries treatment offers an implant alternative

When faced with interproximal root caries, what is the best way to fill them? While many would drill up or down through the crown to reach the lesion, two prosthodontists from Israel are confident that they’ve come up with a better, less invasive method for treating them (Quintessence International, July/August 2011, Vol. 42:7, pp. 611-614). Their four-step approach uses glass ionomer for an inexpensive, predictable restoration that preserves more of