Zirconia successful for severe anterior decay

Zirconia copings held up well over three years in compromised anterior teeth in a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Prosthodontics (March/April 2010, Vol. 23:2, pp. 107-109). For the prospective trial, University Clinic Erlangen researchers evaluated 19 0.3-mm-thick zirconia copings and feather-edged marginal preparations used to restore severe decay in the anterior maxilla. Ten patients received 19 single-tooth restorations. After a mean follow-up of 39.2 months, every single

Ky. gets $200K in grants to help kids’ dental health

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced two rounds of federal grant funding totaling more than $200,000 that will allow 24 counties to create community coalitions aimed at improving dental health among children throughout eastern Kentucky and other areas of the state. The awards are part of a three-year initiative Beshear announced in fall 2009 with a goal of improving quality and access to dental care across the region, using $1.6 million

Komet product videos now viewable on cell phones

Komet USA’s summer 2010 sales brochure will feature Microsoft Tag, an innovative way to view videos on cell phones, the company announced. The technology allows a person to scan a tag and view product videos featuring Komet’s OS Discs/OS30 oscillating handpiece and Endo Rescue Kit. “This technology gives Komet USA’s current and potential customers an opportunity to see some of our products in action, without sitting in front of a

Fibrocell Science appoints dental adviser

Fibrocell Science has appointed Nicolas Elian, DDS., as an adviser to the company, which is focused on developing autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical, and scientific applications. As a dental expert, Dr. Elian will bring deep experience in the study of reconstructive dentistry to his advisory role for Fibrocell, according to the company. William K. Boss, MD, who was instrumental in developing Fibrocell Science’s original technology, has partnered with Dr.

Implants integrate in patients on bisphosphonates

Since patients on intravenous bisphosphonates sometimes suffer from osteonecrosis of the jaw, questions have risen about placing implants in them. So researchers at the Karolinska Institute and the University of Connecticut undertook a literature review to see how well implants osseointegrate in these patients. In an article published in the Journal of Periodontology (April 2010, Vol. 81:4, pp. 479-484), they reported on 10 studies in which patients were using oral

Ohio law gives hygienists more independence

An Ohio law allowing hygienists to practice without a dentist’s physical supervision will take effect August 31. Signed into law May 27, the law creates the Oral Health Access Supervision Program, allowing dentists to send hygienists into settings outside the dental office to provide cleanings and other hygiene services. Dentists would be required to review the health history of each patient prior to the provision of services to ensure that

Roland launches zirconia milling machine

Roland DGA has released the DWX-30 compact computer numerically controlled (CNC) dental milling machine for creating copings, crowns, and bridges in zirconia and wax. Designed for the dental market, the DWX-30 features an integrated clamping system with three types of clamps — one for disks and two for blocks — to hold various material sizes and thicknesses. The milling machine also features an integrated dust collection system that removes debris

Hispanic hygiene students claim discrimination

Hispanic hygiene students have accused the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio of discrimination, according to an article in the Express-News. Don Gonzalez of the League of United Latin American Citizens told the Express-News that the school’s promotions board treats Hispanics more harshly than students of other groups. Douglas Murphy, interim dean of the School of Health Professions, defended the school’s fairness and cited an increase in

Cuba hits milestone for caries-free kids

Cuba has achieved a goal of children’s oral health two years ahead of the deadline set by the World Health Organization (WHO), a state dental official announced. Estela Gispen, president of the Cuban Society of Stomatology, said the country has met the WHO’s requirement that 50% of Cuban children ages 5 and 6 are caries-free, according to a story by the Xinhua News Agency. The number of Cubans who have

Australian program reduces dental costs, caries

An Australian caries management system was found to be most cost-effective in patients with a high risk of dental caries, according to a study in Value in Health (June 17, 2010), the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. The three-year randomized clinical trial, conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney and Hera Consulting Australia, evaluated the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a preventive approach

Oral Health America awards grant to Fla. group

Oral Health America (OHA) recently awarded a Smiles Across America planning grant to Tampa, FL-based More Health, which partners with Tampa General Hospital and All Children’s Hospital to bring educational health lessons to school children in the area. The grant allows More Health to work with the Hillsborough County Oral Health Coalition and the Public Health Dental Program through the Florida Department of Health to develop an oral disease prevention

Oral bacteria linked to hypertension risk

People with a significant burden of periodontal bacteria are more than three times as likely to have hypertension as those with low levels of such bacteria, according to a large international study (Journal of Hypertension, May 5, 2010). Seven investigators from Columbia University, the University of Miami, the University of Minnesota, and the French School of Public Health collected 4,533 subgingival plaque samples from 653 patients enrolled in the Oral