NIH awards $2M grant for oral mucositis treatment

Biotech firm Synedgen has been awarded a $1.96 million phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to accelerate the development of Synedgen’s proprietary oral disease treatments. Under this two-year effort, which begins April 1, Synedgen will accelerate the development of Regenasyn, a topical treatment for oral mucositis that both prevents infection and improves healing, the company said. “Severe oral mucositis is the leading

Planmeca launches integrated digital intraoral scanner

Planmeca has introduced PlanScan, calling it “the first dental unit integrated intraoral scanning solution designed to bring measurable benefits for patients, dentists, and laboratories.” PlanScan delivers complete clinical information about the patient anatomy by combining the surface data from Planmeca PlanScan intraoral scanner with Planmeca Promax 3D cone-beam volumetric tomography (CBVT) x-ray data and the 3D facial photo acquired from Planmeca Promax 3D ProFace. Combining these three 3D data sources

Pa. bill would require insurers to cover general anesthesia

The Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) is urging state lawmakers to support HB 532, which would require insurance companies to cover the costs of general anesthesia for young children and patients with special needs. Many young patients and those with mental or physical disabilities often experience stress when visiting a dentist’s office, and some require general anesthesia before a dentist can treat them, the PDA noted. However, many insurers refuse to

Oral bacterium inhibits dental biofilm formation

A team of Japanese researchers has demonstrated that the bacterium Streptococcus salivarius, a nonbiofilm-forming and otherwise harmless inhabitant of the oral cavity, actually inhibits the formation of dental biofilms (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 1, 2011, Vol. 77:5, pp. 1572-1580). Two enzymes this bacteria produce are responsible for this inhibition, and one of them — FruA — may be useful for preventing dental caries, according to corresponding author Hidenobu Senpuku

Acteon adds ultrasonic device videos to website

Acteon North America has added a new feature to its website designed to educate new, current, and potential owners on all aspects of Satelec piezoelectric P5 Newtron ultrasonic dental devices for periodontics and scaling. The Talking Tips With Colleen section of the Acteon website includes eight different videos featuring Colleen Rutledge, RDH, a nationally recognized dental hygienist and consultant. In each of the videos, Rutledge discusses everything from why she

German firms partner to produce custom implants

Natural Dental Implants, developer of the Replicate nonsurgical tooth replacement system, is partnering with Absolute Ceramics, a manufacturer of all-ceramic crowns, inlays, and onlays, to produce and sell Replicate components in Europe. Absolute Ceramics will manufacture Replicate system components at its facility in Leipzig, Germany, and sell the product through its sales force in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland beginning in the third quarter of this year, the companies said. The

FDA panel urges end to menthol cigarettes

Finding that the availability of menthol cigarettes increases the number of children and African Americans who smoke, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee on March 18 concluded that “removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States.” The committee based its recommendation on findings that menthol cigarettes increase the number of children who experiment with cigarettes and the

3D Systems offers digital print material for ProJet

3D Systems will feature the VisiJet e-Stone, a new print material developed specifically to produce digital dental models on the ProJet MP 6000 Professional 3D printer, at the International Dental Show in Cologne, Germany, this week. This material is available in a high-contrast peach color and is compatible with all “open system” intraoral and impression scanning systems, according to the company. Due to its high accuracy and repeatability, this material

Did race play a role in VA dentist hygiene scandal?

A former dental clinic supervisor at the Dayton Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Ohio claims the NAACP blocked his efforts to remove a dentist whose poor infection control practices put hundreds of patients at risk, according to a story in the Dayton Daily News. The clinic is currently being investigated for allegations that, over an 18-year period, Dwight Pemberton, DDS, performed invasive dental procedures on patients but failed to

Bacterin to acquire Robinson MedSurg

Bacterin International Holdings, a developer of bone graft material and anti-infective coatings for medical applications, is set to acquire Robinson MedSurg, a medical device distribution company focused primarily on maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery devices. The proposed transaction will involve an initial exchange of Bacterin common stock valued at $1 million for all the assets of Robinson MedSurg, including approximately $500,000 of inventory, existing commercial agreements, and intellectual property, the company

Retainers harbor potentially pathogenic microbes

Insufficient cleaning could lead to a buildup of potentially pathogenic microbes on orthodontic retainers, according to a study by researchers from University College London Eastman Dental Institute (Letters in Applied Microbiology, March 14, 2011). The study, which found potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least 50% of the retainers examined, could indicate a need for the development of improved cleaning products for orthodontic retainers, the researchers noted. Jonathan Pratten, PhD,

Orthodontist cleared in oral cancer patient’s death

A New York orthodontist who was sued following the death of a patient who developed tongue cancer has been found not guilty of negligence, according to a story in the Staten Island Advance. Stephanie Hare of Annadale was 19 when a cancerous lesion was detected on her tongue in April 2004. Despite having surgery to remove most of her tongue and undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, she died seven months later.