Discus Dental, Zap Lasers file lawsuit against Biolase

Discus Dental and Zap Lasers have jointly filed a lawsuit against Biolase Technology in federal court in Los Angeles, the companies announced. In the lawsuit against Biolase, the companies are claiming patent and trademark infringement and unfair competition, and are seeking monetary damages and an injunction. The lawsuit has been filed in view of Biolase offering its iLase cordless soft-tissue laser for sale in the U.S. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com

Research links diabetes and oral inflammatory diseases

A large majority of patients with diabetes, the fastest-growing disease in the world, also suffer from oral inflammatory diseases, according to a Canadian study that predicts that the interaction of the two diseases will have a growing impact on both dental and overall healthcare. “More and more, dental and other healthcare professionals will be required to collaborate to create teams dedicated to the management of people with diabetes at both

U.S. OMS programs not producing enough research

Many oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) programs in the U.S. do not require residents to do research even though program directors believe in its importance, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University. The study was presented at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Washington, DC. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “Research is what pushes the envelope of

Iowa may allow dentists to perform Botox procedures

Licensed dentists in Iowa may soon be allowed to perform procedures using Botox and other derma fillers if the use is directly related to the practice of dentistry. The Iowa Dental Board is currently considering the matter, and has posted a proposed position statement on its Web site, seeking comments on the matter. Dentists will be required to get additional training to perform these procedures, according to the statement. A

Hygiene school planned for Palm Desert

The Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and the College of the Desert community college are planning to collaborate on a dental hygiene school in Palm Desert, CA, according to the Desert Sun. Contingent on a vote of the planning commission, the school would be located in a 10,491-sq-ft space leased by Loma Linda, the newspaper reported. Students could earn an associate degree in dental hygiene. Beginning in January 20100,

Fla. teeth-whitening company sued by state

CleanWhites and two affiliated companies that market teeth-whitening products are being sued by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum’s office over allegations that they enrolled consumers in a monthly subscription program without the consumers’ knowledge or consent. CleanWhites is affiliated with CleanWhites Pro and Advanced CleanWhites. CleanWhites and owners Jesse Stein and Paul Nute advertised a “free trial” of teeth-whitening products that required consumers to only pay for shipping and handling,

Researchers: Chlorhexidine improves bond strength

Want to make your restorations last longer? Add a dab of chlorhexidine to the preparation. That’s the latest tip from some researchers presenting their findings at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Washington, DC. In fact, a few dental professors are so convinced it works they’re already teaching it to their students as standard procedure. And surprisingly, the main argument for adding this well-known disinfectant has

Are CAD/CAM crowns as good as gold?

A recent study found that ceramic crowns made by CAD/CAM held up just as well as gold crowns after a year in patients’ mouths. But now an article in Evidence-Based Dentistry argues out that it’s too early to draw conclusions. For the original study, published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation (March 2009, Vol. 36:3, pp. 226-235), researchers at the University of Freiburg and University Hospital, Hamburg-Eppendorf, randomly divided 224

Nanobiochip helps detect oral cancer

A nanobiochip that analyzes specimens from brush biopsies of lesions can help detect oral cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive tests, according to a pilot study (Cancer Prevention Research, April 2010, Vol. 3:4, pp. 518-528). The diagnostic nanobiochip had 97% sensitivity and 93% specificity in detecting which patients had malignant or premalignant lesions, rates that compare well with traditional tests, reported the researchers from Rice University, the University

GeoDigm to buy National Dentex

National Dentex, one of the largest chains of dental laboratories in North America, has agreed to be acquired by GDC Holdings, the holding company of GeoDigm, Dentex announced. GeoDigm is a technology-based manufacturing and laboratory company and a portfolio company of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. Under the terms of the merger agreement, National Dentex’s shareholders will receive $17.00 in cash for each share of National Dentex common stock they

Dental CAD/CAM’s star on the rise

2010 is turning out to be a banner year for dental CAD/CAM. And it looks like it’s only the beginning. Sirona Dental Systems, currently the market leader with 27,000 installed Cerec systems, reported a 37.5% jump in CAD/CAM sales in the first quarter — most of it from new systems sales, not upgrades, according to President and CEO Jost Fischer. Sirona’s not alone. Straumann reported net profits of $137 million

CDHP recaps oral provisions in healthcare reform

Saluting an “unparalleled federal investment in oral health,” the Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP) has issued a recap of the oral health provisions in the new U.S. healthcare reform law. The nonprofit agency outlines changes to coverage, provider payments, access, prevention, infrastructure, workforce, and training. Copyright © 2010 HuangshanDental.com