At Midwinter Meeting, new products reflect oral care’s future

CHICAGO – In a series of press conferences at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, several new products were introduced that their makers claim will significantly impact clinical, preventive, and cosmetic applications in dentistry. Biolase Technology announced the latest addition to its soft-tissue laser product line: the iLase. Dubbed the first “personal laser” for dental professionals, the device is designed to make laser technology available to every dentist and hygienist

U.S. examining possible effects of bisphenol A

WASHINGTON (Reuters), Feb 26 – The federal agency that investigates health risks is concerned that the chemical bisphenol A may harm people and is spending $20 million to study the substance, widely used in food containers, a U.S. official said on Thursday. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has launched 11 new animal studies to investigate the possible effects of bisphenol A or BPA, NIEHS Director Linda Birnbaum

FDA rejects OraVerse brochure

The U.S. FDA has asked Novalar Pharmaceuticals to stop distributing a patient brochure for the drug OraVerse (phentolamine mesylate), which it markets for reversing the effects of local anesthesia. The brochure violates federal law by minimizing risks, overstating efficacy, and implying it is approved for children younger than 6 years old, the FDA said in a letter to Novalar. OraVerse did not respond to a request for comment from HuangshanDental.com.

Water Pik aims to reconfigure the floss market

Water Pik is repositioning its flagship oral care product as the Waterpik Water Flosser. Leveraging the original Waterpik brand and design, the company is introducing the Water Flosser to help patients understand the true purpose of a Waterpik and support those patients who don’t like to floss. The company announced this new strategy at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting this week. Waterpik is hoping its new product name will

Henry Schein partners with Brain-Pad

Henry Schein has partnered with Brain-Pad to distribute oral appliance sanitizers in North America. Under the terms of the new five-year agreement, Henry Schein will be the exclusive professional dental distributor in the U.S. and Canada for the NatureZone one-touch UV/ozone oral appliance sanitizer. Brain-Pad’s NatureZone UV/ozone oral sanitizer disinfects, sanitizes, and deodorizes oral appliances, including mouthguards, retainers, dentures, and night guards. Equipped with a patented ultraviolet light and ozone

USC study finds high rate of untreated caries in underprivileged kids

A huge percentage of underprivileged children in Los Angeles have untreated caries, according to a study led by the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California. In the report released during February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month, researchers Roseann Mulligan, D.D.S., M.S., and Hazem Seirawan, D.D.S., M.P.H., reveal that a staggering 73% of disadvantaged youngsters have untreated caries. The study involved dentists screening more than 2,300

Study finds Head Start helps with dental access

The Head Start program provides a boost to young children’s learning and health, including access to dental care, according to a recent government study. The Head Start Impact Study was conducted for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of the reauthorization for the program, and was released in January. The study evaluated the impact of Head Start on 3- and 4-year-old children, as measured against a

Philadelphia dentists cite consent form restraints

Philadelphia dentists testifying at a hearing this month about the impact of a legally required consent form regarding amalgam said they sometimes have to refuse treatment to disabled patients when they cannot get parents to sign it. An ordinance requiring dentists to have their patients sign an information sheet about the effects of mercury, and their right to choose other options for fillings, took effect in 2009. Under the new

Straumann features new CAD/CAM products at Chicago Midwinter

Straumann is launching upgrades to its CAD/CAM system, the company announced at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting this week. Some elements are ready, and others are scheduled to launch later this year. Under the new umbrella brand of Straumann Digital Solutions, the company now offers computer-guided surgery, intraoral scanning, and CAD/CAM prosthetics to specialists, general dentists, and dental laboratories in various markets around the world. Straumann’s integrated digital solutions

Colgate cosponsors heart health awareness campaign

In recognition of American Heart Month, WomenHeart: The National Coalition For Women With Heart Disease and Colgate Total toothpaste are cosponsoring the Heartwarming Smiles campaign — an initiative to help educate U.S. about the impact proper oral care can have on their heart health. Heartwarming Smiles will focus on empowering women by providing the knowledge and tools needed to make positive lifestyle changes to help reduce their risk of heart

Proper perio treatment can reduce preterm birth risk

Does treating periodontal disease lead to fewer preterm births? The research is split, but a new study has found that women who have successful nonsurgical periodontal treatment during their pregnancy are less likely to have premature babies. The study will be presented in a detailed session at the upcoming 2010 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) annual meeting held in Washington, DC, from March 3-6. While previous studies have explored

Study: Mouth not central to facial attractiveness

A study that aimed to measure the importance of the mouth and teeth to facial attractiveness has found that the mouth attracts only a small part of visual attention (Journal of the American Dental Association, January 2010, Vol. 141:1, pp. 40-46). “There is disagreement in the literature about the relative importance of the mouth and the teeth to facial attractiveness,” noted the researchers from the Ohio State University College of