South Carolina legislators are discussing a bill that would provide free dental checkups for students, according to an Associated Press (AP) story. The state Senate passed S. Bill 286 in April 2009 and passed it onto the House for consideration. The House Committee on Education and Public Works is now slated to discuss the bill this week, according to the AP. The legislation would create a pilot program in three
The presence of certain proteins in premalignant oral lesions may predict oral cancer development, according to Medical College of Georgia (MCG) researchers. Small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins (SIBLINGs) are a family of five proteins that help mineralize bone but can also spread cancer. SIBLINGs have been found in cancers including breast, lung, colon, and prostate. “Several years ago we discovered that three SIBLINGs — osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, and dentin sialophosphoprotein
SciCan, a Canadian manufacturer of infection control products and solutions with subsidiaries in the U.S., Germany, and Switzerland, has merged with German dental product manufacturer SycoTec and French endodontic specialist Micro-Mega. Together the group will be one of the 10 largest dental equipment manufacturers in the world, the companies announced. The three firms are being integrated under a single umbrella, but will remain independent entities. The new company, which is
In 2009 the Oral Cancer Foundation initiated a program of donating LED Dental’s VELscope oral cancer screening systems to free clinics. The most recent recipients of this program are two West Virginia clinics: West Virginia Health Right in Charleston and the Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic in West Milford. “Our intent is to identify free clinics in areas that have a high concentration of people who are both at risk
Revive Personal Products has acquired the Natural Dentist, the company announced. Revive will integrate the Natural Dentist into its existing oral care platform, which includes such brands such as Stim-U-Dent plaque removers and Fresh ‘n Brite denture cleaning paste. Originally founded in 1997 as Woodstock Natural Products, the Natural Dentist sells a range of mouth rinse and toothpaste products formulated with natural ingredients. The brand has a retail presence across
The U.S. is falling behind in both official government objectives and its ability to improve the nation’s dental health, according to a comprehensive report released February 23 on the oral health of U.S. children. Conducted by the Pew Center on the States, the report gave only six of the 52 states an A grade (using Pew’s benchmarks), while nine got F grades. And with one out of five children getting
Nobel Biocare has signed a preferred partnership agreement with the Japanese company Noritake Dental Supply, a supplier of restorative and prosthetic materials for dentists and dental technicians. This agreement marks Nobel Biocare’s third alliance under its recently established Preferred Partner Program, following two similar agreements with Ivoclar Vivadent and Vita Zahnfabrik. The collaboration with Noritake enables Nobel Biocare to offer superior end-to-end prosthetic products by combining its competencies in CAD/CAM
Sequencing RNA to study oral cancer tumors could help better characterize the molecular basis of cancer development and define improved therapeutic strategies for treating an individual’s specific cancer, according to a proof-of-principle study on oral carcinomas in the current issue of PLoS One. To explore the advantages of massively parallel sequencing of RNA, researchers from the Mayo Clinic used a novel, strand-specific sequencing method using matched tumors and normal tissues
Laying out his first detailed proposal for healthcare reform, U.S. President Barack Obama this week said that dental care should be exempted from a proposed tax on expensive health insurance packages. And in a Nevada forum, he hinted about his general views on dental care. Although bloggers and talk show hosts have sometimes referred to the House and Senate bills collectively as “Obamacare,” until now the president has kept most
Laser fluorescence (LF) detection of occlusal caries in primary molars is “significantly affected” by both clear and opaque sealants, according to a new study in Lasers in Medical Science (January 23, 2010). Researchers from the University of Athens School of Dental Medicine set out to investigate the effects of clear or opaque sealants on the LF readings for occlusal caries detection in primary molars. “The application of a pit and
Pulpdent has introduced Tuff-Temp provisional veneer, crown, and bridge resin, a new rubberized-urethane provisional material that is “the first innovation in temporary materials in almost two decades,” according to the company. Tuff-Temp’s proprietary chemistry provides greater strength and dimensional stability, as well as a tighter-fitting provisional restoration compared to acrylics and bis-acrylics, the company said. With Tuff-Temp, temporaries are tough and impact-resistant, and grip the teeth. Chipping, breaking, debonding, and
Alaska, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut … Will North Carolina be next? A dentist’s proposal to start a midlevel dental care provider program in the Tar Heel State has touched off a heated debate in local newspapers and among state dental organizations. “For too long we have depended on just a few dental leaders saying it can’t work,” Steven Slott, D.D.S., a Burlington general dentist who specializes in treating Medicaid patients, told
