Mouth breathing at night poses risks for kids

Dental professionals should vigilantly pursue proper diagnosis and management of problems associated with upper airway breathing passages to ensure that the brains of younger patients receive adequate oxygenation, a sleep apnea expert urged at the recent Rocky Mountain Dental Convention in Colorado. Over the past 20 years, the research community has come to realize the importance of proper sleep in childhood and adolescence, said Dennis Bailey, DDS, a practicing dentist

DentaQuest grant to support OHA older adults project

Oral Health America (OHA) has received a $145,000 grant from DentaQuest Foundation for the development of its Wisdom Tooth Project. The award will support one of OHA’s five Wisdom Tooth Project strategies: a communications campaign for older adults, caregivers, and medical and dental professionals interested in the oral and overall health of older adult populations, according to the organization. In the first year of the project, OHA will convene stakeholder

Mexican dental practice marks 10 years of treating U.S. patients

Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry in Mexico is celebrating its 10-year anniversary of providing treatment for thousands of U.S. patients. Its English-speaking team of 14 dental specialists has been helping visitors from the U.S. with most types of dentistry treatments, from simple resin fillings to cosmetic surgery. The office receives between 30 to 40 U.S. and Canadian citizens every month seeking affordable dental work in Mexico, according to the practice. Cancun Cosmetic

Film critic gets prosthetic jaw after cancer surgery

Renowned movie critic Roger Ebert will unveil a new prosthetic jaw crafted for him by a maxillofacial prosthodontist on his latest TV show, “Ebert Presents at the Movies.” Ebert was originally diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2002 and had the malignant gland removed, according to a story on emaxhealth.com. But the cancer spread to his salivary glands and then to his jaw. After undergoing surgery to remove much of

3M braces to be featured on TV show

3M’s Incognito hidden braces will be featured in an upcoming segment of the morning TV show “The Balancing Act,” the company announced. The segment, which features 3M representative Amy Byerley, will air as part of the February 7 show at 7 a.m. EST/PST on Lifetime Television. Byerley will update viewers on the latest orthodontic technologies, including the Incognito braces. Unlike other styles, Incognito hidden braces are fitted behind the teeth,

1st class of midlevel providers nears graduation

The first class of midlevel provider students is making its way through the new Master of Science in Oral Health Care Practitioner program at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, the school announced. The program is the first of its kind in the U.S. to train midlevel dental providers who will be able to remove decay and restore teeth for children and adults, as well as extract primary teeth, while under

Crosstex offers large sterilization pouches

Crosstex, a subsidiary of Cantel Medical, has introduced a new 10 x 15-inch size of its advanced Sure-Check sterilization pouches. With the addition, Sure-Check instrument sterilizing pouches are now available in 12 different sizes — from 2.25 x 4 inches to 12 x 18 inches. The class 4 internal/external multivariable indicators on all Sure-Check pouches change color only when all three criteria for sterilization — time, temperature, and steam —

Researchers report low success rate for BRONJ treatment

Thanks in part to a series of high-profile lawsuits, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) has gained attention as a rare but serious side effect of widely used bisphosphonate medications such as Fosamax and Zometa. Hundreds of multimillion dollar lawsuits pending in the U.S. claim that the manufacturers of these drugs failed to issue adequate warning of this side effect has pushed BRONJ into the limelight. The situation is further

Align Technology revenues up, but profits down in 2010

Align Technology reported revenues of $93 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010 (end-December 31), a 7% increase over revenues of $86.6 million for the same quarter a year ago. The company recorded record net revenues of $387.1 million for fiscal 2010, a 24% increase over revenues of $312.3 million in fiscal 2009. “Our fourth-quarter results were solid, with revenue and case shipments at the high end of

$450K grant to aid NYU dental implant research

New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) received a gift from Dentsply International of more than $450,000 to promote research in implant dentistry. Dentsply’s gift will be used to further the mission of NYUCD’s implant program, the first dental school in the U.S. to teach implant dentistry to predoctoral students, according to the university. “Over the years, NYUCD has been extremely fortunate in its corporate partners,” said NYUCD Dean Charles

Glidewell abutments compatible with Astra Tech implants

Glidewell Laboratories’ Inclusive custom implant abutments are now compatible with the Astra Tech dental implant system, the company announced. As a result, Glidewell’s Inclusive CAD/CAM-milled custom implant abutments, available in titanium and zirconia with titanium insert, can now be used with nine implant systems: Astra Tech, Biomet 3i Certain, Brånemark System RP, Keystone PrimaConnex, Neoss, NobelActive, NobelReplace, Straumann Bone Level, and Zimmer Screw-Vent. Inclusive custom abutments feature a precision-milled interface

LED smiles: A must-have fashion accessory?

A new fashion trend in Japan is putting a whole new spin on teeth whitening: light-emitting diode (LED) “smiles.” The novel fashion accessories were originally created as an experiment by two Japanese designers and are now being used in a commercial advertising a winter sale at a Japanese clothing store, according to a story in the New York Times and other media outlets. The LED device is affixed to teeth