DentalEZ launches NuTorque Lite electric handpiece

DentalEZ Group has expanded its StarDental line of electric handpiece systems with the introduction of the NuTorque Lite. A modified version of DentalEZ’s NuTorque programmable electric handpiece system, the NuTorque Lite is “the perfect economical option for the dental professional seeking a less aggressive entry point into utilizing an electric handpiece system,” the company stated in a press release. The new handpiece system is an ideal choice for dental professionals

Law firm urges recall of Super Poligrip products

The attorneys at law firm Parker Waichman Alonso are urging all major retail chains that sell Super PoliGrip denture adhesives, including Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Target, and Duane Reade, to immediately remove three varieties of these products from store shelves. Their request follow’s last week’s announcement by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that the company is going to stop producing, distributing, and marketing its zinc-containing dental adhesive products — Super PoliGrip Original, Super

2009 a positive year for Milestone Scientific

Milestone Scientific expects to report a $2 million year-over-year increase in revenues for the most recent fiscal year (end-December 31), despite some shipping delays and the ongoing repercussions of the economic recession. The company said it expects to report full-year revenues of $8.4 million to $8.5 million, compared to revenues of $6.6 million reported for 2008. Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 are expected to exceed $2.2 million, compared

Komet launches new contouring kit

Komet USA released a new kit designed for the trimming and shaping of bis-acryl provisional material according to a technique developed by Thomas R. McDonald, D.M.D., of Athens, GA. The Thomas R. McDonald, D.M.D., Provisional System Kit LD0321 contains four tungsten carbide burs and one honeycomb spiral reinforced diamond disk. Designed in conjunction with Dr. McDonald, the kit is for single- or multitooth contouring. The shape and fluting designs of

Study: Light-activated bleaching has short-term benefits

Using light activation with in-office bleaching appears to increase the efficacy of treatment, but only for a short time, according to a study in the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice (January 2010, Vol. 11:1, pp. 17-24). Researchers from the department of restorative sciences at Kuwait University randomly divided 40 patients into four groups according to treatment. Group A received 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP). Group B received 35% HP plus BriteSmile

U.K. researchers develop cost-effective sterilizer

U.K. scientists have developed a new system of sterilizing medical equipment that they say is cost-effective and could be useful in military and disaster zone field hospitals, according to a BBC story. Scientists at Glyndwr University have found that with a few modifications a regular microwave oven can perform effective sterilization. Their system generates an intense electric field inside a microwave running at low power, which leads to plasma discharges

Root canals delay rapper’s prison sentence

Rapper Lil’ Wayne is getting more media attention than ever before, thanks to some root canal surgery. The singer got a month’s reprieve from a prison sentence to undergo a reported eight root canals in a single session on February 16, according to a story in the New York Daily News. The story also features a picture of the rapper’s famous diamond-studded “grill.” The eight-hour procedure included redoing existing tooth

Study links periodontal disease and prostatitis

Researchers may have found a correlation between inflammation from periodontal disease and inflammation from prostatitis, according to a study in the Journal of Periodontology (February 10, 2010). Working with a small sample of 35 subjects, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center compared two markers: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) used to measure inflammation levels in prostate disease, and clinical attachment level

Teen set to sue Colo. dental school and oral surgeon

A Colorado teenager who ended up in a pain clinic after having her third molars removed at the University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine is preparing to take legal action against the school and the oral surgeon who operated on her without an active license. Anise Fletcher’s notice of claim — a requirement to preserve her right to file a lawsuit — alleges she was left with “bone

Delta Dental raises oral health awareness in kids

A group of Delta Dental companies has launched several new tools to educate kids on oral health. The children’s dental cavity risk quiz, accessible on Delta Dental’s children’s Web site, is just one of the many free educational resources Delta Dental now provides. The company is also offering schools a chance during February — Children’s Dental Health Month — to receive a visit from a dental health education specialist. “We’re

IPS e.max Press beats Procera AllCeram in trial

IPS e.max Press showed better wear resistance than Procera AllCeram in a clinical trial published in Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry (February 2010, Vol. 103:2, pp. 80-90). Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and King’s College London Dental Institute randomly divided 90 posterior teeth requiring crowns in 48 patients into 3 equal groups. The first group received IPS e.max Press (Ivoclar Vivadent), a pressed glass ceramic based on a modified lithium

GlaxoSmithKline pulls zinc-based denture creams from market

Faced with dozens of lawsuits filed by consumers claiming they were harmed by Super PoliGrip and other denture adhesives that contain zinc, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it will stop manufacturing these products and replace them with zinc-free alternatives. In an advisory issued February 18, the company warned consumers about the potential health risks associated with long-term excessive use of zinc-containing denture adhesives, including Super PoliGrip Original, Super PoliGrip Ultra Fresh,