Salivary diagnostics featured at AADR symposium

Presentations from the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Fall Focused Symposium on Salivary Diagnostics held last month in the Washington, DC, area will be available in early 2011, according to the organization. AADR created the Fall Focused Symposium to provide networking opportunities and exchange of ideas, and to offer small regional symposia focused on cutting-edge technology and techniques. The two-day scientific program featured a keynote address on salivary diagnostics

Align Technology responds to FDA warning letter

Align Technology received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 18 following an onsite inspection of Align’s corporate headquarters between June 29 and August 9, 2010, and is now working to inform the agency of the steps it has taken in response to the warning letter, the company announced. The FDA inspection resulted in the issuance of a Form 483 Notice, which contained four

Crosstex offers fluoride varnish with xylitol

Crosstex International, a subsidiary of Cantel Medical and a provider of infection control and preventive products, has introduced Sparkle V 5% sodium fluoride varnish with xylitol. Sparkle V delivers the optimum fluoride dosage that dries to a natural tooth shade on contact, according to the company. The nonclumping formula sets rapidly in the presence of saliva, eliminating the need to isolate teeth. The single-use package includes a bendable brush applicator

Are obesity and periodontal disease linked?

Dentists in clinical practice can expect a higher prevalence of periodontal disease among obese adults, although the evidence pointing to a direct link between obesity and periodontal disease is limited, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology (December 2010, Vol. 81:12, pp. 1708-1724). Study author Benjamin Chaffee, a graduate student in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, and Scott Weston, DDS, who

Most Australians report good oral health

Nearly four out of five Australian adults rated their oral health as being good, very good, or excellent in 2008, according to a report released December 1 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). However, about one in five Australian adults rated their oral health as poor or fair, and many of these Australians fell into categories of low socioeconomic status, the AIHW noted. The report identifies associations

Millions of Medicaid kids still not getting dental care

Despite ongoing efforts to increase access to oral healthcare for children in Medicaid programs, a new report issued November 30 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that little has changed in the past decade. Although progress has been made, nearly two-thirds of the Medicaid children in the U.S. failed to get any dental care as recently as 2008, according to a GAO analysis of state reports. There were

Does vitamin D enhance periodontal health?

Vitamin D supplements can play a positive role in supporting and improving periodontal health in older adults and pregnant women, according to two new studies in the Journal of Periodontology (JOP, September 1, 2010). In 2009, researchers from Saint Louis University, Southern Illinois University, and Washington University found that patients in periodontal maintenance programs taking vitamin D and calcium supplementation trended toward better periodontal health compared with patients not taking

Partnership expands orthodontic insurance options

Dental insurance provider DentalForEveryone.com is partnering with Pinney Insurance Center to offer its orthodontic insurance policies to Pinney clients. In exchange, DentalForEveryone.com customers will have access to Pinney life insurance policies. As part of the agreement, DentalForEveryone.com customers can get a free online insurance quote using the Pinney Insurance system. They can also complete and order through Pinney Insurances’ EZLife Sales online life insurance application ordering system, with Pinney Insurance

SensAble grows European presence with new partners

SensAble Technologies, a provider of dental restoration design and fabrication solutions, 3D modeling software and haptic devices, has further expanded its network of European partners in service to the growing dental lab business in Europe, the company announced. SensAble is partnering with the German company Siladent Dr. Böhme & Schöps and Innodema, an alliance of dental lab fabrication experts based in Belgium, both of whom become SensAble Authorized Production Centers

Britain considers plain packaging for cigarettes

LONDON (Reuters) – The British government will consider whether to force tobacco companies to adopt plain packaging to try to reduce the attraction of smoking, according to a policy document on public health published on Tuesday. The document also suggested that a ban on the display of tobacco products in shops, introduced by the previous government that lost power in May, was being reconsidered. Major tobacco companies were seeking to

Study points to scientific support for CPP-ACP products

The research community has been divided over the effectiveness of calcium phosphate products in remineralizing teeth and reversing caries progression. But evidence supporting the use of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) systems continues to mount, with much of the research favoring casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate (CPP-ACFP) products. Recent years have seen a series of remineralization product launches, along with published papers debating the pros

Institute of Medicine revises vitamin D, calcium guidelines

Most Americans and Canadians up to age 70 need no more than 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day to maintain health, and those 71 and older may need as much as 800 IUs, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The amount of calcium needed ranges from 700 to 1,300 mg per day, according to the IOM Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes