Rules published this week by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry would require mobile dentists to talk to children’s guardians before treating them. The board drafted the rules after a heated debate in the Louisiana Legislature over a bill to ban most dentistry in schools. The bill, written to the specification of the Louisiana Dental Association (LDA), was amended multiple times until it finally morphed into a requirement for the
Advances in digital technologies are giving Northern Arizona University (NAU) dental hygiene students plenty to smile about. “NAU is not on the cutting edge. … We are the cutting edge,” said Fred Summerfelt, R.D.H., M.Ed., an assistant professor of dental hygiene, referring to the NAU dental hygiene program’s new emphasis on teledentistry. Using portable, digital technology to capture patient x-rays, photographs, and other diagnostic data, dental hygienists trained in teledentistry-assisted
Troikaa Pharmaceuticals has introduced Xynova Endo, a lidocaine lozenge for customized endoscopy procedures. The product is useful for anesthetizing a patient’s oral cavity or mouth during endoscopic procedures, according to the company. The lozenge, which is mounted on a unique holder like a lollipop, releases the lidocaine along with a bioadhesive that makes the anesthetic agent stick to the oral mucosa and numbs it within 10 minutes, the company said.
An orthodontic device that uses vibration therapy to speed tooth movement in conjunction with conventional orthodontic treatment is undergoing clinical testing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “Tooth movement was twice as fast when vibrational force was used.” — Mike Lowe, president of OrthoAccel The AcceleDent, which is being commercialized by OrthoAccel,
Florida dentist Andrew Martineau, D.M.D., is showing his appreciation for the University of Florida’s football team with a toothpaste he has named Gator Paste in honor of the school’s alligator mascot, according to a WWSB ABC 7 TV story. The toothpaste contains 0.88% sodium monofluorophosphate along with sorbitol, water, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, hydrated silica, glycerin, kaolin, “flavor,” sodium lauryl sulfate, cellulose gum, sodium saccharin, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and sodium benzoate. The
A new exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington in North Carolina focuses on dental hygiene. In the ToothaSaurus Pediatric Dentistry Exhibit, which opened September 10, children can practice brushing oversized teeth, see dental x-rays, and treat stuffed dinosaur patients. The sponsor, Wilmington pediatric dental practice Dimock & Weinberg, provided equipment, including a dental chair. Julie Dimock, D.D.S., said she hoped that playing dentist in a museum would make children
Powder-liquid crown and bridge cements are stronger than paste-paste cements, University of Washington researchers report in the Journal of the American Dental Association (September 2009, Vol. 140:9, pp. 1125-1136). The researchers tested 12 cements by using them to attach high-noble metal-ceramic copings to extracted human molars, then subjecting the copings to dislodgment forces along the apico-occlusal axis until they failed. The researchers found that paste-paste resin-modified glass ionomer cements broke
Students in the new Dental Hygiene Education program at Missouri College are learning more than how to clean teeth, take x-rays, and address oral health issues. They will also be taught to speak “Medical Spanish” to prepare them to communicate with the growing Hispanic population locally and across the U.S., according to the college. The Spanish for Healthcare Professionals coursework is a new joint academic program developed by Missouri College
BOSTON – With more than 700 species of bacteria found in patients’ mouths, selecting the best antimicrobial to treat periodontal disease can be a serious challenge. That challenge is made even more difficult by the fact that plaque biofilms are 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than other bacteria. Add to these difficulties the serious dangers of antibiotic overuse and the growing number of links being found between periodontal problems
A Texas man is suing Cephalon, alleging that the company’s Actiq fentanyl lollipops — prescribed as a painkiller for cancer patients — rotted his teeth, according to a story on AboutLawsuits.com. In a lawsuit filed this month in the District Court for the 419 Judicial District of Travis County, Greg Lee Minckley claims that the sugar in the oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate lollipops destroyed his teeth and cost him $37,000
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a notice of allowance to Milestone Scientific for the company’s patent application, Computer Controlled Drug Delivery System with Dynamic Pressure Sensing. Dynamic pressure sensing provides visual and audible in-tissue pressure feedback, identifying tissue types to the healthcare provider, according to the company. This feedback allows a healthcare provider to know when certain types of tissue have been penetrated, allowing for the injection of
An Ohio dentist has developed new orthodontic and oral hygiene products that will soon be sold all over the U.S., according to a story on WTVG-TV in Toledo. Stephen Branam, D.D.S., a pediatric dentist for more than 30 years, developed an orthodontic pacifier to help prevent jaw deformities and xylitol-based gum, mints, mouthwash, and toothpaste. The products are being manufactured by Toledo-based start-up Branam Oral Health Technologies, according to WTVG-TV.
