After three years of full-time teaching at the Jacksonville University School of Orthodontics and taking over as the chair of the program earlier this year, Marc Bernard Ackerman, D.M.D., will depart at the end of the current semester to assume the role of director of orthodontics at Children’s Hospital Boston, with a teaching appointment at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. A national search for his replacement will begin in the
Colgate-Palmolive announced that its worldwide sales for the third quarter of 2010 (end-September 30) were $3.9 billion, down 1.5% from $4 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Net income, however, was up 4.9%. The company reported net income of $619 million for the most recent third quarter, compared to $590 million for the same quarter a year ago. Much of this growth was driven by sales of the company’s oral care
Dentists may be the first healthcare providers to notice evidence of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and pica, according to an article in AGD Impact (October 2010, Vol. 38:10). Dentists are in this position because the first signs of an eating disorder can manifest in the mouth. Sensitivity, tooth erosion, dry mouth, a high number of cavities, and enlarged salivary glands that cause
Although implant dentistry has become widely accepted to restore aesthetics and function of teeth, it is not without risks. One serious complication that can occur is alteration of sensation due to nerve injury. Some reports place this occurrence as high as 13%. For dental practitioners, thorough understanding of anatomy, surgical procedures, and implant systems, along with proper treatment planning, are essential to reduce the occurrence of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN)
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is pleased that the results of the “Evaluation of the Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) Workforce Model in Alaska” report indicate the effectiveness of adding alternative oral healthcare providers to the dental team. This is one of the first major demonstrations in the U.S. that restorative services can be successfully administered by nondentist providers, the ADHA said in a press release, and the organization
A team of University of Rochester scientists is using the technique of Raman spectroscopy to study two common dental plaque bacteria: Streptococcus sanguis and mutans. The relative balance of the two may be an indicator of a patient’s oral health and risk for tooth decay; S. sanguis is associated with “healthy” plaque, while S. mutans is associated with tooth decay. The researchers presented their findings October 26 at Frontiers in
In the ongoing controversy over dental amalgam, Costa Mesa, CA, has become the first U.S. city to call for a ban on dental amalgam, urging federal and state agencies to eliminate the substance. The city council unanimously approved the resolution on October 19. While it does not actually ban amalgam, it is “an important step toward ending this health and environmental scourge,” according to Charles Brown, national counsel for Consumers
Parents should axe the sour candy and take other steps to protect their children’s teeth this Halloween, advises the California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA) as part of its public education campaign during National Dental Hygiene Month. All candy is not created equal, according to the CDHA. Sour candy is worse because it has an acid content on par with battery acid and has the power to cause even more damage
The debate over the benefits of extracting healthy third molars from young adults has been reinvigorated by research released last week by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). During an October 19 meeting in Washington, D.C., AAOMS brought together an array of experts in the field to present 10 years’ worth of data that broadly supports the practice. AAOMS’ goal was to settle the matter once and
The latest Hollywood cosmetic trend is the gap-toothed smile, according to a story in the Herald. Instead of fixing their teeth, many celebrities — including Natalie Cole, Anna Paquin, Elizabeth Moss, and Madonna — proudly sport a midline diastema. And last month on the TV show “America’s Next Top Model,” host Tyra Banks sent a 22-year-old contestant to the dentist to widen the gap between her teeth. Experts believe this
Integrity Engineering has received a U.S. patent for an ultrasonic consumer device designed to clean and sterilize dental hardware such as retainers, mouthguards, plates, and dentures. The device was co-invented by company principals Valerie Palfy and Don Skomsky. Citing U.S. Patent No. 7,798,159, “At-Home Integrated Cleaning and Disinfection System and Method for Dental Hardware,” Skomsky said in a press release that the patent examination was particularly long and arduous, taking
The officers and directors of RightSmile, a provider of cosmetic laser teeth whitening products, have decided to eliminate their salaries as of August 31, 2010, the company announced. This move is expected to save the company more than $950,000. The board has decided to develop a bonus system based on RightSmile’s profitability, thereby reducing cash requirements and/or causing any additional shares to be issued for accrued wages. In other cost-cutting