Align Technology to resolve class-action lawsuit

Align Technology has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to resolve a class-action lawsuit concerning its proficiency requirements filed earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In May 2010, Christopher Leiszler, D.D.S., filed a complaint against Align alleging that the company implemented unfair requirements for the prescription of Invisalign through the company’s annual proficiency requirements. Dr. Leiszler’s Invisalign provider status was changed

A call to action for all dental professionals

Dentistry, like most segments of the U.S. healthcare system, is under tremendous pressure these days. Millions of people have lost jobs, insurance benefits, homes, and many other things that were often taken for granted. As a result, fewer people are able to have necessary dental care, both elective and urgent. It is times like these that open the doors for government intervention in our profession. Dentistry has a tradition of

Sun Dental to verify content of restorative materials

Sun Dental Labs will begin providing laboratories and dentists with complementary IdentAlloy and IdentCeram certificates verifying the content of Suntech Full Zirconia, Suntech Layered Zirconia, and Suntech Zirconia Copings, as well as SunCast Premium Partial Denture restorations. “We applaud Sun Dental’s commitment to disclosure,” noted Charles Yenkner, executive director of the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council, in a press release. “We’re delighted to add the company to the roster of licensed companies providing

Ohio oral health program gets $25K OHA grant

Smiles Across America (SAA), an Oral Health America (OHA) program, in conjunction with Trident gum, welcomed the CincySmiles Foundation of Cincinnati to the SAA network with a $25,000 grant to expand dental services to at-risk children in Cincinnati Public Schools. With the new partnership, CincySmiles will change its model of delivering preventive oral healthcare and will deliver services to an additional 1,000 elementary school students during the 2010-2011 school year

Ill. foundation awards $2.4M in dental grants

The Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation is providing $2.4 million to 12 organizations to expand existing oral healthcare programs or create new ones, according to a news story in the News Gazette. Two of the grants have been awarded to Champaign County programs: Frances Nelson Health Center and SmileHealthy. Frances Nelson Health Center will receive $320,500 to help pay for remodeling to open a dental clinic, and SmileHealthy will receive $34,000

Canadian dental implant market outpaces U.S.’

The Canadian dental implant market achieved moderate growth of 5.6% in 2009, while the struggling U.S. economy led to a shrinking market last year, according to Millennium Research Group (MRG). The greatest discrepancy was seen in the North American market for regular-diameter dental implant fixtures, MRG noted. As volumes shrank in the U.S., prices dropped as manufacturers attempted to maintain volumes through discounting. As a result, the U.S. regular-diameter dental

Global toothpaste market to reach $12.6B by 2015

The global market for toothpaste is expected to reach $12.6 billion by 2015, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Toothpastes and oral care products aimed at children will have particularly high growth potential, the report contends. Market drivers include multifunctional and whitening toothpastes, product innovations, rising population levels, and greater awareness about oral hygiene, the market research firm asserts. The report also cited the advent of

Bisphosphonates aid dental health in menopausal women

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density, long-term bisphosphonate therapy appears to benefit the periodontium, researchers report in a September 10 online paper in Menopause. Nevertheless, “in rare cases,” Dr. Leena Palomo told Reuters Health by e-mail, “bisphosphonate therapy for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis has been associated with death of the jawbone.” However, she added, “Since the accepted incidence of this negative

OSAP changes name and logo

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Procedures (OSAP) is announcing its new name, look, and message in recognition of International Infection Prevention Week, October 17-23. The organization will now be known as the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention. The name change comes with a new logo and the tag line, “Because Safety Matters.” “By supporting and acknowledging Infection Prevention Week, we felt it was the right time to launch

Komet offers soft cutter for orthodontics, dentures

Komet has introduced a new soft cutter, the SC1, for orthodontic and denture adjustments. The cutter protects metal surfaces during fine acrylic adjustments in critical areas, according to the company. The SC1 is suitable for highly detailed acrylic work, including the removal of excess marginal material from orthodontic appliances and detailed trimming around wire elements, Komet said. In addition, it can be used for precision work on temporary clasp dentures

Zimmer seeks to improve surgical control with new kit

The new Drill Stop Kit from Zimmer Dental is designed to facilitate bone-level depth control, thereby reducing chair time and enhancing surgical confidence during osteotomy procedures, according to the company. The kit is intended to alleviate the stress and uncertainty associated with traditional instrumentation and depth-control methods. The goal was to increase a clinician’s confidence in controlling and predicting drilling depths, and accelerate and simplify the preparation of the osteotomy,

Sleep apnea mask can cause craniofacial changes

Use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) as a therapy for sleep apnea over a long period of time can lead to facial changes in adults, according to a new study (Chest, October 2010, Vol. 138:4, pp. 870-874). Many patients with sleep apnea use nCPAP as a first-line therapy. They are fitted with a mask that they wear every night that delivers positive air pressure from the CPAP machine.