Komet offers composite kit for dental assistants

Komet USA has introduced the Shannon L. Pace Composite Kit for EFDAs (Expanding Function of Dental Assistants) designed specifically for dental assistants who are allowed by their state boards to place composite. Developed in conjunction with Shannon L. Pace, C.D.A., of Virginia Beach, VA, the kit comes with 15 different instruments (carbides, polishers, and brushes), providing all the tools necessary to work on composites, the company noted. Included in the

Handpiece makers respond to FDA safety warnings

Following last month’s warning from the FDA regarding dental patients being burned by electric handpieces, manufacturers of these products are working to reassure customers about the safety of their products and also remind them that regular maintenance is key. The FDA’s safety warning came one month after the agency notified all handpiece manufacturers that there continue to be adverse reports of patients being burned — in some cases severely —

Bite Tech joins Patterson for breast cancer awareness

In recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, athletic mouthguard maker Bite Tech is introducing a special edition of its Under Armour Performance Mouthwear: making mouthpieces and mouthguards available with pink ArmourBite wedges. The special offering is part of Patterson Dental’s Grins for a Good Cause initiative, a national outreach in which Patterson branches partner with local breast cancer organizations to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. Patterson Dental

Common spice can enhance head/neck cancer treatment

Curcumin, the major component in the spice turmeric, when combined with the drug cisplatin, enhances the chemotherapy’s suppression of head and neck cancer cell growth, according to researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, October 2010, Vol. 9:10, pp. 2665-2675). A naturally occurring spice widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, turmeric has long been known to have medicinal

Core 3D now a SensAble milling center partner

SensAble Technologies has named Core 3D Centres, a global supplier of digital manufacturing services to dental laboratories, as a SensAble authorized milling center partner. As a multinational firm with five facilities serving more than 500 laboratories in 13 countries, Core3D Centres will provide milling services for dental restorations in various materials directly from digital design files created by the SensAble Dental Lab System. All Core 3D Centre milling locations —

Hoya extends laser training pact with LVI

Hoya ConBio has extended its sponsorship agreement with the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). The agreement ensures that VersaWave and DioDent Micro 980 lasers will continue to be featured at LVI’s advanced teaching facilities through 2013. “We understand the importance of hands-on education in laser dentistry and recognize LVI’s leadership in providing comprehensive training to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience,” said Timothy Gehlmann, president and CEO

Magnification enhances endodontic motor skills

Magnification — whether from an operating microscope or dental loupes — enhances the execution of fine motor skills used in endodontics by enabling more precise placement of the instruments within an operating field, according to a study in the Journal of Endodontics (July 2010, Vol. 36:7, pp. 1135-1138). Researchers from Baylor College of Dentistry used a novel manual dexterity test to quantitatively investigate the effect of magnification on fine motor

Forsyth Institute receives $20.7M for perio research

The Forsyth Institute has received $20.7 million in funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to fight periodontal disease, the institute announced. Over the next four years, three related projects will study periodontal disease progression from microbiological, genetic, host immune response, and clinical perspectives, according to the institute. The goal is to gain an understanding of why people develop gum disease, how the disease progresses, how to

Hayes Handpiece opens new office in Australia

Hayes Handpiece has established a new location in Queensland, Australia, the company announced. Hayes Handpiece Repair Australia, owned and operated by Adam Mathews, will provide local handpiece service, staff training and handpiece and instrument sales to the Brisbane area. Mathews and his chief repair technician received extensive training in both the U.S. and Australia on handpiece repair and maintenance, as well as infection control, the company noted. Hayes Handpiece Repair

Osteoporosis drug rebuilds bone in patients with perio disease

A drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in patients with periodontal disease, a University of Michigan study suggests (New England Journal of Medicine, October 16, 2010). The generic name of the drug is teriparatide, and it is marketed by Eli Lilly under the brand name Forteo. It’s a type of parathyroid hormone and the only anabolic (meaning it grows bone) osteoporosis drug

New website puts perio info on smartphones

OraPharma will be rolling out the MyARESTIN.com Mobile website after unveiling it at the recent ADA annual meeting in Orlando, FL, the company announced. The mobile website is a portable personal practice resource derived from the website www.MyARESTIN.com. Like its namesake, the mobile website is designed to help the entire dental team provide periodontal patient care via the latest information delivered to virtually any smartphone. Access to the mobile website

FDA approves Botox to treat chronic migraine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Botox injections (onabotulinumtoxinA) to prevent chronic migraine headaches in adult patients, the agency announced. To treat chronic migraines — those that last more than 14 days in a month — Botox is given approximately every 12 weeks as multiple injections around the head and neck to try to dull future headache symptoms. Botox has not been shown to work for the