Why some dentists don’t hire hygienists

Hygienists can increase the productivity of a dental practice. Even so, only about one-third of dentists employ them, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “Hiring a hygienist increases a dental practice’s patient capacity, yet not all dentists can or choose to do so.” — Nadereh Pourat, Ph.D., UCLA School of

Merck denies Fosamax caused woman’s ONJ

Merck said it will “vigorously defend itself” in the first of what is expected to be several liability trials involving the company’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax. In a statement issued August 11 — the day the trial began in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — Merck said it believes “the evidence will show that Fosamax did not cause Shirley Boles to develop dental and jaw-related

Computerized anesthetic system found equal to manual

The Wand computer-controlled local anesthetic system from Milestone Scientific caused no more or less pain than conventional injections in a study reported in the European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry (June 2009, Vol. 10:2, pp. 77-82). In the Wand, a microchip guides the delivery of the anesthetic through the needles so that a constant flow rate is achieved, regardless of resistance in the tissue. For the study, researchers from Leeds Dental

Dentatrust dental lab opens in North Carolina

Tom Nieting, C.D.T., and Norbert Ulmer, M.B.A., have opened a new dental laboratory, Dentatrust, in Charlotte, NC. Dentatrust focuses on digital dentistry, including Cerec 3D, inLab, and Cerec Connect technology, according to a press release. Services include treatment planning, digital design, and consulting for dental professionals. Dentatrust is currently partnering with Fully Integrated Practice (FIP), Ivoclar Vivadent, Patterson Dental, Sirona Dental Systems, and Vident. In addition to their work in

Glibenclamide can discolor teeth in children with neonatal diabetes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Aug 10 – Glibenclamide (glyburide) use has been associated with tooth discoloration in at least five children treated for neonatal diabetes, according to a report in the August issue of Diabetes Care. This is a previously unrecognized side effect of the sulfonylurea, the authors note. Apart from transient diarrhea, no significant side effects have been reported previously with glibenclamide treatment, they point out. After observing one

Alcohol fuels dramatic rise in U.K. oral cancer

U.K. doctors are calling for tobacco-style warnings on alcohol after new figures show that rates of cancer of the lip, tongue, mouth, and throat have risen by 24% among women and 28% among men in their 40s in the past decade, according to a story in the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail cited new figures released by the Cancer Research UK, which said there has been a 45% increase in

Align investigated for possible securities violations

Kendall Law Group is investigating Align Technology for possible securities violations related to public statements made by the company between January 30, 2007, and October 24, 2007. The investigation concerns allegedly false and misleading statements and material omissions by the company concerning its business and prospects, the law firm stated in a press release. On October 24, 2007, the company acknowledged that, in an effort to clear prior backlog, “we

Ohio State, Delta Dental donate $250,000 in dental care

Children in Columbus, OH, public schools received more than $250,000 in free dental care during the past school year from the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry’s Health Outreach Mobile Experience (HOME) Coach program. The mobile dentistry coach travels to Columbus area elementary schools to provide comprehensive dental care to the community’s children in need. In 2008, the Delta Dental Foundation awarded the HOME Coach program a grant to

Kerr offers strawberry retraction paste, curing light discount

Kerr Dental is now offering its Expasyl gingival retraction paste in strawberry flavor, the company announced. Expasyl already features hemostasis and atraumatic gingival retraction in a fraction of the time it takes to use cord, the company said. A new intro kit includes a lightweight ergonomic gun, new curved tips, and 60% more material than the original. Expasyl keeps soft tissue from obstructing the finish line in impressions, simultaneously stopping

Great Lakes Orthodontics offers digital split fabrication

Great Lakes Orthodontics is using 3D laser scanning, custom-designed software, and state-of-the-art machining to digitally fabricate splints, reducing splint adjustment time and saving chair time, the company announced. The articulator geometry has been recreated in software. Models are scanned, then oriented on the virtual articulator. In the software, contact points are identified and disclusion ramps are defined. The software then creates a 3D splint with even centric contacts and an

Lawyer sues P&G over mouthwash stains

A Michigan lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against Procter & Gamble (P&G), claiming the company’s Crest Pro-Health mouthwash is responsible for brown stains that developed on his teeth after he used most of a bottle. Mark Rossman, an attorney who practices in Troy, MI, and his partners Gerard Mantese and David Hansma filed the lawsuit in a federal court August 6. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height:

Researchers tout custom-made implants

Forget your one-size-fits-all, screw-in-place, run-of-the-mill implants. The artificial teeth of the future will be custom-made in the same shape as the natural teeth they replace. That, at least, is the dream of researchers in Austria and the U.S. Customized implants might go in faster, reduce the trauma of surgery, break less easily, distribute occlusal forces more evenly, and look more like natural teeth, according to the researchers. “With conventional implants,