AAOMS: Only trained practitioners should administer anesthesia

In the wake of news reports concerning the possible use of such anesthetic drugs as Diprivan (propofol) by the late Michael Jackson, questions have been raised about the availability and administration of such agents. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) and its 8,500 fellows and members who are licensed to practice oral and maxillofacial surgery in the U.S. support the position of the American Society of Anesthesiologists

Silver diamine found effective for caries

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) provides a workable alternative to managing caries where full restorations are not possible, an international group of researchers report in the Journal of Dental Research (July 2009, Vol. 88:7, pp. 644-647). The researchers divided 976 Nepalese schoolchildren into four groups: one group received a single spot application of 38% SDF, another got 38% SDF with tannic acid as a reducing agent, a third group got 12%

Access announces MuGard commercial strategy in North America

Access Pharmaceuticals announced that it is evaluating options for the commercialization of MuGard, a mucoadhesive oral wound rinse for managing oral mucositis, in North America. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would release the product in Europe. A previously announced licensing agreement between Access and Milestone Biosciences for North American rights to MuGard has been terminated, the company said. Frank Jacobucci, formerly president and CEO of Milestone Biosciences,

3M rolls out Lava Chairside Oral Scanner across U.S.

After debuting with a regional U.S. rollout, the 3M ESPE Lava Chairside Oral Scanner is now available to dentists nationwide, the company announced. The scanner creates digital impressions, similar to those created by Sirona’s Cerec. But unlike the Cerec, which can be used to mill products in the dentist’s own office, the Lava’s impressions must be sent to a lab for milling. A full list of approved indications includes crowns,

Saliva can predict risk of preterm births

Women going into early preterm labor have low levels of progesterone in their saliva as early as 24 weeks of gestation, according to a new study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (July 22, 2009). Researchers from the University College London and King’s College London collected specimens of saliva from women enrolled in a randomized trial of preventive treatment for preterm birth. Their findings could lead to

Periodontal disease a risk marker for stroke

Men with a history of bone loss due to periodontitis run a higher risk of having a stroke, according to a study in the Annals of Neurology (May 28, 2009). .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “Periodontitis could be an important marker of risk for cerebrovascular disease, given its relatively high prevalence and the strength of the association.” The potential role of periodontitis

U.K. gets new guidelines on anesthesia emergencies

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) has issued new guidelines on preventing and handling emergencies related to severe and potentially fatal allergic reactions to anesthesia, according to a news article on Dentistry.co.uk. Most reports of anesthesia-related anaphylaxis originate from France, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K., but cases have also been reported from Scandinavia and the U.S., according to the article. “Although anesthetic anaphylaxis is still

Colgate Q2 profits jump 14%

Colgate-Palmolive reported record net income for its second quarter of 2009, the company announced. Net income for the period (end-June 30) was $561.6 million, compared to $493.8 million for the same quarter a year ago. Operating profit was $887.1 million for the quarter, compared to $788.4 million in the same quarter of 2008. However, worldwide sales declined 5.5% during the second quarter to $3.7 billion, and unit volume declined 1.5%,

Smokeless tobacco doesn’t increase cancer risk

Smokeless tobacco products do not appear to increase cancer risk, including oral cancer, according to a new study. Researchers carried out an analysis of 89 studies from the U.S. and Scandinavia and found that, after adjusting for concurrent smoking, any effect of current U.S. products or Scandinavian snuff seems very limited (BMC Medicine, July 29, 2009). “It is clear that any effect of smokeless tobacco on risk of cancer, if

Texas dental lab joins SensAble program

SensAble Technologies announced that Dura Castings of Hurst, TX, has joined its SensAble Authorized Production Center (SAPC) program. SAPCs create fixed and removable dental restorations on the industry’s first touch-enabled dental CAD/CAM system, and are certified to provide fabrication services to other labs using SensAble dental systems, according to the company. They produce restorations for their own dentists, as well as provide design and/or fabrication services to other dental labs

Dentist, two friends indicted for prescription med conspiracy

A federal grand jury in Colorado has indicted a Denver dentist and two of his friends on charges of conspiracy and obtaining controlled substances by fraud, the U.S. attorney’s office announced. According to the indictment, David Hoag, D.D.S., of Boulder (his practice is in Denver), James Poe of Englewood, and Paul Nickless of Centennial are charged with one count of knowingly conspiring with each other and others to obtain oxycodone,

Xlear launches xylitol gum

Xlear, a manufacturer of xylitol products, has introduced Spry chewing gum, a xylitol-rich gum that provides dental health benefits by preventing acid production from oral bacteria and significantly reducing the ability of bacteria to adhere to the tissues in the mouth, according to the company. The gum is 100% sugar- and gluten-free. It is available in several flavors, including spearmint, peppermint, fresh fruit, cinnamon, and green tea. “Oral care products,