More than 43% of the children seen during the first year of a university program in West Virginia that offers free dental care at schools had untreated dental decay, according to a report by West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB). The West Virginia School Community Partnership, now in its second year, offers exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants. The Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health at Marshall University runs the
RTI Biologics has signed an exclusive, 10-year distribution agreement with Zimmer Dental whereby Zimmer will market and distribute RTI implants for the dental market worldwide. Under the terms of the new agreement, which takes effect September 30, 2010, RTI will supply sterilized allograft and xenograft implants for an agreed upon transfer fee (as opposed to the marketing fee structure of the companies’ previous agreement). Zimmer will be responsible for worldwide
Dentists and hygienists in Montana are divided over who should be responsible for placing dental sealants in schoolchildren if a proposed bill passes, according to a story on KXLH.com. Montana is one of 11 states in the U.S. that does not provide free dental sealants to children in public schools. But the Montana Dental Hygienists’ Association has proposed a bill that would allow hygienists to enter schools and place the
Komet USA now offers DF Cutters, tungsten carbide instruments designed for creating a defined roughness of precious and nonprecious metal surfaces to be used in porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns. While all-ceramic crowns are popular within the dental industry, many practitioners still place PFM crowns, the company said. Before any ceramic is placed on metal, its surface must be conditioned by a laboratory technician in a way to guarantee an optimal retention.
Air Techniques has added a patented antimicrobial coating to its line of AirStar dental compressors to inhibit the growth and transmission of harmful bacteria, the company announced. AirStar’s main compressor tank is now internally coated with a silver-based powder coating that contains environmentally sustainable silver ions. These ions work continuously to protect against bacterial cell functions by disrupting and prohibiting their growth and reproduction, according to the company. Air Techniques
Early complications following lip and tongue piercings are frequent and might be minimized with proper overall oral healthcare, according to a study in Quintessence International (October 2010, Vol. 41:9, pp. 731-737). Researchers from Innsbruck Medical University set out to assess the prevalence of early and late complications associated with lip and tongue piercing in a population obtained from a nondental setting. Study participants had a total of 130 lip and
Plaque-causing bacteria can escape from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase the risk of heart attack, according to research from the University of Bristol. Howard Jenkinson, Ph.D., a professor of oral microbiology at Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Sciences, explained how oral bacteria can wreak havoc if they are not kept in check by regular brushing and flossing during a presentation at the Society for General Microbiology’s fall
The use of MI Paste Plus (GC America) with Recaldent — containing casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate and fluoride (CPP-ACPF) — helps prevent decalcification in orthodontic patients, according to research presented at the 2010 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The four-week study, conducted by Chung How Kau, D.D.S., Ph.D., and associates at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston Department of Orthodontics, compared the use
The oral care probiotic EvoraPlus will soon become available at GNC stores across the U.S., according to Oragenics, the company that makes EvoraPlus. GNC has included Oragenics’ EvoraKids oral care probiotic for children in its concept stores and on GNC.com, the company said. ProBiora3, the active ingredient in Oragenics’ probiotic products, contains three strains of beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy microbial balance in the mouth, according to the
Accused of aggressively marketing Botox to medical professionals to encourage off-label use, pharmaceutical giant Allergan will pay $600 million to settle civil and criminal accusations that it illegally marketed Botox for uses for which the drug had not been approved, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Click here to read the rest of the article.
Health officials have found no additional cases of hepatitis B among people treated at a free dental clinic in West Virginia last year, according to a story in the Herald-Mail. In June 2009, the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and Healthy Smiles West Virginia provided free medical screenings and dental services to more than 1,100 patients at a Mission of Mercy dental clinic in Hedgesville. Some 719 volunteers provided
California public health officials say they will fine the town of Watsonville $200 a day for failing to commit to add fluoride to the community’s water, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The fine, suspended until September 30, was included in a citation issued by the state Department of Public Health on September 1 for failing to meet a deadline to commit to fluoridation by August 29,