Trial date set for Fixodent zinc-poisoning lawsuit

The first Fixodent lawsuit involving a claim that zinc in the denture adhesive caused the plaintiff to suffer debilitating neuological injuries will go to trial in June 2011, according to a story on aboutlawsuits.com. The Fixodent suit was brought by Marianne and Daniel Chapman of Florida, who claim that Procter and Gamble failed to warn consumers that their denture adhesive contained zinc, which can cause permanent injuries from zinc poisoning.

Anesthesia training model aids dental students

Can using a sophisticated plastic model of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity help dental students learn to give local anesthesia injections? A study by Dutch dentistry professors suggests it can (Journal of Dental Education, August 2010, Vol. 74:8, pp. 876-879). Researchers from VU University Medical Centre and Academic Centre for Dentistry in Amsterdam randomly selected second-year dental students to practice on a training model they’d constructed. It is largely

Trident pledges $1.5M for Milwaukee kid’s campaign

Trident has pledged $1.5 million to expand the Smiles Across America (SAA) program to improve the oral health of Milwaukee children. The Oral Health America program, led in conjunction with Trident gum, recently welcomed Milwaukee-based Smart Smiles into the SAA network, according to the company. The effort will address the need for school-based and school-linked oral disease prevention services in the Milwaukee area. With the new partnership, Columbia St. Mary’s

Kerr offers automix system for impression materials

Kerr Dental is now offering the Volume Machine by Renfert delivery system, an automix device that the company says simplifies impression-taking procedures with fast, easy extrusion and tray filling. The Volume Machine, an option available for use with Kerr’s impression material product lines, offers rapid and homogenous mixing of 5:1 impression materials in a device with easy, intuitive controls, according to the company. It also features multiple mixing speeds, a

3M rebrands Imtec mini dental implants

3M ESPE has launched a new brand for its recently acquired line of small diameter implants: 3M ESPE MDI mini dental implants. Formerly branded as the Imtec Sendax MDI system, the products will be fully integrated into the 3M ESPE organization over the remainder of the year. The MDI procedure is a minimally invasive treatment that allows clinicians to immediately stabilize a patient’s loose denture, according to 3M ESPE. The

Flowable composites: The unsung heroes of bonding

They are in every contemporary dental office. Fifteen years ago they were mysteriously absent from our bonding armamentarium, but today hygienists use them to prevent caries, assistants use them to repair voids and discrepancies on temporary crowns before cementing them, and dentists use them in more than a dozen different techniques. They have become as ubiquitous as insurance claims. What are they? Flowable composites! In the mid 1990s, Revolution (E&D

Align Technology launches Invisalign G3

Align Technology has introduced Invisalign G3, which includes software features designed to make it easier to use Invisalign with class II and III patients, new SmartForce features designed for increased predictability of certain tooth movements, and more intuitive software to streamline treatment planning and review, according to the company. The treatment of class II and III patients with malocclusion often requires the use of interarch elastics to provide anchorage control,

Henry Schein to offer free medical, dental services

Henry Schein will provide free medical and dental services to more than 5,000 children and their caregivers in five U.S. cities this summer and fall through the company’s Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities program. The program promotes access to healthcare, prevention, and wellness for underserved communities by providing free medical and dental screenings at events around the country, according to the company. This year’s events will take place in Birmingham, AL;

Pa. man seeks used dentures on Craigslist

A Pennsylvania man was so desperate to help his wife he posted an ad on Craigslist looking for used dentures because they couldn’t afford new dentures after hers broke. The ad is a touching reminder of the deep effects of the current economic crisis. In the ad, Jason Neff of New Oxford, PA, describes a husband’s efforts to find a used set of upper dentures for his wife, according to

Can cancer patients benefit from phase I drug trials?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Aug 16 – Patients with advanced head and neck cancer survived just as well on experimental drugs in phase I trials as they did on FDA-approved standard therapies, a new report says. There has been controversy over whether advanced cancer patients — many of them desperate for any possible chance to get better — are getting taken advantage of in phase I trials, or whether they

Remedent Q1 sales jump 62%

Remedent reported a 62% increase in net sales year over year for the first quarter of 2010, thanks to the inclusion of the company’s Asian retail operations and the sale of its First Fit intellectual property. For the quarter (end-June 30), net sales were $3.4 million, up from $2.1 million for the same quarter a year ago. Profits for the quarter were $568,000 compared with losses of $488,000 for the

Pa. dental association outlines risks, signs of meth abuse

Because the effects of methamphetamine use are devastating, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) is bringing the risks of this destructive drug to the attention of both the public and dental professionals. About 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, while more than 1.4 million are habitual users. “The ill effects of methamphetamine use on the oral cavity [are] particularly profound,” said Brian Schwab, D.D.S., a PDA member and general dentist from