Is dentistry ready for diagnostic ultrasound? And, new irrigants improve root canals

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Ultrasound has been used in dentistry for years in clinical applications ranging from power scaling to root canal preparation. But while this imaging modality has long been a standard diagnostic tool in other medical disciplines, it has yet to play the same role in dentistry. This could all be about to change, however, if two commercial start-ups can successfully navigate the product development and regulatory processes. Building

Spectrometer enhances curing light effectiveness

A spectroradiometrically calibrated spectrometer is helping dentists use curing lights more effectively when hardening resin composites. The spectrometer, developed by Ocean Optics, is a key component of the Managing Accurate Resin Curing (MARC) system developed by Richard Price, B.D.S., D.D.S., M.S., and colleagues at Dalhousie University and commercialized through BlueLight Analytics. Slightly larger than a mobile phone, Ocean Optics’ fiber-optic USB4000 spectrometer uses a 3648-element Toshiba linear CCD array detector

Komet offers provisional kit for dental assistants

Komet USA has introduced the fourth kit in its line of kits designed specifically for dental assistants to work on provisional restorations. The Shannon L. Pace Provisional Chairside Kit (SD 2307) was developed in conjunction with Shannon Pace Brinker, C.D.A., of Virginia Beach, VA. With the kit, assistants can make adjustments to provisional restorations chairside while the patient looks on, the company said. The H135 carbide has eight blades and

CT better for sinus diagnostics before implants

Panoramic radiography is limited in its ability to diagnosis sinus disorders prior to implant surgery, and CT remains the most effective diagnostic tool in these cases, according to a study in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Surgery (July 2010, Vol. 15:4, pp. e611-615). Researchers from Madrid Hospital and Montepríncipe University Hospital conducted a retrospective study of 152 patients who were seeking dental implants and subsequently evaluated 42 patients (average

Rite Aid joins ADA on oral health awareness campaign

Rite Aid and the ADA are jointly promoting oral health in a two-month public health campaign supported by free educational guides and gift card rewards for purchasing many common oral health products, according to the company. Rewards programs during the campaign, which ends September 25, include Single Check Rebate programs good for a $5 Rite Aid gift card with the purchase of $15 of select oral health products, or a

CariScreen uses bioluminescence to identify caries risk

CariFree has launched a system to test a patient’s risk of caries. The CariScreen Caries Susceptibility Test uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence to identify bacteria implicated in caries. “One of the most common misconceptions among dental patients is that drilling and filling cavities stop the problem,” said Carri Cady, R.D.H., vice president of sales and marketing for CariFree, in a press release. “The reality is that it only restores the

Laser therapy eases TMD pain

Diode laser treatment significantly decreases the painful symptoms experienced by patients suffering from temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) due to its analgesic and/or a placebo effect, according to a study in the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology (May/June 2010, Vol. 76:3, pp. 294-299). To evaluate the effectiveness of laser therapy in treating temporomandibular disorders and determine its analgesic effect, researchers from the University of Pernambuco divided 50 volunteers with temporomandibular disorders into two

Tenn. OKs Ky. dental assisting program

The dental assisting program at Western Kentucky University (WKU) has been approved by the Tennessee Board of Dentistry, expanding employment opportunities for those interested in the dental field, according to the university. Dental Assisting for Today is an 18-week, noncredit certificate course offered through a partnership between the WKU departments of continuing education and allied health. Individuals completing the course will now be prepared to work as chairside dental assistants

Study: Pediatrician referrals are important

Children are more likely to see a dentist if referred by a pediatrician, but many children are not getting such a referral, researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill report in the journal Pediatrics (July 26, 2010). The researchers studied 5,268 children ages 2 to 11 years in the 2004 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. They found that 47% of 2- to 5-year-olds and 37% of 6- to 11-year-olds

Hu-Friedy debuts instrument sharpening products, service

Hu-Friedy is now offering the Total Sharpening Solution, a line of dental instrument sharpening options that includes an in-house professional sharpening service, a portable sharpening device, more than 20 types of natural quarried or hard synthetic stones, and support and educational sharpening resources. Because clinicians have unique sharpening needs and preferences, Hu-Friedy has a solution for each of their sharpening styles, the company said in a press release. For the

Rapid growth forecast for U.S. implant market

The U.S. market for dental implants will regain double-digit growth by 2013 and will help drive the dental prosthetic market to reach more than 82 million prosthetic placements by 2016, according to a new report from iData Research. The dental bone-graft-substitute (BGS) market is also expected to double in value, according to the company. Adoption of new technologies such as computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) will boost growth in these

Blood contamination weakens bracket bond strength

Contamination of enamel by blood during bonding lowers the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets, according to an animal study in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (July 22, 2010). Researchers from the University of Pavia divided 160 bovine permanent mandibular incisors into 8 groups of 20 specimens each. Both orthodontic brackets (Step brackets, Leone) and bondable buttons (Flat orthodontic buttons, Leone) were tested on four different enamel