New DentCAD system designed for first-time users

Delcam has launched DentCAD, a new computer-aided design program for the dental industry that can be used to create all kinds of dental restorations, including copings, crowns, and bridge frameworks, according to the company. DentCAD can be used with any combination of scanner, machining software, and computer-controlled machine tool. The system’s key benefit is that it is extremely easy to use, even by dental technicians who have no previous experience

‘Super strong’ titanium implant gains FDA clearance

The U.S. FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Manhattan Scientifics to market the company’s “super strong” titanium metal dental implants, according to the company. The patented new form of titanium metal, originally developed by Russian scientists in concert with scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is expected to significantly improve dental implants, the company said. Studies have shown that bone integrates with these new metals up to 20 times

Orthodontic patients benefit from teledentistry

With the issue of access to oral care such a hot topic these days, an “old” technology is beginning to resurface as a potential solution for some underserved populations: teledentistry. A recent pilot study demonstrated that teledentistry can be used successfully to provide orthodontic services to underprivileged children who otherwise would likely not receive the care (American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, November 2008, Vol. 134:5, pp. 700-706). .pullQuoteCredit

Study finds dentists missing Sjögren’s diagnosis

Sjögren’s syndrome profoundly affects dental care, yet dentists may be overlooking the problem, according to the results of a study on the cover of this month’s Journal of the American Dental Association (December 2008, Vol. 139:12, pp. 1592-1601). Since more than half of the symptoms are oral, dentists often have the first opportunity to diagnose the disease. Yet the average patient in the study suffered for seven years before being

In defense of cosmetic dentistry

Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. The majority of the cosmetic dentistry that I perform on my patients is rehabilitative with the added benefit of looking great. I choose the most aesthetic materials such as Empress and zirconia and use a highly trained ceramist. My practice is in Boston and very rarely do I have young patients

Align Technology can now market Invisalign in Japan

Align Technology has received regulatory approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to promote and sell its Invisalign brand in the country, according to the company. The company can now begin widespread marketing and promotion of Invisalign in Japan, where it has trained approximately 660 Invisalign orthodontists since launching the product there in October 2005, Align said.

Komet offers burs for zirconium

Komet USA this week announced a new bur kit for dentists and laboratory technicians who work with zirconium, the Zirconium Abutment Preparation Diamond Kit LD 0118. Because margins in some selected zirconium-custom abutments do not have enough incisal or occlusal clearance, a technician or dentist can now easily modify the abutments themselves with the burs provided in this easy-to-use kit, according to the company. The kit contains a series of

Psychotropic meds and the dental patient: Part II

From antidepressants such as Paxil and Zoloft to anticonvulsants such as lithium, the number of psychotropic drugs being prescribed in the U.S. is growing at an alarming rate. Keeping track of them and their potential side-effects and interactions can be a challenge for any dental practice. But a recent article in Anesthesia Progress outlines some of the most common psychotropic drug interactions a dental practice is likely to encounter (Fall

Dentsply launches new refinement tips

Dentsply has introduced a new line of access refinement tips, ProUltra SINE tips, which offer clinicians twice the concentration of diamonds than competing brands, according to the company. The tips, marketed by Dentsply’s Tulsa Dental Specialties division, are designed to handle multiple applications using six contra-angled tip configurations, and they feature built-in water ports allowing clinicians to use them wet or dry, according to Dentsply. The SINE tips are designed

Nigeria infant drug toll hits 34, antidote flown in

ABUJA (Reuters), Dec 3 – Nigeria is flying in doses of antidote for hospitals after the number of infants killed by teething syrup tainted with a poisonous chemical rose to 34, health officials said on Wednesday. Five more children have died on top of 28 reported to have lost their lives last month in three locations after being given “My Pikin” teething syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol, blamed for causing

Psychotropic meds and the dental patient: Part I

Open a consumer magazine or turn on the TV and you’re likely to be bombarded with advertisements for Lexapro, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Wellbutrin … the list seems almost endless. In fact, the use of psychotropic drugs — antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants — has been growing at an alarming rate for the past decade. A 2004 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that antidepressants

Oregon institute, Chemeketa college offer joint dental hygiene program

The Oregon Institute of Technology and the Chemeketa Community College have agreed to offer a joint dental hygiene program at Chemeketa’s Salem campus, according to a news story in the Portland Business Journal. Students will be enrolled in both schools and have access to both schools’ services and support. The new program will start in 2011.