February is Pet Dental Health month, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is encouraging all dog and cat owners to regularly brush their pet’s teeth and regularly see their veterinarian for checkups. It is estimated that 80% of people brush their teeth every day, but far fewer pet owners do the same for their pets, according to the association. “Most people have no idea that dental health is so
Colgate-Palmolive reported a 27% increase in net income for its 2009 fiscal fourth quarter (end-December 31) compared to the same period of 2008, thanks in part to increased sales of its oral care products worldwide. Earnings for the quarter increased to $631 million from $497 million in the same quarter a year ago, while sales climbed to $4.08 billion from $3.66 billion year-over-year. An increase in advertising spending on its
OraHealth has released a new adhesion and nonstain formula and a newly designed package for its CankerMelts all-natural canker sore solution disks. The improved adhering technology of CankerMelts better keeps the disk in place, while its new transparent color eliminates the risk of staining tooth surfaces, the company said. Traditional benefits of using CankerMelts remain the same: Offers relief from canker sore pain in minutes. Works well with braces and
While gum disease has long been associated with possible adverse outcomes of pregnancy, the first documented case linking pregnancy-associated gingivitis with the death of an unborn child has elevated the importance of this connection (Obstetrics & Gynecology, February 2010, Vol. 115, pp. 442-445). Lead author Yiping Han, Ph.D., an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine, and her colleagues have previously reported on oral bacteria causing
Defend+Plus prophy paste. Image courtesy of Mydent. Mydent International has introduced a prophy paste containing “balanced ingredients for maximum stain removal with minimal enamel loss.” The paste comes in two formulas, Defend and Defend+Plus. They are smooth, pliable, and splatter-free, and contain 1.23% active ion to strengthen tooth enamel, according to Mydent. Both formulas are available in four flavors: mint, cherry, vanilla/orange, and bubble gum. They are gluten-free to assure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Jan 26 – Rituximab can improve saliva secretion and other parameters in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, researchers report. Rituximab binds to the B cell surface antigen CD20 and could become the first causal systemic treatment for this disease, the investigators say. At the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, Dr. J.M. Meijer and colleagues tested the drug in 30 patients with active primary Sjögren’s syndrome. To
A Florida woman is suing an oral surgeon after a bur that went missing during an extraction was left lodged in her right maxillary sinus for nearly a year, according to a story in the St. Petersburg Times. Donna Delgado, 35, first visited Dental Health Group in Tampa in August 2008, according to the lawsuit. She was examined by Ralph Eichstaedt, D.D.S., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who recommended pulling two
The DentaQuest Foundation will donate more than $500,000 to improve the oral health of Maryland children. The foundation will give $331,343 to the University of Maryland for the promotion of oral health literacy and another $202,886 to create a Maryland Dental Action Coalition. In 2006, more than one-third of Maryland kindergarteners and third-graders had untreated decay in their primary teeth, while more than 70% of children in the state’s Medicaid
Pennsylvania hygienists will soon be able to administer local anesthesia in dentists’ offices and practice independently from dentists under new regulations, according to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA). Hygienists who complete 30 hours of didactic and clinical course work in accredited programs will be authorized to administer local infiltration and intraoral nerve blocks, limited to the maxillary and mandibular areas of the trigeminal nerve. To become a certified public
Hardin Dental Group in Mason, OH, is donating the entire cost of any Zoom teeth-whitening procedure performed in its office in January to the American Red Cross and UNICEF to benefit Haiti earthquake victims, according to a story on cincinnati.com. “I was watching Larry King the other night, witnessing the devastation the people of Haiti were experiencing, and felt compelled to do something,” Tara Hardin, D.D.S., who owns the practice
Plasma jets can disinfect dentin and might serve as a good alternative to chemicals or ozone on tooth preparations, researchers reported last week in the Journal of Medical Microbiology (February 2010, Vol. 59: 2, pp. 206-212). A press release from the journal’s publisher, the Society for General Microbiology, immediately stimulated hyperbole, such as a headline on Softpedia that proclaimed “Good News: Dentist’s Drill Will Be Replaced by Plasma Jets: Innovations
Oragenics has launched EvoraKids, the first probiotic-based, all-natural oral care chewable created to promote oral health for children 3-10 years old. Featuring a Wild Very Cherry Berry chew, EvoraKids includes Oragenics’ patent-pending ProBiora3 technology, specifically formulated for children to help maintain healthy teeth, the company stated. “Kids have very special oral care needs, and are much more likely than adults to form cavities. The probiotics in EvoraKids effectively compete with