NEW YORK (Reuters), Sep 11 – A lawsuit alleging that Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused jaw damage ended in a mistrial on Friday. U.S. District Judge John Keenan declared the mistrial two days giving the New York jury considering the case a “cooling off period” in light of supposed acrimony among jurors. A Merck lawyer on Wednesday referred to an “unsubstantiated claim” of a chair being thrown in
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 11 – Electric toothbrushing as part of standard oral care does not reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), results of a study indicate. “Ventilator-associated pneumonia remains the leading nosocomial infection in hospital ICUs, being associated with increases of morbidity, antibiotic use, healthcare resources, and costs,” note Dr. Jordi Rello, of Joan XXIII University Hospital, Tarragona, Spain, and colleagues in the August issue of the
The global dental equipment and consumables market is estimated to reach $26 billion by 2014, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.8%, according to a new report from Reportlinker. The market is expected to grow because of the tremendous demand for dental biomaterial and dental implants, with highest growth expected to be in the U.S. and the European Union. The report forecasts the size of the global dental
Q: What is the best device for helping in shade selection for composites and crowns? A: Picking the correct shade of a restoration can be one of the more difficult things a dentist does. Trying to match a central incisor to a crown can mean multiple visits to meet the patient’s expectations. Dentists have tried many ways to convey the colors and characterizations to the dental laboratory technician. It started
Komet USA’s titanium abutments cutters are now available in a six-instrument starter kit, the company announced. Komet’s TD2041 titanium abutment cutters. Image courtesy of Komet USA. Designed in collaboration with Jan-Holger Bellmann, C.D.T., Kit TD2041 contains six tungsten carbide cutters. For use in a laboratory turbine, the instruments work on all titanium abutments and should be followed by a matching finishing bur identified with a red ring, according to Komet.
Kool Smiles is partnering with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, the Deamonte Driver Dental Project, and other network dental providers to promote Governor O’Malley’s Healthy Smiles Tour, a new statewide initiative designed to promote positive oral health and hygiene among Maryland’s children. Gov.O’Malley has spearheaded initiatives to increase access to dental care for Maryland’s children in the wake of the death of Deamonte Driver. Driver, who was on Medicaid, passed away
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 10 – Patients with medication-induced xerostomia can safely use 10% hydrogen peroxide whitening strips, researchers report in Gerontology, published online on August 25. Hyposalivation is thought to make people poor candidates for tooth whitening, said Dr. Athena S. Papas in an e-mail message to Reuters Health, due to “the role of salivary enzymes in peroxide decomposition, certain formulation issues, the purported tenacity of the intrinsic
PerioPal is now offering a single server, unlimited licensing model for its periodontal charting software. The new option offers similar download and software features as the company’s pay-per-use policy for an unlimited number of workstations, and pay-per-use clients can convert to unlimited licensing at any time, according to the company. “Although our pay-per-use model has gained momentum over the last three years, a significant number of practice owners prefer a
Hygienists and dental therapists would be allowed to administer prescription medicines under a proposal being considered by the U.K. government, according to a story on dentistry.co.uk. For practical purposes, the proposed rule would let these practitioners sell or supply fluoride supplements and toothpastes with fluoride content of 2,800 ppm and 5,000 ppm, and administer parenteral or local anesthesia. Currently in the U.K., hygienists scale and plane, give hygiene and diet
The latest version of healthcare reform legislation to come out of the U.S. Congress includes dental coverage for all children, according to the Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP). A “framework” for healthcare reform written by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, outlines provisions the senator sees as a workable compromise between Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Baucus’ proposal is not an actual bill, so it’s unclear
U.S. District Judge John Keenan has told the jury in the Merck Fosamax lawsuit case in New York to keep deliberating, despite the panel’s claim that it can’t reach a decision, according to a story on Bloomberg.com. The jury is trying to decide whether Merck’s bisphosonate drug, used to treat osteoporosis, caused a Florida woman to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw. The trial is the first of three so-called bellwether
One of the world’s largest dental laboratories is moving into the U.S., following a merger that will operate under the name Modern Dental Laboratory USA, CEO Patrick Tessier announced. Tessier, former CEO of Northwest Laboratories, a regional distributor for Modern Dental Laboratory of Shenzhen, China, merged his company with two other importers of the international laboratory’s products — Koga Enterprises of Los Angeles and Modern Dental Laboratory Chicago — to