Kerr offers strawberry retraction paste, curing light discount

Kerr Dental is now offering its Expasyl gingival retraction paste in strawberry flavor, the company announced. Expasyl already features hemostasis and atraumatic gingival retraction in a fraction of the time it takes to use cord, the company said. A new intro kit includes a lightweight ergonomic gun, new curved tips, and 60% more material than the original. Expasyl keeps soft tissue from obstructing the finish line in impressions, simultaneously stopping

Great Lakes Orthodontics offers digital split fabrication

Great Lakes Orthodontics is using 3D laser scanning, custom-designed software, and state-of-the-art machining to digitally fabricate splints, reducing splint adjustment time and saving chair time, the company announced. The articulator geometry has been recreated in software. Models are scanned, then oriented on the virtual articulator. In the software, contact points are identified and disclusion ramps are defined. The software then creates a 3D splint with even centric contacts and an

Lawyer sues P&G over mouthwash stains

A Michigan lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against Procter & Gamble (P&G), claiming the company’s Crest Pro-Health mouthwash is responsible for brown stains that developed on his teeth after he used most of a bottle. Mark Rossman, an attorney who practices in Troy, MI, and his partners Gerard Mantese and David Hansma filed the lawsuit in a federal court August 6. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height:

Researchers tout custom-made implants

Forget your one-size-fits-all, screw-in-place, run-of-the-mill implants. The artificial teeth of the future will be custom-made in the same shape as the natural teeth they replace. That, at least, is the dream of researchers in Austria and the U.S. Customized implants might go in faster, reduce the trauma of surgery, break less easily, distribute occlusal forces more evenly, and look more like natural teeth, according to the researchers. “With conventional implants,

Merck faces bellwether Fosamax lawsuit

The first of some 900 lawsuits filed against Merck claiming that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is set to go to trial this week in New York, according to a story on Bloomberg.com. The complaint is considered one of three bellwether cases that could pave the way for out-of-court settlements, according to Bloomberg. Merck faced about 900 Fosamax cases as of June 30, including suits

Poor oral health increases brain surgery risks

Patients undergoing surgery for neurological conditions such as removal of a brain tumor are at greater risk of developing postoperative pneumonia if periodontal disease is also present, according to a study in BMC Infectious Diseases (June 29, 2009, Vol. 9:104). Almos Klekner, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Debrecen in Hungary and his colleagues conducted dental examinations on, and collected saliva samples from, 23 elderly patients awaiting brain tumor surgery.

ADA survey: Few dentists own labs

Only 2.8% of dentists have their own in-office lab, according to a new survey by the ADA. Conducted in 2008, the survey was based on questionnaires completed by 1,112 U.S. dentists. Another 6.1% don’t use labs and the rest use independent labs, the survey found. Why would dentists want their own lab? Two-thirds (67.7%) of those who have them said their practices were so big they could make more money

Treating halitosis: Help patients keep their breath fresh

Halitosis is often a cause for embarrassment for some patients, but informing them about their condition is the best way to help alleviate the problem. No one wants to have bad breath, so if patients are aware of their circumstance, they will be more likely to listen to their dentist’s advice and take action. “It’s essential to acknowledge your patient’s feelings and offer solutions to help alleviate the problem.” First,

ADHA testifies at Medicaid town hall forum

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) was among several stakeholders to testify August 6 at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Town Hall Forum on oral healthcare, the association announced. The forum — the first to focus specifically on dental services — was organized to explore access to dental care for Medicaid-eligible children and improve the delivery of oral healthcare services to children enrolled in Medicaid. The

Lexi-Comp launches oral surgery online resource

Lexi-Comp has released Lexi-Comp Online for Oral Surgery, a customized Internet-based resource designed for oral surgery specialists. The online reference tool provides dental-specific pharmacology information and drug interaction screening required by clinicians performing complex surgical procedures and administering or prescribing medications for sedation, pain management, and infection prevention, the company said. It features Lexi-Drugs, Lexi-Comp’s core drug database enhanced with dental-specific fields of information, and Lexi-Interact, providing in-depth analysis of

Report: Dental implant firms pushing digital dentistry

Although 2008 was tumultuous year in the dental implant market, many implant companies continued to invest in digital dentistry, entering into a series of partnerships and acquisitions, with the goal of emerging from the economic crisis as innovative market leaders in the burgeoning field, according to a new report from Millennium Research Group (MRG). The recent partnerships and acquisitions involve firms that have an established competency and reputation for quality

Dallas dentist offers rebate for old dentures

A Dallas dentist is offering a $250 rebate to anyone who comes in with old dentures and wants new ones, according to a news story in the Examiner. “The recession has taken a toll on teeth,” said Gary Solomon, D.D.S., in the story. “People are putting off dental care in general and there are a lot of people walking around with dentures that really need to be remade. They’re old