One more knight has sallied forth against the biggest dragon in dentistry as a Texas-based start-up released Identafi 3000, a new oral cancer screening device. The Identafi comes with a wand and tinted glasses for patient and doctor. Image courtesy of Trimira. Like some other products already on the market, such as the VELscope, Identafi picks out potential cancer by revealing spots in the mouth that don’t produce fluorescent light
The XD-2 diode laser. Image courtesy of Lares Research. Lares Research has introduced the XD-2 diode laser, a portable laser system intended for soft-tissue procedures, according to the company. With 7 watts of peak power, XD-2 is designed for procedures such as frenectomies, gingivectomies, crown lengthening, papillectomies, gingivoplasty, treatment of aphthous ulcers, removal of diseased tissue within the periodontal pocket, photocoagulation, soft-tissue curettage, and laser-assisted whitening. At just over 2
Pulpdent has released Spee-Dee Build-Up, a dual cure, fluoride-releasing, radiopaque core and tooth buildup resin. Spee-Dee provides one-step post and core buildups to ensure a homogenous, one-piece internal structure, according to the company. It is also designed for post cementation, vital tooth buildup for a crown prep, and patching broken cusps, porcelain, and lost fillings. Pulpdent Spee-Dee Build-Up simulates tooth structure and cuts like dentin, according to Pulpdent. It is
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has developed a version of its Sensodyne ProNamel toothpaste specifically for children, according to the company. ProNamel for Children offers the same enamel strengthening benefits as the adult version: optimized fluoride formula, neutral pH, low abrasivity, and no sodium lauryl sulfate, the company stated. Unlike adult ProNamel, however, the children’s version does not contain potassium nitrate due to the low incidence of sensitivity in pediatric patients. “The increase
Drug overdose. Choking. Allergies. Anxiety. By ignoring the common hazards of their profession, many dentists are putting their patients at risk. That’s the warning from Stanley Malamed, D.D.S., a professor of dental anesthesiology at the University of Southern California and author of a textbook on the subject. “If you need help to save a life, you shouldn’t be licensed to practice dentistry,” he said in his lecture, “Drugs, Death, and
Dental irrigation jets can play a key role in eliminating harmful oral biofilms, according to a study by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry. The study, conducted by biofilm expert J. William Costerton, Ph.D., and published this month in the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, found that dental water jet systems effectively remove 99.9% of harmful plaque biofilms from teeth, a press release stated.
CHICAGO – Two new impression materials work better than competing products in the wet environment of the human mouth, their maker claimed in a press conference Friday at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. Kettenbach, a German company, held the conference to launch Panasil initial contact to the U.S. market. Panasil, which is made of vinyl polysiloxane (VPS), is more hydrophilic than competing products made of both VPS and polyether,
People rank their smile and appearance of teeth as the most important aspect of their personal appearance, according to a consumer survey by ICOM Information and Communications for Nobel Biocare. The results of the survey, which looked at nearly 55,000 people, provide insight into the prevalence of missing teeth in the U.S. and the general lack of understanding about the health consequences of missing teeth, according to the company. The
CHICAGO – To self-etch or total etch, that is the question. At least it is for many in the dental community — but not Gordon Christensen, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D. “I don’t understand what all the hassle is over this,” he told a roomful of dentists at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting Thursday during his talk, “Controversies in Restorative Dentistry.” “We’ve done a lot of testing, and if I have
Alabama is the latest state to take a stand on who can and cannot perform office-based teeth bleaching. A court has ruled that whitening procedures offered by beauty parlors, freestanding kiosks, and other commercial settings constitute the practice of dentistry and require a license. Although the judgment was handed down by the Montgomery County Circuit Court — not a state or federal court — the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners
Sanford Fenton, D.D.S., the chair of pediatric dentistry at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, played a vital role at this year’s Special Olympics World Winter Games held February 7-13 in Idaho. As a global clinical adviser for Special Olympics, Dr. Fenton provided free dental screenings of the athletes. He also trained 35 pediatric and general dentists who will become local clinical directors around the world. “They left
Researchers at Oregon State University have identified the gene that ultimately controls the production of tooth enamel, a significant advance that they say could lead to the repair of damaged enamel, according to a university press release. The gene, called Ctip2, is a “transcription factor” that was already known to have several functions — in immune response and the development of skin and the nervous system. In a normal mouse