Obama signs law giving more kids access to dental care

Just three weeks into his new job as chief executive of the U.S., President Barack Obama has done something former President George W. Bush refused to do: extend health coverage — including dental — to 4 million uninsured American children. On Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives passed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by an overwhelming majority (290-135), according to news reports. Hours later, Obama signed the program

Cadent signs distribution pacts with 4 major firms

Cadent, a provider of 3D digital solutions for the orthodontic and dental industries, announced that it has signed distribution agreements and began sales with Henry Schein, Benco Dental, Burkhart Dental, and Goetze Dental. Under terms of the agreements, Henry Schein, Benco, Burkhart, and Goetze will market the Cadent iTero digital impression system to the more than 100,000 dental professionals they collectively reach every two to three weeks, according to Cadent.

Study: Perio treatment doesn’t reduce preterm birth risk

Contrary to prevailing wisdom, treating periodontal disease during pregnancy does not reduce the risk of preterm birth. That is the conclusion of a new study conducted at Duke University Medical Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Texas at San Antonio. The study was one of the largest randomized trials ever to look at the link between the two conditions, according to the researchers. The findings

Colgate sales up, P&G down

While the recession hammered most companies — including rival Procter & Gamble (P&G) — Colgate-Palmolive on Thursday reported a surprising 0.5% increase in worldwide sales for the most recent quarter, capping an 11% surge for the year. The company said it had increased the global market share for its toothpaste to 44.4%, led by gains in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, China, Russia, Germany, and Australia. Colgate boosted sales

$17 million study targets TMJ cause and cure

Researchers at the University of Maryland Dental School have embarked on a seven-year, $17 million study of 3,400 study subjects with the goal of identifying the cause and effect of temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJD) — and potentially develop a cure, the university announced. The Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National

U.S. Senate passes bill to expand SCHIP coverage

Just one week after the U.S. House of Representatives voted its support for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the U.S. Senate has followed suit. On Thursday the Senate voted 66-32 in support of H.R. 2, which authorizes an additional $32.8 billion over the next four and a half years for the program, according to news reports. In its current version, SCHIP provides medical insurance to about 10 million

Unlocking the secrets of autistic patients

BOSTON – Resorting to sedation every time an autistic patient needs a dental exam is unsafe — and unnecessary, May-Lynn Andresen, R.N., the administrative director of the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders in New York, told a roomful of dental professionals at the Yankee Dental Congress on Thursday. “If you can get them to sit in the chair and open their mouths, the rest will come.”

Study finds Invisalign only 41% effective

Working with Invisalign seems clear enough. Most orthodontic patients prefer a smile full of translucent plastic to the glint of metal. And a lot of the work on each case is done by Align Technology, the company that makes the device. So does it work? Yes — but with only 41% accuracy. So concluded the authors of a study published in this month’s American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Baseball MVP pitches in for kids’ dental care

Albert Pujols, National League Baseball’s 2008 Most Valuable Player and St. Louis Cardinal first baseman, is starring in several ADA Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) public service announcements (PSAs) to promote increased access to oral healthcare for underserved children, according to the ADA. Pujols also is the 2008 recipient of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, given in recognition of the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship,

Minn. shapes future of midlevel providers

Midlevel dental providers — aka “superhygienists” — could soon be performing extractions, restorations, and other dental procedures in Minnesota. May 2008 legislation mandated the creation of an oral health practitioner (OHP) in Minnesota by January 1, 2011, and called for a work group to be established to develop guidelines for the education and regulation of these practitioners. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; }

Another U.S. city rejects water fluoridation

Corning, NY, recently turned down a measure to fluoridate its water, according to an ADA News article. A ballot measure that could prohibit the city council from enacting legislation to fluoridate water won by nine votes, the article noted. “It is extremely frustrating to have worked on this for two-and-a-half years and come up nine votes short,” said Dr. Tom Curran, a retired oral surgeon who practiced for 37 years

Nanotechnology could yield better dental implants

An international team of scientists led by the University of Montreal has discovered a process to produce new metal surfaces that promise to lead to superior medical and dental implants that could improve healing and allow the human body to better accept metal prostheses. According to new research published in Nano Letters, the scientists capitalized on recent advances in nanotechnology to change how metals can influence cell growth and development