Heraeus launches Venus White teeth-whitening gel

Furthering its expansion into high-end cosmetic products and materials, Heraeus Kulzer is launching Venus White, the newest member of the Venus family. Venus is the first and only brand in the industry to integrate direct composite solutions and indirect porcelain solutions, according to the company. The fully integrated system is designed to provide the most natural-looking and predictable aesthetic outcome. The Venus White take-home whitening gel is available in 16%

Global toothpaste market to top $12 billion by 2012

Sustained population growth and increasing concerns about the importance of oral hygiene are creating a dynamic market for the toothpaste industry. The global toothpaste market is projected to reach $12.7 billion by the year 2012, according to new market research from Global Industry Analysts. “Toothpaste: A Global Strategic Business Report” looks at market dynamics, product overview, product introductions/innovations, and recent industry activity, the company stated in a press release. Increased

Dentists must fight superhygienist law

Editor’s note: Helaine Smith’s column, The Mouth Physician, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. Organized dentistry has failed us one more time and degraded our doctorate degree and our profession. The new law taking effect in 2011 of a “midlevel practitioner” that the Minnesota Senate voted in — due to organized hygienists and their ability to effectively lobby their cause — is a huge step

Gum disease common with rheumatoid arthritis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 30 – Symptoms of gum disease are common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may be an independent marker of RA disease activity, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology meeting in San Francisco. About 20 million people worldwide have RA — an autoimmune disease caused when the body confuses healthy tissues for foreign substances and attacks itself. The

Keep your patients safe: How to handle medical emergencies

If one of your patients has a life-threatening allergic reaction while in your office, are you prepared? Yes, it’s rare that dental patients have an anaphylactic reaction or cardiac arrest during treatment. However, an astonishing 94% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims die, according to Stanley Malamed, D.D.S., a diplomate of the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology and a leading authority on emergency medicine in the dental office. Dr. Malamed lectured

Minnesota hammers out regulations for superhygienists

A Minnesota health task force is drafting regulations for a new class of oral health worker whose job description will likely lie somewhere between that of a hygienist and a dentist. The 13-member work group, which includes both dentists and hygienists, will submit proposed regulations for the new oral health practitioner (OHP) on December 15, with the state Legislature scheduled to take up the regulations a month later. The process

Align Technology announces restructuring plan

Align Technology will lay off 111 employees — 8% of its work force — as part of a new restructuring plan designed to increase efficiencies across the organization and lower the company’s overall cost structure, the company announced. Between now and January 2009, 46 positions will be eliminated at the company’s Santa Clara, CA, headquarters. The remaining positions will be eliminated over the next few quarters as Align creates a

Oral hygiene curbs pneumonia risk in elderly

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 23 – Among nursing home residents, having a nursing aide help them maintain good oral hygiene lowers the odds of them dying from pneumonia, a study suggests. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in elderly nursing home residents, Dr. Carol W. Bassim and colleagues point out in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. “Several studies have shown that poor oral hygiene or inadequate

ADA meeting pros and cons; root canal or dental implant?

Dear DrBicuspid Member, If you were in San Antonio this past week, I hope you had a comfortable pair of walking shoes. I’m sure glad I did! The ADA meeting certainly kept us on our toes for several days. We attended some great CE sessions, talked to a number of enthusiastic vendors, and met many HuangshanDental.com members and fans — old and new. Our membership is about to hit 15,000,

GlaxoSmithKline to buy Biotene for $170 million

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare will purchase Biotene, a leading dry mouth treatment, from Laclede for $170 million, the company announced. The transaction is subject to regulatory review by competition authorities in the U.S. and Europe, and is expected to be complete by early 2009. “The acquisition of Biotene extends our portfolio in therapeutic oral healthcare to include a proven treatment for dry mouth,” said John Clarke, president of GSK Consumer

Are you ready for the new R’s in endodontics?

SAN ANTONIO – The three R’s of traditional education — reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic — have taken on new meaning in contemporary endodontics, where they now stand for rotary files, resin, and regeneration. John Olmsted, D.D.S., M.S., a practicing endodontist and part-time faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, gave a very practical and entertaining overview of current endodontic philosophy during his hands-on training seminar at

Three Cadbury gums get ADA Seal of Acceptance

Certain flavors of Cadbury’s sugar-free chewing gums — Trident, Dentyne Ice, and Stride — have received the ADA Seal of Acceptance, according to a Cadbury press release. The ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs’ acceptance of the chewing gums is based on findings that chewing them for 20 minutes after eating stimulates saliva flow, reduces plaque acids, and prevents caries, the company said. “When consumers see the ADA Seal of Acceptance,