Glidewell, Misch International extend educational partnership

Glidewell has announced the extension of its educational partnership with the Misch International Implant Institute. The partnership was first established in 2016 to support continuing education for implant dentistry with initiatives such as the Implant Business Essentials Continuum program. Glidewell’s Hahn tapered implant is the institute’s official implant system, according to the firm. The Misch Institute has trained more than 8,000 dentists since 1984, Glidewell said. Jim Glidewell, Glidewell president

Decades-old baby teeth may hold key to cognitive decline

A cache of donated baby teeth — leftovers from a famous radiation exposure study from the 1950s — that had been hidden away in an old ammunition bunker at a university until about 20 years ago will now be used to study cognitive decline in older age. Teeth from the Baby Tooth Survey in St. Louis will be used to study how early exposure to heavy metals may be linked

How dentists can ride the digital communication wave

A surge in the use of digital communication tools during the pandemic has created new challenges for dental providers in patient outreach, with the potential for long-lasting effects beyond the public health crisis. A survey taken two weeks after lockdown measures were imposed in the U.S. underscored the pandemic’s swift effect on communication habits. For the survey, which was conducted in early April 2020, 1,374 adults were asked about how

Aspen Dental opens new practices in SC, Md.

Aspen Dental has opened its 27th new practice in South Carolina and its 13th new practice in Maryland. The practice in Spartanburg, SC, will be led by Dr. Steven Pavlushkin, while the new location in Easton, MD, will be led by Dr. Bindu Vemaraju. Both practices will provide dental services ranging from preventive care and general dentistry to dentures and restoration, according to Aspen Dental.

DentalEZ unveils new handpiece

DentalEZ has introduced Aeras 400 Flex, a new lightweight handpiece designed to be compatible with KaVo’s Multiflex coupler. Aeras 400 Flex provides the maximum cutting power supported by Multiflex, according to DentalEZ. It also includes embedded radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology to enable inventory tracking and safety compliance monitoring, the company said. DentalEZ is also pointing to Aeras 400 Flex features such as a smaller head size and in-hand stability for

Could good oral hygiene improve COVID-19 outcomes?

Medical imaging has helped show that SARS-CoV-2 infection could be accelerated through dental plaque and gum inflammation, according to an April 20 paper in the Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research. SARS-CoV-2 may pass into the body through an oral-vascular-pulmonary track rather than an upper airway path — and poor oral hygiene could speed this journey, wrote a team led by Dr. Graham Lloyd-Jones of Salisbury District Hospital in the

Bracket challenge winner donates prize to dental org

The winner of this year’s March Madness bracket challenge hosted by Keating Dental Lab has donated his spoils to the nonprofit Dental Lifeline Network. Derek Van Volkom won this year’s Keating bracket challenge, which comes with a grand prize of $3,000. Van Volkom, who works for Lanmark360, an advertising agency in the dental space, donated the entire $3,000 winner’s check to the Dental Lifeline Network. Van Volkom picked the Baylor

Henry Schein webinar on treating patients with disabilities now online

Henry Schein Dental said its webinar series on treating patients with disabilities is now available online. The series, which premiered live in February, is designed to equip oral health professionals with education and resources to help them confidently accept and effectively treat patients with disabilities. Titled “Breaking Down Barriers to Care: Treating Patients With Disabilities,” it addresses common disabilities, effective adaptations for treating patients, behavior management techniques, and more, Henry

Biolase, EdgeEndo to develop irrigation device

Biolase and EdgeEndo announced on April 21 at the American Association of Endodontists annual meeting that they will develop a laser-assisted microfluidic irrigation device. EdgePro is intended as a device that can handle substances, such as sodium hypochlorite, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, chlorhexidine, or two-in-one or three-in-one irrigation solutions. Biolase expects to submit a premarket notification 510(k) clearance for the device to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second quarter

COVID-19 made mental health worse for patients with oral pain

People with orofacial pain experienced higher levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published recently in Dental and Medical Problems. Approximately half of those with orofacial pain experienced symptoms that were representative of a severe psychological disorder, while only about one-third of those without pain experienced that level of psychological distress. People with orofacial pain should be targets for intervention, the authors

Glidewell to offer implant business management program

Glidewell will offer a new 11-course program aimed at helping dentists improve their business management skills and achieve practice growth in implant dentistry. The Glidewell Implant Business Essentials Continuum, which includes numerous topics from financial planning to social media to ethics, will run from October 2021 to January 2022. The company will hold the course at its Irvine, CA, campus. The Implant Business Essentials Continuum will be offered by Glidewell.

Ultradent buys majority ownership of Vamasa

Dental material manufacturer Ultradent Products has purchased majority ownership in Mexico-based distributor Vamasa SA de CV. The purchase follows the companies’ strong commercial relationship that has stretched over nearly 30 years. Vamasa’s network of suppliers, dealers, and clinicians as well as its infrastructure will assist Ultradent’s ability to better serve dentists in Latin America.