Agilent, Univ. of Queensland partner on oral cancer research

Agilent Technologies will collaborate with the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research in Brisbane, Australia, on oral cancer research. Their goal is to increase understanding of the genomic differences between young and older patients with oral cancer, as well as the differences between progressive and nonprogressive oral potentially malignant lesions. Agilent specializes in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics, and communications. Oral potentially malignant lesions (OPMLs), which are visible,

Mass. senator introduces MLP bill

Massachusetts state Sen. Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) has filed a midlevel provider (MLP) bill to address the shortage of dentists who provide care to people eligible for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, according to a news story in the Wakefield Observer. The bill (S 998), being considered by the state’s Public Health Committee, would establish an advanced dental hygiene practitioner level of practice and would allow these hygienists to provide limited

Dentist publishes book detailing halitosis cure

Richard A. Miller, DDS, author and director of the National Breath Center, has published a new book on halitosis management. Beating Bad Breath: The Cure! Beating Bad Breath: The Cure! Beating Bad Breath: The Cure! details a halitosis cure, one that Dr. Miller guarantees with treatment at the National Breath Center in Falls Church, VA. The cure is not dependent on mouthwash or toothpaste, and does not need gums or mints

Bitter melon extract shows promise for treating HNSCC

Bitter melon extract may have therapeutic potential to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a new study in PLOS One (October 17, 2013). Saint Louis University pathology professor Ratna Ray, PhD, and colleagues found that bitter melon extract, which is often used in Indian and Chinese cooking and as a folk remedy for treating diabetes, regulated several pathways that helped reduce the HNSCC cell growth in

Cost-effectiveness: FDPs versus anterior implants

In the mind of a patient, cost can outweigh all other factors when treatment options are presented. Now, a new study by Swiss researchers can help clinicians better understand the cost-effectiveness of implant-supported single crowns (ISCs) compared to fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) when restoring a single missing tooth (Journal of Dental Research, December 2013, Vol. 92:12, pp. 183S-188S). The information can help clinicians guide patient decision-making. “In general, we observed

Align Technology hires Zelko Relic as VP of R&D

Align Technology has hired Zelko Relic as vice president of research and development. Relic will be responsible for Align’s global research and development initiatives, including delivering new products for the company’s Invisalign clear aligner and iTero scanner businesses, according to the company. He will report to CEO Thomas Prescott. Previously, Relic worked for Datalogic Automation and Danaher’s Accu-Sort Systems business. He was also vice president at Siemens Medical Solutions USA,

New trial ordered for Small Smiles case

A New York judge on November 18 ordered a new trial in the Small Smiles case after ruling that a lawyer for the insurance company stalked the jury during the trial. The judge found that the lawyer’s misconduct intimidated the jury and probably influenced the verdict in favor of Small Smiles. In October, the jury found that Small Smiles dentists did not perform unnecessary dental procedures on Jeremy Bohn. Justice

Simon Cancer Center gets $3M for head/neck cancer institute

Atlantic Health’s Carol G. Simon Cancer Center has received a $3 million donation from a cattle dealer from Randolph, NJ, to establish the Leonard B. Kahn Head and Neck Cancer Institute, according to a story by the Daily Record. The 82-year-old Kahn does not have head or neck cancer, but he has leg cancer and is a patient of James Wong, MD, the chairman of the radiation oncology department at

Columbia, Mo. votes to continue fluoridation

Officials in Columbia, MO, have voted to continue fluoridating the city’s water supply. The unanimous city council vote came November 4 following nearly a year of discussion that began with a request from a private citizen to stop fluoridating the city’s water supply, according to an ADA press release. Columbia has been fluoridating since 1973, when its water supply changed from deep naturally fluoridated wells to shallow wells that contained

ADA offers antibiotics brochure

The ADA is selling a patient education brochure to clarify who should take antibiotics before dental treatment and who should not. The longtime standard has been prescribing antibiotics for dental patients with orthopedic implants and those with certain heart conditions (as a precaution to ward off infective endocarditis), according to the ADA. However, in most cases it’s best to bypass antibiotic prophylaxis, experts say. The American Heart Association recommends antibiotic

The LAPIP protocol: Time to add it to your toolkit?

Through rose-colored glasses, implant dentistry is a perfect solution. The patient no longer has to worry about decay or other problems associated with natural dentition. But the rise of peri-implantitis in dentistry’s consciousness has led to the creation of different treatment options The laser-assisted peri-implantitis procedure (LAPIP) is one such option. Based on the laser-assisted new attachment protocol (LANAP), LAPIP has distinct advantages over other commonly employed methods of treating

More patients test positive in Okla. infection scandal

Oklahoma health officials have confirmed that 100 patients of oral surgeon W. Scott Harrington, DMD, have now tested positive for hepatitis and HIV. The state health department said 90 patients have tested positive for hepatitis C, six for hepatitis B, and four for HIV, according to a press release. More than 4,200 people have been tested since the dental board launched in investigation in March. Health officials have notified 7,000