Be ready to answer questions about natural dental products

The market for “natural” products has grown steadily in recent years, and the interest in such products has extended into dentistry. During a presentation at the recent California Dental Association (CDA) fall meeting in San Francisco, Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, an author and clinical professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California (USC), sought to help dentists, hygienists, and assistants find ways to respond

Report: Disposable bib holders eliminate bacterial risks

Disposable bib holders can eliminate the risk of patient-to-patient transmission of bacteria via the bib clip instead of just minimizing it, according to a recent report in Dental Advisor (June 2013). The report, authored by John A. Molinari, PhD, and Peri Nelson, concluded that the primary reason to use disposable bib holders is to eliminate the risk of transmitting bacteria from patient to patient via bib holders. “After examining the

Brush combines application of bonding, bleaching agents

The new Intraoral Brush (IOB) from Sulzer Mixpac is designed to allow dentists to combine two steps of the process for applying bonding and bleaching agents. IOB is a new accessory for the company’s L-System range. Designed for mixers with a D-shaped outlet, the applicator for bleaching and bonding materials is made entirely from plastic, and it comes fitted with a brush. Combining two components that were previously separate into

Third-molar pain meds overprescribed? And, the skinny on natural products

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Are some oral and maxillofacial surgeons inadvertently overprescribing pain medications following impacted third-molar extractions? Yes, according to a new study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The issue appears to be rooted in uncertainty about how long the patient’s postoperative pain is expected to last. Read more. Meanwhile, the market for “natural” products has grown steadily in recent years, and the interest in such products

LED Medical Diagnostics Q2 revenues up 4%

Continued demand for the VELscope Vx helped push LED Medical Diagnostics’ revenues up 4% year over year in the second quarter of 2013 (end-June 30). The company reported revenues of $1.08 million for the quarter, compared with $1.04 million for the same period in the prior year. However, net loss for the quarter was $2.2 million, compared with a net loss of $195,000 for the second quarter of 2012. “Our

Align Technology enforces injunction against German competitors

Align Technology has moved forward with the enforcement of permanent injunctions granted by the District Court of Düsseldorf in the Federal Republic of Germany against Ortho Caps and Rasteder KFO Spezial-Labor. In December 2011, Align filed patent infringement lawsuits against Ortho Caps and Rasteder KFO asserting they both infringe Align patents by making, offering to sell, and selling their respective clear aligner therapy systems in Germany. The permanent injunctions are

Study: Do oral surgeons overprescribe pain meds?

Some oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) may be inadvertently contributing to the improper consumption or sale of prescription pain medications, according to a new study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (September 2013, Vol. 71:9, pp. 1500-1503). “The diversion of narcotics for nonmedical purposes has become a serious problem,” wrote the study authors from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. “One of the suggested potential sources … has

Curasan expands dental tissue regeneration business

Curasan, a company specializing in bone and tissue regeneration products, has acquired a large part of the oral regenerative medicine division of Riemser Pharma. Curasan now owns the marketing and distribution rights for the products covered by the contract and is assuming the sales structures, including the national and international customer base, the company noted in a press release. As a result of this change, Curasan has immediate access to

Wash. dental board OKs Botox use by dentists

The Washington State dental board has approved the use of Botox and dermal fillers by general dentists. The Dental Quality Assurance Commission has affirmed the ability of general dentists to use Botox and dermal fillers when “used to treat functional or esthetic dental conditions and their direct esthetic consequences and the treating dentist has appropriate, verifiable training and experience,” according to a press release from the American Academy of Facial

Dental Quality Alliance unveils 1st set of performance measures

The ADA’s Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) has established its first set of performance measures, “Dental Caries in Children: Prevention and Disease Management.” It includes 10 tested and validated performance measures in oral healthcare: use of services, preventive services, treatment services, oral evaluation, topical fluoride intensity, sealant use in 6- to 9-year-olds, sealant use in 10- to 14-year-olds, care continuity, usual source of services, and per-member, per-month cost. The DQA, which

Researchers: Simplify thyroid cancer biopsy guidelines

A team led by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers has called for simplified guidelines on when to biopsy thyroid nodules for cancer, which they say would result in fewer unnecessary biopsies. Their recommendation, based on a retrospective study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (August 26, 2013), is to biopsy patients only when imaging reveals a thyroid nodule with microcalcifications or one that is larger than 2 cm in

Dentca offers EZ-Tracer denture tracing sheets

Dentca has released EZ-Tracer sticker-based tracing sheets that simplify the centric relation (CR) capture process for accurate denture design. Once the EZ-Tracer is attached to the maxillary tray, the attachable tracing pin on the mandibular Dentca tray can trace jaw movements to capture accurate CR, according to a company press release. Similar to novelty tracing papers that can be erased by lifting the thin plastic film to trace again, EZ-Tracers