3M ESPE teams with IOS for same-day crowns

As part of its Trusted Connection program, 3M ESPE has worked with IOS Technologies, a subsidiary of Glidewell Laboratories, to test and validate the integration of the 3M True Definition scanner with the IOS TS150 in-office milling system. The new open-architecture relationship was announced this week at the California Dental Association fall meeting. With the 3M True Definition scanner and the TS150 system featuring FastDesign software, dentists have an affordable

ADA Foundation grants aid kids’ oral health

The ADA Foundation has awarded more than $114,000 in grants from the 2013 Samuel D. Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health to nonprofit organizations fighting to end childhood tooth decay. The foundation awarded the grants to 24 organizations across the U.S. that support programs to improve children’s dental health by educating parents, caregivers, and pregnant women on the value of good dental health. The ADA Foundation created the Samuel D.

EPA says no to changing fluoride chemical

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition to change the source of fluoride in U.S. drinking water supplies. The petition, filed May 9, 2013, by students, alumni, and faculty of American University, called on the agency to prohibit the use of hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFSA) as a water fluoridation agent and require pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride instead. In a response published August 12 in the Federal Register, the EPA

Coltène launches ultrasonic scaler, polisher

Coltène has launched the BioSonic SUVI piezoelectric ultrasonic scaler and air polisher featuring SUVI Premier and Elite models. SUVI Premier is a multipurpose device for traditional scaling in addition to endodontic, periodontal, implant maintenance, and restorative treatments, the company noted in a press release. The Elite series also includes an air polisher. BioSonic SUVI Elite is the first air polisher equipped with LED lighting built into the handpiece, allowing excellent

Dentsply GAC, Shock Doctor help fund AAO program

Dentsply GAC and Shock Doctor have become corporate supporters of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Donated Orthodontic Services (DOS) program. The program provides orthodontic care to indigent children who lack insurance coverage, or who do not qualify for other assistance in their states. Dentsply GAC donated $25,000 in support of the AAO DOS program. Shock Doctor donated $5,000 plus 10% of all mouthguard sales going to DOS. The donations

LawAtlas releases map of dental hygienists requirements

LawAtlas.org has released a map that shows dental hygienist licensing requirements, authority, and supervision requirements across the U.S. The map examines laws across 50 states and the District of Columbia, and clarifies the varied national landscape of laws that govern the scope of practice for dental hygienists, according the Public Health Law Research, a program dedicated to legal and policy surveillance. State laws and regulations define which oral health treatments

Few survivors of HNC using mental health services

Mental health services appear to be underutilized despite depression among survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC), according to a new study in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (August 15, 2013). The long-term physical effects of radiation therapy for HNC have been well-described, but few studies have examined psychosocial functioning, including depression, among patients, according to the study authors, from the University of California, Davis and the University

Scientists use human urine to grow teeth

Ongoing advances in tissue engineering are pushing the boundaries of what scientists can regenerate. Most recently, the development of tooth-like structures from stem cells in human urine has garnered international attention from lay and professional audiences alike (Cell Regeneration, July 30, 2013). For the study, researchers from China utilized human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for the first time in solid tissue or organ regeneration. More specifically, they used a

HPV-related tonsillar cancer on the rise in Canada

American and European research shows an alarming increase in the rate of tonsillar cancer related to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Experts have suggested that a similar trend has emerged in Canada, and now a new study in Current Oncology has confirmed it (Vol. 20:4, pp. 212-219). Historically, oropharyngeal cancer was linked primarily to smoking and alcohol use, but recent studies have shown that HPV is now a major cause. To

Young smokeless tobacco users engage in riskier behavior

Young users of smokeless tobacco have a tendency to be male, to smoke, and to binge drink, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (August 2013, Vol. 144:8, pp. 930-938). R. Constance Wiener, DMD, from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry and School of Public Health performed a cross-sectional analysis of participants in the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey. A requirement

Oral bacterium linked to colorectal cancer

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine have discovered how a common oral bacterium can contribute to colorectal cancer (Cell Host & Microbe, August 14, 2013, Vol. 14:2, pp. 195-206). “We found this cancer is linked to an infection from [the bacterium],” said lead study investigator Yiping Han, PhD, a professor of periodontics at the dental school. “This discovery creates the potential for new diagnostic tools and

UCLA gets $5M to study RNA in saliva

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry has received $5 million in funding from the National Institutes for Health to study biological markers in saliva to attempt to develop a tool for detecting stomach cancer. The study has the potential to create a new paradigm in the field of salivary diagnostics, and it could supply concrete evidence that saliva can be used in the detection of life-threatening