MRI fares well in orthodontic imaging study

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers several advantages over conventional radiography when diagnosing dental abnormalities in children and for orthodontic treatment and surgical planning, according to a new study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (April 20, 2013). Researchers from the University of Würzburg selected 16 patients (mean age, 10.8 years) from 1,500 orthodontic patients: three with a mesiodens, nine with supernumerary teeth other than a mesiodens, one with

Periodontist forms interdental brush buyers’ club

A Long Island, NY, periodontist has partnered with numerous interdental brush manufacturers to establish the Interdental Brush Buyers’ Club (IBBC). Formed by periodontist Paul Crane, DMD, the club utilizes software designed to provide dental professionals with a continuous supply of free interdental brush samples while encouraging the use of interdental brushes by patients through education, incentives, and availability at a discounted price. Through partnerships with brush manufacturers including Sunstar Americas’

Study questions need to replace toothbrush after illness

Do toothbrushes need to be replaced after you suffer from a cold, the flu, or a bout of strep throat? Not always, according to a study presented May 4 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington, DC. Some healthcare professionals advise parents to toss their kids’ toothbrushes if they have been diagnosed with strep throat. Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston wanted to determine

Why practice doesn’t always make perfect

The alarm sounds and you hit the snooze button — multiple times. Finally, looking at the clock, you realize you have exactly 23 minutes to get dressed, brush your teeth, grab a quick breakfast, get to the office, have your operatory set up, and enter the reception room to call back your first patient of the day. Anxiety and stress start to set in as soon as you realize your

Ivoclar Vivadent expands milling partner program

Ivoclar Vivadent continues to expand its Authorized Milling Partner program, having signed two new members: Zimmer/Zfx, a supplier of CAD/CAM systems, and Camlog, an implant systems supplier. The collaboration between Ivoclar and Zimmer/Zfx will allow Zimmer/Zfx to integrate Ivoclar’s all-ceramic materials — such as IPS e.max CAD, IPS Empress CAD, and Telio CAD — into its range of services. The collaboration between Ivoclar and Camlog revolves around the processing and

ClearCorrect now accepts intraoral scans from multiple systems

ClearCorrect can now handle intraoral scans from doctors who submit a clear aligner case to the company’s lab. Doctors can choose to send either traditional PVS impressions or digital intraoral scans to ClearCorrect, and they are not restricted to any particular scanner model or brand, the company noted in a press release. ClearCorrect can accept scans from any system that exports stereolithography (STL) files, according to Paul Dinh, chief technical

Antitobacco slogan contest targets young ballplayers

Oral Health America (OHA) has launched the 12th annual NSTEP (National Spit Tobacco Program) slogan contest. Teaming up with Little League Baseball and Softball, the program calls on players ages 8-14 to create a 10-word phrase describing the dangers of spit tobacco for a chance to win a trip to the Little League Baseball World Series. Together, NSTEP and Little League are working to educate families about the risks of

ADA Foundation offers early childhood caries grants

Nonprofit organizations that sponsor education programs for parents and caregivers to help reduce the incidence of early childhood caries are invited to submit an application for the ADA Foundation’s Samuel Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health Grant Program. Competitive grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded solely for prenatal and postnatal oral health instruction for parents and caregivers. Approximately 17 grants are available. The Harris Grant Guidelines and application

Vita introduces Easyshade Advance 4.0

Vita has unveiled the fourth generation of its Easyshade digital shade-matching system. Optimal shade determination is now easier than ever with Easyshade Advance 4.0, thanks to new functions for automatic measurement, the company noted in a press release. A new “average” mode in the Easyshade Advance 4.0 allows users to measure up to 30 shades on a single tooth and arrive at an overall average shade. In addition, users no

Nutrition plays key role in oral health

A strong connection exists between the food people eat and their oral health, according to an updated position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, May 2013, Vol. 113:5, pp. 693-701). “It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that nutrition is an integral component of oral health,” wrote the authors, Riva Touger-Decker, RD, PhD, a professor and

Okla. infection-control case may include teens

The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) is currently working with the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority to identify juveniles who were patients of W. Scott Harrington, DMD, while at the L.E. Rader facility and Juvenile Services group homes. Records date back to 1995 when the agency came into existence. Any juvenile covered by Medicaid in need of medical care would have been seen by providers — including Dr. Harrington — contracted with

Oragenics unveils new dental websites

Oragenics has launched two new websites, one for dental professionals and the other for consumers. The first, www.evorapro.com, is designed to educate dental professionals about the benefits of oral probiotics and provide information on becoming a partner with Oragenics and offering its professional strength product, EvoraPro, in their practices. The second, www.evoraoralprobiotics.com, features updated information on Oragenics’ consumer line of oral probiotics, EvoraPlus and EvoraPet, a simpler user interface, and