100 Ark. dental patients urged to get blood tests

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has begun contacting about 100 patients treated by William Jarrod Stewart, DDS, at six dental clinics around the state who may have been given drugs intravenously that were contaminated by an infectious material. Currently, no illnesses have been linked to this situation, although the organization has identified a potential for limited disease transmission. The patients, who are between the ages of 14 and 22,

Loma Linda dental school gets $3M for kids’ oral care

Loma Linda University School of Dentistry has received a $3 million grant from the First 5 Riverside Children and Families Commission to provide dental care to children with special healthcare needs. About 840 children with special healthcare needs will get access to oral health services annually through the grant, according to the school. Approximately 750 of the children are expected to receive follow-up dental treatment each year from the grant,

Oragenics gets common stock listing on NYSE

Oragenics has had its common stock approved for listing on the NYSE Euronext’s NYSE MKT. Trading is expected to commence on the NYSE MKT on April 10, 2013, under the ticker symbol OGEN. The listing approval is contingent on the company continuing to meet all of the initial listing requirements on the day it is scheduled to commence trading.

Study: Regular scaling can reduce atrial fibrillation risk

Is there a relationship between periodontal health and cardiac dysrhythmia? Yes, according to a study in the International Journal of Cardiology (March 1, 2013). In fact, the study authors propose a way to lower the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of sustained cardiac dysrhythmia: by undergoing dental scaling at least once a year. “Oral infections due to poor oral hygiene may also predispose patients to

BiteDownDeals.com supports Operation Smile

BiteDownDeals.com, a daily deal website for dental supplies and materials, is supporting Operation Smile by making contributions to the organization this week during the California Dental Association’s annual convention in Anaheim, CA. BiteDownDeals.com offers its customers nine products a day at prices 20% to 60% below competitors’ prices. In addition, the site offers $5 flat rate shipping anywhere in the U.S., regardless of the quantity of the purchase. Customers can

Do IAN blocks prevent third-molar buds from maturing?

There is an ongoing debate about how to manage third molars in dentistry, particularly the risks associated with removing or not removing them once they erupt. What if there was a way to prevent them from ever growing in at all? A new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association has striking conclusions that have even caught the attention of the national news media. “Inferior alveolar nerve blocks

DenMat offers early oral cancer detection advice

DenMat and the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) are acknowledging April as National Oral Cancer Awareness Month by teaming up to offer consumers advice on the importance of oral cancer screening and tips to maintain proper dental hygiene. According to the OCF, nearly 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year, the fifth year the number of such cases has risen. Most dental professionals have access to

Genomic analysis may yield targeted head/neck cancer treatments

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) with certain distinctive patterns could respond to specific targeted therapies, according to research presented on April 6 at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Washington, DC. The study was part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a National Institutes of Health project to catalogue the genetic alterations responsible for several types of cancer, in particular those with a poor prognosis.

Researchers find 25 types of bacteria in biofilm

A team of researchers led by scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has published a study outlining the recovery and genomic analysis, using single-cell genomic techniques, of a periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, from a hospital sink (Genome Research, April 5, 2013). It is the first time that a single-cell genome sequencing approach was used to isolate and analyze a single microbe from a biofilm in a healthcare setting,

Dental groups dispute Consumer Reports cancer screening story

The dental community is up in arms over a recent Consumer Reports article that claims oral cancer screening is one of several medical tests that are overrecommended and unnecessary for all but high-risk patients. The article, which appears in the March 2013 issue, concluded that “most people shouldn’t waste their time” on most diagnostic tests, including chairside visual screenings for oral cancer. “Most people don’t need the test unless they

ADHA responds to Okla. infection control scandal

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has issued a statement reassuring the public that dental hygienists maintain high standards in infection control to optimize patient safety and health. The incident involving Tulsa, OK, oral surgeon W. Scott Harrington, DMD, “in no way reflects the level of care expected of dental hygienists,” the group stated in a press release. Oklahoma health officials have notified approximately 7,000 of Dr. Harrington’s patients about potential

Dental Heroes: Dental Care for Children helps thousands

Back in 2002, Charles Tozzer, DDS, of Irvine, CA, never dreamed he would one day oversee a charitable organization that helps more than 1,000 needy kids in California, Mexico, and Haiti get free dental care each year. But that was the year his nonprofit, Dental Care for Children, first began to take shape, after a hygienist who worked for Dr. Tozzer told him about a mission she was going on with