Align Technology is cruising into the fourth quarter on the heels of a 21% jump in revenues in the third quarter. For the period (end-September 30), the company posted revenues of $164.5 million, compared with $136.5 million in the same quarter last year. The company also enjoyed a profit of $34.5 million in the record-setting quarter, compared with a loss of $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2012. For
NSK Dental has launched its Ti-Max X450 line of 45° air-driven handpieces that deliver 21 watts of power. The Ti-Max X450 series is available in nine models. Seven are optic versions featuring NSK, KaVo, W&H RA, Midwest, Star, Fixed Back, and W&H RQ couplers, while two are nonoptic versions featuring NSK and Fixed Back couplers. The model featuring the W&H RQ coupler incorporates LED lighting in the handpiece. All nine
Truthinadvertising.org (TINA) has filed a legal brief contesting a recent class-action settlement with Philips Oral Healthcare. A class-action lawsuit was filed against Philips Oral Health Care and Philips Electronics North America Corporation in 2012 alleging that the company falsely advertised its Sonicare AirFloss as an easy replacement for floss. The $100 product “cannot actually remove plaque between teeth the same way traditional dental floss can,” TINA.org stated in a press
A Swiss company has created a coating that could improve upon one of titanium’s most important characteristics when used in dental implants: biocompatibility. The firm believes that implants coated with its SurfLink material will bond to bone even more effectively than bare titanium, improving implant stability, speeding patient healing, and reducing costs. Nano Bridging Molecules (NBMolecules) is presenting the first clinical data on its SurfLink technology at a European clinical
A new, illustrated book reassures young ones that there’s nothing to fear during a trip to the dentist. Emily’s First Visit to the Dentist by Judi Snyder, RDH. Emily’s First Visit to the Dentist by Judi Snyder, RDH. Emily’s First Visit to the Dentist, released by Dog Ear Publishing, stars a young girl named Emily who is seeing the dentist for the first time. The story prepares children for their
Dental implants in the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, and Chinese (BRIC) markets will see rapid growth to reach $1.3 billion in 2021, according to a new report from Millennium Research Group (MRG). The growth is driven by rising numbers of dentists being trained to perform implant procedures, as well as increased marketing efforts from manufacturers, MRG explained. Brazil currently represents the largest of the BRIC markets; dental implants have been available
Brandon Jennings, a point guard for the Detroit Pistons, will be out for three weeks while he receives treatment for a troublesome third molar. The tooth is impacted, and he has a hairline fracture in his mandible at the base of the tooth, according to a report by the Associated Press. Jennings, signed during the off-season as the team’s starting point guard, will miss the October 30 season opening game.
A lawsuit filed in Jefferson County in Alabama challenging the state’s ban on teeth-whitening services being offered by nondentists is moving forward. The suit was filed against the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners on April 30 in the Circuit Court for the 10th Judicial Circuit by Keith Westphal and Joyce Osborn Wilson, who wish to sell over-the-counter teeth-whitening products. The board’s motion to dismiss the case was heard on September
Two grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health will allow researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry to explore novel, longer-lasting composites. Principal investigators Carmem Pfeifer, DDS, PhD, an assistant professor of biomaterials and biomechanics, and Jack Ferracane, PhD, the chair and a professor of restorative dentistry, will receive more than $2.4 million over five years to work independently toward the common goal of
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be a better tool for predicting the chances of survival and tumor metastasis of patients with oral cancer, according to a new study by British researchers. They found that measuring tumor volume on MRI scans could offer a more accurate prognosis than analyzing the surface area of a tumor. MRI demonstrated promising results in a dual-center, retrospective study by researchers at University of Oxford’s Radiology
Lasers4Dentistry, a division of Technology4Medicine, will launch its X-Runner digital laser scanning handpiece at the upcoming ADA Annual Session. The company is touting the handpiece, designed specifically for the LightWalker AT Dual Wavelength dental laser, as the first all-tissue ablative laser scanning handpiece for dentistry, and will present it at booth No. 618 during the meeting, taking place in New Orleans from October 31 through November 3. The X-Runner has
Glidewell Laboratories has struck an alliance with Shofu of Japan to bring BruxZir Solid Zirconia directly to the Japanese dental market. Under the terms of the partnership, Shofu will have exclusive rights to distribute the restorative dental material to dental laboratories and dentists. With the addition of both BruxZir Solid Zirconia and the new BruxZir Shaded Solid Zirconia to Shofu’s product portfolio, Shofu Japan’s customers will now have local access