Eating, exercising help pharyngeal patients who undergo radiotherapy

Patients with pharyngeal cancer who eat regularly and consistently perform swallowing exercises throughout radiotherapy have much better long-term eating outcomes, according to a new study in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery (September 19, 2013). The findings support those of a similar study published last month in the same journal. For the current study, researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center and NorthShore University HealthSystem set out to evaluate the independent

Texas Medicaid fraud whistleblowers get $4.2M

A U.S. District Court judge in Texas has awarded $4.2 million in damages to the state and three former employees of an orthodontist convicted of Medicaid fraud as part of a whistleblower lawsuit. If state and federal authorities collect $4 million from the clinic, the former employees could theoretically split $630,000 to $840,000, according to a story in the Amarillo Globe-News. In April, U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson sentenced

Wash. Medicaid dental provider lacks patients

While parents in many parts of the U.S. complain they can’t find enough Medicaid dental providers to treat their children, and providers say the reimbursement rates aren’t enough to justify taking Medicaid patients, a pediatric dental provider in Washington state believes only half of the eligible children in the area seek treatment. Pediatric dentist Tyrone Rodriguez, DDS, who owns Selah’s Smiles Dental in Selah and SmileSonrisas Dental in Moses Lake,

Xlear adds mints to xylitol product line

Xlear is now offering Spry Gems, mint candies sweetened with xylitol. Spry Gems have no added acids and come in several flavors, including cinnamon, spearmint, peppermint, and berry, with lemon cream and wintergreen to be added soon, according to a company press release. The company said some products touting the health benefits of xylitol actually have damaging pH levels due to the addition of acids for tangier tastes.

Calif. city proposes amalgam limits

The Berkeley City Council in California, with the aid of organizations in the city, plans to introduce five proposals that will educate the public about possible risks of mercury in amalgam and encourage limited use of or alternatives to the restorative material, according to an article in the Daily Californian. While the details varied, all five proposals discussed at the council’s September 17 meeting emphasized the need for increased public

Patterson Dental sponsors OSAP campaign

Patterson Dental and nine infection-control product companies are working to raise funds for the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention’s (OSAP) campaign, Support the Fight for Infection Prevention. Sponsors Crosstex, Hu-Friedy, Sultan Healthcare, CrystalTip, DentaPure, Dux Dental, Miele, Mydent, and Sunstar Americas will contribute to the campaign, OSAP noted in a press release. The campaign is designed to increase OSAP’s visibility throughout the dental profession and showcase the key infection

Gives Kids A Smile, NASCAR help Chicago kids

As part of NASCAR race week in Chicago September 14-15, the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program held special oral health events at Chicagoland Speedway and the University of Illinois, Chicago. The ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program, ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, CareCredit, and 3M ESPE Dental have once again teamed up with NASCAR star Greg Biffle for a third year to put good oral health on the fast track

Study: Nanodiamonds aid bone growth around implants

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered that diamonds on a much, much smaller scale than those used in jewelry could be used to promote bone growth and the durability of dental implants. Nanodiamonds, which are created as byproducts of conventional mining and refining operations, are approximately 4 to 5 nanometers (nm) in diameter and are shaped like tiny soccer balls. Scientists from the UCLA School

Study: VELscope an imaging aid for BRONJ surgery

The VELscope (LED Medical Diagnostics) is well-known as a noninvasive fluorescence device used by dental professionals to identify tissue abnormalities — including cancerous and precancerous lesions — in the oral cavity. Now a new study has found that the VELscope may also be a useful aid in the surgical treatment of osteonecrosis of the jaw induced by bisphosphonates (BRONJ) (Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, September 4, 2013). The VELscope Vx by

FDA, NIH partner to enhance tobacco-related research

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are working together to support tobacco-related research by funding more than a dozen new Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science (TCORS). As part of an ongoing interagency partnership, the two agencies have awarded some $53 million in fiscal year 2013 to create 14 TCORS across the U.S.. A new, first-of-its-kind regulatory science tobacco program, TCORS is designed

Start-up firm offers lower-cost oral cancer screening device

Researchers involved in the development of the Identafi multispectral oral cancer screening device have now introduced another oral cancer screening device that uses fluorescence technology and costs less than $1,000. The OralID device, from Forward Science, is based on technology developed by the company president, Brian Pikkula, PhD, and CEO Robert Whitman. The OralID cancer screening device gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance in March 2013. All images courtesy

Philips launches new power toothbrush

Philips Sonicare has added new power toothbrush to its product line, the FlexCare Platinum. Sonicare FlexCare Platinum addresses aggressive brushing with an intuitive Pressure Sensor to guide proper brushing technique. The handle vibrates when too much pressure is applied, alerting users when they are brushing too hard, the company noted in a press release. The toothbrush also features the new InterCare brush head, which has bristles of different lengths to