Align Technology enforces injunction against German competitors

Align Technology has moved forward with the enforcement of permanent injunctions granted by the District Court of Düsseldorf in the Federal Republic of Germany against Ortho Caps and Rasteder KFO Spezial-Labor. In December 2011, Align filed patent infringement lawsuits against Ortho Caps and Rasteder KFO asserting they both infringe Align patents by making, offering to sell, and selling their respective clear aligner therapy systems in Germany. The permanent injunctions are

Study: Do oral surgeons overprescribe pain meds?

Some oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) may be inadvertently contributing to the improper consumption or sale of prescription pain medications, according to a new study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (September 2013, Vol. 71:9, pp. 1500-1503). “The diversion of narcotics for nonmedical purposes has become a serious problem,” wrote the study authors from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. “One of the suggested potential sources … has

Curasan expands dental tissue regeneration business

Curasan, a company specializing in bone and tissue regeneration products, has acquired a large part of the oral regenerative medicine division of Riemser Pharma. Curasan now owns the marketing and distribution rights for the products covered by the contract and is assuming the sales structures, including the national and international customer base, the company noted in a press release. As a result of this change, Curasan has immediate access to

Wash. dental board OKs Botox use by dentists

The Washington State dental board has approved the use of Botox and dermal fillers by general dentists. The Dental Quality Assurance Commission has affirmed the ability of general dentists to use Botox and dermal fillers when “used to treat functional or esthetic dental conditions and their direct esthetic consequences and the treating dentist has appropriate, verifiable training and experience,” according to a press release from the American Academy of Facial

Dental Quality Alliance unveils 1st set of performance measures

The ADA’s Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) has established its first set of performance measures, “Dental Caries in Children: Prevention and Disease Management.” It includes 10 tested and validated performance measures in oral healthcare: use of services, preventive services, treatment services, oral evaluation, topical fluoride intensity, sealant use in 6- to 9-year-olds, sealant use in 10- to 14-year-olds, care continuity, usual source of services, and per-member, per-month cost. The DQA, which

Researchers: Simplify thyroid cancer biopsy guidelines

A team led by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers has called for simplified guidelines on when to biopsy thyroid nodules for cancer, which they say would result in fewer unnecessary biopsies. Their recommendation, based on a retrospective study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (August 26, 2013), is to biopsy patients only when imaging reveals a thyroid nodule with microcalcifications or one that is larger than 2 cm in

Dentca offers EZ-Tracer denture tracing sheets

Dentca has released EZ-Tracer sticker-based tracing sheets that simplify the centric relation (CR) capture process for accurate denture design. Once the EZ-Tracer is attached to the maxillary tray, the attachable tracing pin on the mandibular Dentca tray can trace jaw movements to capture accurate CR, according to a company press release. Similar to novelty tracing papers that can be erased by lifting the thin plastic film to trace again, EZ-Tracers

Cochrane review supports fluoride varnish for kids

Children whose permanent and baby teeth are treated with fluoride varnish see a noticeable reduction in decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces, according to a new systematic review in Cochrane Reviews (July 11, 2013). The review updates the first Cochrane review of fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents, which was published in 2002. For this update, the Cochrane Oral Health Group found 22 trials published between

Dental ‘grill’ fad could harm teeth

Pop stars have rekindled the dental gold grill trend favored by hip-hop artists in the 1980s and 1990s, but poorly made versions could hurt those who wear them, according to an article in the Daily Mail. The most desirable grills are made of gold and have jewels embedded in them. But ill-fitting ones, particularly permanent ones, can wear away enamel or rearrange teeth. Oral health practitioners caution that wearing them

Ritter Dental van hits the road for fundraising, education

Dental equipment manufacturer Ritter Dental USA is set to embark on the Ritter Road Show, a dental exhibit scheduled to visit 125 cities throughout the U.S. to celebrate the company’s 125-year anniversary. Each Ritter Road Show event will be hosted at a local venue and will include three basic components: innovation, education, and fundraising. The latest Ritter innovations will be showcased in a dedicated display area, which will include the

NIR camera may help improve HNC patients’ quality of life

As the incidence of oral cancer cases increases, researchers are looking for ways to better treat the disease and also the debilitating side effects that survivors must deal with following surgery and radiation treatments. Toward this end, clinical researcher Ron Karni, MD, and colleagues at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston have come up with a way to visualize how the lymphatic system is affected in head and

C3 Jian completes trial for caries prevention drug

C3 Jian has successfully completed a phase I clinical trial for its C16G2 caries-fighting peptide drug. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included a dose-escalation period, the company explained in a press release. The trial focused on evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics, along with the initial microbiology of C16G2 administered to healthy adults in a single oral dose of mouth rinse. A total of 36 subjects were enrolled in the study. No