Study: Diode laser treatment improves SRP results

Diode lasers can significantly improve clinical parameters when used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) during periodontal treatment, according to a new study in Lasers in Medical Science (November 16, 2012). Laser treatment has been expected to serve as an alternative or adjunctive treatment to conventional mechanical therapy in periodontology due to several advantages: ablation of tissues together with effective hemostasis, removal of calculus and granulation tissue,

Study: Oral exams poor predictors of oral cancer

Clinical oral exams (COEs) have a poor overall performance as diagnostic methods for predicting dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (December 2012, Vol. 143:12, pp. 1332-1342). When OSCC is detected in its early stages, the prognosis is better and the cost of care is lower, according to the study authors. However, some two-thirds of OSCCs are

Study yields strategy to prevent, halt perio disease

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated the ability to both prevent periodontitis from developing and halt the progression of the disease once it has developed, according to study in the Journal of Immunology, (December 1, 2012, Vol. 189:11, 5442-5448). In the study, led by Toshiharu Abe, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of microbiology in Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, the researchers impacted periodontitis by blocking a molecular

Study: Vitamin D has positive impact on caries rates

While there has been little dispute over vitamin D’s role in supporting bone health, there has been disagreement over its role in preventing caries and its positive effects on periodontal health, cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report that called for an increase in the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, but also said that the current body of research

Does occlusal adjustment enhance periodontal therapy?

The benefits of occlusal adjustment as a component of periodontal treatment have not been adequately demonstrated in the clinical research to date, according to a new systematic review in the Journal of Dentistry (December 2012, Vol. 40:12, pp. 1025-1035). “The relationship between trauma from occlusion (TfO) and periodontal disease has been discussed for more than a century,” wrote the study authors from University of São Paulo dental school. “A few

Grant extends oral cancer biomarker research

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has awarded nearly half a million dollars to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for a collaborative research project that includes New York University (NYU), Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), and Providence Cancer Center. The $492,000 award — for the project “A New CTSA Partnership to Translate an Oral Cancer Biomarker from Lab

Research reveals fetal BPA exposure in pregnant women

Research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health has found bisphenol A (BPA) in fetal liver tissue, demonstrating that there is considerable exposure to the chemical during pregnancy (Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, December 3, 2012). The study authors also found a proportionately higher concentration of free BPA — as opposed to the conjugated forms modified by the body for elimination — further showing that in fetuses

Equity firm to buy Young Innovations for $300M

Young Innovations has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Linden Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm that focuses on middle market leveraged buyout investments in the healthcare and life science industries. Under the terms of the agreement, holders of outstanding shares of common stock of Young will receive $39.50 per share, representing a 12.5% premium to the 30-day average closing stock price, making

Feldspathic veneers fare well in 20-year study

When bonded to prepared enamel substrate, feldspathic porcelain veneers have excellent long-term survival and low failure rates, according to a study in the International Journal of Prosthodontics (November/December 2012, Vol. 25:6, pp. 604-612). The study included 499 porcelain veneers placed in 155 patients by an Australian prosthodontist between 1990 and 2010, with 239 veneers (88 patients) placed before 2001 and 260 veneers (67 patients) placed after. Nonvital teeth, molar teeth,

10-year trial yields insight into larynx preservation

Sequential and concurrent chemoradiotherapy produce similar survival rates for locally advanced laryngeal cancer, but the concurrent approach more often allows the larynx to be preserved, according to a 10-year study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (November 26, 2012). Between 1992 and 2000, a team of U.S. researchers at multiple facilities randomly assigned 547 patients to three treatment groups: induction chemotherapy followed by radiation, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and radiotherapy alone.

Leaders in Dentistry: Dr. Margherita Fontana

HuangshanDental.com is pleased to present the next installment of Leaders in Dentistry, a series of interviews with researchers, practitioners, and opinion leaders who are influencing the practice of dentistry. We spoke with Margherita Fontana, DDS, PhD, an associate professor in the department of cariology, restorative sciences, and endodontics at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. After immigrating to the U.S. from Venezuela in 1992, she earned her Doctorate in

Tekscan introduces T-Scan 8 occusal device

Tekscan has released T-Scan 8, which features a new user interface and workflow designed to optimize efficiency when evaluating occlusal forces. The T-Scan is a diagnostic device that records a patient’s bite force, enabling a dentist to determine a patient’s occlusal force, timing, and location, according to the company. It utilizes patented sensor technology originally developed at Tufts University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987 to put articulating