Amann Girrbach offers nonprecious alloy for desktop milling

Amann Girrbach America has launched Ceramill Sintron, a soft chrome cobalt (CrCo) that allows dental labs to dry mill nonprecious metal restorations in-house on desktop milling machines. Previous CrCo materials had been considered too hard for desktop milling applications. Ceramill Sintron eliminates the need for conventional nonprecious metal casting processes for crowns and bridges, according to Amann Girrbach. Ceramill Sintron, developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden, has a “wax-like”

New dental implant gives atrophic patients more options

A new type of implant can benefit a wider range of patients, including those with degeneration of bone in the upper or lower mandible, according to a study in the Journal of Oral Implantology (June 2013, Vol. 39:3, pp. 314-325). Researchers from Cleveland ClearChoice Dental Implant Center analyzed the all-on-four treatment used with the NobelActive implant (Nobel Biocare). Follow-up evaluations of 227 implants from one to three years after the

How to reduce postanesthesia agitation in kids

The successful sedation of a child patient with sevoflurane may be viewed differently by concerned patients when their son or daughter experiences emergence delirium and agitation (EAD). However, an article in the latest Anesthesia Progress outlines a clinical technique that can help reduce the occurrence of EAD and increase a dentist’s ability to keep young patients safe and their parents calm (Summer 2013, Vol. 60:2, pp. 67-71). “Using the Bispectral

Straumann/Dental Wings offer new CAD/CAM app

Straumann and Dental Wings have introduced the Cares Prosthetic App, a plug-in software module inside the DWOS (Dental Wings Open Systems) software version 3.5.3 on Dental Wings CAD/CAM systems. The Cares Prosthetic App provides eligible Dental Wings customers full access to the Cares Prosthetic portfolio including Cares customized abutments, full-contour restorations, crowns, and bridges. The app operates in the same software environment as Dental Wings customers are used to, the

Univ. of Iowa gets $15K for community outreach

The University of Iowa Department of Pediatric Dentistry has received a $15,000 Philips Sonicare grant from the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) for community outreach and dental care programs. Cathy Skotowski, RDH, MS, a clinical assistant professor of pediatric dentistry, and Gayle Gilbaugh, a specialized care coordinator, are the lead investigators with the project. The women are now two-time recipients after earning their first grant in 2011, according to

Calif. insurance exchange unveils pediatric dental plans

As states across the U.S. struggle to work out strategies and guidelines for implementing the insurance benefits mandated by the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), California appears to be ahead of the curve. This week, Covered California — the state’s health insurance exchange — unveiled two plans for pediatric dental coverage, and while some are lauding the simplicity of the plans, others say they create inequities. The

Medicom donates $17K for children’s oral care

Medicom has awarded two grants totaling $17,000 for oral health services for at-risk children. The donations to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) will go to the A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and Sonrisas Dental Center in Half Moon Bay, CA, according to a press release. Now extending services in Canada as Canada’s ToothFairy, NCOHF is reaching children throughout North America. Through the generosity

More research supports Canary for caries detection

The Canary system from Quantum Dental Technologies provided better caries evaluation than fluorescence technology or visual examinations in two new studies, presented last week at the European Organisation for Caries Research congress in Liverpool, U.K. In the first study, lesion depth of natural caries was correlated with the readings from the Canary, the Diagnodent (KaVo), and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II visual ranking system, the company

Cigar, pipe smoking linked with higher HNC risk

Cigar and pipe smoking are associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancers (HNC), according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology (June 30, 2013). Using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium (comprising 13,935 cases and 18,691 controls in 19 studies from 1981 to 2007), the study authors applied hierarchical logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for

New pocket guide aids in periodontal coding

Patti DiGangi, RDH, has published a pocket guide for periodontal coding, DentalCodeology: More than Pocket Change. The guide, available in both print and digital formats, is designed for the entire dental team and answers questions regarding Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) coding in a general dental practice, DiGangi noted in a press release. The $16.95 retail price has been reduced to $12 or two print books for $20.

Consulting firm begins oral care product study

Market research and management consulting firm Kline & Co. is undertaking a study, Professional Oral Care USA, to provide data on the professional oral care products used and sold to consumers through professional dental practices. The report is intended to expand marketers’ understanding of trends and the components of change behind them, the company noted in a press release. The findings will be based upon primary and secondary research with

Top 5 tips to grow your whitening business

Breakings news: More people would invest in fixing the appearance of their teeth before investing in weight loss help, according to a 2012 study conducted by Kelton Global. Gary Takacs. Gary Takacs. The most common smile enhancement service today is teeth whitening. The survey findings demonstrate interest in smiling enhancement services and the opportunity to grow the whitening business in your practice. In the same survey, nearly 50% of the