Vita extends Vitapan Plus anterior teeth line

Vita is now offering of Vitapan Plus anterior teeth in 3D-Master shades. Vitapan Plus will now be available in 3D-Master shades 1M1, 2L1.5, 2M2, 3L1.5, 3L2.5, 3R2.5, 4M2, and 5M1 for greater shade matching options. Vitapan Plus can be combined with Vita Physiodens, Vita Lingoform, Vitapan Cuspiform, and Vita Synoform posterior teeth. Vitapan Plus is also economically efficient, the company noted, due to the availability of compact, comprehensive shade and

ADA 2012 kicks off with school-based dental screenings

SAN FRANCISCO – The ADA kicked off its annual meeting this week by having150 volunteer dentists, hygienists, and dental students provide 2,000 school children with oral health screenings, education, and treatment as part of the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program. The three-day Give Kids A Smile program started Monday at the Gordon J. Lau Elementary School in San Francisco’s Chinatown, with students first getting an oral screening in a

AGD offers candy tips for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner and candy consumption is almost unavoidable as a result, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is offering recommendations on good and bad candy options. Worst: Chewy/sticky sweets, such as gummy candies, taffy, and even dried fruit, can be difficult for children and adults to resist and even more difficult to remove from teeth. “These candies are a serious source of tooth decay, particularly when

Dental Diaries: A new toothbrush

There is nothing like the feel of a new toothbrush. The fresh bristles really do what they are supposed to do, and the gingiva truly appreciates it. Regardless if you use a manual or power brush, the feel of a new brush is much different than one that is past its prime. Why would I wax poetically about a toothbrush? Something most of us give out to our patients on

SC legislator calls for routine dental office inspections

A South Carolina lawmaker says the state should consider routine inspections of dental offices, as is done in 15 other states. But another legislator who’s also a dentist questions the need for such inspections, saying several state agencies already oversee the facilities and respond to complaints. State Sen. Harvey Peeler, who heads the state’s Medical Affairs Committee, recently said the Legislature should consider the idea of routine inspections that could

Environment a bigger factor than genes in oral bacteria

The makeup of bacteria in the oral cavity is driven more by environmental factors than genetics, according to a new long-term study of human twins by University of Colorado Boulder researchers (Genome Research, October 12, 2012). The study compared saliva samples from identical and fraternal twins to see how much “bacterial communities” in saliva vary from mouth to mouth at different points in time, according to lead author Kenneth Krauter,

Va. to pay family $100K in VCU sedation death

Virginia will pay $100,000 to the family of a 6-year-old boy who died while under sedation at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Dental Faculty Practice in Richmond last year, NBC12 reported. The commonwealth maintained that it is not liable for the boy’s death, and a judge has yet to determine whether to approve the settlement, according to the news report. Jacobi Hill was anesthetized on May 11, 2010, to have crowns

Merck reaches damages agreement in Fosamax suit

A confidential agreement has been reached in a lawsuit filed against Merck, maker of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax, by a woman who claimed she suffered from Fosamax-related damages to her jaw. The plaintiff, Shirley Boles, first brought a claim against Merck in September 2009, alleging that the drug caused her to suffer from osteonecrosis of the jaw. That lawsuit resulted in a mistrial. In a subsequent trial in June 2010,

Dental R.A.T. to be featured on TV show

How2Media, producers of the TV show “World’s Greatest!…”, has selected Dental R.A.T. to appear on the TV series. “World’s Greatest!…” is a 30-minute show that highlights companies and their products from around the world. Dental R.A.T. has patented products that help combat cross-contamination, one of which is a foot-operated computer mouse allowing hands-free computer access, the company noted in a press release. As part of the show, How2Media will be

NUS engineers improve throat cancer treatment

Patients who lose their ability to speak after surgical treatment for throat cancer may be able to regain that ability much more quickly thanks to a new device developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS). A project led by Chui Chee Kiong of the NUS department of mechanical engineering and David Lau, consulting ENT surgeon at Raffles Hospital, reduces a two-week waiting time before patients can speak

Spectrometry helps predict perio disease progression

Mass spectrometry presents a unique method for analyzing gingival crevicular fluidas a source of biomarkers for predicting periodontal disease progression, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontal Research (October 11, 2012). Researchers from the University of Melbourne used mass spectrometry to examine the relationship between the relative amounts of proteins and peptides in gingival crevicular fluid and their relationship with clinical indices and periodontal attachment loss in

Study IDs why hormone therapy is good for periodontitis

Vitamin D appears to be a factor in the positive effects hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can have on periodontitis, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology (October 2, 2012). “Possible synergism between female sex hormones and vitamin D on periodontitis pathology has not been assessed,” wrote the study authors, from Malmö University, Lund University, Columbia University Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco. To investigate