Endodontics start-up completes $27M in funding

Sonendo, a developer of endodontic products, has completed the second of two equity financings, raising an additional $18 million for a total of $27 million. The proceeds from the financing will be used to finalize technology development, fund ongoing clinical studies, and commercialize Sonendo’s Multisonic Ultracleaning system, set to launch in 2014, the company noted in a press release. Sonendo’s endodontic technology enables root canals to be simultaneously cleaned in

Fluorescent molecules help find fluoride in water

U.S. officials recently lowered the recommended dosage of fluoride in water from 1.2 to 0.7 parts per million — a limit that previously had been several times higher. But detecting fluoride at such miniscule levels can be tricky, according to Texas A&M University chemist François Gabbaï, PhD. So he and his research team have focused on building a solution — organometallic molecules that emit fluorescence when they are mixed with

Mitsui acquires denture manufacturer

Mitsui Chemicals continues to expand its dental materials business, taking a 50.01% stake in U.S. denture maker Dentca. Earlier this year, Mitsui acquired Heraeus Dental for $578 million. Over the last two years, Mitsui has been working to grow its healthcare business through its Functional Chemicals group. Dentca develops, manufactures, and distributes dentures using CAD/CAM and proprietary 3D modeling and printing technologies. The dentures market is expected to continue to

Nasal spray anesthetic: The end of the needle?

Patient fear of the needle is a regular obstacle for dental professionals. Now St. Renatus, a Colorado start-up, is navigating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process to bring an anesthetic in the form of a nasal mist to the market. The nasal spray, called Kovacaine Mist, is designed to anesthetize the maxillary arch. While the absence of a needle is an important aspect of the technology, it could

Study: Lexapro eases depression in HNC patients

Prophylactic escitalopram reduced the incidence of depression in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients by more than 50% and improved their quality of life, according to a new study in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (June 20, 2013). Significantly fewer patients taking the antidepressant — a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor — developed depression when compared with those on placebo (10% versus 24.6%, p = 0.04), according to the

Football legend Jim Kelly battles oral cancer

Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has been diagnosed as cancer-free following surgery to remove part of his jaw after he developed squamous cell carcinoma of the upper mandible. Kelly’s physicians said he can avoid radiation and chemotherapy after his surgery on June 7, according to a report from the Buffalo Bills. Kelly had the left side of his jaw removed, along with all the teeth on the

Pew: MLPs key to increasing kids’ access to dental care

Midlevel dental providers (MLPs) could significantly reduce the millions of children who have no access to dental care, according to a report released today by the Pew Charitable Trusts. MLPs can improve the ability of safety-net systems to reach low-income communities and save states money on emergency room care, the report concluded. While lack of access to dental care is a complex problem, the report cited two dentist shortages as

New Zealand issues new teeth-whitening rules

New Zealand health officials have developed new restrictions on the sale of teeth whiteners that contain more than 7% hydrogen peroxide. The new rules take effect June 30. Products with 7% to 12% hydrogen peroxide will only be available from a dentist, a registered oral health practitioner, or a nonregistered practitioner working under the supervision of a dentist, according to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Those with more than 12%

Groupon stops promoting nondentist teeth whitening in U.K.

Groupon will no longer offer teeth-whitening deals from operators who aren’t regulated by the U.K.’s General Dental Council (GDC), the regulatory body that oversees oral health professionals. U.K. law states that teeth whitening is a dental practice and must be regulated by the GDC, according to a story on dailydealmedia.com. The GDC welcomed a recent court ruling that overturned an earlier court decision to acquit a woman who was found

Benco motorcycle raffle to aid Smiles for Success

Benco Dental is raffling off a custom-built motorcycle to benefit the American Association of Women Dentists’ Smiles for Success Foundation. Benco commissioned the motorcycle, custom-built by Paul Teutul Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs, to commemorate the Lucy Hobbs Project. Net proceeds from the raffle will pay all costs of necessary dental procedures for the Smiles for Success Foundation, which helps women who have left the workforce because of domestic violence,

More studies point to harmful effects of BPA

Evidence continues to mount about the harmful effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical used in some dental sealants and a number of consumer and household products. The Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco last week included two studies linking BPA to harmful effects on male fetuses and prostate cancer. One study found an association between BPA exposure and defects in a testicular hormone in newborn boys with

Gene test aids in thyroid cancer screening

A new genetic test accurately and consistently diagnoses benign nodules on the thyroid gland, according to a study presented June 22 at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. The problem with the current screening method — typically a fine-needle aspirate biopsy — is that in one-fifth to one-fourth of them the results are unclear, according to the study authors, from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. In addition to causing